echoes from the past

David went to call the doctor. "The patient is awake now," David informed him. The doctor quickly stood up and followed him to the room.

As he entered, he approached Mr. Caldwell. "Good morning, sir. How are you feeling now?" he asked calmly.

Reluctantly, Mr. Caldwell replied, "I'm just feeling a headache and a bit weak."

"Alright, you should just relax. They'll get you something to eat. For now, you need more rest than ever before. Your life is what matters most now," the doctor said.

A moment later, Ethan walked into the hospital. He approached the nurse and asked, "I'm here to see Mr. Caldwell."

The nurse called to confirm if he should be allowed in. David picked up the call and said, "He can come in."

The nurse directed Ethan to the room where Mr. Caldwell was.

As Ethan entered, his face shifted to one of concern. "What's going on?" he asked curiously.

David stared at Ethan with disgust. "So this is the person you think can manage your company for you?" David said with a scornful look, eyeing Ethan's tattered clothes that had been patched and sewn in several places.

Ethan stood dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond.

"Don't talk to him like that. I'm warning you, David," Mr. Caldwell said firmly, though his voice was interrupted by a cough.

"Sorry, sir. Take it easy," Ethan said, stepping closer to Mr. Caldwell. "What happened, sir? We just chatted yesterday at your home, and you seemed fine. Why are you at the hospital now?" Ethan asked, his concern growing.

"Don't worry. It's nothing serious," Mr. Caldwell replied with a weak smile.

Ethan let out a sigh of relief. "Okay."

"So, Ethan, did you see the press conference James held yesterday? I watched it this morning," Mr. Caldwell said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I saw it yesterday too. That guy is insane, thinking he can just do whatever he wants and nothing will happen," Ethan muttered.

David laughed mockingly. "And you think you can stop James? You're nothing. He'll silently wipe you out like you never existed," David said, his tone cutting through the room and leaving it in silence.

After a moment, David broke the silence. "Ethan, if you know what's best for you, just leave this whole thing and go your way. Forget about marrying Sophia, and forget about being a hero. You don't have a chance. It's already too late. James is in control now, and if you try to stop him, he'll end you. Consider this a warning," David said as he stood up.

"I'm going to get you something to eat, Dad," he added, turning to leave.

"Not when I'm still in the game," Ethan said firmly, his voice laced with determination.

David froze and turned back, laughing. "Alright, let's see how this ends for you," David muttered before smirking.

Then, his expression turned sharp. "By the way, you claim to be good at accounting. Which school did you graduate from? Because I don't think you even went to college. If you did, why would you be working low-paying jobs that can't even feed you for a month?" David sneered.

Ethan lowered his head, staring at the floor. When he looked up, he met Mr. Caldwell's gaze. "I didn't have the opportunity to attend college, but I studied on my own. There was a woman who taught me and her son. I'd study with her whenever I was alone. She introduced me to a mathematician, and we worked together often. Even though I didn't have a degree, I was confident in my knowledge. Her son, who went to college, often lost to me when we studied or solved problems together. I always came out better than him," Ethan explained, his voice cracking slightly.

David laughed loudly. "So, you're uneducated, and you claim to be good at accounting? You've got to be kidding me," David said mockingly.

"Well, I don't blame you. You're a nobody. Your parents couldn't even afford to send you to school. Imagine that," David added scornfully.

Before Ethan could respond, Mr. Caldwell interrupted. "Shut up!"

Ethan turned his gaze to Mr. Caldwell.

"You're lucky to be educated, and he's not. What difference does it make? Have I ever told you my story?" Mr. Caldwell asked, his voice hoarse.

David paused, surprised by the sudden shift.

"I never had a proper background. My parents were poor," Mr. Caldwell began, his voice trembling with the weight of old memories. "My dad was a harsh man. If I made even the slightest mistake, he'd punish me so severely that I started wondering if I was even part of the family or if I was adopted. Maybe that's why they didn't love me…"

Mr. Caldwell paused for a moment, the tension in the room thickening. "I had three older siblings, but they all died when I was a child, and my father blamed me for their deaths. I was supposed to be a twin, but my sister didn't survive. I was left, and my father treated me like I was the reason for every misfortune that befell our family."

David's expression softened as he listened—this wasn't a side of his father he had ever known.

"One day, when I was barely four years old, my siblings were playing in the pool. I wandered off and found an exposed electric wire near the poolside. I was too young to understand the danger, but my elder brother noticed and quickly swam out to stop me. He grabbed the wire from my hands, trying to keep it out of reach. I didn't understand why he was yelling, so I pushed him in frustration. He lost his balance and fell back into the pool, still holding the live wire. The others were still in the water, and…"

Mr. Caldwell's voice faltered, his eyes glistening with tears. "They all died that day. Everyone told my father it wasn't my fault, that I was just a child, but he hated me for it. If it weren't for my mother, he probably would've killed me. He called me a demon, cursed me as the source of all the family's bad luck. He said the moment I was born, his work started falling apart."

Ethan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, struggling to process the revelation.

"When I was fourteen, I couldn't take it anymore. I ran away from home and went to live with my mother's older sister. I thought I'd finally found a safe place, but after a few months, she sent me away too. She said I was a bad omen, that her children had started misbehaving since I arrived. With nowhere else to go, I returned to my father's house, endured his abuse, and waited for the day it would all be over."

Mr. Caldwell sighed deeply, his voice cracking. "The day my father died, everyone else cried, but I couldn't shed a single tear. To me, it wasn't a loss—it felt like freedom. He left behind a house and a few properties, all in my name. That's when the guilt started to creep in. I regretted hating him so much. My mother told me that, before my siblings died, I had been my father's favorite child. He doted on me. I started to understand the pain he carried, and it changed something in me."

David listened intently, his usual arrogance replaced with quiet reflection. He had always known his father as a wealthy, self-made man, but this story painted a vastly different picture.

"I sold everything my father left behind," Mr. Caldwell continued. "It was the starting point for my journey. I wanted to build something meaningful, something that would make up for all the pain I'd caused."

Ethan hesitated, then asked, "Was it after selling those properties that you started Caldwell Horizon?"

"Yes," Mr. Caldwell said simply, his gaze distant.

Ethan's heart raced. Here's my chance to ask about Mr. Reynolds. He swallowed hard and carefully framed his next question.

"So, you started the company with your friends, right? Reynolds and the others?"

Mr. Caldwell's expression shifted, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "How do you know about Reynolds?" he asked, his voice suddenly sharper.

"Um… I saw an old news report. It mentioned his name, so I thought he was one of your close friends," Ethan replied quickly, forcing a smile. I hope he doesn't think I'm prying too much, Ethan thought, trying to remain calm.

"Yes, Reynolds was a good friend back then," Mr. Caldwell began, his tone softening. "We used to—"

Before he could continue, the door opened, and a doctor entered with a tray of equipment, followed by two nurses.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to run a quick test on Mr. Caldwell. Could you step out for a few minutes?" the doctor asked politely.

"Of course," Ethan replied, stepping toward the door.

"Wait for me outside, Ethan. We'll talk more later," Mr. Caldwell said with a faint smile.

David, who had been standing by the door, excused himself as well, muttering, "I'll get something for you to eat, Dad."

As Ethan sat in the hallway, his mind raced with questions. What was Mr. Caldwell going to say about Reynolds? Could there be more to their story than I know? He sighed deeply, trying to steady his thoughts. Whatever answers Mr. Caldwell had, Ethan was determined to uncover them.