𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐄

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗

My jaw clenched as I pressed 'answer' and held the phone up to my ear, my other hand steering the wheel as I drove. "What." I spat out.

"Mon chéri, that's no way to greet your lovely step-mother, is it?" Her disgusting voice came out croaky through the other end of the line. She was drunk again.

"Cut the shit. You're drunk, where's Adonis? I swear to God, Rose, if I find out you did something, there's no savi-" My sentence was cut off with a cruel cackle.

"Il va bien mon amour, le chauffeur l'emmène à l'école. Je t'ai appelé parce que ton école m'a appelé." She responded, followed by a coughing fit.

(He's fine love, the driver's taking him to school. I rang you because your school called me.)

"De quoi se plaignent-ils maintenant?" The school had a stupid fucking habit of calling Rose whenever I fucked up, and Rose made sure that I would hear about how angry it made her.

(What are they complaining about now?)

"Vos notes. Elles baissent et le directeur a dit qu'il s'inquiétait. La seule chose qui vous permet de continuer en ce moment est la réputation de votre père et votre football." Rose was on the verge of shouting and I was grateful I wasn't with her in person.

(Your grades. They're dropping and the headmaster said he's getting worried. The only thing keeping you going right now is your father's reputation and your football.)

I went quiet for a minute, trying to muster up with a response. I'll admit my grades weren't the fucking best, but it's not like I was fucking failing. Cleveland was a prestigious college, however, so my grades would send them into a heart attack.

"Ils seront réparés." (They'll get fixed.)

" Ils ont intérêt. J'ai entendu dire que vous avez un devoir à venir, vous devez obtenir un A ou je vous coupe de l'argent et je vois Adonis." My grip on my phone became impossibly strong after hearing her words. She was going to cut me off? Money that wasn't even hers?

(They better. I hear you've got an assignment coming up, you have to get an A or I'm cutting you off on money and seeing Adonis.)

"You can't do shit. That money isn't even yours rightfully. It's mine. You only get to have some of it until I finish college and take over Father's place as CEO. You're acting CEO, remember that. I don't even know why dad let you in on the inheritance, you're nothing but a nuisance." My Father wrote in his will that until I graduate college and take over the family company, Rose, my step-mother, would be in charge of the funds. Not that she deserved it.

"Damian, do not speak about your Father, he loved me as I loved him. He left me in charge of the money until you graduate, although I don't see that happening anytime soon. You're a bastard of a son and he would be disappointed in you if he was still alive today." Her strong French accent came in and my molars crushed against each other. Unwanted memories came flooding into my brain, and my frown deepened.

"You're one to talk, I don't even know what Baba saw when he married you. The only good thing that came out of that failed fucking marriage was Adonis. If only he knew how much of a cheating, gold-digging, whore you were." My anger seethed in, my tone becoming exceptionally cold.

"Don't you fucking dare talk to me like that! Your father and I were happily in love, but you're just too fucking cold to see that. You'll never fall in love because you don't deserve it. Répare tes putains de notes ou bien, salaud." The phone cut off.

(Fix your fucking grades or else, you bastard.)

I fucking hated Rose, and the only thing that's stopped me from strangling that bitch to death was Adonis losing his pathetic excuse of a mother. I was waiting till I graduated and had a steady income then I would become his guardian and Rose could fuck off and do whatever she fucking wanted.