No Strings Attached

Chapter 6

"Are you through?" Nunew's voice is so calm.

His brother mockingly smiled at him. "Yes, so get your selfish, ungrateful ass out of my shop now."

"Later, you spoiled, whiny, delusional brat!"

Harit's face turns red in anger. But Nunew sweetly smiled at him. "It's simple Parenting 101, Harit. I don't need to be grateful to her. The one you called the woman who gave me life because first, I don't wish for her to gave birth to me. I'm her responsibility since she chose to keep me. Was she rape? No. She voluntarily spread her legs for my father so it's their fucking responsibility, not mine. If she wants to be a model then, she could perhaps take an utmost care and think first before she spread her legs to some man."

His mother gasp. Harit was about to slap him but he was quick to hold his wrist. He hold it so tight that his brother wince in pain.

"Nunew! Stop it!" His mother push him harshly. But he did expect that. All his life, his mother keeps on pushing him away.

But Nunew smile. "And you, Harit Keng. I'm the one who is acting like an innocent victim? Look at the mirror, dear brother. You're the one who's trying to make himself look like a fucking victim all the fucking time. You're so shallow and pathetic it's nauseating. You're the one who makes everything about you. You're the one who wants to be the center of attention all the time. 'Oh god, my shop's opening's so close and I don't know what color I should wear and everyone around me should be in panic!' 'He came late because he wants to ruin my night.' 'He took a photo with the reporter so the news about me will be put into trash.' 'He talked to my Dad's business partner so he could ruin me.'

"God, Harit, are you using your brain? You think everything is about you? Fucking wake up! The world doesn't revolve around your pathetic~~~"

"Stop it, Nunew!" His mother starts to cry. "Why are you doing this to us? Why are you hurting us like this. We're trying to understand you~~~"

Nunew laugh bitterly despite his tears threatening to fall any seconds now. He felt like there's a poison flowing on his chest and it started to attack his flesh.

"I'm hurting you? You're trying to understand me? Fuck you! For the millionth time, Mae, I'm allergic to peaches! I could go to anaphylactic shock even when I ingest the smallest quantity! In short, I couldn't breath. I could fucking die. I'm allergic to P-E-A-C- H-E-S! Peaches! What part of it you don't understand? Was it that hard to understand, that's why you always forgot? Eversince, I was child you always throw me away. That's why you don't know anything about me. That's why you don't remember about my allergy. And for the record, Mama. Yes, I'm working for a local pharmaceutical company and we are not making medicine to cure cancer. My team's trying to create an oral drug to combat Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. And FYI there are a lot of children who suffered from dengue than cancer every year. This little fever medicine you belittle so much could potentially help thousands, maybe even millions of lives not just in this country but worldwide. So whatever you choose to believe , no matter how small you think about my job, it's not little, Mae."

Nunew doesn't even notice that his cheeks are too wet with tears. His eyes blurry. "Get out!" Harit snapped. "Get out! We don't need you here. Get Out!"

Nunew quickly wipe his tears. He has lot of things to say. His chest so heavy and he can feel that it might explode if he won't let it out. But he was tired and at the back of his mind, a little voice is telling him that it doesn't matter what he will say, because that won't change anything.

He turn around and quickly dash towards the door. He manage to take a few steps when he bump into something hard.

Strong arms went around his waist. The familiar woodsy scent of expensive masculine perfume and something more potent wafted around him, overwhelming him.