To Err Is Human

Once Bitten.

"He's here." Micheal announced rushing into the living room as fast as he could. Juliana quickly dropped her cup of coffee.

"Hurry, the blanket."

Micheal rushed to her, grabbing the blanket from the couch as he did. He wrapped it around her just as Angelo walked in quickly, cleaning the side of his lips.

"Angelo." Micheal rushed to him with a huge smile on his face.

"Brother."

Micheal tried to dust off the invincible dust on Angelo's jacket. He was being weirdly nice. Angelo scoffed. Of course Micheal would try to be nice to him after what happened the day before. He had expected for it to happen.

"I noticed you moved out of the house yesterday."

"Uh yeah..I decided it'd be better if I stayed at a hotel now till my apartment is ready."

"Oh." Micheal pouted. "Well thank God you're here, we've been waiting for you."
Micheal hurried back to Juliana.

"Mother?" Angelo walked briskly towards her. He slowly reached for her hands. She didn't stop him this time. He kissed it. That was a first.

"Mother is sick. She has been like this since yesterday." Micheal told him. "She won't eat or drink anything."

"Really?" Angelo asked. "Did you call a doctor?"

"Yes we did."

"Good day Angelo."

Angelo quickly turned. How on earth did he not notice that the family's lawyer was sitting right there all along.

"Mr Bernard?"
They exchanged handshakes.

"What's going on? Is there a part of the will you left out?"

"Oh , no, no, no. Not exactly." Bernard said.

"We've been trying to reach Anna." Micheal said. "To get her to talk so we could figure some things out but she's not answering her phone or returning our calls. We don't know where she is either. "

"Yeah I'm not suprised why that's happening." He said, referring to how Michael and Juliana had treated Anna the day before. No one could blame her for not wanting to be around them. They hadn't exactly been nice to her. Micheal exhaled. He looked away. Angelo slowly turned to Bernard.

"Well, what does that have to do with me? I don't know how to find her either."
Micheal walked to him.

"We have to find her brother. We have to get her to hand over the company to us. We can't let someone that isn't a Trusk own the company. More so an alien. "

"Atian. " Angelo corrected. He exhaled and then turned back to the lawyer. "I still don't see why I'm needed in all of this. I have no problem with the will. It was what Dad wanted and I respect that."

"Well Dad was a man dying of terminal cancer. He wasn't thinking straight. Dude, that chick is an Alian. Best bet, she promised to heal Dad if he could give her the company and he did or she probably compelled him to do it. Dad in his normal senses would have never just given up everything that makes this family what we are to one of them."

"First of all, " Angelo faced him, "This is not some movie and second of all, that's impossible because Atians can't use their powers with their suppressing bracelets on. "

"Think about it Angelo. Why her? "Michael asked." It could have been me or Mum or even you. Why did he chose her? A complete stranger? "

Angelo scratched his brow.

" You know Mike I'd have loved to answer that but if you want a more accurate answer, we should probably ask dad. "

"It doesn't add up brother. Something is definitely not right. "

Angelo shook his head. He turned to Juliana. She was so quiet. Too quiet. Maybe she was still in shock over what happened. He turned back to Michael.

"So what? What do you want me to do then?"

"Good. "Micheal said." Now you're talking. " Micheal sat straight and gestures to the lawyer. "Mr Bernard here tells us that there might be a way to keep the company in our family, with our name still on it, leading it. "

"Oh really? " Angelo turned to Bernard. "Is that true? "

"There's a chance my suggestion might or might not work." Bernard said. "For all we know, if Miss Anna signs all the documents needed to own Trusk industries, the Trusk family would have no legal rights to the company since it would be registered as a property of Anna Storm but if Anna was to get married to a Trusk, then she'd be Anna Trusk and the Trusks could still have legal rights to the company and can even take back the company in the future through - "

"Wait, wait, wait...Hold on a minute. " Angelo rubbed his forehead.

" I don't - marriage? Really? "

" That's the only option we have for now. "

"What about the board of directors and shareholders, there must be something they can do. There could be a vote or something."

" Yes there could but it's impossible for you to win. They don't even know you, Plus given the circumstances with which you were born. And as for Michael, they won't think he's serious enough to handle the company. He hasn't really kept a respectful profile, yet."

"Wow. "

Angelo tried to think straight.

"Marriage...Okay.. " he nodded. "Who is going to do it?" He turned to Michael.

"Well don't look at me. "Micheal told him.
Angelo blinked twice.

"Me?!" Angelo yelled.

"Come on Angelo." Micheal told him. "You're the oldest, plus I don't think Anna is going to want to get married to me. Not after all I said to her and how I treated her."

Angelo scoffed. He couldn't believe it. Never in his life did he ever imagine any of this. He shook his head. It had to be a joke. It had to be a really bad joke.

"This is crazy."

" Is it?" Juliana turned to look at him.
They all paused.

"Mum."

"Because if you ask me this is a small sacrifice to pay for all we've done for you and for all you caused us. It's a small sacrifice to pay for your family."

"Sacrifice?" Angelo asked.

"Did I just hear you say sacrifice? I have sacrificed!" He was trying to keep his voice in check and he was failing. "I sacrificed fifteen years of my life so you could be happy, so there could be peace!"

"It is not enough!" Juliana yelled back pulling the blanket off her shoulders and rising to her feet. "You ruined my whole life, my happiness, my marriage and until I say it's enough, it is not enough. I fed you, I took care of you even when your birth mother wasn't there. I let you sleep in my house, eat my food. I sacrificed my peace for you and if getting married to that Atian witch is to bring that peace back then you better do that Angelo. You better do that if this family means anything to you. I don't care if you like her or not. I don't care if you're ready or not and most importantly, I don't care if an Atian killed your birth mother or not. I am your mother now. If you're really grateful, if you want to gain my love, you must marry her Angelo." Her voice broke. She was almost crying now.

"You m-m-" She tried to speak but she was running out of air. She held on tight to the neck of her silk blouse.

"Mum." Micheal walked quickly towards her. She fell in Angelo's hands.

"Mum are you okay?" Angelo asked her. He was so scared. Juliana shut her eyes.

"Get the car Mike!" Angelo yelled at Micheal. "Hurry!"