Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 155: Chapter 155

ASHAL

"Why are you quiet?" I ask mother with red eyes. She’s sitting up on her bed, with a shawl swaddling her body. I’ve watched her sitting quiet for two days ever since Ashton left the mansion. I think I’ve given her more than enough time to recuperate and tell me why the fuck she’s watching our family burn to the ground.

I lurch to my feet and stifle the urge to kick something. "Why, mother? Don’t act like you’re powerless. If anyone can stop his madness, IT’S YOU. Again, I ask, why are you choosing to stay quiet even after he kicked Ashton out?" Her eyebrows slant upwards at me.

"Ashton will be fine." Her voice is a tender whisper. "I put plans in place to make sure he’s taken care of out there. He won’t want for anything or live like a pauper, never." She pulls the shawl tighter around her body, quivering to a chill I can’t sense. "Otto will see to it that your brother’s fine so don’t worry about him."

I suppress the urge to sigh in relief and continue to fume. "You still didn’t answer my question, mother. Why are you doing nothing about all the craziness going on in this house? Father is out of control..."

"Out of control?" She reiterates with a baffled look on her face. Slowly, she breaks into a teary laugh. "That’s not entirely accurate, Ashal. Your father might be set in his unconventional ways of handling tough situations but that’s only because it’s the fastest way to get things handled. I don’t always support his acts." Her voice falters as pain flits across her pupils.

"I never expected such a monumental betrayal from him after everything we’ve been through but I am trying so hard to shed the pain that’s threatening to drown me right now, just so I can save our family. A lot is happening with Billion-Err and if I trusted that you and your brothers were capable of putting out this fire before it guts our family, I would have called your father in order. However, no matter how much I hate to admit it, I have to let him handle it his way. He’s the only one that can get us out of this pit fast enough."

"What the hell are you saying right now? You’re going to watch him hurt more people just to get out of taking responsibility for our wrongs as a family?"

She stretches out her hands and clasps my cheeks. Her fingers are cold. "I won’t watch my boys go to jail. I just can’t. Call me names. Hate me but I can’t be parted from any of my children, not right now." Tears cloud her eyes. "Your father and I have yet to discuss Josh and his mother. I’m holding out till he saves us from the impending doom, and then we will broach that topic but for now, I can’t bear to be parted from you guys, especially now. I’ll go crazy so yes, I’ll turn a blind eye for as long as I need to if it means my sons aren’t whisked away to prison."

"But Ashton and I..."

"I overheard. I don’t care if you’re prepared to face the music. There are some things you’ll never understand until you become a parent and right now, it’s my obsession with protecting my sons. I’m a mother, Ashal; your mother! I don’t mind being called a bad mom but I will do whatever it takes to keep my boys safe. I’ll take on the world if I have to."

She drops her hands from my face and takes my hands. "You don’t doubt me too, do you? You’re not going to take away my right to call you my son simply because I hid the truth that you were adopted, right?"

She pins me with a look that’s flushed with pain.

"Of course not. You are the only mother I know. I would have loved some honesty on the issue especially after we grew older but my feelings towards you will never change."

way you did but it wasn’t maliciously hidden from you. Ashton has it all wrong.

you till now, it’s because we honestly felt that we were protecting you from the pain." I pull her

your adopted sons. They already judge us too much and keep looking for ways to take us down. I

the easiest to

divorce, Nicola’s miscarriage etc. I hope she recalls this conversation when those

need you to be done mourning soon, mother. I don’t like it when you’re being perceived as weak, especially by the other

grating on my nerves and I am certain he’s fishing for information to go feed his mother. They

unspoken conversation communicated through my

Father stands in

What madness is this?

he turns his frosty eyes

"WHERE IS SHE?"

perplexed not for being confused at his question but out of shock at how fast he

replies, charging forward. I firm my feet on the ground and keep my head high. "How dare you divorce and set her free without my

head

face. "I didn’t realize I needed your permission to live

I’m still trying to deal with the mess Demi caused around here and you go and divorce your pregnant, crazy wife

pregnant too?" She grits her teeth. "How many more lies have you all been telling? Am I no longer a

"I’ll fill you in later,

your own hands. It’s like talking to a brick wall. I have taught you how to deal with these matters but you all think of my methods as crude and evil. I did all I could to teach you not to trust people out there but you keep letting your emotions take over when making decisions. Guess what? Olivia ran away! She’s not at the lake house she promised Asher she’d

slows down. That can’t be right. She’s carrying my child. I gave her everything she asked for. I even stayed away from Maddie despite how much I long to see her. I hid my feelings and ran to rehab to deal with my condition and nurse my broken heart as well. Olivia can’t do this

"How’d you know that?"

already checked and she’s gone!" Father answers with a searing look. "I can’t believe even Asher gave in to your stupidity by trusting that wench’s word. For all we know, she could be half way across the world by now, WITH

my pocket to hide the tremor in

risk it.

away to hide the shock