Manuel

Enzo's freshly cleaned car looked brand new. However, the next day, Enzo still refused to use it.

"I don't want this one. Throw it away and buy a new one," Enzo said to me as if I were responsible for purchasing his car. When he was a child, whenever he broke his toys, he always received new ones upon request. Now, he was treating real cars like disposable playthings.

I asked Mr. Garcia if it was possible to do what Enzo asked, and he confirmed it was. However, he wouldn't throw the old car away; instead, he'd sell it and buy Enzo a new one.

"What type of car does he want?" Mr. Garcia asked, surprising me. Enzo was excited about the chance to choose a new car for himself.

"I want a Jaguar," he said eagerly.

"No, you're not getting a Jaguar to go to school," Mr. Garcia said firmly. "I think it's better if I choose a more suitable one for you, Mr. Lorenzo," he added.

"Who the hell are you to talk to me like that?" Enzo snapped. But Mr. Garcia's composure remained unshaken by the way Enzo addressed him.

"I'm your father's lawyer, Mr. Lorenzo. And I know what's better for you than you do," Mr. Garcia said, gently booping Enzo's nose.

"Hey, don't touch me, you creepy old man," Enzo lashed out. Enzo was even more furious because he knew he wouldn't get what he wanted. Mr. Garcia smiled and walked away, unfazed by Enzo's outburst.

"Did you see that? He touched me," Enzo said.

"Do you want me to do something about that?" I asked.

"Punch him and tell him not to touch me again," Enzo commanded.

"Okay, boss," I said, and I caught up with Mr. Garcia and punched him. He fell to the ground and looked at me with surprise, his nose bleeding.

"What the hell, Manuel?" he asked me, shocked.

"My boss doesn't want you to touch him again, and he wanted me to punch you for touching him," I explained. I knew that Garcia couldn't do anything against me now because I was following Enzo's orders. I was happy to punch Garcia anyway because he was the one who had put me in Gerardo's trap. I had been waiting for this moment for so many years. Finally, I got that chance.

Garcia stood up, wiping his suit, and walked past us, glancing back at me and Enzo.

I looked at Enzo and caught him staring at me with wide eyes. When I walked towards him, he took a few steps back as if he was scared of me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I stood still and asked. "I just followed your order, Enzo," I said softly. He stared at me for a few seconds. "Yes, Papa," he murmured.

—------------

Enzo was unhappy about not getting a Jaguar. And he complained to me about how unfair it was. He had no idea that some students couldn't afford a car to go to school.

"It's not that unfair," I said, and he wasn't pleased I didn't take his side.

"Why are you saying that?" he asked unhappily.

"Whatever car you get, I'm the one who's going to drive it, so what's the point?" I said.

"But I know how to drive," he said.

"You don't have a license," I pointed out firmly.

"Who needs a license? I'll drive if I want to," he said, making me angry.

"Do you even know how to drive properly?" I asked anxiously. I knew Enzo was reckless. I didn't want any harm to come to him.

"Yes, I know," he said with confidence.

"What if you accidentally hit someone?" I pressed.

"Papa will handle it," he repeated.

"And if you seriously injure someone in an accident?" I continued.

"What about it?" he asked.

"Don't you feel bad if you accidentally hit someone and hurt them?" I questioned.

"How can I feel bad about someone I don't even know?" he replied.

Oh, God! I forgot I was arguing with Gerardo's son.

"You have to," I insisted. "And don't even think about driving until you have a license," I reiterated.

"But I know how to drive. You think I don't know?" Enzo retorted.

"But do you know the traffic laws?" I challenged him.

"I don't, and I don't care," he replied arrogantly.

"You must care if you want to drive a vehicle," I snapped. "You can't break the law."

"If I break the law, Papa will take care of that. So why should I care about the laws?" he replied, showing no concern for the point I was trying to make.

"Do you want to be like your papa?" I asked.

"What's wrong with that?" he replied.

I gave up arguing with him and fell silent. I noticed him staring at me with his soul-sucking dark eyes. I wasn't sure if he understood what I was saying or if he was pretending not to understand. Maybe he genuinely didn't care about other people. I didn't want him to grow up like that. But he was getting brutally punished so often that it was no wonder he grew up this way. It didn't matter how much love and care I showed him. The bad experiences always hit harder.

"What?" I asked, turning my head towards him.

He said nothing. His features resemble Gerardo's when he stared like that: handsome, mysterious, emotionless, attractive. Just like a perfectly crafted sculpture.

"Well, I don't want you to get hurt because of your reckless driving. And I don't want you to harm any innocent person," I said quietly.

"Why do you think I'll drive recklessly?" he asked, looking at me.

"Because I know you," I said. "I've known you since you were two years old. Don't you remember?" I said.

"Have you ever killed someone, Papa?" he asked, and I was speechless at that question. I opened my mouth to give him an answer, but no words came out.

—--------------

Being on leave again, I experienced a mix of relief and emptiness. Whenever I returned home, it felt liberating, yet there was a void. Enzo's voice seemed to echo in my head, as he always talked to me when I was at his house. With no one else to talk to, he shared everything with me. We did almost everything together. Sometimes, he even did his homework with me. So, it felt strange not having him around.

He had already called me twice and sent me continuous messages and photos. He was currently at Pedro's house, likely playing with Pedro's kids. Then, he would have his tutoring. After that, he would go to Diego's house.

Before I came home, I informed his other bodyguard to keep an eye on him at night because he tended to sneak out. His other bodyguard hated guarding him as Enzo was such an irresponsible brat.

"Manuel, I don't know how the hell you control that brat," he sometimes told me.

"I guess I'm just used to it," I told him during those times.

"I'm pretty sure he acts up more when I'm guarding him. He's so weird.

He likes to make me angry. Sometimes I feel like spanking his ass," the other guard snapped.

"You know you can't do that, right? If you do that, I'm the one who'll take care of you," I said firmly. I got angry at him for saying he wanted to spank my son. What the hell was he thinking?

"Yo, I was just trying to say how bad he is. I'm not going to spank him. Relax, man," the guard said.

—---------------

Rachel seemed a bit off lately. She wasn't facing me like she used to. Miguel was at a friend's place. Rachel said she was doing the dishes in the kitchen, but I felt like she was trying to avoid me. I entered the kitchen. I looked at my beautiful wife, her stunning figure accentuated by her dress. I approached her from behind, hugged her, and kissed her neck. I heard her let out a small moan.

"What's wrong?" I whispered in her ear.

"Nothing," she said, still cleaning a spotless plate.

"Don't waste water," I whispered in her ear again, kissing her cheek. She gently pushed me away, turning to face me.

"Why? What's wrong?" I felt hurt and asked. I had only been home for three days, and she was distancing herself from me. I couldn't believe it.

"I don't know. You tell me," Rachel said, wiping her hands on a napkin.

"Nothing's wrong with me," I said. "Why don't you just tell me what's bothering you?" I asked, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Are you having an affair?" she asked, and I was surprised. I didn't even have time to look at another woman.

"No, what makes you think that?" I asked in shock.

"I heard you talking to someone on the phone in the middle of the night last time you were here. You said, 'I miss you too, baby. I love you, baby.' Are you serious, Manuel? Are you cheating on me now?" she asked angrily.

"What are you talking about? I don't call anyone 'baby' except..." Oh, God! Now I knew what she was talking about. I had called Enzo "baby" since he was two years old, and now it was like his nickname to me. I habitually called him 'baby' without thinking. And he had grown accustomed to it. Sometimes, I called him "baby" while others were around, and they weirdly looked at us. If Gerardo, Pedro, or Louis heard me call Enzo "baby," they gave me their deadly stare. I had called him "baby" throughout his childhood. I was used to it. I always forgot not to call him "baby."

"Except whom?" she asked louder.

"I'm not having an affair. Okay? There's no other woman," I said reassuringly.

"Then who the hell are you calling 'baby'?" she asked.

Honestly, I didn't know how I should tell her about Enzo. She still didn't know how old Enzo was, and I had been raising him since he was 2. I had reasons to hide all of that from my family. It was for their safety.

"I can't tell you that. But I'm not cheating on you," I said.

"Oh really?" she barked. "You never said anything about your job. Looks like you have so many things to hide from us," she said.

"I'm hiding them from you for your safety. Don't you understand? I'm a bodyguard of a wealthy family, and you shouldn't know anything about them," I said, deliberately avoiding the word 'criminal.'

"No, I don't get it. I know what I heard," Rachel said.

"You heard it correctly, but it's not what you think. I'm not cheating on you. I have never cheated on you in my entire life. And I don't even have time to cheat. I'm a full-time bodyguard. I only have eyes for my boss all the time, okay?" I said, holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes. I was a bit angry at Rachel for not believing me.

"Is your boss a woman?" she asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"Didn't I tell you on the first day that my boss is not a woman? There are no women in that family. There is only a daughter, who's around 20, and she's not at home most of the time. There are servants in the house, but I don't even talk to them because my boss wants me there 24 hours," I said, disappointed. I went to the living room and sat on the sofa, exhausted. I put my fingers on my forehead with frustration, resting my elbow on the arm of the couch.

"You know I'm staying home with Miguel alone, and you only come home for three days after three months. If you are cheating on me while I'm doing that, we can get a divorce," she said, coming to the living room.

"Oh God, Rachel, I told you I was not cheating on you. Why can't you trust me?" I said, feeling pained.

"Because I heard how you talk to that person secretly in the middle of the night," she said.

I called Enzo in the middle of the night because he had nightmares at that time. Since I couldn't be with him physically, I called and talked to him until he fell asleep again.

"So, you want to divorce me? Okay then, fine. I only come home for three days after three months, and after the divorce, I will never come home, and I'll never call. You and Miguel will receive the money as usual. And you can marry someone who stays home every day," I said, torn between anger and hurt. I didn't have many things. And I was about to lose what little I had.

Rachel said nothing, and now I was afraid that she wanted to marry someone else.

"Are you guys going to divorce?" We heard Miguel's voice from the front door. It seemed like he had been listening to what I was saying.

"Don't worry, buddy. You'll get a better father than me," I said out of anger, feeling overwhelmed by negative thoughts. My mind was clouded with negativity, making me feel uneasy.

"I know I'm not a good father. I am not even at home most of the time," I said, looking down.

"Papa," Miguel ran over to me, crying, and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back, his embrace like soothing rain on an arid desert. It was a relief to know that at least he wanted me. And I loved it when my sons hugged me because I loved them so much. I held him close, cherishing the moment.

"Papa, don't leave," he said between sobs.

"You don't want me to leave?" I asked, somewhat surprised, thinking Miguel might not care for me much due to my limited presence in his life. And I knew I was not a good father.

"No, I don't want you to leave, papa," he replied tearfully.

"Thanks, son," I said, burying my face in his little chest. I had thought he might not love me because I wasn't around him as much as I was supposed to be. I felt worried about my son.

At night, Rachel and I were lying in bed, facing away from each other. We hadn't spoken all day because I didn't know what to say. Suddenly, I felt her hand wrap around my wrist.

—-------------

"Why can't you just tell me who it is and stop this fight if it's nothing?" she asked softly.

"I told you, it's for your safety. You don't need to know anything about the people I work for or what's happening there. I promise you, I am not cheating," I replied.

"You're talking like they're criminals," she said, her lips curling into a smirk as she eyed me.

"They are not," I said. But there was an icy feeling inside my chest when I lied.

"Okay, then," she said, her fingertips dancing in lazy circles across my bare chest. I turned to face her and pulled her close, kissing her lips. She responded eagerly, and we made love before falling asleep.

—----------------

While Rachel slept in bed around 1 am, I quietly slipped out of the room and made a call to wake Enzo up and talk with him, as I usually did. Before making the call, I carefully scanned my surroundings to ensure no one was eavesdropping.

"Did you take your medicine?" I asked him.

"Yeah, you only left one for all three days," he replied.

"Your bodyguard will give you the others later," I reassured him.

"I miss you, Papa," he said softly.

"I know, baby. I miss you too," I replied.

"I don't like the other bodyguards," he said.

"It's just for three days, baby. Be patient," I said, trying to comfort him.

As I talked on the phone, I kept an eye on my bedroom door, wary of Rachel waking up and finding out I was calling Enzo again. I didn't want her to misunderstand and start another argument. I loved Rachel, and I didn't want to lose her. I didn't want to fight with her. I just wanted to be happy with her.