Wyndham Hills...

My name is Joshua Ortega: designer, PR campaign manager, model, and fellow owner of Pacifica West Menswear alongside my three best friends.

Unfortunately, I'm also the son of two devout Catholics who believed in strict loyalty of the faith- shunning all things that are considered an abomination in God's eyes. That meant me being a homosexual, something that my father (a first-generation Mexican-American) never approved of. That's because he expected all the males in the family to provide the next generation of Ortega men.

And after the fateful incident of De'Andre's spiteful sister outing him while forcing me to come out during our senior year at Grant-Upson High School, I knew that my life was going to be a living nightmare.

You have brought a stain on this family's reputation, Joshua! No son of mine will have a portion of the family business as long as he is deferring from God's plan!

Why must you allow yourself to fall into the wrong crowd, hijo? Those friends of yours are nothing but trouble, forcing you into being something that is not part of God's designs. Come to Mass with me and your father and confess your sins to Father Andrews and to God. Let the church help you break away from your sins.

Dad expects nothing but pure perfection, Joshua, and yet you always have to stick out like a sore thumb. Can't you consider faking being straight and marry someone whom Dad wants you to? If you love this family, then give up your lifestyle and fall in line with the family name.

Yeah, like that'll ever happen!

No amount of church attendance or being forced to date the many young women from Mom's social circle friends would ever consider me to marry one of them and pop out a few kids. That's mainly because no woman would ever do it for me since I hit puberty at the early age of twelve and had the first taste of forbidden fruit known as porn.

Not only that, I had popped my cherry with De'Andre back when we were in eighth grade during a sleepover. And since we were god-brothers to each other, we felt the bond of forbidden passions click between us back then.

Back to the matter at hand, my family had never stopped in trying to get me to marry one of the daughters, nieces, or granddaughters of the many movers and shakers around town and in the state of Rhode Island. "You need to stop with being a wild man and let God work with you," Dad would demand over and over again when I had to meet him and the others for our usual weekly brunch. "Your mother and I are depending on you to help out with carrying the family name over to the next generation. Your older brothers are already falling in line while your sisters are soon to find suitable husbands."

"Good for them," I would shoot back. "Maybe it's a sign that you don't need me since I'm the 'disgrace' in the family."

And then, Dad would drop the usual "carrot-and-stick" threat that would either sound like "I can help you and your friends become the greatest designers in the fashion world. All you have to do is play by my rules and all will be well," or "You really don't want to disappoint me or break your mother's heart, do you?"

Oh, please! That doesn't fly by with me since I knew that I disappointed my family for many years since I had no interest of emulating my asshole family members. It didn't change my mind back then, so why should it matter now or in the future?

My parents could do all they could to get me to play ball with them or be forced into leaving Solstice Hearts for good. But as long as I lived, I wasn't going to kowtow to their demands and give up my passions for theirs. I knew what I stood for and I knew that most of the town hated my parents completely for their own reasons. My younger sisters Esmeralda and Fiona and my brothers Enrique, Jose, Paulo, and Francisco were no prizes either since they would try and accuse Naomi for selling knockoffs at her boutique store.

All in all, my blood family were the main reason why I never wanted to be a straight man. They were the modern-day versions of Pharisees and worse than the late Gerald and Melania Booker and their daughter Melina. Now I knew how Derrick and Jamal felt.

********************

As expected, I was summoned to the family manor in the rich part of Solstice Hearts for the usual weekly brunch, Dad saying that there was someone that I should meet. If I had a choice, I would gladly say "fuck you" and move on with my life. But I knew that it was never a good idea to spurn Hugo Ortega. If he wanted you to come over, then you had to drop whatever you're doing and arrive there with a smile on your face.

So there I was, surrounded by my well-dressed family who sneered at my typical "middle-class" jeans and T-shirt glory in the large living room full of gaudy trinkets and an air of snobbery that made me want to run out. Also there was a well-dressed white family with a young woman with golden-blonde hair, blue eyes that shimmered in the sunlight coming from the window, and had her makeup done impeccably. Despite that and how she was dressed like a runway model, she looked as if she didn't want to be here as much as I didn't. Surprisingly enough, neither did her parents.

"So, Joshua," Dad began as various maids and servants came in with glasses of bellinis in hand (there were also glasses of orange juice for Paulo's pregnant wife Cassie and Enrique's son Marcelo and his pregnant mother Tia). "You've been quite busy lately, especially with helping out the new neighbors in town."

I nodded. "I'm also working with the guys for our fashion line," I replied in a formal tone.

Jose scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That hobbyhorse again? Hermano, por favor. You can do a lot more if you work with Dad and Mom at the car dealership," he said snidely. "You can use your PR skills to help the family gain new clients. Besides, the pandemic isn't helping you with your silly business."

"That 'silly business' is my pride and joy," I rebutted.

"Back to the matter at hand," Mom said, "the main reason why we've asked you here, Joshua, is that we wanted you to meet with one of your father's friends. The McVeighs of Newport own a similar car dealership and their daughter Ava is still single. It'll be good business for you two to spend more time with each other."

"And what makes you think that I wanna do that?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Simple, my boy," Dad commented, giving me a knowing grin. "You need to break off from those riff-raff abominations and need to marry a nice woman. She needs to find a suitable man. The way I see it? You two need each other more than you know. Which is why I propose an arranged marriage."

My family applauded while the blonde-haired McVeigh family looked as if they ate a bag of sour prunes. I couldn't blame them, sensing that I believed that the Ava woman didn't want to consider going out with me.

"This is for the greater good of the families," Francisco commented as his fiancee Mariah nodded in assent. "Joshua, you need to consider the future of this family. You being a gay man isn't what we needed and you owe this family some loyalty. Wouldn't it be better off if you let Mami and Papi's church friends help you get on the right track while you start dating Ava? She'll provide you with a good family and your pending marriage could bring both businesses together. Not only that, you can use your PR skills to bring in more clients while you work on providing the next male heir."

"And with your looks as well as Ava's, your future children will become the next future heirs for this family," Esmeralda remarked. "Fiona and I can have our nieces be part of many fashion shows while the guys can have nephews whom they'll learn to be real men. You can do all that if you go through with the plan."

"Exactly," Dad said. "Now, I'll be making some phone calls to have the presses announce your courtship while your mother will provide the means for many dates. And if all goes well, we will have ourselves the most-glamorous wedding that will feature the creme-de-la-creme in all society. As for your fashion line, you can still work with them, but you must consider working with me and Mr. McVeigh full-time in the future."

Enough was enough. But before I could open my mouth, it was Ava McVeigh who spoke first. "Mr. Ortega," she began, her accent cool and crisp. "My family and I believed that you and your clan have planned things out for my and your son, am I right?"

"That's right, Miss McVeigh," Mom said. "But please, call me 'Mom,' my dear. We'll be family soon enough."

"There's just two little glitches with your plans," Ava went on.

"I'm sure that we can work out whatever glitches that might pop up," Enrique said.

"Not this time," her father, a large man who looked as if he played college football, intoned in a deep voice. "For one thing, my wife and I do not consent to have my daughter marry Joshua as she knows that he wants no part of it."

"He has no choice or say," Dad shot back, all formalities gone as he sneered at me. "Him being a disgusting faggot is something that has no place in this family. He will marry Ava McVeigh and-"

"No," I said, finally finding my voice.

"What did you say?"

I took a deep breath. "I said no. I will not be a part of this scheme and I will not marry Ava. Not now, not ever."

"Thank the Lord Almighty!"

Dad stifled a scream of anger at the delightful drawling voice of Norma Jean, the head maid of the family servants. She was known to be cantankerous, loud, and domineering- all the things and other characteristics that my father despised. He wanted to fire her, but couldn't since she was his wet-nurse and babysitter and a trusted family friend of my grandparents. "Norma Jean, now is not the time," he seethed upon seeing the plump and elderly woman who could still wring the necks of chickens. "This is a family affair."

"Says you," Norma Jean shot back. "Y'all may don't see Joshua as family despite his sexuality, but he's my grandbaby nonetheless. And y'all are doing him wrong for trying to trick him into marrying him."

To a bemused Ava, "No offense, doll, but you ain't his type."

"None taken," Ava replied good-naturedly. "I already knew that he was gay and all that. My family and I don't want anything to do with this family's scheme."

"But of course," her mother, who remained quiet until now, commented.

"Have you all gone loca?" Dad exploded angrily. He whirled on me. "You are causing great mayhem, boy! I can see that this was a mistake."

"You bet it is, Mr. Ortega," Mr. McVeigh said, glaring at my father as if daring him to harm me. "You just proved that neither you, your wife, and your other children and their families do not support Joshua or his line. As for my daughter, she has no interest in him. To use them to your advantages means that you and your family only care for yourselves. Consider my business with you as well as whatever friendship you thought you had with me terminated."

"You can't do this, McVeigh," Dad bellowed angrily as he watched the trio collect their things and walked out of the living room. He soon turned to me, a fiery look of hatred in his eyes. "I hope your happy with this mess that you've made! As of today, you are disowned from this family!

I smiled widely. "In a way, I am. And I already considered myself disowned from this circus, to be real. You just verified that for me," I replied.

"Get out!" Paulo sneered. "Get out before we do something that you'll regret."

A calmness filled me as I collected my car keys from a surprised maid. "I have no regrets whatsoever. Never contact me again and never come near my business or my home, and I'll do the same."

"Get out! Get off the premises! Now!"

"Gladly!" I sailed out of the living room and out the door, ignoring the screams from my father as something heavy hit the walls.

"Hey, Joshua!"

I turned to see Ava walk towards me, a look of apology on her face. "I'm so sorry," she began.

"Don't be," I cut her off. "My family never liked me being gay and all that, so I'm glad that you and I finally set them straight. I'm just worried about what might happen next if they come near De'Andre."

"Who's he?"

I gave her a sad smile. "Someone whom I love dearly and one of my best friends and co-owners of our men's fashion line," I explained. "I need to see him and let him know what's up."

"Need a ride?" Ava asked.

I nodded. "Dad's limo got me here, but I don't think that I'll use it again since I'm now out of the family," I replied.

"My family's limo will take you," she said. "And just so you know, I do not find you attractive. You're cute and all, but I want us to be friends and only friends."

"Likewise."

Looks like things are about to get chaotic for Joshua and his family. And unfortunately, we haven't heard the last of Hugo and Francesca yet!

But coming up next, we'll meet De'Andre Beckham and learn about his life story while he deals with Treniece before meeting up with Joshua and Ava. Don't miss out!

Media: "Malamente" by Rosalia. Dedicating this to SoyRosaMari for being one of the top Hispanic Wattpadders here! Kisses!

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