Jeremiah

I could hear the birds chirping from the big trees that formed a really wide aisle leading to the front door of the mansion. I narrowed my gaze to the left wing of the compound, towards the open area. There they were.

It looked like I wasn't the only one dressed for a morning run. Too bad Christian and Nicholas beat me to it first. I could see how Christian was trying to focus and how Nicholas wasn't letting him. He was saying some words to him, trying to keep a side by side distance between them, but it didn't look like Chris could care less. He just kept running and had his eyes focused in front of him as they ran past the really big garden. I watched Chris stop walking and then turn to glare at him. Finally. I could almost guess he was finally getting irritated by how much our little brother was really pestering him. I reached for the zipper of my orange sweat shirt and pulled it up. I began to find my way towards them. If there was some kind of brotherhood reunion happening that morning, I was sure not trying to miss it.

I could hear Nicholas' voice as I approached them, pretending like I just wanted to jog too. Like I wasn't dying to bond with them. Nicholas was the first to notice me. He froze, tracing my every step towards them, and then Chris traced his gaze to me. I let a smile appear on my face, managing to let it raise my cheeks amidst all the pain I felt from the punch I had received the day before. It was Christian anyway, I couldn't really stay mad at him for so long. I couldn't stay mad at him at all. Christian was someone I loved more than life itself. He was one of the most important persons to me. He was my older brother and my friend, or he used to be my friend. We used to be so close while growing up. Christian was the only reason I never really got to be bullied in my childhood, before I knew who I was, before we both knew who we were, before the truth that tore us apart became known.

We never really talked after I left to the states. Or was it before that. I owed him a lot. So much so that I could let him punch me a thousand times, and it wouldn't be enough to pay my debts, to pay back for what I took from him.

I got closer to them, hearing Christian let out a weak exhale and then put his left AirPod back into his ears. I watched him turn, pretending not to see me. He was going to leave.

"Christian-"

He jogged himself away from us.

What was I expecting? I let out a sigh to show how disappointed I was, turning back to watch him leave. I couldn't blame him. I couldn't blame him if he still couldn't stand me, even after all those years. I couldn't blame him if he still hated me, if he still blamed me for everything that had happened.

"Look who we have here." Nicholas' voice was unbearably loud. "It's the illegitimate bastard, nobody actually cares about."

I slowly shifted my gaze back to the almost six feet tall, almost as tall as me, eighteen year old in front of me, with a clean cut.

Nicholas Ozor. My younger brother, popularly known as Nick around the house, and among his friends. No one liked to call him that long ass name anyway.

"Oh forgive me." He faked a chuckle. "I forgot we weren't supposed to call you that."

I scoffed.

"Or can we?" He placed a finger beside his lip, pretending to think. "I'm sorry, I just can't help myself. It's all you're ever going to be to me."

"It's nice to see you too Nick." I told him. If he actually thought calling me a name I had heard all my life was going to offend me, he had better thought away. "You've grown quite a lot from the last time I saw you."

"The last time you saw me?" He scoffed. "Why are you back? I thought you weren't supposed to come back, especially not now. Are you back to smuggle yourself into father's will? Into the company? After all, it wouldn't be the first time you're smuggling yourself into anything, would it? I even heard you went to see her." He chuckled. "You really have some nerves don't you? Even when Dad's instructions were clear. You're trying to rebel aren't you?" He asked me. "You're up to something. I know you're up to something, I can feel it."

He exhaled and then planted his hands on his hips.

"But just know that big brother would rather die than watch you take anything else from him. If you have eyes for the company, forget about it now. You're not in the place to fight for it. It can never be yours. Just look at you, showing up again and doing what you like."
He sneered and then eyed me for a second.

If there was one thing I remembered about my eighteen year old brother, it was his inability to stop talking. He talked way too much for his good and almost every time he did, he never made any sense.

"I honestly do not know what dad was thinking."

Nicholas clicked his tongue, and then shook a little bit to show his disgust.

He walked away from me, looking back every two seconds of the way, I honestly didn't know why. I scoffed and then rolled my eyes, turning back to the garden, I exhaled.

It looked like I was going to run alone after all.

I took to my heels.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Three hours had passed.

I could feel myself sweating so hard from all that running. My sweat shirt was soaked and already sticking to my skin. Thank God for air conditioning, I thought to myself as I took another long sip from my bottle water, closing the refrigerator and then moving towards the mini dining table at the center of our really big kitchen, dragging my feet intentionally so my spider-man flip flops could make some sort of noise that would make me feel like I wasn't alone in there.

Where was everybody?

I exhaled and then pulled a chair out from the table, right before Emmanuel walked in with a brown envelope in his hands, and his eyes focused on me.

"Glad that you're awake."
He pulled a chair, while I let go of the bottle, dropping it silently on the table. "We have something to discuss."

At least there was someone that wanted to "discuss" something with me. I couldn't have felt more wanted. I exhaled, pushing myself into my chair and giving him a listening ear as he pulled out some sheets from the envelope. He placed them on the table and then pushed them towards me, so I could have a look. I raised the stapled sheets up and took a quick look at the words "Nile university" written boldly on it. I squinted as I read the subheading to myself.

"It's your letter of Admission into Nile." Emanuel had to explain. "It's one of the best universities in the country, pretty expensive too, plus it's close to home, your father wanted you to study there for the time being, while he thinks about making your stay permanent or not. He doesn't want you sitting at home all day doing nothing."

I sneered.

"How could he enroll me into a school without my consent?" I said it loud enough for Manuel to hear. "Is it that easy to get into any university down here?" I continued. "Nile university."

"You don't have a choice. It's either you attend Nile or military school, or America. I didn't think you'd do too well in the military or want to go back to the states."

"The military might be exactly what I need." I told him, throwing the paper back on the table. I meant every word, but I didn't think he thought I did. I folded my arms on my chest. The deed had been done. It wasn't like I could do anything about it. Manuel was right, the military wasn't for me, and I hated the states. I didn't want to go back there, ever.

I guess I didn't have a choice, Nile university it was. I exhaled and then looked away, pretending like I didn't see Manuel reach out for another sheet from the envelope and push it towards me. He made a loud noise as he hit it on the table. It made me turn back to him, and to the paper.

"Also, your Dad wants you to know that on your twentieth birthday, you'd be given fifteen percent of Benoil shares as long as you behave, and not get into anything that would trouble him, your mother, or the whole family."

I sat straight quickly and then leaned to the table. I couldn't believe my ears. I leaned closer to the paper so I could have a better look at it. Was this a joke? It didn't look like a joke. Manuel would never joke with something like that. He never joked about his job.

"He's giving you a chance, Jerry, a chance to be a part of the family once again. It's your first shares, and it took a lot to consideration to let this happen. All your siblings got theirs the moment they were born, you're only getting yours now. You can not screw this up."

"F-fifteen percent?" I repeated to myself as I went through the words on the sheet carefully, a large frown covering my face. "It can't be. I can't have fifteen percent. Christian has fifteen percent of Benoil's shares." I looked at Manuel who was just as speechless as I was. He exhaled. He knew exactly what I was trying to say. "Manuel, I can't have the same shares with Christian. He's never going to accept this-" I raised the paper so he could see. "I can never win him back if this happens."

"It's the chairman's orders Jerry, not mine." Manuel told me. "I'd suggest you just accept it and thank him for his generosity."

I exhaled to show my frustration and then placed my hand on my forehead, giving it a gentle rub. This wasn't happening, this wasn't good at all.

Bang!

We both shook the moment we heard the loud bang from the front door echo around the house.

"Sir Christian." One of the maids called my brother's name in shock just as I could hear loud footsteps walking towards the direction of the kitchen.

I gulped hard. It was him, it was the devil we were just talking about. Manuel and I got up slowly to have a better look as a tall figure walked past the kitchen as fast as he could, a huge frown on his face and an iPad in his left hand.

I held my breath.
Not this. This wasn't good. This wasn't going to be good at all.