Chapter 4. We Fixed Your Marriage

Andre's POV

"Who's getting married?!" My sister's excited voice broke through the quiet of the room, startling everyone. I hadn't heard her come in.

She must have greeted our Father before now because She hurried to where our stepmother was sitting, and wrapped her in a hug.

 "Mother, you're back from shopping?" My sister asked, a smile on her face, and then turned to me and my father, "You guys finally found a match for Andre? That's great! What's her last name?" Was the first thing my sister was concerned with. 

She was like everyone else in my family who only cared about the status of the people we should be associated with.

"We fixed your marriage, Louisa." I taunted.

"You're lying, I heard Father talk about your marriage, and by the way, you're the one old enough to get married here, you're thirty, remember? And I'm just twenty-four, why will I get married before you?" She reasoned.

"I don't mind, Louisa," I turned to my father, "Dad, we should get Louisa married soon, don't you think?" Hearing me talk about her marriage with our father, her face morphed into something else, she looked mad right now with smoke coming out of her mouth and ears as she grunts. So I imagined.

"Daddy, ask him to stop...! I'm not getting married now, I'm still so young."

"But you'll have to get married someday," Elizabeth chirped in, 

"It's someday, but not today, why does it feel like you all want me out of the house?" Louisa asked everyone in the room.

"Not everyone, some people here," I said, passing a quick stare at Elizabeth and then continued, "Good news is that they also want me out of the house too," I added to make Elizabeth a bit uncomfortable.

She shifted a bit on her chair, silent for a moment before speaking, "Did I show you the things I got from the store, Louisa?" She turned to Louisa, holding her hands in hers. "Follow me to Leila's room so that we can open everything together. We even collected Leila's new uniform, you should see how exquisite it looks." She called on the helper to pick up the bags and they left quickly.

"The women are too concerned about material things, don't you think?" My father asked.

"Hmmm." I agreed,

"Andre, did you know, I did not become rich by being contended with what I had? I always wanted more that's why this family is where we are today, it's good to always form new relationships, beneficial ones." He got up from his chair, going to stand in front of the large window at one end of the room, I followed behind.

"I made a mistake by going against my parent's wishes to marry Taylor in the first place, I thought love was something real, but soon I realized that there's no such thing as love for people of our status. Just get married to keep the line stronger." 

He went ahead to pour two glasses of alcohol, handing one to me with a small smile as he cheers to the glasses. 

"Taylor was from a family which had nothing to offer my family, they were just dormant and would never raise the family name for as long as I stayed with them. Don't get me wrong but the only thing she had to offer which I am grateful for is you and your sister. She left me but she didn't live her life any better without me, without us. We won son."

"We did." I concurred. "She doesn't look like she's having any fun in that small restaurant of hers. I'm not sure anyone in this family would like to eat in a place like that. It belongs to lowlifes." I added.

"You're a smart boy Andre, I have been blessed by God to have you as my son. I am only guiding you because I do not want my son to make the same mistakes I made in my life." 

He placed his hand on my shoulder and pat me, "I want you to be forward with the former minister's daughter. Make her fall deeply in love with you so that things can proceed quickly. I need to be in their circle. Understand boy." I nodded.

"Yes, Father." He stared at me for a while, "You've seen the girl at least once, if you don't feel she's the right one, I have a list of others. It's the first time I wished I had more sons, we would've been on top of the world." He tittered.

He finished his drink quickly, refilled the glass, and took a sip from it before speaking, 

 "I heard you asked Stanley to call the insurance company, what for?"

"I have a minor problem with my car, it's nothing for you to be worried about, father." My father was a little dramatic, if he knew what that girl did at Taylor's restaurant, he would be forced to believe Taylor planned it all and both of them would be in deep trouble.

"We could get you a new one if you want. You can't take a scrap car around the city, you're the son of Chris Garcia, Heir to the DDG group." He said.

"I'll have the car fixed. Thank you, Father, I'll leave now." I bowed in front of him respectfully before leaving.

I went back to my room and Stanley was already waiting for me with the phone in his hand. It reminded me of that girl which I planned to torture.

I collected the phone from his hands and coupled the battery before switching it on. It had her picture as the screensaver and so I proceeded to open the lock, what was I expecting, it was locked with a secured password. I tried different ones and none worked so I dumped the phone on the bed, laying back on my chair with my hands on my head. The weight kept me sane.

"Stanley, picture the screen saver on the broken phone."

"What do you want me to do with it, Sir?" He asked as he walked to where the phone was and picked it up.

"I want you to find that girl, she owes me insurance money."

"Sir," he drew my attention and paused for a moment, "What is it, Stan?"

"I don't know if you can give me her name, it would be easier to find her if I knew her name- at least... what is her name?"

"I don't know, don't ask me," I shrugged him off, "But don't come to work tomorrow if you don't find at least something about her. Good day, Stanley." I said. 

He bowed quickly, about to leave when her name flashed through my mind, "Vanessa, her name is Vanessa. Find something valuable about the Vanessa girl and bring it to me, she should start the payment by this weekend." I said.

"Ok Sir, he bowed once more before leaving the room."

My phone beeped in my pocket, I took it out to see a long text from Taylor. She wanted to apologize for the incident earlier. She also sent a text to let me know that she took action against that girl by firing her. She was asking for my free time so we could meet but I knew how women like her were, she didn't care about me and my sister, and that was why she left us alone with father knowing I was eight and Louisa was a two years old who needed her mother the most. 

All her effort to please me with words turned out to be vain as I had made up my mind to have nothing to do with her. She didn't love us then, why should she pretend to do so now that we're all grown up? Doesn't make any sense, does it?

I didn't bother to answer, just directly blocked her from sending more annoying texts that reopened the wounds from twenty-two years ago.

My mind was settled after blocking her, I fixed my hands in my pants pocket, staring out the window as the cool breeze brushed past me, messing my hair. 

I felt it again. That downcasted feeling of loneliness, like I wasn't worthy to be alive. Something crossed my mind and I wished it didn't. For a moment, I began to guilty judge myself for not doing dr*gs, at least not now, but it was hard to fight that urge as it was already the only thing I depended on to suppress my disorder. 

I knew it was wrong and have had to attend many therapy sessions if I could give up on it but it's not so easy. It's the only thing that could calm me down at a time like this.

 It started when I turned fifteen with a father who did his best only in earning money for us and left us in the care of our nanny and stepmother, Elizabeth. They both f**ked with my mind real good.

The thought of taking Dr*gs this evening kept me warm and excited for a moment. I didn't want to mess up myself in the presence of the whole house so I went to the door, quickly checking outside to see if the area was cleared, it was and then shut my door, leaving the keys on the desk which was the closest to the door and then went to my closet.

I knew how hard it was to get these things and after that time someone tipped the police to search the house for dr*gs, I became more careful in hiding my stuff. Back then my father was disappointed that I did dr*gs, the only thing he did to help me was sign me up for counseling and I did go, just that I f**ked the counselor out of her mind whenever I went on my sections. She was so attracted to me that she couldn't counsel me properly so we made a deal and she discharged me after six months.

Back to business, I removed my work shoes from the shoe rank, lifting the plank at the bottom to reveal a small box. I dragged out the box and did not bother to arrange the closet before going to bed. I opened the box, there were lots of packed cokes which I had saved up for some time since they were pretty expensive and hard to get. Medicine bottles and unused syringes. My veins popped up in excitement as I withdrew from the bottle. I went ahead to get a plate, alcohol, and a pack of cigarettes, and they all go together.

I lit one cigarette, taking the first puff from it before strapping my arm with a tourniquet to reveal the veins. I was about to inject myself with the dr*gs when I heard a sharp knock accompanied by my sister's voice, "Andre, are you in there?"

I gave no reply at first and then she knocked again. I can perceive cigarettes so I know you're in there. We're ordering seafood soup for dinner, do you want some?" She asked.

"Not interested, Lou," I yelled, feeling pissed off. She's always here at the wrong time.

"I thought you love those, strange. Don't complain later because I won't leave any." She murmured to my hearing.

"Please get off and don't come back Lou, you're disturbing me." I rolled out my eyes, I hope she doesn't come back till the night is over.

I heard her steps distant, she was leaving. As soon as I could hear it no more, I injected myself with the s*****nce. That rushed feeling of adrenaline clouded my head. I felt like in a different world.

***

Author's POV

The moment he injected himself with the s*****nce, his eyes popped out, his thoughts began to race and it was almost impossible to focus on anything. His mind began to flash on all the events which happened during the day. He was giddy, talking fast and laughing at the most meaningless words which came out of his lips. Andre couldn't feel the cold air on his skin, but instead felt a hot, prickly sensation beneath the surface. It was like someone was holding a match to his skin, threatening to burn him from the inside out and it made him scratch his arm nervously without realizing he was already leaving marks on his arm.

"What the-" he muttered. He couldn't tell if what he felt was excitement anymore, his head was pounding hard, his eyes began to feel tired and heavy and he knew it was time to rest, but He was too anxious to do so. All he could do was sit there with crazy thoughts running over his head, what if he died in his sleep? He had gotten warnings from the family doctor to quit doing Dr**s but it wasn't so easy.

He flipped himself over to the other side, whispering to himself, "No, I can't do this, I shouldn't sleep. I'll die in my sleep." He continued. It was only a matter of time before sleep crept over him like a shadow.

His anger simmered beastly, burning hot and bright. There was this urge in him, telling him to break something. He did try to fight it off but it took over him. There was a sudden surge of power in his fist and he punched hard on the floor, almost breaking it. 

After a while of messing the whole room up, he kicked away the dr*gs and collapsed onto the cold floor, the sound of glass crunching beneath his feet made him wince. But he didn't stop him from trying to sleep, he folded himself into a shivering ball, his teeth clattering in the cold. Sweating ferociously on the outside while frozen on the inside, He was too weak to even reach for a cover, let alone climb onto the bed. Andre shut his eyes to the darkness, his racing heartbeat against his chest like the erratic rhythm of a drum and then he sank into a restless sleep.