🦋 LEO 🦋
For a while, I felt like I was part of the family, but I remember clearly now I was only being foolishly delusional.
Their son was a fencer, and when he died, I was adopted to replace him.
"You are nothing but a replacement; make one stupid mistake, and you will be kicked out with nothing, let's see how you'll manage your pathetic life without us in it." Those were my father's last threats before walking away.
For the first time in my entire history, I felt loved without a reason. Mira had always loved me, for me, and I wanted it to remain that way.
I'll fight for it, for me, she's the most important, I'm tired of being used, being controlled. All I want is to live my life, and I've made up my mind to do just that.
My mum walked into my room, "Hey, do you want to talk?"
"I'd rather not," I calmly responded, but she sat anyway.
"I know your father was harsh on you, but it's the right thing anyways," she blurted out, "A lot of sponsors in your father's company are throwing away money because of who you are, Leo… you are his pride. The moment you quit fencing, it would affect his company. Leo, you are your father's model."
"It's been twenty-five years, mother, I've been a shadow of your late son for twenty-five years," I murmured, "Can I not live my life? You don't even care about me."
"Of course we do, you are our son now," she responded, and I calmly jingled my head in refusal. "Leo, we adopted you of all the children we saw because you wanted to play fencing. Why change your mind now?"
I gawked at her, "Because now I have something more important, and it's neither fencing nor you."
"Is it Mira?" she blurted out.
I stared at her, surprised and at the same time confused, "Mother, how did you…"
"So you finally started dating, and she shamelessly said yes? I was a fool to think she was going to know her place," she stated.
I scoffed, "Mother, are you trailing us?"
"I'm a reporter, I have eyes everywhere," she snapped back. "I already warned her, and I hope you won't destroy her family because of your selfishness."
I was immediately alarmed, "Mother, what did you do to her?"
"Nothing serious, I simply told her to stay away from my son," she responded with a smirk, "You, Leo Santiago and Mira Bellwood can never be together."
I promptly reached for my phone and dialled Mira's number, but no matter how long I tried, she just wouldn't pick up the call.
I picked up a coat and rushed out of the room, when I got to the door, I looked back at my mother, "Stay away from Mira, if you as well as lay a finger on a strand of her hair – I'll make you pay."
"Is this how you'll pay us for adopting you?" she yelled.
I jingled my head, "Don't use it against me, I never begged you to." And with that, I dashed out of the building.
I stood in front of Mira's house for hours. She wasn't attempting to come out, and neither was she picking up her calls.
I dialled Ariel's number, "Hey."
"The great Leo Santiago is calling me… why? You can't reach Mira?" she asked.
"Could you please put a call through Mira and ask her to come outside her house?" I pleaded.
A laugh echoed through the phone, "I knew it, Romeo… you fought with Juliet again."
"No, no, I didn't. But this time, I think it's serious," I blurted out.
"Can anyone of you pretty please tell me what is going on? I'm your fucking friend," Ariel barked.
"We started dating," I announced.
"Okay, I'm not surprised," she calmly chuckled, "Okay, so?"
"I just found out my mum threatened her," I declared, "And… that post of her playing drunk, my mum anonymously aired it."
"Hmm… okay, please stay the hell away from my friend," Ariel growled.
"Ariel, wait, I knew nothing about all this, and why are you so on Mira's side? We are friends, too," I snapped.
"Sorry, who are you? I'm sorry, mister, but Mira is my top priority. Your mother just ruined her career," She snapped back.
"Just please call her out this once, she always listens to you," I begged.
"Once? You monkey, you fight every day… right, I'll call her," she stated and ended the call.
I inhaled sharply, pacing around. Just then, I caught a glimpse of Mira walking out of the house.
"Mira!" I yelled, rushing towards her, "What happened?"
The sad expression on her face told me something was off, but I was just so terrible at guessing.
"What's wrong? Say something," I pressured.
She stepped back, "Let's break up."
"Huh? Why all of a sudden? Did my mother force you to do this?" I asked sadly, "Even if she did, how could you break up with me because you were asked to? I'll quit fencing, let's just stay together, please."
She scoffed sarcastically, "Quit? That's exactly the problem Leo… you can't quit."
"I don't care," I retorted, "Quitting fencing, quitting the family, I'll quit anything. Just don't break up with me."
"But I can't quit mine," she yelled, "My family went bankrupt ten years ago, and since then, we have been trying very hard just to have three square meals; it's different for your family."
"I have some savings, let me help him… Mira, don't break up with me," I cried out, "I've never felt loved until you came into my life, please don't walk away."
"The only way you can help is by staying away from me," she whispered, turning to leave.
A sarcastic laugh echoed through my lips, "So you are really going to leave? Because someone asked you to? Do you ever even love me? I have things on the line, too, but I still choose you."
"I wasn't asked to leave you, Leo, I was threatened," she blurted out, "Your mother stormed into our house and threatened to destroy our family if you as much as quit fencing or get distracted. That's something your family could easily do with a snap of their fingers. The only thing you have at stake is yourself, I have four more people hanging on my shoulders; those people are my family, and I'm as much as their only hope."
"Mira…" I interrupted.
"Your mother already ruined everything," she screamed, combing her hair back with her fingers in frustration. "She made that anonymous post about me playing drunk even when she knew I wasn't; she ruined my career just so I can be off the track and you can be even more successful, I was only trying to feed my family, my sick sisters and my broke parents."
"I might have lost it for a while, but now I'm back to my senses. I will battle you with every blood popping in my veins while focusing on nothing else but making my family proud. Be prepared for my second coming." She added, "It's over between us, Leo Santiago. Tell your mummy I said thanks for her lessons, I really learned well."