"What would my father think or say of my capability if he should hear about this?"
That was the thought that came to Rowan's mind and was making his head spin.
And with that thought, surfaced a memory- a painful, inescapable, vivid one.
FLASHBACK
Rowan was fourteen years old then.
He had come home clutching his report card, his palms sweaty, his heart pounding in a way that had nothing to do with excitement.
That was the first time he would rank second position in the whole school. His usual position that everybody knew him with, was first. Nobody had ever dragged it with him until then.
When he got home, his father, Richard Donovan, was waiting in his study, as he always was, sitting like a judge presiding over a trial.
Although, he had expected nothing short of perfection as usual, Richard's jaw was set, letting the young boy understand that this assessment was a serious business, just as usual.
