Who is Richard Anthony? The question often crossed Christabell's mind, how did the man grow up and what was his family like? And if explained in detail, Richard Anthony is the only son of Maximilian Andrew Anthony and Rose Willson.
They married lovingly and have Richard in their fifth marriage year. After waiting for five years, finally his only son was born. Rihard was flooded with love and care by both of his parents. All the best facilities are given to him, full education and love. But all did not last long, at the age of seven, her mother was diagnosed with a disease that cost her her life.
The loss of the mother he loved so much made Richard a bitter son. He becomes grumpy, gloomy and doesn't like to be friends with anyone. Little Richard blamed his father for not being able to save his mother.
"It's useless to spend a lot of time working to make money if daddy's money can't save Mommy." Maximilian's heart hit Maximilian's heart.
The man thought that marrying another woman, giving Richard a substitute mother figure as well as a playmate he could play with at home would be good for Richard's growth. Until he married a woman named Eleonora whom he knew some time ago, when Maximilian also struggled to survive without the woman he loved most.
Not because he loved Eleonora, but Maximilian chose a woman with one child who struggled to live and support her only son alone. Maximilian feels how hard it is to live alone and he feels sorry for a woman named Eleonora. Max has always thought that Eleonora was his friend and that her son might also become a friend to Richard, her beloved son.
By promising Eleonora that he would treat Brandon, Eleonora's son as his biological son Richard, Maximilian married Eleonora. They are not even romantically involved despite living under one roof for years.
Instead of assuaging his anger, Richard considered the presence of his stepmother and stepbrother as a form of his father's disloyalty to his late mother.
Richard became more and more untouchable, he spoke less often and he closed himself even more to his father Max, his stepmother and stepbrother. Their presence never made Richard feel better, although Max assured him time and time again that his marriage to Eleonora was for Richard's good. But Richard never saw the same thing about it.
Years passed, and as people say that no matter how hard a rock is, if it is always exposed to water droplets, it will become brittle in the end. Likewise, Richard's heart finally melted and was able to accept Eleonora and Brandon as part of his family even though their position would never replace Rose, his biological mother in his heart.
Richard treated Eleonora well, and so did Brandon because they were nice to her too. Unlike many stepmothers who are told with cruelty in fairy tales, Eleonora loved Richard as much as her son Brandon. Likewise with Maximilian who also provided all the best facilities for Brandon as was given to Richard.
Nevertheless, Richard and Brandon were never good friends. Their natures and dispositions are as different as the earth and the sky. Richard is a conscientious, disciplined, intelligent and forward-thinking person. Meanwhile, Brandon, who as a child lived in deprivation with his mother, seemed busy enjoying all the luxuries Richard's father gave him and became more hedonistic.
The agreement between the two that makes the household relationship between Eleonora and Max work well. They are committed not to criticize, hurt, or even curb their respective children. If Brandon got into trouble, Max let Eleonora talk to her son, and vice versa. Even though Richard was a good boy, that doesn't mean he never committed serious mischief. Several times he made mischief at school because of his frustration that he could not express at home.
At the end of his life Max told all the truth about himself and made Richard lose the fire of anger at his father that had been burning in his heart all this time.
"The only woman I love is Rose, your mother. I've never fallen in love with another woman after her. Even my marriage to Eleonora I did because of you, Son. You need a mother's love and Eleonora and her son need a decent life." Said Max when he had no hope of life.
At that time the doctor even said that what had to be done was to stop all medical efforts that would only hurt Max. Maximilian also said that this was his last chance to express his feelings for his son, Richard Anthony, without being covered up again.
"When I lost Rose, I was as devastated as you. I felt like I wanted to die with her, then when I returned home I saw you sleeping soundly like an angel and I could not let you accept the consequences for my weakness. I tried to survive, even got up for you, Son. I love you very much and i know your mother will be very disappointed if i fall down and let you strand. "
"Stop being a bitter man. Not everything you feel is really happening to you. I fought for you all this time and I want you to remember me as a father who loves you, not an enemy. Maybe the way I love you is not what you want, but I always trying to make our relationship back to the way when your mother was alive. " Old Max coughed, and that last sentence had been ringing in Richard's mind to this day.
"Take care of Eleonora and Brandon, not as your stepmother or stepbrother. Think of them as family members, whatever their status, they love you. And I always hope you find a woman you love so much someday, who will make your heart warm again."
***
Until now, after years they lived as a family without Max, their father. Richard did what was his father's last wish, treating Eleonore as his mother and Brandon as his half brother. Every now and then she visited Eleonore, even though Richard was financially supportive of all the needs of her mother and brother.
Richard ran his father's business and grew it to the point of booming. He was even nominated as a potential young entrepreneur with fantastic wealth value and became the favorite of girls because besides being rich, he was also very handsome.
One thing Richard hasn't been able to accomplish is finding a girl who has warmed his heart since his father died. But some time ago, his attention was focused on a girl who so captivated his heart. Not only because of her beauty, but Richard saw his mother, Rose, in her.
Richard cannot see women who are weak and need help. He is the one who always blames his father for not being able to save his mother, and that is why Richard is always called and attracted to weak women who depend on him. Richard was even willing to do anything to save Christabell, as if it was atonement for his revenge because at that time he was too small and too weak to do anything for his mother, when his mother was weak and helpless. And because Richard saw Rose, his mother in Christabell, he was willing to sacrifice everything for her.