"At long last, today I am bequeating you our company. All of these belong to you now. I am so proud of the man you've become, my son."
Eric Dominic Morrison, raised his glass of brandy as he celebrated privately with his eldest child the turning over of the Morisson Empire.
Aaron smiled against the rim of the glass he raised a toss to his father and downed its content. Eager to please his father, he knew that this was the most awaited moment of his parents in order for them to retire and continue living their lives together. Aaron was fully aware of the heavy burden of running their massive family business.
At the young age of twenty-seven, he would be the sole CEO of the vast Morrison Empire. After finishing his MBA and working as his dad's executive Vice-President for almost three years, now he would be the new big boss of DM, Inc.
The dark blue leather chair that his father used to own and his ancestors would be his, starting today as well as all the responsibilities it entails.
"Your mother will be preparing a lovely dinner tonight for us."
Aaron nodded.
"I phoned Skye this morning and she said she will be there."
"Oh, she better be. I'm wondering what's keeping her busy nowadays?"
"You know it's the usual. School, friends, charity works and social medias."
Eric chuckled.
Pouring himself a famous family recipe home-made cocoa his wife Nicolaa prepared for him, Eric turned the small thermos lid closed.
"You might have a stomach ache after drinking that brandy, dad."
"Nah, I only took a sip. You know I quit drinking several decades ago."
They both grinned. Eric stopped his vices because his wife, Nicolaa was a health freak. As a former health practitioner, healthy living for the entire family was her number two priority. Her number one priority was to baby her children and husband, of course. However, the number two priority made his mama ran around town after him, begging him to quit drinking and smoking. The things that Aaron already does in moderation anyway.
"You can invite your girlfriend to join us, what's her name again?", his dad inquired teasingly.
Knowing his son, Eric knew that women buzzed around him like flies, just like they did him and his Uncle Shawn during their younger years. Shawn, Eric's youngest brother, who was the biggest playboy known to earth in his youth.
Aaron laughed out loud. He shook his handsome head, as if saying no. He was fully aware that his father was silently inquiring if there was a constant, special lady in his life. His parents, especially his mother made it her mission to hunt for a suitable woman to be his bride and wife. However, she wasn't successful enough in her endeavors.
"We called it quits last week. Apparently, I was too busy enough for her."
His father nodded, understandably. However, Eric didn't asked further questions. His adult children's private affairs were out of his control. All they could do as parents now was to help them, only when they seek for guidance and support.
"You and mom are still so in love. How do you keep the flame of love burning?"
"You know, I will walk on fire just to be with that woman."
Aaron nodded. His father's sky blue eyes, just like his, twinkled with affection.
It was never a secret to him and his sister how their parent's romantic, love story started. An obsession with a stalker tendencies that ended up into a great love affair.
Aaron suddenly remembered his age. In his late twenties, he couldn't count the number of women he dated and bedded. Faces of countless women entered his mind, most of their names unknown.
Aaron rubbed his right index finger on his sexy lips. The habit wasn't lost to his dad. Eric knew that when Aaron does that, it seemed something worrisome was running inside his head.
"A penny for your thoughts."
"Y-yes?"
"Is something bothering you?"
"I'm... I'm just wondering, will I ever find a woman just like mom?"
"She's of a rare breed." Eric smiled fondly.
Aaron nodded, agreeing to his father's declaration. His perfectly shaped eyebrows were still frowning slightly when he said the next words.
"I'm just kind of thinking, what kind of a woman would be appropriate to marry?"
Eric's eyebrows perked up. It was rare for Aaron to asked him vulnerable questions just like the one he mentioned.
After several seconds he gently replied.
"Just find someone who's decent."
Decent, huh?
So that meant, his family wouldn't care about the financial status of the woman he chooses then.
In a world where easy sex and liberated people was rampant, how can he find someone who's decent enough to spend the rest of his life with?
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Dirt poor.
Daughter of a whore.
Stupid bitch.
Those were the words Catherine Wilson grew up hearing from other people as they called her names.
As a daughter of a known prostitute in their vicinity, she accepted her fate of ridicule at the tender age of seven.
Growing up with no other family or relatives and not knowing her own biological father, Catherine had to endure a life of constant abuse at the hands of her mother. The neglected little girl was taken by the authorities that she ended up being a foster child. However, her mother kidnapped her and took her away from her foster family. Then brought her to a larger city where they both ended up as running fugitives.
Catherine's mother was the number one queen of law-breakers.
The abuse she suffered at her parent's own hands was devastating. Exposing her in a life full of hardship and sorrow, that sometimes the young girl ended up hungry for days as her mother lies in bed, unconscious due to her illegal drug induced state.
Nevertheless, this negligence didn't go unnoticed. Some of their neighbours in that rundown apartment complex rallied around her and took care of her. They wanted to call the child protective services but the little girl declined. She loved her mother despite of everything and repeatedly begged them not to tell, stating "who will take care of mama when she's sick?"
However, a stroke of luck gave her good fortune.
Catherine's mother was found dead two blocks away from the apartment building they lived in.
Immediately after her biological mother died due to a severe drug overdose, their neighbor the Meza Family, legally adopted her and took her under their wing. She instantly became the oldest daughter of Mama Bertha and Papa José. Her new younger brother Miguel, who was four years younger than her warmed to her directly, too.
For fifteen years, Catherine was loved by the Meza family. They clothed her, fed her and sent her to good schools but unfortunate circumstances played a dirty role and changed her fate dramatically.
During her last year as a culinary arts for baking and confectionery student in a known University, the sudden demise of her beloved adoptive parents and devastating effects of the car crash that left Miguel's body in a debilitated state, drastically altered their lives.
The vehicular accident took the lives of her adored parents and left her younger brother's body in a cruel state. Miguel had to undergo several major operations in order for him to survive his severe injuries after acquiring multiple skeletal fractures that led the doctors to decide to placed him in a medically-induced comatose. Furthermore, the septic shock caused by his multiple exposure to major infections caused him to subsequently succumbed to multiple organ failures.
Due to this heavy burden, their financial situation was in dire need of rapid replacement. Catherine was exacted to loan the Meza house to the Domain Bank and the bakeshop that Mama Bertha used to own was taken by force by Bertha's sister, Esmeralda.
Catherine felt so helpless and hopeless. She worked three jobs everyday. She was a waitress in the morning, a math tutor in the afternoon and a baby sitter at night. However, everything she earned doesn't make up for everything she owed.
The hospital bills increased steadily but Miguel's health declined rapidly.
The Critical Care Surgical Unit Consultants informed her that Miguel's health wasn't improving but Catherine didn't want to lose her faith. She knew it in her heart that Miguel could survive these ordeals. As long as he was breathing, Catherine will do her best to keep him alive.
As she sat beside his hospital bed and watched her brother, who was hooked in a ventilator and cardiac monitor, Catherine felt like dying.
As she held his right hand and clutched the hospital bills in her other hand, Catherine cried in silence.
I will save him for you.
That was the vow she made to Mama Bertha and Papa Bert as they were buried in their graves.
That was her way of paying them back the love and devotion they showered upon her when they were still living.
So irregardless of how much she had to go through, Catherine would give up at nothing and give it her everything.
There was no time for breaking down.
Miguel must live!