Sylvester was standing in front of the door to his father's office. He remembered hanging around the door when he was a child, and how he always mustered up courage to eventually knock on the door. How he was always careful to stay quiet when he was around his father. How he always composed himself and didn't say more than what was required in front of his father's friends. How he always saw his mother cry... Because of him. But now he was nearly a adult. He no longer feared his father, and there was neither contempt, affection or disgust. Just cold, hard indifference. He didn't even care if his father lived or died. Dennis was there, after all. The question was, would the latter be better than the former with his current behavior?
He finally knocked. "Come in." Came the smooth, energetic voice of a young male. Sylvester walked in to see his brother scribbling away on the desk. "I was thinking father will be here with you." Sylvester said, after taking a seat. "Did you wish to see him?" Dennis asked, not even taking his eyes off what he was doing. "No, I actually came here to see you, since the only place I can find you is behind the office doors." Sylvester said. "We used to be closer than this when we were younger. Me, you, Diane and Morris. I wish we could go back to those times." Sylvester said. "We can never go back to those times." Dennis replied bluntly. "Diane is married now, so.." "So what?" Sylvester sharply interjected. "That doesn't stop her from coming to this house, if she so wishes to." He said. "Diane can never come back here! She cut ties with us!" Dennis roared, glaring at Sylvester. "Because you and father gave her no option!" Sylvester exclaimed. Dennis looked at Sylvester in surprise. " I see that you have grown older. You have changed, too." Dennnis said, standing up to pick a file from one of the cabinets. "You won't have dared to raise your voice at your elders." He continued. "Please." Sylvester scoffed. "The age difference is just four years. And I have to change, so I don't get cheated out of what is rightfully mine. The Sylvester that followed everyone's orders, died the day my sister left." Sylvester said. "She chose some aristocrat over her own family." Dennis said, with gritted teeth. "Well, At least I am not the fool that stop calling her my sister. Just because of some beef he has with her husband" Sylvester said, while clicking his tongue. "Sylvester!" Dennis yelled. "What?! Both you and I know that we are telling the truth!" Sylvester shot back. Dennis glanced at him as he sat back on his chair. The look in those blue eyes were strong and firm. They no longer wavered or dimmed. The one that always bowed his head and apologized, for every little thing. The first person to run to their mother and wipe the tears off her eyes. That person... was long gone now. "Hah." Dennis sighed. "Do whatever you want. Just don't cause any trouble." He said, somewhat exhausted. A knock came on the door. "It's Beatrice." Came the lovely voice. "Come in." Was the curt response. Beatrice walked in, a tray of tea In her arms, looking as lovely and pretty as ever. Sylvester inwardly sighed. His brother really didn't deserve this woman. "The servants told me you both were here, so I prepared some tea. " She said, laying the tea on the table. "Woah, you made some tea Beaty? That's amazing, thank you!" Sylvester immediately exclaimed, trying to make her feel appreciated. Beatrice smiled at Sylvester. Her husband however just gave her a curt nod. "Ah, it is so sweet! This tastes divine! It smells lovely, too!" Sylvester was really trying his best. Well he was not lying... The tea was really good. "What about you, Dennis?" He asked. Dennis reply made him wish he never asked. "It tastes just like any other tea." Dennis replied flatly. Then he turned to her. "What are you still doing here? You can go now." He said coldly. Beatrice nodded and immediately left. Sylvester exhaled. Her face didn't look good. "Will you go to the grave if you gave Beaty a little more love and attention?" Sylvester asked. "What was that? Beaty? Such a childish nickname." Dennis scoffed. "Well, it may be childish to you, but it is not to me." Sykvester replied, just as coldly. "All she ever wants to do is to hear her husband sing her praises just once.." "She is a fool if she ever expects that from me." Dennis said. " She knows I don't have a single ounce of affection for her." He added. "Then what will you tell the old man, who never stops yapping about having an heir?" Sylvester mockingly asked. "Well, the old Man can wait for a little bit, can't he? I will figure something out by then." Dennis said, as he elegantly crossed his legs. "We are both too young for a child now, I don't know if Beatrice's body can handle the weight of a child, right now, so we are using birth control." He said. "A plausible excuse, right?" He asked, as Sylvester's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, and Beatrice isn't a virgin anymore. We actually do use birth control." He said, with a smirk. "I thought you said you will never have a child with someone you do not love." Sylvester asked, as he clenched his fist under the table. "Well, because of higher society. I don't want rumors going around saying that I am impotent or something." He said, with a shrug of his shoulders. "You truly are a despicable person." Sylvester muttered. "And then? What about after two or five Years?" He asked. "I don't intend to keep her by my side that long." He said, twirling his pen around. "You are an ungrateful brat." Sylvester said, as he slammed his hands on the table as he stood up. "All you know how to do, is spit nonsense out of that mouth of yours. Like father like son, I guess." He said as he walked out of the office. "I wish I didn't come to see you today." He said, as he left the office, closing the door with a bang. No sooner had Sylvester left the office, than he nearly ended up bumping into Beatrice who was still holding the tray of tea, standing outside the office. Sylvester immediately felt the urge to face palm himself. It was an undeniable fact that she heard it all. "Bea..." He began, but Beatrice cut him off short. " I don't want to hear anything, Sylvester." She said as she looked up at him. (Sylvester is now taller than Beatrice, by the way). "I heard what I heard. There are no crossroads at two points." She said as she glanced at him. Sylvester nearly took a step back, because Beatrice's eyes were cold. He could see the same icy cold eyes he saw when he looked at Diego. Stone cold, devoid of any warmth. "I am the one that tried too hard." She continued. "From now on, don't bother about me. Worry about yourself Sylvester. And.. thank you for all the support and encouragement." She said, as she walked past him. "From today onwards, I will pay no heed to the thing in my chest." She silently whispered to herself.