Chapter 5 - He Must Get Married

Inside the darkroom which only fills with the moonlight from the floor-to-ceiling window, a man lying on the bed sweating heavily and restlessly.

In his dream, he can only hazily see someone he dear leave him and he felt so helpless. All his body could feel the pain and it scares him. Scares that someone would forget about him. Scared that he would never see that someone again.

"Wait! Please!"

"Please! Don't leave me!"

"Wait!"

He shot opens his eyes and panting like he was just finished running for miles. His chest pumps up like its gonna explode. His head hurt and his vision still blurry.

"Urgh…" He groans while trying to sit on the bed.

"Who…who are you? Where…where am I?" he starts blabbering while holding his head. It is so hurt that makes him wanna bang his head on the wall.

"Raymond? Raymond.." The gentle voice who calls his name makes him turn to the side. He could see an old lady sit on the single-armed chair in front of him. Looking so sad, but his vision is quite blurry.

"Who…who are you?" He stuttering a bit.

"I am your grandma. Are your head hurt?" She slowly stands up and approaching him, but the moment she stands up, Raymond immediately step back and he looks so scared. Like a kitten who met a stranger.

Victoria stops her pace and looks at the man with teary eyes. He is her favorite grandson, he was a normal guy who had everything in his life before that tragedy hit him and make him like this.

"Scram." He spoke one word that stung Victoria's heart.

"Raymond. If your head hurt, grandma can-"

"Get out!" He said again and this time, his voice starts to raise up.

Feeling sad, she nods her head and turn around. She went to the bedside table which is a bit far from him. She placed the medicine on the table and pour a glass of water.

"Please take this medicine if your head hurt. Its gonna make you feel better," she said and leave the room.

Once Victoria leaves the room, Raymond immediately went to the table and took the medicine. He drank the water and throw the glass on the floor after he finishes it.

He doesn't know why he did that. But with doing that, he feels satisfied. For a moment only. After the medicine he took starts to be working, he falls asleep again. This time, there is no nightmare like before and he could sleep soundly.

…

A few days have passed since the banquet party.

It is now the time for Barbara and James Wayne to return back to the city. They already decided to let Raymond recuperate in this town until he's healthy again. And for the meantime, they would announce that Raymond is now in a long vacation and will return to work once he returns from his vacation.

Bam!

"Wait! You want to abandon your son here?" Victoria furiously asks while bam the cutlery on the table.

Barbara did not dare to look at the furious old woman who sits at the edge of the table. They are now currently having breakfast together before their leaving.

"Mother, it's not like that." James tries to calm his mother down. The way she said it looks like they were bad parents. They actually don't want media to find out about his sons' condition. It'll only humiliate them.

"Then, what are the perfect word for you to use when you want to leave your own son here, alone?" Victoria sarcastically asking them with a smirk on her face.

"He's not alone. There are many servants here who can attend his needs. It only for a temporary until he regains back his memory." James tries to make his mother clear about this.

"What did Doctor Fang says? He suffered great damage inside his brain! He might not be able to return to himself back, why don't you both just accept this fate and face the reality. Is it a shame to have a 'special' son? He still is your son, for god sake!"

"Mother." he grits his teeth before he continues again. "There is still hope for him to recover. Even if its only one percent, I will still take the gamble."

Victoria grips her finger which holding the stainless steel fork, she couldn't understand why is it so hard to face the reality that his sons are already suffered enough. They did not try to understand his circumstance, rather, they keep finding the method to cure him and risking his life.

For them, to be his son, he must be perfect and healthy. Victoria takes a deep breath and exhales it with her mouth before she finally decides on something.

"Fine, if that's what you decide for your son. But, he must get married."

"What?!!" Barbara who silent all this time suddenly spoke up. Her face clearly shocked by what she just heard.

"You heard me, Barb."

"Mother, which family wants to accept a disable person as their family?" James tries to talk some sense to her mother.

"Well, for high-status family, of course, there is none. But, there's plenty of ordinary families who good enough to accept him, right?" Victoria still doesn't want to back off with her plan.

"But mother, Raymond is still young!"

Victoria glance at the woman who she isn't favored at all. All among her daughters-in-law, this woman is the vicious one. But unfortunately, she also the one that her first son loves the most.

"25 are not that 'young' to get married."

"But-"

"Dear," James pats on Barbara's hand. Calming her wife. "Then, fine. I will contact the Rochester family to discuss this. Sarah is still overseas, but I believe she would agree to this."