Her Substitute Groom

Connor groaned tiredly as he rolled on the bed a few seconds before he finally forced his eyes open, and the sharp sunlight that penetrated the window shone directly on his face. He closed his eyes as he sat on the bed, then rubbed his aching forehead gently and finally opened his eyes to the somewhat familiar room, but different from his room back at the penthouse.

“Where the hell am I?” He groaned and rubbed his forehead again, trying to make the pain go away, but it didn’t seem like it was going to work. At least, not after the amount of alcohol he had drank yesterday.

“You are awake?” He snapped his eyes open when he heard the feminine voice, and there was his Mom, holding a teacup and looking at him worriedly.

Connor blinked his eyes a few times then looked around the room again to confirm what was happening.

“Chase brought you here yesterday. Is that how you’ve been drinking lately?” Mrs. Hughes asked disappointedly as he walked over to the center table in his room and dropped the teacup on top of it.

“I didn’t raise you to be a drunkard, Connor,” She further said as she turned to face him, but Connor scoffed and turned his face away.

“What has come over you? Chase told me that you’ve been smoking and drinking lately. You fucking got drunk and was arrested yesterday. What the heck has come over you?” Mrs. Hughes went further to express her disappointment.

“What do you care, Mom?” Connor finally looked at her, and she raised her eyebrows.

“Why are you acting like you care about whatever happens to me and whichever way I choose to live my life? What do you care?” He tried not to raise his voice at the poor woman even though he was burning with rage inside. He tried to control it.

“Connor…”

“Where are my car keys? I need to get out of here,” he asked as he hurried out of the bed and went to grab his shirt from the sofa where Chase left it the previous night.

“I am still talking, Connor? Where the hell are you going?” Mrs. Hughes snapped at him angrily.

“I don’t want to do something stupid, Mom. Where are my car keys? I need to leave this place right away,” He turned to her and demanded. He had so many things to say to this woman, but he was trying to hold himself back because he loved her so much and didn’t want to say something that’d hurt her. That was the only reason why he was holding himself back.

“You are going to walk out on me, Connor?”

“Why are you suddenly acting like you care when we both know that you don’t give a damn about whatever shit happens to me?” He finally turned to her and scoffed in disbelief.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“You and Dad want me to leave your life forever. You don’t want to see me, so why are you acting like a mother worried about her son when you don’t feel any atom of worry for me?” He looked her in the eyes and his voice resonated with nothing, but anger, and she scoffed.

“And you dare get mad at me? Are you thinking that I’m the bad person here, Connor?”

“I’m always the bad guy in the family. I’m the villain everyone should avoid, so don’t remind me of how horrible I am!” He stated, and she sighed.

“I should’ve forgiven him after everything that happened. He is my brother. I shouldn’t have done that to him, but what about my life that he ruined? Do you know the pain I’ve been through all these years, trying to heal myself but nothing ever worked out for me?” Tears finally streamed down his cheeks as he looked his Mom in the eyes and spoke painfully.

“Do you know what I’ve been suffering from being like this, and what did you ever say? He is your brother, Connor. You are the elder, so you should learn to forgive him. And when he died, what did you say? ‘It was all your fault that he died, Connor. You destroyed our family’…” He paused and scoffed amusingly even though nothing was funny about all he said.

“I am the bad person… I’ve always been the villain. You want me out of your life, and I was going to stay away from you for as far as I can, so get me my car keys and let me get out of here, just the way you want it,”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared back at him wordlessly. How did her once-perfect family turn into something else? How did her once united children turn against each other? Was it really her fault? Should she have done better?

Maybe she should’ve talked to her husband not to treat him in that manner. Maybe she should’ve tried to stop him when he was leaving because this wasn’t her son. Her son would never get drunk to the extent of getting arrested. The Connor she brought up would never have turned herself into a smoker right under her watch. Has she really failed as a mother?

“Chase told me about what happened… No way I’m going to allow you do more harm to yourself than you already did, so I’m never letting you out of my sight, ever again, Connor,” She said, and his jaw dropped to the ground.

She walked up to him and then held his hands as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“How much pain have you had to endure, son?” She cupped his cheeks in her palms as she stared into his eyes. Seeing the pain in those eyes made her feel even worse. She shouldn’t have ever abandoned him. She should’ve fought for him.

“I have already lost a son, and I’m not going to sit back and lose another child again, Connor… I won’t ever let you leave, ever again,” Her cheeks were wet with tears.

“I’m sorry for not being there… I’m sorry for not fighting for you… I’m sorry for always blaming you for everything. Please stay with me and let me protect you this time,” She pleaded with him as she hugged him tightly as if he would disappear if she ever let go of him.

A drop of tears slid down Connor’s cheek as he held her in his arms and reciprocated the hug. A part of him was happy that he’d finally gotten his Mother back, but something was still missing. He didn’t want anything else more than to have Janice back into his life.

They were still in that position when the door burst open and Mr. Hughes walked inside, his eyes burning in rage.

“What is going on here?” His angry voice resonated in the room, demanding the attention of Connor and his Mom, which they quickly gave to him as they both split apart and turned to face the angry-looking man.

“What the hell are you doing in my house?” He looked at Connor and asked angrily, waiting for an answer…