Chapter 5 Tedros

• TEDROS
• I was pulling over the car to the garage of my house, which I had long abandoned. I glanced around the place; it was quite neat. I killed the engine and got out of the car. I stared at the keys in my hand.
• I can’t believe that she made me go with one of her cars as I was getting ready to leave. I was clad in a white shirt and black pants; she gave them to me and offered to bring me lunch and dinner.
• Also, she did that after I rejected her offer of marriage. I knew she had always been caring and had taken care of me a lot, but marriage. Hah! I still can’t believe that she would propose to someone like me.
• She was way out of my league.
• She was pretty, rich, and powerful, with tons of people by her side. She built an empire in three years, while I only wasted away.
• Her words rang in my head: “Marry me.”
• I was taken aback for a moment and thought that she was joking, but it turned out that she wasn’t. I walked to my front porch, even though I had rejected her offer. She never reacted but claimed that I was going to change my mind later.
• I pulled the keys from the usual place I kept them. Inserting it into the keyhole, I pushed the door open and walked in. The house was dark, and I found it weird. Ducky said she called my family, but I knew them so well.
• They should have been in my apartment by now, waiting for me to return. I closed the door, locking it securely, before taking off my shoe. Everything I had with me gave off Ducky’s scent; it was like she intentionally soaked everything with her scent.
• I felt movements in the room I was in. I reached out to grab the person on instinct. Turning on the light, I realized that the person holding it was Cole. my little brother. Cole had the biggest smile on his face as his eyes met mine.
• Releasing him almost immediately, I figured that he wouldn't be the only one there with me, and I was right. I found my mom and sister sitting on my couch with their legs crossed, a habit of theirs when they were annoyed.
• “You are back!” Cole pulled me into a tight hug, almost strangling me.
• “Hands off,” I ordered.
• Cole sniffed my neck and my cheek, and then he held my hands and sniffed them. His eyes widened, and his lips showed a curve of reaction. I was still trying to understand what was happening when he dashed to where my mom was.
• “Mom, he has Elodie's scent all over him,'' Cole announced. “He must have been coming from hers, and she must have groomed him to be presentable.”
• I glared at him, but he ignored me and kept on talking. It had been three years since I had seen them, and it kind of felt awkward and uncomfortable to be in their midst after all this time.
• “She found him,” Mom replied. “I am glad we had someone like her; if it wasn’t for her, Tedros wouldn’t be home. That’s so sweet of her.”
• I rolled my eyes; it was more like she threatened me to go home. Cole returned to my sight and snatched the car keys from my hand before hurrying over to Mom’s side.
• “She also gave him the latest car in town to drive home.” Cole showed the car keys to them.
• “We don’t know how much she has done for him,” Mom stated. “She mentioned that he was at the hospital; she must have paid his bills.”
• I still couldn’t understand why they were reacting that way after hearing from her. Belle’s eyes darted in my direction. She is my sister. I looked away from her as soon as our eyes met.
• “Son, you have to explain to me why you left.” Mom's voice reached me.
• Instead of answering them, I walked over to where they were sitting. Three curious eyes stared at me as they waited for an explanation.
• “I am back now, which is all that matters," I replied.
• “You won’t be back if it isn’t for Elod.” Belle said, “I wonder how she managed to convince you.”
• Cole batted his eyelashes. “Did you know that since you left, the business has failed drastically and we are owing tons of debt?”
• Although I heard of the failing company from Ducky, I shook my head.
• “There was no one capable of running the business like you, and Cole was terrible,” Belle muttered.
• “None of my sons are terrible.” Mom snapped.
• “Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Belle agreed, knowing fully well where it would go if she argued. “As I was saying, we took tons of loans trying to get the business back together, but it ended up failing. At this rate, if we are unable to save the company, we might be kicked out of our homes by loan sharks, and that would make us homeless.”
• Guilt was reaping me off as I heard what she said. It was all my fault, no matter how I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t. I abandoned my responsibilities as well as the pack. I wonder what it must have turned into now.
• “Isn’t there another way to save the company?” I questioned.
• I still couldn’t believe that all they could talk about when they saw me was business. I wasn’t offended, though; they must have realized that I wouldn’t want to talk about it if they asked about it.
• “We have tried all other ways, but it wasn’t possible.” Mom said. “Thank goodness you are back; you must have an idea how the company could be saved.”
• I gulped; she was wrong; I had no way to save the company.
• “What about your savings?” Cole inquired. “You have them? Right?”
• I don’t have one. Judging from the look on my face, they already knew that I had squandered the money.
• “Geez!” Belle ran her hand through her hair. “We have no other way; we are doomed.”
• Thinking hard, I tried to think of a way to save the company, and all that came to my head was Ducky's face. And the way her lips parted, ‘Marry me.’
• ‘I can save your business.’
• ‘Rely on me.’
• I shook my head. No, I have to think of something else. “We can think of ways to save the company; give me a few days, and I can think of something. We could—”
• “There isn’t any time left, Ted.” Mom interrupted me. “I know you have just returned, and we are putting this pressure on you, but the last day for the debt is tomorrow. There is nothing to be done if you don’t have your savings.”
• I froze. I have kept that savings for someone and our unborn child, but after her demise, I found no need to keep it anymore. All this was my fault. After all, I have to save the business. So I made up my mind right there and then.”
• “I will save the business,” I muttered. “Leave it to me.”
• Before they could stop me, I turned around and left the house. I heard them calling out for me, but I didn't listen. This was the only way to get them out of this mess. I got into the car, and as I was driving, the rain began pouring down heavily.
• In a matter of minutes, I was standing in front of Ducky’s door. Drenched and ringing her doorbell. I heard her footsteps approaching, and the door was opened. I thought she was going to be surprised to see me there, but instead, she had a bright smile on her face. It was like she had been expecting me.”
• “Come on in.” She muttered, pulling the door open for me to enter. “Do you want some coffee?"