Chapter 3 Father's Funeral

• James sat behind the wheels and drove out of the hospital compound with their mother who would not stop crying about her dead husband, sitting next to him in the co-driver seat. He just felt she needed to cry it out as she appeared inconsolable. He remained silent with his eyes focused on the road as he drove back to the family condo.
• Jason finished the paperwork at the hospital and also headed for their family condo. Ten minutes after James arrived at the condo, Jason also drove in. He got out of the car, used the elevator, and he went to the 12th floor.
• It was a huge floor with 6 bedrooms, two living rooms, and a well-designed balcony with a pool. The interior was shades of grey and white. They had some beautiful paint hangings on the walls. The whole condo belongs to them. Yes, they are a super-rich family.
• Jason entered the visitors' living room and was welcomed by his Grandpa. They walked together to the family living room and sat there for a while chatting.
• "Hello Grandpa," said Jason as soon as they sat down.
• He looked around for James or their mother but they were nowhere close to the living room as he realizes after not seeing them.
• His grandpa sat next to him hugging his shoulders. Jason smiled as he hugged the old man back. He sat down properly and Jason helped him support his back with one of the sofa pillows.
• "How is work?" Grandpa enquired after sitting down comfortably.
• "All good, I just have some project contracts to sign on Monday," he said.
• "Grandpa."
• "Yes?" replied Grandpa.
• "Something happened today," he started trying to tell him about his father's death.
• "Your father left us," Grandpa completed his statement.
• "Yeah I know, your mother came home crying," he replied and looked up while Jason stared at his side profile.
• "Your father was a good person; he was almost like a son to me. Sometimes I wish I had him as a son. He was hard-working, smart and very humble; you should pick his character," Grandpa said turning to look at him and Jason nodded with a cold expression.
• Yeah, his father was humble and where did that land him, people took advantage of him all the time and tried to fool him. He had already carved an image for himself and he would not drop it for his father's humble character. Today people fear him and they do not stand and speak to him without trembling.
• His father was merciful, he was ruthless. The only thing he picked from his father was his hard-working nature and how smart he was. They spent some time together before Grandpa decided he was going to take his afternoon nap.
• Jason went upstairs after Grandpa had left for his room and found his elder brother and younger sister, both crowded around their mother who was still wiping tears from her eyes, in her room.
• His phone buzzed and he stepped out of the room to answer it. He returned to the room a few minutes later.
• "Everything is ready, the burial is set for the day after tomorrow," Jason announced and left them for his room.
• He sat on the sofa resting his head on the back of the sofa lost in deep thoughts.
• "How come no one knew dad was battling colon cancer and what happened that night he went to the music festival with his dad?"
• He tried to remember a few events from the night. The program went well as the performances were great. His father gave him a bottle of water when he requested one of the guards to get him water. That was it. He doesn't recall anything after drinking the water.
• He searched his pocket for the wedding ring and brought it out, looking at it carefully. He placed it back into his pocket. He didn't want anyone in the family to know about it until he had figured out who the lady was and how she ended up in his room.
• His phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. He checked the caller ID and answered.
• "Yes, speak," he commanded.
• "Sir, her name is Julia Harrison, she stays with her mother at Belle Glade, in a two-bedroom house. The house is occupied by just the two of them, she and her mother. Concerning her father, she never met him. She is a school bus driver, and that is how she earns money for her daily upkeep. Her mother is a dressmaker. Despite their living conditions, she likes to party with her two best friends, Matilda Hayford, who she calls Tilly and Michael Hogan, at the nightclub. And even though she can't handle her liquor she likes to drink, " he informed him.
• "That is all I found out about her," he added.
• "Hmm," Jason said and disconnected the call when the caller had nothing more to say.
• "This girl is a nobody," he thought, "and the only one who could probably tell him what happened is now gone, his father whom he was with that night."
• They had dinner together and he was surprised to see their mother had the appetite to eat so much after crying from morning almost till afternoon, but he felt it was good she didn't starve herself. After dinner, he hung around for a while and returned to his apartment.
• Upon entering the house with two of his bodyguards, all the servants immediately became tense. The guards remained on the first floor as he went up to the next floor where he sleeps.
• He sat on the sofa and watched the news for a while before he decided to go to bed.
• In his bedroom, he opened his drawer by the bedside to pick up his phone charger but found two signed marriage certificates with his dad as the witness.
• "Wait, so his dad knew about the wedding? Did he organize it?" he thought but again kicked against it.
• "According to his brother, Dad passed out upon reaching home. Something happened but it also doesn't make sense if someone attacks his father and gets him married to a stranger." he continued in his thoughts while staring at the two certificates in his hand.
• He put them back and sat on the edge of the bed with his phone charger in hand.
• "Why would someone get him married like that, unless, maybe, someone is going to use the girl to get to him," he thought, "information and access to everything," he thought.
• "Someone has planned something and it doesn't look good."
• He smiled; he would file for a divorce after the funeral. he concluded in his mind and put his phone on charge and went to take a shower. He climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep with a decision to start divorce proceedings.
• The day of the funeral came. His father was lying in the casket surrounded by lots of flowers. A lot of people attended the funeral as his father was a well-known person. His father was taken to the graveside and lowered into the grave.
• Jason collected some sand and threw it on the lowered casket, and so did all his siblings including their mother and the grave was covered. From the graveyard, they all went back to the family condo. Everyone spent the night at the condo.
• Jason left for his apartment the next day as the funeral was over and he needed to get some things done and also start the divorce process before anyone in the family finds out about it.
• He went to court to initiate the process a couple of days later and was shocked by what he found out. There was a contract with a rule that the marriage can only be dissolved after one and a half years.
• "What the hell?!" he yelled.
• He enquired if something could be done and he was told they can only proceed with the divorce after the stated period.
• He angrily left the place for work, annoyed. He entered his company and went straight to his cabin with instruction not to be disturbed.
• In his cabin, he tried to understand how the contract, marriage certificate, wedding rings and the lady he had slept with happened and why. He decided he would confront the lady. Maybe she will know something. She was not at the music festival, so how did they meet?
• He picked up his phone and dialled a number.
• "I want that Julia girl in my apartment at 6 pm today," he said and disconnected the call.
• For the rest of the day, he distracted himself with lots of work, meetings etc. Soon the day was over and he left the company for his apartment. The driver drove the car into the huge underground garage and parked. Jason stepped out of the car with four bodyguards. He was approached by another bodyguard.
• "Where is she?" he questioned.
• "Sir, she tied up in the basement," replied the bodyguard and he proceeded to the place.
• He asked his guards to leave him alone with her once inside.
• She looked a little bruised. Her hair is dishevelled. The side of her lip was bleeding. Obviously, his guards had handled her roughly to give her such a look.
• Despite her unkept look, she was a very beautiful woman. She had gorgeous eyes with heavy and long brown hair.
• Aside from the bruises she had sustained because they manhandled her, you can tell she has very beautiful skin.
• He was very angry the morning he woke up next to her and hence did not have time to look at her. Even with her frown, she looked adorable, but he kept a cold unwelcoming face.
• She had her hands and legs tied to the chair she was sitting on and a piece of cloth was used to tie her mouth.
• He pulled a chair and placed it not far away from her. He removed the cloth from her mouth and she began to scream so loud he felt like his ear drums were going to explode.
• "Shut up," he said and a slap landed on the side of her face causing that side of her face to turn red and swell up immediately.
• Her head began to spin, she thought she might pass out anytime soon. She became terrified and started trembling in the seat.
• "Okay, tell me what were you doing before you woke up in my bed?" he questioned.
• Tears rolled down her face as she spoke, her voice trembling.
• "Please don't harm me, I don't remember anything," she replied honestly.
• "So, you don't recall anything at all? He said. "Answer me," he yelled at her and her body shook with fear.
• "I went out with my friends, believe me, that is all that at remember," she said almost in tears.
• "Where did you go?" he asked sitting down.
• "To a nightclub in my area," she replied still trembling.
• "Okay, that is fine, give me the names of your friends and their contact," he commanded, "Now," he yelled and she jumped in her seat.
• "Matilda," she said.
• "Matilda, what?" he asked.
• "Matilda Hayford and Michael Hogan," she said and quickly called out their contact.
• He left her in the room. A few minutes later, a lady entered the room and untied her, dressing her wounds for her. Then she left her to walk free in the basement.
• Jason went up to the floor of his room after giving the names and contacts to his bodyguards to pick them up the next day.