Chapter 2 A Family Dinner

LIAM'S POINT OF VIEW

"I know I'm late, and I'm sorry, okay?" I said, holding my hands up in surrender as I headed for a seat on the dining table.

Earlier this morning, my father called for a dinner meeting with the whole family at the family mansion that evening. He said he had something very important to tell us, and no one was expected to miss the meeting.

"Don't worry, we already started without you," Dominica, the oldest of us, said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We shouldn't have to wait for the baby of the house now, should we? It would certainly be absolute rubbish!" She said as she put food in her mouth and gave me a smug look.

I paused, hand hovering over the chair I was about to pull, feeling the sting of her words. Her words were subtle, but their meaning was clear to everyone in the room. The humiliation burned like a hot coal in my chest.

I stole a glance at my parents and elder brothers, hoping that one of them would speak up and caution her, but instead they pretended as if they didn't hear and Dominica smirked in satisfaction, savoring the taste of her victory.

"Well, I didn't intend to arrive late," I said, taking my seat. "Something important came up at the office and I lost track of time." I placed the napkin on my lap, feeling a little flustered.

Dominica scoffed. "Something important at the office? What could be more important than your family, your own father?" she demanded, her voice dripping with disdain.

I bit my tongue, refusing to rise to the bait. Instead, I focused on the food spread out on the table, my gaze flitting from dish to dish.

"This is quite a feast!" I exclaimed, surprised by the lavish spread before me. "Is there something special going on today? Are we celebrating something?"

My words seemed to hang in the air, unanswered. I was pretty sure everyone was just ignoring me. I decided to keep my mouth shut and start eating.

Henry, the second oldest of us, dabbed at the corner of his mouth with a napkin, then dropped it on the table. "Father," he began, clearing his throat, "if you don't mind me asking, why have you called us here this evening?"

There was a moment of tense silence as we all waited for an answer. Our father put down his cutlery, we all followed suit. He looked up, his eyes meeting each of ours in turn.

"Thank you, Henry," my father said, his voice calm but firm. "Now that we're all here, I can tell you the reason for this dinner." He looked around the table.

The air was thick with tension, like a storm about to break. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for what he would say next.

"It's been thirteen good years since I founded my company, The Anderson Corporations," my father continued, his voice still calm but tinged with sadness. "And today makes it the third time we are having dinner together as a family. It's quite sad, isn't it?"

Our eyes dropped, unable to meet his gaze. We suddenly felt a pang of guilt in our hearts. Regret and sorrow filled us, knowing that every bit of his words were the sad truth, and for the first time in a long time, we all felt the same way.

We can tell that father deeply regretted not spending more time with the family. The emotion in his voice was undeniable.

"Well, Father," Austin, the third oldest of us siblings, began, taking a deep breath. "You know how busy we all are. Even before the company started, we never had any time to spare, and now that it's up and running, there's even less time for us. So please, don't blame us for that."

My father let out a heavy sigh. "I do not blame any of you," he said. "Despite the fact that we are always busy, shouldn't we have had time to ourselves as a family? Isn't that the right way to go?"

"Dad, on behalf of my siblings, I'd like to apologize. We promise to do better going forward, right guys?" I said, hoping to defuse the tension in the room.

But instead of an agreement, all I got were sneers and taunting stares from my siblings.

"That's okay, Liam," my father said, giving me a warm smile. "I appreciate the sentiment."

I smiled back at him, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. It was just me and my father, connected by a bond that felt stronger than ever. I felt like his favorite child, and my heart fluttered with happiness.

My father shifted in his chair, clearing his throat again. "But that's not the only reason I've asked you all here tonight," he said, his voice gaining strength. "There's something else I need to tell you."

My father started off, his expression calm and composed. "Actually, I called you all here to discuss the management rights of the company," he said.

As my father spoke, I saw my siblings' eyes light up with greed. Their lips curved into mischievous smiles, and they tried to hide their delight, but I could see right through their facade. I knew they were already scheming and plotting, determined to get their hands on those management rights at any cost.

"As you all know," my father began, "I own the most shares of the company, a total of thirty-five percent." He paused, and then continued, "I'm growing older, and I think it's time for me to retire from the company."

"Does that mean you're going to hand over your shares to me, Father?" Dominica's eyes glinted with greed and conceit as a smug smirk played across her lips. "I am the eldest, after all."

As soon as the words left Dominica's lips, my brothers turned to look at her, their expressions filled with disapproval.

"And what about me, Father?" Henry asked. "Don't I get a share of your holdings? I am the second-born, after all."

"Yes, it's not fair that Dominica gets to have everything," Austin agreed. "We should have something too, Father."

"Father," I called out, and all eyes turned towards me. I felt their scrutiny, like a spotlight on me. "Do I also get a share of your holdings?"

My siblings turned to look at me, their eyes brimming with scorn. Their lips curled into mischievous smiles, and then, they all burst into laughter.

"Oh, poor Liam," Dominica said in between laughs, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "He thinks he's going to get some of the shares!"

She said to my brothers as their laughter increased even more. I felt ashamed for even saying a word, but I didn't let it show on my face.

"You're the youngest of us all," Austin said, his tone mocking but with a clear warning underneath. "Stick to that!"

Their laughter turned into a crazed cackle, and my blood began to boil with anger. I clenched my fists beneath the table, my knuckles turning white. As I stole a glance at my parents, I hoped they would say something to put a stop to this.

"You'll have to get through the three of us before you can get your hands on those shares." Henry's voice was filled with laughter, but his words were firm.

I remained silent as they laughed, wiping away the tears of joy that had formed in the corners of their eyes. But then, my father's voice cut through the air, ending their laughter abruptly. "But he doesn't have to."

"What do you mean, father?" Dominica asked, her voice brimming with a hint of fear as her eyes darted from our father to me.

"If you had all just let me finish, you wouldn't have been asking me that question." My father said, his voice calm but domineering.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at each of my siblings in turn. "As I was saying," he said, "I called you all here to discuss who would take over the management of the company, with the help of my thirty-five percent share."

"But it has to be me, father. Obviously," Dominica voiced.

"It doesn't have to be you," my father said, his words sending a shock wave through the room. Everyone's eyes widened in bewilderment. "The one who marries first will take over the company, along with my shares."

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by Dominica's outraged gasp. For years, she had taunted my brothers and I with the idea that she would inherit everything from our father. It had always been a source of frustration and pain for us, and now our father was turning that on its head. A wave of hope washed over me, and I could see the same feeling reflected in the eyes of my brothers. But Dominica was a different story. Her face had turned red with anger and indignation.

"What do you mean, father?" Dominica's voice was filled with rage.

My mother spoke up for the first time. "Your father has thought this through carefully," she said. "It's not a decision he made lightly."

Dominica's eyes flashed with anger. "But he can't do that! He promised to give me his shares. The firstborn always gets everything!"

"Well, all that is about to change, sister." Austin said mischievously, a sly smirk on his lips.

Dominica's eyes narrowed, and her jaw tightened. "But that's not fair!" she protested. "Why should marriage be the deciding factor?!"

My father sighed. "Because marriage shows maturity and responsibility," he said. "And those are qualities that I'm looking for in the person who takes over the company."

Our father's words were firm and final. "I've decided, and my decision is final. Whoever gets married first will take over the company. That's the end of the discussion."

"Yes, and as you know, I also own fourteen percent of the company shares," my mother said, her voice calm but firm. "And I intend to leave my shares to the first of you to have a child."

There was a collective gasp around the table, as we all stared at her in shock. We never saw this coming, neither from our father nor mother. They entirely changed the system, and it was shocking to us.

Dominica's face turned a shade of red I'd never seen before. "What kind of ridiculous rule is that?!" she sputtered. "How can you decide something like that based on who has a baby first?!"

"It's my decision to make, and I've made it," my mother said, her voice steady. "I'm not going to change my mind."

Dominica's hands were clenched into fists, and her breathing was heavy and ragged. "This is ridiculous!" she cried. "I can't believe you're doing this! What is wrong with both of you?!"

"They're not getting any younger, you know," Henry said to Dominica, a fake tone of sympathy in his voice. "They want to see their grandchildren before they die, don't you understand, sister? Well, this would be a great time to propose to Stacy. We have been dating for two years, after all!"

I scoffed, and the sound seemed to echo in the silent room. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the turnout of the situation. I dropped my napkin on the table and stood up. The room was dead silent, and all eyes were on me.

I let out a deep sigh. "You all underestimated me," I said, a sense of satisfaction settling over me. "Now you'll see what I can do."

I pushed back my chair and stood up, heading for the door.

"Where are you going, son?" my mother asked, her voice tinged with worry.

I turned to face them, a small smile on my lips. "To find myself a wife."

"See you on the other side, siblings!" I said, a mischievous smile playing on my lips as I walked out of the house, leaving them all in stunned silence.