Chapter 86: THE FAMILY THAT NEVER WAS
The day after Noriko's meeting with Max and Kota, Max received a message.
He stared at his phone for a long time.
Come to the mansion. We need to talk.
That was all it said.
No apology.
No explanation.
Just an order disguised as a message.
Max didn't want to go.
He had spent years avoiding that house.
There were places in the world he could walk into without thinking about the past.
That mansion wasn't one of them.
But Kota was already putting on his shoes.
"Dad, where are we going?"
Max looked at him.
"To my parents' house."
Kota's eyes widened.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah."
"Are they nice?"
Max paused.
"No."
Kota blinked.
"That was fast."
Max sighed.
"They're… complicated."
Kota nodded seriously.
"That's adult language for 'they're horrible,' right?"
Max looked at him.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Life."
"You're six."
"Exactly."
Max couldn't help but smile.
"Come on."
---
The mansion looked exactly the same.
That was the first thing Max noticed.
The tall gates.
The enormous garden.
The perfectly trimmed trees.
The stone pathway leading toward the entrance.
Even the fountain in front of the house was still there.
But there was something different.
The entire mansion was covered with decorations.
White flowers.
Golden ribbons.
Large arrangements placed around the entrance.
Workers and maids were moving everywhere.
Tables were being carried.
Flowers were being arranged.
The place was preparing for the wedding reception.
James and Noriko's wedding.
Max stopped walking.
His eyes slowly moved toward the mansion.
So this was where the celebration would happen.
He swallowed.
Kota looked around.
"Wow."
Max looked at him.
"What?"
"It's huge."
Kota stared at the mansion.
"Dad, your parents are rich."
Max gave a small laugh.
"They always were."
Kota looked at him.
"Then why did you leave?"
Max didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the mansion again.
"Because money doesn't always mean a place feels like home."
Kota became quiet.
He didn't ask anything else.
They walked toward the entrance.
A maid noticed them.
She immediately walked over.
Her expression wasn't welcoming.
"Mr. Maxwell."
Max nodded.
"Hello."
"The madam and sir are waiting for you in the waiting room."
Her eyes moved toward Kota.
Then back to Max.
She gave a small, almost mocking smile.
Max noticed.
Kota noticed too.
As they walked away, Kota leaned toward Max.
"Dad."
"What?"
"Why does that maid look at us like we're trash?"
Max looked straight ahead.
"Don't mind it, Kota."
"But she does."
"Don't mind it."
Kota crossed his arms.
"Okay."
He paused.
"She's still rude."
Max sighed.
"Kota."
"I'm just saying."
They continued walking.
The mansion felt strangely familiar.
Max knew every hallway.
Every staircase.
Every corner.
He remembered where he used to hide.
A small space behind the old curtains.
A place where he could disappear whenever his mother became angry.
Whenever she shouted.
Whenever something he did wasn't good enough.
He remembered crouching there as a child, covering his ears.
He remembered his father's footsteps.
He remembered the sound of his golf club hitting the floor.
And then—
The memory.
A younger Max.
A golf club raised above him.
His father's voice.
"Why can't you be more like your brother?"
Max's breathing became shallow.
He stopped walking.
Kota noticed.
"Dad?"
Max blinked.
The hallway came back.
He looked down at his son.
"I'm okay."
Kota stared at him.
"You don't look okay."
Max forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
They reached the waiting room.
The doors opened.
And there they were.
His mother.
His father.
James.
And Eleanor.
The three siblings.
James, the oldest.
Max, the middle child.
Eleanor, the youngest.
Max looked at them.
James sat calmly.
Eleanor was looking at her phone.
His mother sat proudly in the center.
His father remained beside her.
Nobody smiled.
His mother looked at the clock.
Then at Max.
"It's about damn time you've arrived, Maxwell."
Max remained silent.
Her eyes moved toward Kota.
"And you also bring an ugly mutt with you."
Kota's eyes widened.
He looked at Max.
"Dad."
"What?"
"Who is that witch-looking old lady?"
Silence.
His mother's face changed instantly.
"You!"
James immediately stood.
"Mother!"
Kota looked at him.
"Oh."
He pointed.
"Another one."
James sighed.
"Please don't."
Max finally spoke.
"Enough."
He looked at everyone.
"Sit."
His mother glared at him.
But Max sat down.
Kota sat beside him.
The atmosphere became unbearably tense.
Max looked across the room.
James was sitting on the opposite side.
Eleanor sat beside their mother.
They looked exactly like he remembered.
James had always been the perfect son.
Smart.
Successful.
Polite.
The child his parents loved showing off.
Eleanor was the youngest.
Beautiful.
Brilliant.
Spoiled.
She had always received affection effortlessly.
And then there was Max.
The middle child.
The one who didn't fit.
The one who wasn't like them.
His parents never bothered to discover what he was good at.
They never asked what he wanted.
They never explored his talents.
They simply compared him.
James was smarter.
Eleanor was prettier.
James was successful.
Eleanor was talented.
And Max?
Max was always the disappointment.
He remembered asking his father once if he could show him a painting.
His father never looked at it.
He remembered telling his mother he wanted to study art.
She laughed.
He remembered hearing:
"You don't have anything special."
He remembered believing it.
For years.
Until Kota came into his life.
Until he discovered that maybe he wasn't worthless.
Maybe he had simply been standing in the wrong room.
James cleared his throat.
"Thanks for coming, Max."
Max looked at him.
"I really wanted you to attend my wedding."
Eleanor chuckled.
"If it were my wedding, I wouldn't even invite that pest."
Kota looked around.
"This place is really amazing."
Max glanced at him.
Kota smiled.
"Big house."
He looked toward Eleanor.
"Even a pig is talking."
Eleanor's face turned bright red.
"You!"
Max closed his eyes.
"Kota…"
"What?"
"You're making it worse."
Kota shrugged.
"She started it."
His mother slammed her hand against the table.
"Enough!"
The sound echoed through the room.
Max flinched.
His stomach tightened.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
The sound of the table.
The shouting.
The smell of the mansion.
Everything mixed together.
His head began to pound.
His breathing became uneven.
His mother's voice became distant.
"You are invited here, and you have the audacity to bring this foul-mouthed imp into our house?"
Max stared at the table.
His hands trembled.
He was a child again.
Hiding.
Listening.
Waiting for the shouting to stop.
Kota noticed.
He reached for Max's hand.
He squeezed it.
Max looked down.
Kota whispered,
"Dad."
Max looked at him.
Kota's expression was serious now.
"Don't worry."
Max swallowed.
His mother continued.
"Your son has no manners."
Kota looked at her.
"Neither does your face."
James covered his mouth.
Eleanor stared at him.
"What did you say?"
Kota smiled.
"I said your face looks angry."
"You little—"
"Eleanor."
James tried to stop her.
Kota wasn't finished.
"You're really loud."
Eleanor glared.
"You are extremely foul-mouthed."
Kota tilted his head.
"I expected that."
"Expected what?"
"That from someone who looks like she hasn't eaten a salad in years."
One of the maids standing near the door suddenly coughed.
Another maid turned away.
Their shoulders were shaking.
Eleanor noticed.
"Are you laughing?"
The maids immediately straightened.
"No, miss."
Kota pointed at Eleanor.
"See? Even the maids know."
Eleanor's face became redder.
"You little brat!"
Kota looked at her calmly.
"Brat?"
He pointed at himself.
"I'm six."
Then he pointed at her.
"You're an adult."
He shrugged.
"And I'm still winning."
One maid covered her mouth.
Another looked toward the ceiling.
Max stared at his son.
"Kota."
"What?"
"Please stop."
"But Dad—"
"I said stop."
Kota crossed his arms.
"Okay."
His mother looked furious.
"You're raising him like an animal, Maxwell."
Max looked at her.
Kota immediately replied,
"At least animals are loved by their owners."
The room became silent.
Even Max froze.
Eleanor stared at him.
"You really are disgusting."
Kota smiled.
"Have you ever heard of salad?"
"What does that even mean?"
"I don't know."
He shrugged.
"I just wanted to say it."
A maid finally let out a tiny laugh.
His mother turned toward her.
The maid immediately lowered her head.
Kota grinned.
Max almost smiled.
Almost.
Then his mother picked up the glass beside her.
"Shut up, imp!"
She threw it.
Everything happened too quickly.
Max saw the glass flying toward Kota.
His body moved before his mind could.
"Kota!"
He stood and stepped in front of him.
The glass struck Max's head.
It shattered.
Kota screamed.
"DAD!"
Max staggered.
His hand went to the side of his head.
Blood slowly ran between his fingers.
The room became silent.
His mother stared.
His father froze.
Eleanor's mouth opened.
James stood.
"Max!"
Max didn't answer.
He slowly looked at his mother.
Something inside him had changed.
The fear was still there.
The child inside him was still terrified.
But another part of him was standing.
A father.
Max walked toward his mother.
She took a small step backward.
"Maxwell…"
He stopped in front of her.
And slapped her.
The sound echoed through the room.
His mother froze.
Everyone froze.
A red mark appeared across her cheek.
Eleanor stood up.
"How dare you—"
Max slapped her.
She stumbled backward.
"You—"
Another slap.
Eleanor stared at him in disbelief.
"You can't—"
Another.
"Max!"
Another.
"Stop!"
Another.
Eleanor's face was red and swollen.
She covered her cheek.
Her voice trembled.
"You're insane!"
Max's breathing was heavy.
His father finally stood.
"Stop!"
Max looked at him.
His father instinctively raised his hands.
Max raised his own.
His father's face immediately drained of color.
He covered his face.
The memory of the golf club.
The child on the floor.
The father who had once made Max afraid.
For the first time, that father looked afraid of his own son.
Max lowered his hand.
His voice was quiet.
"I let it pass when you treated me like trash."
His father slowly lowered his hands.
Max looked at his mother.
"I let it pass when you told me I wasn't good enough."
He looked at Eleanor.
"I let it pass when you laughed at me."
Then he looked at all of them.
"But I will never…"
His voice cracked.
"…ever let you disrespect my son again."
Nobody spoke.
Max wiped the blood from his forehead.
Kota stood behind him.
His little hands were trembling.
Max turned toward him.
"Come on."
Kota nodded.
They walked toward the door.
As they passed the servants, every maid suddenly became very interested in the floor.
Max didn't care.
Behind him, his mother stood with a red handprint on her cheek.
Eleanor's cheeks were swollen and red.
His father sat down slowly.
Then Max noticed something.
A dark stain spreading across his father's trousers.
Kota noticed too.
He whispered,
"Dad."
"What?"
"Did Grandpa…"
Max looked at him.
Kota looked at his grandfather.
Then back at Max.
"Never mind."
They continued walking.
As they reached the entrance, Kota suddenly looked at Max.
"Wow."
Max looked at him.
"What?"
"You're like that meme."
"What meme?"
"The guy who just slaps everybody."
Max stared at him.
"Kota."
"What?"
"Please don't compare me to a meme right now."
Kota nodded.
"Okay."
A pause.
"Still funny, though."
Max sighed.
They stepped outside.
"Max!"
James's voice stopped them.
Max turned around.
James hurried toward them.
"Please."
Max stared at him.
James looked genuinely desperate.
"Please attend my wedding."
Max said nothing.
"I want you there."
James swallowed.
"I wanted to show my bride that we're a complete family."
Max's eyes hardened.
James continued.
"Please, Max."
Max looked at him for a long moment.
Then he turned away.
He walked out.
Kota followed.
James stood there alone.
---
They walked down the long driveway.
Neither spoke.
After a few minutes, Kota looked up.
"Dad?"
"Hm?"
"Are you okay?"
Max stopped.
Kota looked at the blood running down his father's forehead.
"Your head is bleeding."
Max looked at his son.
And suddenly, all the strength he had been holding onto disappeared.
He knelt down.
He hugged Kota.
His shoulders trembled.
"I'm sorry."
Kota froze.
Max buried his face against his son's shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
"Dad…"
"Your dad is a coward."
Kota's eyes widened.
Max cried quietly.
"I should've protected you from them."
Kota hugged him back.
"Aw, Dad."
He gently patted Max's back.
"Don't worry."
Max looked at him.
Kota smiled.
"I already knew that."
Max stared.
Then Kota laughed.
"I'm kidding."
Max let out a broken laugh through his tears.
"You little…"
Kota hugged him tighter.
"You're not a coward."
Max closed his eyes.
Kota whispered,
"You protected me."
For a moment, Max couldn't speak.
He simply held his son.
The mansion stood behind them.
The house where he had spent years believing he wasn't enough.
The house where he had been compared.
Humiliated.
Ignored.
Hurt.
But he was no longer the frightened child hiding behind the curtains.
He was a father.
And he had something worth protecting.
His son.
---
Across town, Noriko sat quietly in front of the mirror.
The makeup artist finally stepped away.
"All finished."
Noriko looked at her reflection.
Her wedding makeup was complete.
Her hair was styled perfectly.
She looked like a bride.
Everyone around her smiled.
Noriko didn't.
Her phone sat on the table beside her.
She had forgotten to check it.
Then—
Ding.
Noriko looked toward the phone.
One notification appeared.
Then another.
Two different people.
Two different messages.
Noriko slowly reached for the phone.
Her finger hovered over the screen.
She opened the first notification.
Her eyes widened.
Then she looked at the second.
Her expression changed completely.
She whispered:
"…What?"
The screen reflected in her eyes.
Two messages.
Two names.
Two secrets waiting to be opened.
Noriko stared at them.
And for the first time that day…
She forgot she was supposed to be a bride.
CHAPTER ENDS