The Nuclear Family Pt. 02

"Yes, plenty, not counting trusting you, I've made my share. The difference is that I own them. If I fuck up, I say I am sorry and work towards restitution. I don't tell the person I have wronged to get over it ignoring their wounds. And trust me, I am wounded."

"Robbie, we're sor..." Mum started to say, but my father cut my mother off, grabbing her arm before she could finish.

"Is that how you truly feel?" he asked.

"You still can't see it can you?" I told him. "You continue to treat me like shit, have no remorse for what any of you have done. Yet you think I am the person in the wrong; you're all idiots. Of course, it's how I feel."

For a moment, no one said anything. My father just looked at me, thinking. Part of me hoped that someone within the family was coming around to understand what I had been through.

"Alright then," my father said.

We all looked at him.

"If that's the way you feel, then you're fucking dead to this family," Dad said. Everyone gasped, even me.

"You think you're so special because you got your feelings hurt," my father started. I felt a lecture building. "But let me let you in on something, Robert. You are not fucking special. You were an unwanted child that never should have happened. About your only good use was within the company.

"You want to know why we never told you about Brad and Georgia? It's because you didn't deserve to know. You have always believed you were better than us, fuck you, Robert. From what I understand, you haven't had a job since you left us. You've spent your time living with a bunch of no-good hippies and the half-sister of your wife."

"No Brad," my mother whispered, trying to get my father to stand down. He kept going like he had never heard a thing.

"We gave you a year to get over yourself," my father was saying, spittle now forming at the sides of his mouth. "We came tonight to bury the hatchet to let you come back to work, expecting you to take our gratitude. But what do we find but some juiced-up freak that thinks his shit doesn't stink and that we owe him an apology? You're fucking dreaming kid!"

Brad Jr was now smiling ear to ear. Joanna was looking back at me, somewhat concerned, then at our father. I shrugged. But Dad wasn't finished.

"So you want to keep being an insolent little shit," Dad said. "Fine, have it your way. Tomorrow we are going to the lawyers and write you out of our wills. We'll sue you for everything you've got for causing Total Build to hurt. You're going to wish that you had taken our forgiveness. For the rest of your miserable and pathetic little life, you're going to remember this moment about how we took everything from you, leaving you broke, paying us back hundreds of thousands of dollars for years because you couldn't pull your miserable little shit of a head out of your ass and get with the program."

"You finished?" I asked, eyebrow raised, I wasn't quite smirking, but I was close.

"Not by a long shot," my Dad retorted angrily. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you never get a job of any consequence ever again; any time I find you have a job, I will call them and make sure they understand what a pathetic loser you are. I'll put everything I have into keeping you in poverty till you come crawling back to us begging for forgiveness. But then you'll find out there is no forgiveness in this family for you anymore. You will die in the gutter a worthless bum."

"Wow, baby, he sounds serious," Amy said mockingly. Yes, she was smirking.

"And don't you get on your high-horse young lady," my father scolded. "If you are with him, then I'll ruin you too. Don't think I didn't hear that you went straight for him getting your hooks into him the moment you could, you little hussy. Shame on you for coveting your sister's husband!"

"Really?" Amy asked, her grin growing wider. She pulled out her phone and showed it recording the conversation. "Can you please repeat that for me, oh great and mighty one? This way, Robbie and I can replay this in our hovel as we struggle to survive on the streets thanks to your oh-so-righteous wrath?"

My father looked at her momentarily, then looked back at the recording phone. Everyone again held their collective breath.

"From this day onwards," my father said in an official-sounding tone. "Robert Other is removed and divorced from this family. He no longer shares in its benefits and shall be removed from our wills. Should he ask to return, he will be denied. As the owner of Total Build, I shall be suing Robert Other for lost revue over leaving his job at a critical time. I shall also use my contacts to ensure that every potential employer and our suppliers know that we opened our arms for his return, but he spurned us. This family will also ensure that you and Robert Other will never have a moment's peace. We shall ruin you, ensuring you understand that you don't mess with this family. Is that good enough for you, little miss?"

"Perfect!" Amy cooed and put away her phone.

My father snorted, the rest of the family looking at him like he had grown a third hand from his head. My mother kept looking backwards and forwards between my father and me. I think she sensed that things were sliding downhill for the first time.

"Do what you want," he spat at my girlfriend, who was smiling broadly. My Dad, if he noticed, never acknowledged her attitude. "You're young, and I doubt you can find a lawyer half as good as mine. This time next year, you'll both wish you were dead without a pot to piss in, with what this family will do to you."

He sneered at me one last time to which I returned the gesture with equal ferocity. I knew at that moment that we were related. Both of us could be passionate to the point of being obstinate. Mine was my fighting in the ring; I never backed down; Dad was stuck on his pride.

Without another word, Dad turned and left. Brad Jr and Joanna looked at me, walking away shaking their heads, believing I was the stupid one. They undoubtedly thought I was done for with our father's fury focused on me. My mother and Georgia stood staring at both Amy and me.

In another moment, Georgia, with a final look of sorrow, turned and walked away. Leaving just my mother.

"You just had to push him that far didn't you, Robbie?" my mother looked at me with concern, not anger lining her features. I don't think I had ever seen her conflicted like this. "Perhaps if you chased him apologising..."

"No, Hattie, I don't think that would do any good. I'm well aware I inherited my stubbornness from him. Why do you think I haven't forgiven any of you? Go, Hattie, follow your husband, but let me leave you with one piece of advice."

She looked at me.

I took a breath, time to deliver my retort to my father. "Tell Brad that should he try any of the shit he just spouted, or I hear him bad-mouthing me to anyone. I will destroy him, tearing down this entire fucking family and business until there is nothing but rubble left in a smoking crater."

"You don't have the money..." Mum stated say.

"That doesn't matter," I told her, interrupting her while shaking my head. "If he wants a war, he'll get a war. I held that place together for years despite all of your incompetence. Look at you, only a year has gone, and you have lost over a third of your revenue. You're close to losing half your staff, many of the items are coming back to the workshop due to poor quality, and none of you appears to know your ass from your elbow without me.

"If your husband really wants a fight, I encourage you to think back to what you saw in the ring tonight. Think of the focus and determination I need to fight like I did and win. Think of what I would do in a street fight with my oh so loving family if I brought my focus and the knowledge I have about all of you.

"Tell him, Hattie, tell him to let it go. You know I'll be fine without all of you. But tell him to let it go, or it will be all of you in the street."

My mother looked at me, and I saw sadness in her eyes for the first time. She knew it was true, if they came at me, it would be them that lost, not me.

"It won't do any good, Robbie." Mum sighed. "He meant everything he told you tonight. I've been fighting him for all this time, but he won't listen." The tears did then leak down my mother's face.

"Robbie, your father said that you were not expected, and that is true," Mum whispered. "But never think you were a mistake. I love you, my baby boy, and I'm sorry for what it's worth. We should never have hidden Georgia and Brad's affair from you, nor about the child. But I won't regret my grandchild even if it should never have happened."

Mum stopped just looking sad. She looked at me, looking like she wanted to say more, then looked at Amy.

"Please look after my son for me. He's all alone now, and he will need someone for the coming fight."

"Oh, I think we saw tonight that Robbie knows how to fight," Amy said a little arrogance in her voice.

My mother shook her head, "not like this. He doesn't; his father will come at him as he said he would. He will try and destroy Robbie just to make a point."

For the first time, Toni came forward, "Then stand up to your husband Hattie," Toni said. "Tell him to back down. That's your son that he's about to come against." She said.

Mum shook her head again. "It won't matter." Mum looked at me. "I'm so sorry, Robbie. If I never see you again, do know that even though I will never again be able to say it, I will always love you. You were the heart and soul of this family, and we tried to destroy you for absolutely no reason other than our pride. You are the best of us; never forget that, but do what you have to do. For what it's worth," Mum paused as her eyes narrowed. "I don't think the rest of them have a chance, but I have to support my husband."

"I know, Mum..." I replied sadly.

She suddenly looked at me. It was the first time she had heard me call her mum in over a year. She looked at me, then nodded slowly.

"I will love you forever," Mum said, turning to walk away back to her family.

Before she could turn entirely, I dashed the half dozen paces between us, grabbing her in a big hug.

For almost two minutes, we stood there, not moving. I understood that my mother was stuck. But I knew how she worked, and she had to support as many of her family as possible, even if it meant losing one of us.

Our hug may have gone on for a lot longer, but we could hear my father bellow her name in the distance. I released Mum. She turned and cupped my cheek, drawing me down to her and kissing my cheek.

"Goodbye, Robbie," she whispered.

"Goodbye Mum," I replied quietly, both of us shedding tears as she walked away.

[:::: End of Part II ::::]

[:::: Authors Ending Note ::::]

Welcome to the end of Part II of the Nuclear Family. We all know that Robbie is not done with Georgia or his family at this point. The good news is that Parts III and IV are already written and edited, so there should only be a short delay between parts of the story.

When I started writing this story, I knew I wanted Robbie to be a fighter. I understand that the mental clarity of fitness and martial arts helps me run my own company. Robbie is based partly on a friend who has been beside me training over the years; he's trained in Maui Thai, so it was an easy choice to make.

And Amy, I chose to turn Amy into a Bitcoin success story, but then to turn her into a venture capitalist. I am working with a few VCs in one of my businesses at the moment, and I've learnt that they all work in a very different way from the rest of the world.

We're going to continue exploring the relationship between Robbie and Amy. There will be some more twists and turns, with plenty of drama.

See you in Part III

John Other