HIS RESURGENCE

Episode 7

HIS RESURGENCE

Chapter 7 

Xavier arrived home looking tired and really out of it. He did not understand how he was the prime suspect when there were thousands of people who might have set the building on fire.

He wasn’t surprised to see his father waiting for him when he arrived, perhaps his father was waiting for his arrival in order to rain insults on him.

Xavier greeted his father and was about heading to his room when his father stopped him.

"Xavier, did you do it?" Mr. Benjamin asked with a low serious voice 

Xavier was literally surprised and disappointed at the question but then what was he expecting? That his father would believe he didn’t do it? What a hope!. They saw him as nothing more than the black sheep of the family.

"What do you think?" Xavier asked as he stared at the man who is more of a sperm donor than a father to him. 

"Did you do it Xavier?" Mr Benjamin asked again, this time with a harder tone and Xavier could hear the hinge of anger in his tone.

"No, I didn’t, no matter how much you all push me, I would never do such a thing!" Xavier said too with his voice rising in anger. 

"Don’t you dare lie to me child, I know that you are mad Alex and Clara got married but I decided to compensate you, I got you a wife, didn’t I?!" Mr Benjamin rose up as he yelled at Xavier. 

"As if getting a wife for me would solve anything and for the last time father, I didn’t do anything!" he yelled back at his old man as he clenched his fists in anger. 

"Then who did, WHO would so conveniently want to ruin a marriage that HE is not happy about and HAPPENED to leave the premises at exactly the same time the incident occurred?" Mr. Benjamin said, shooting lasers at Xavier.

He glared at Xavier in anger and hatred, he was glad that his precious son Alexander wasn’t hurt, he would have dealt with him personally.

"How should I have known who did it? I left because I was tired of you and everyone’s bullshit and I needed some air, now I'm being framed for what I know nothing about" Xavier said exasperatedly.

"Did you know how much of a mess this incident caused? The prime minister was there, my business associates and esteemed guests, all were in attendance and that incident had to occur and there is no doubt who did it” Mr. Benjamin clenched his fist, trying to control the anger that was consuming him especially when he remembered the look on his guests face. If there was scandal, he never wanted it to relate to the Whitlock’s yet, within two weeks all scandals have been related to them.

"I did no such thing father, Why would I ruin the marriage because I am pained, besides I knew how important it is for you” Xavier said. He was a little bit tipsy and would love to just go in and get some rest.

But Mr Benjamin continued regardless "...do you know that marriage was live nationwide. And why wouldn't you ruin it? Do you know how much it hurts Clara, if you really cared about her you wouldn’t have done that"

"I’m really sure she was hurt but there is nothing I can do, I wasn’t the one behind it and I’m sorry it had a bad image on the family" Xavier churned out the bitter words out of his mouth.

"Well, maybe if you were half the man Alexander was, she wouldn't have left you and agreed to marry him. Alexander is out there trying to find out who was behind the fire and here you are being useless as always” Mr. Benjamin said. 

Xavier stared at him like his father had gone nuts, wasn’t it now he just got released from the station? No one had even bothered to check on him and he was darn sure that his father knew about his whereabouts.

"Father you darn well knew where I was, how was I supposed to find out who was behind it?!” He asked and a tear dropped from the corner of his eyes even when he had vowed to not let them see him cry.

"And what exactly would you have done about it Xavier? You are nothing, it may have been better if I had left you that night or if your wretched mother had agreed to abort you" Mr Benjamin yelled, just a single instruction he had given out to Xavier yet he couldn’t carry it out. He had told him to make sure everything was on point and it had ended up in disaster.

Xavier was unable to say a word, he kept quiet listening to his father ramblings about his mistakes and how he should have dumped him in an orphanage instead taking pity on him and bringing him into his mansion and also giving him the Whitlock’s name when he wasn’t worth it.

When the rambling became too much, Xavier walked towards his room but was stopped by his father’s next words.

"Before you go in there and cry like a child, you are going to fix this mess. Tomorrow you will go and apologize to the distinguished guests that were in attendance, starting with the Smith” 

Didn’t his father just tell him he couldn’t do anything?

“Of course, as you say father” he replied and with a click of his head, he walked upstairs and when he got into his room, he slammed the door shut.

***

The next day Xavier got up, did his usual routine and then went through the guest list to know who he would see first. He doesn’t understand why he was apologizing for something he didn’t do.

He had stepped out of the house to do as his father had proposed.

After some minutes, his phone rang and it was his father calling. What was he expecting, no one calls him except his father and that is when he needed him to run some errands. 

He was hesitant to answer but knowing his father, it was probably important for the business. 

"The document I asked you to pick up this morning contains our next business proposal, a shared business for the Whitlock’s and Smith’s. I want you to deliver it to them and apologize for yesterday's incident and no funny business."

"Do you understand me?" Mr. Benjamin asked sternly.

"Crystal clear,” Xavier replied. 

"Good! Don’t screw this up, this is the only chance you have to prove to me that you deserve to be called a Whitlock" Mr Benjamin said then he hung up.

Xavier sighed, “As always I have to do everything to prove my worthiness"

He guess he has to start with the Smith’s then.

****

Xavier arrived at the Smith’s manor and he was led by the guards to the backyard where Mr Smith was. 

He met Mr. James Smith, the man he met the previous day in the wedding, his soon to be father in law and he wasn't particularly happy to see him.

“A pleasant morning Mr. Smith” he greeted.

"What's your name again?" Mr. Smith asked, ignoring Xavier’s greetings. 

"I am Xavier Whitlock, sir." Xavier replied, he didn’t even behave as if his greetings weren't answered. 

Mr James sighed and said. 

"The only good thing about you is that you bear the Whitlock name, nothing else."

It was clearly obvious that he did not like Xavier, not just him but everyone. Xavier smiled inwardly, if he was to be paid for anytime someone hates him, he would be one of the richest men on earth.

Xavier chose not to comment on his statement but rather went on to state the reason he was in the Smith’s residence.

"I came over to deliver the documents, father is pretty busy and I was sent in his stead, he sent his greetings"

"Bring it over," Mr. James said and ordered him like a dog. 

Xavier handed the documents over to him and Mr. Smith took it out and went through it. 

After a few minutes of going through the documents, he smiled before saying. 

"To think he used marriage as a sealing factor for this business.”

He turned to look at Xavier and then frowned before addressing him.

"Be grateful young man that your father’s blackmailing skills good enough to make me accept you into my family"

"Thank you so much sir" Xavier replied humbly but inwardly he was irked at the pompous old man and he wished he could tell him it wasn't his intention to get married to his daughter either.

Xavier didn’t say anything as he knows what his father would say if he finds out he has spoken out of turn.

"Good!.” Mr. James replied, satisfied that he got Xavier under his command.

"You can leave now or whatever, we are done here”he said then dismissed Xavier. 

Xavier nodded and left peaceably. Happy he didn’t have to spend any more time in his presence.

****

Xavier got into the car and proceeded to his next stop, the Salvador's. They are a huge name in the society and they deal in oil, that was their biggest investment.

His stomach grumbled and he decided to branch out at a restaurant to get something to eat since he didn’t eat at the mansion before he left.

He got into the restaurant, fortunately there was some little cash on him, he got a burger and was about to leave the restaurant when he ran into David, he pretended he didn’t see him and kept on walking but David thought otherwise and held his shoulder making Xavier stop.

“You want me to give you another black eye?” He asked coldly.

“Your brother wouldn’t like that and he was pissed the other day, you don’t want to see what he would do” Xavier ignored and made an attempt to move but David stopped him.

“I was told to give you this,” David said and Xavier stared at the brown envelope in David’s hand, hesitating to collect it when he knew it could be one of his tricks on him.

“No, thank you” he said and turned away.

“Look, the man asked me to make sure you take it, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was important” David said and Xavier stared at him, when he saw there was no trace of playfulness, he took the envelope and walked out.

“What’s in here?”

“Who would want to give me an envelope?” He kept asking himself as he knew he doesn’t relate with anyone.

He decided he was going to see what the Envelope contained, so he stopped walking and opened it. Just as he was taking a glance inside the envelope, a loud bang met his ears.

He was disoriented and didn’t know what happened but what he knew was that he was in pain and heard the screeching of tires before he blacked out.

He had been hit by a car and the driver didn’t wait to check on him, leaving him to his fate.