Chapter 2

It was about 8pm, when Simon's son heard a strange banging sound in the bathroom. He went to check and found that it was his dad making the noise. 

"Oh, Dad it's you." 

"Come on Nate, you could have at least knocked."  

"Sorry. Whoa! Wait a minute. You never shave at night. Unless.." 

"Unless what? Mind your business!" Said Simon in a sharp tone. 

"Who is she?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about?" 

"The woman you're meeting with." 

"She is none of your business. Don't you have homework to do?" 

"Not until you tell me her name." 

Simon rolled his eyes. 

"You know the last time I checked you sucked at algebra." He said. 

"I am working on it, I got a B on my previous class test." 

"You see. A B is second class. Our family doesn't do second class. We ace it all." 

Nathan frowned. 

"If we aced it all, mom would still be here." He said, in a low voice. 

"Your mother chose another man over us. Its not our fault she's gone." 

"But you could have fought for her." 

"Well, that's not my place anymore. I won't die for a loser." 

Nathan walked out angrily, while Simon continued to shave off his beard.  

Simon's POV 

Day after day, I pretend to look strong for him. Day after day, I die slowly with the memory of losing the woman I used to love. Glenda was my first love. I thought by having a child together, our family would grow strong but instead things took a turn on me.  The countless arguments between us continued. The sleepless nights and waiting for hours for her to return back home. It was too much. She had to go. And when I thought she would at least try to fix our broken family, she did the worse thing. I can never forgive her for all the evil she has done to me. Because of her, my relationship with Nathan has holes. I know he hates me even as he pretends to be happy. I could never blame the lad. But I know one day, he will thank me for all the choices I made. The shame Glenda put in our family, will stay with her. Not this family. Wherever she is, she will be haunted by the consequences of her own actions. Her shame is not mine to carry. Just as I carry my own shame with me, as I also have my own dark past.  

Simon went to his son's room, to find him listening to his headphones with a magazine in his porn stash. 

"Nate." He called out. 

"Nate!" He repeated. 

His son removed the headphone with great annoyance clearly visible in his eyes. 

"What do you want?" He asked, angrily.

"Son. I am your father and I love you. It may not seem like it now, but one day I hope you will understand." 

With that said, Simon took his car and drove to the butchery to meet with Pauline. 

The next day, Arnold drove to his brother's house and found Nathan with his friend George. They exchanged greetings. 

"Where is Simon?" Arnold asked. 

"I don't know, I thought he was at work." 

"Well, he didn't come at the office today." 

Nathan was taken aback. 

"Which means he never came home." He said. 

"Where did he go to, the last time you saw him?" 

"He said he was going to meet someone. I think a woman." 

"Did he give you an address?" 

"No. He didn't." 

Arnold began to worry. 

"What about a name?" He asked. 

"Nothing. He wouldn't let me know her name." 

"Alright, I'll go to the office and try to see what I can find. You stay here. I'll keep you informed." 

Nathan was in shock. He never expected his father to be gone that long, he knew how much he loved his job. It was unlike him to not show up at his workplace. 

Arnold went to the office, while Nathan stayed behind. 

The remaining Bentley brother checked the camera footage but found nothing out of the ordinary. He saw his brother enter the lift, wait a while then leave the building. 

Suddenly he received a call from Miss Clarkson, the secretary. 

"There is a woman here to see you." She said. 

"What is her name?" 

"She says she's Pauline.

"I don't have an appointment with anyone by that name." He said, sternly. 

"She says, its about your brother." 

Arnold's face brightened. 

"Alright. Let her through. He instructed. 

A minute later, Pauline made her way into the office. 

Her face had been covered with worry. As if troubled. 

"How do you know my brother?" Arnold asked. 

"We were supposed to meet last night but he never came. He's phone has been off since." 

"Where do you live? Maybe we can access the street camera's and find out exactly where he is." 

"The power in my area was shut down last night. We were supposed to meet at the meat and grill house." 

"The butchery on South Street?" 

"Yes." 

Arnold chuckled. 

"What, wait you're the butcher there?" He asked. 

"Yes." 

"Couldn't you start something more you?" 

Pauline was offended. 

"Not all of us can afford to start a dump like this." She said. 

Arnold hardened his jaw. 

"You should leave. You were not at all useful." He said, in a sharp tone. 

Pauline left at that very moment. 

She walked up to the secretary, however with a smile on her face. 

"Hello. Mr Bentley is a hard man but I'm sure you could help me. Simon is my friend and he has not been answering my calls. Can you help me get something that could help me find him." She said. 

"If I help you with this information I could lose my job here." 

"Why?" 

"Because I can't. Now may you please excise me before I call security." Said the Secretary, harshly. 

Pauline was disappointed. She did not argue but simply left the building.