The return of the Divine supreme

Chapter three

Patricia’s voice rang with so much authority and disrespect that it almost echoed against the walls.

“You ungrateful soul! You better apologize to Steven now!” she screamed, her eyes blazing with anger.

Jeremy stood stiff, fists trembling at his sides. His chest rose and fell heavily, but Patricia was not done. She took a threatening step forward, pointing a finger at him like a schoolteacher scolding a child.

“Who gave you the right to raise a finger on him? Huh? Do you even know how much he has done for our lives? I mean your life, Jeremy! Behind the scenes, you have no idea how much Steven has sacrificed for you!” she yelled, her tone rising with every word.

Her voice cracked with bitter mockery as she threw her hands in the air.

“Where do you think I get the money I used in sponsoring most of your failed projects? Where, Jeremy? Do you think it magically appeared? For your information, a greater percentage of the support comes from him, Steven. And what have I ever gotten in return? Failure after failure! The only thing you ever created that actually worked is that pill—the pill you’ve been using to treat our daughter Mia. You should even be grateful that a man as prestigious as Steven took from it and not barging in here like some god!” Patricia spat, her lips curling into a sneer.

Her words cut like a sharp blade. Jeremy’s body stiffened, his face tightening as he tried to hold back the tears burning at the edges of his eyes, he couldn’t believe Patricia cared less about their daughter’s wellbeing. His throat felt dry, but his voice broke through, strained with disbelief.

“Did I just hear you right, Patricia?” Jeremy whispered at first, then his voice grew louder. “Can you even listen to yourself, Pat?”

“Oh, please!” Patricia shot back instantly, waving her hand in his face like swatting a fly. “Don’t you dare call me Pat! You don’t deserve to call me that. You deserve to hear the truth and nothing but the truth!”

Jeremy gave a dry, unbelieving chuckle. His head shook slowly as if his mind was refusing to accept what was unfolding before him.

“What truth are you talking about, Patricia?” he demanded. “You’ve always been this way. Always selfish, always looking for someone else to blame! I thought being a mother would change you. I thought Mia’s presence in our lives would soften you. But look at you. Look at what you’re saying!”

Patricia’s jaw clenched. Her nostrils flared as if his words were poison. But before she could respond, another voice cut in, sharper and colder.

“Oh please, Jeremy!” Mrs. Raymond’s voice rang across the room like a whip. She folded her arms, her face carved with contempt. “That girl only slowed her down. Patricia could have been more, but your so-called family life chained her. She has done nothing but carry your dead weight.”

Jeremy’s face darkened. His fingers curled into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. He took a step forward, his eyes burning holes into Mrs. Raymond’s.

“And you dare call my projects failures?” Jeremy said with a bitter laugh. “Failed projects, huh? And yet those same projects are sold in your family’s pharmacies and hospitals. They generate seventy-five percent of your family’s total income. Seventy-five percent, Mrs. Raymond! Is that your definition of failure?”

His voice cracked with fury, but Mrs. Raymond only smirked and tossed her head.

“So should we worship you because of that? Huh?” she mocked. “How is seventy percent even a perfect mark? You think because you managed to scrape together one or two useful ideas, you deserve respect? The only little relevance you add to this family, you want to rub it in our faces like you’re some savior!” She took a step closer, pointing at his chest. “I don’t blame you one bit. I blame Patricia for dragging a lowlife like you into our lives! Do you even know how much money she has wasted on you? On your failed researches? On your stupid experiments? That money could have built an empire! But instead, she spent it feeding an ungrateful soul like you.”

Her voice rose to a scream, her eyes flashing with hatred. Jeremy’s jaw worked as he tried to contain the rage boiling inside him. His breath came in short bursts, like a man standing on the edge of losing all control.

“You know what, Jeremy?” Mr. Raymond’s deep, commanding voice thundered across the room, silencing everyone. His face was red with anger, and his hand slammed hard against the arm of his chair. The sound echoed, shaking the air with authority. “I don’t have time for this nonsense!”

He rose to his feet, his tall frame casting a long shadow over the room. His eyes locked onto Jeremy’s like steel.

“You will apologize to Steven this minute. Do you hear me?” Mr. Raymond barked. “For having the guts to raise your filthy hands on him, you will apologize! If not, I swear on everything I own, I will throw you out of my house this instant. And hear me clearly, Jeremy—I don’t ever want to see your foot set in this house again!”

The air froze. Patricia’s chest heaved with pride as she stood by her father, her lips curved in satisfaction. Mrs. Raymond leaned back with a victorious smirk, her eyes daring Jeremy to resist.

Jeremy stood there, breathing hard. His face was pale, his eyes wet with fury and betrayal. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat heavier than the last. He looked from Patricia to her mother, then to Mr. Raymond, the so-called patriarch of this twisted family.

His hands shook, but not from fear—from the restraint it took to stop himself from exploding.

He clenched his fists tighter, his knuckles cracking. His lips trembled, but no apology came out..

Patricia’s eyes glittered with venom. She tilted her head slightly, waiting to watch him break. Mrs. Raymond’s face carried nothing but disgust. Mr. Raymond’s expression was firm, unyielding.

“You will apologize to Steven for having the gut to raise your livery hands on me or I’ll throw off my house this minute and I don’t want to ever see you set a foot here again!” He threatened again, this time louder than the first.