Kapitel 127: Jasper’s Parents
Jasper's dad looked absolutely uninterested in whatever was going to happen as I opened the door for them. He brushed off my handshake and just walked inside. "Hello-"
"Don't talk to him Richard!" Jasper's mom snapped.
"Whatever, where's my boy?" Jasper's dad sighed. Jaspers dad was kinda of hot.
"He's in the yard-"
"You put him to work?! My baby!" Jasper's mom didn't bother to listen before running into my house.
"Jasper is grilling up some food, Mr. McNeil. He insisted on it for your visit," I told him.
"So he's not a laborer like my wife says?" He asked.
"Why would he have to do any work. I have enough money for servants," I said.
"Hm," he turned his nose up. Was this what Jasper would grow up into? Should I make Jasper slick back his hair too?
I led him to the living room and ordered some tea from the maid nearby.
"Why not have coffee?" Mr. McNeil asked.
"I don't like it," I said.
A few moments of awkward silence went by. "Not one for conversation are you?" He said.
"No," I said. "I'm not one who thrives in casual conversation."
"Jasper isn't like that," he pointed out.
"That's him," I shrugged. "So why're you here?"
Mr. McNeil went a bit red at my blunt attitude. "I just wanted to see how my son is holding up. It looks like being gay is prosperous."
How dare he? "I didn't get where I am by being with a man. It was my own business acumen."
I know he's heard about me, he's lucky I don't go after the resorts he's a part owner of and really make his life a financial hell.
"Why aren't you at work?"
"It's a lazy day," I wasn't going to let him know i was mentally exhausted after getting adopted as an adult.
"Are you actually good at business?" He scrutinized me. I knew he was skeptical since he had done a press conference about my sister's arrest just this morning and had arrested my brother a few times. Hell, he even put my dad in cuffs once, so it wasn't wrong to assume the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
"I'm not my father or my brother or my sister," I said just as Jasper burst into the room in an annoyed manner with his mom nagging close behind. He was carrying a tray of barbecued meats.
"Why did you say he was in the yard?!" His mom snapped at me.
"You should wait until I finish my sentence next time," I sighed. I wasn't very happy to see her either.
"Why did you two come here?" Jasper handed me a kebab and let me munch as the tea arrived.
Jasper's parents' visit was turning into a domestic circus. His mom, clearly agitated, continued to press with a disturbing mix of intrusion and insult. "We just came to talk," she said, settling next to her husband with a stern glance at Jasper, who seemed indifferent to their presence. "I was surprised you moved out of the apartment we got you."
"I'm thirty, I should stop living off you guys at some point, right?" Jasper responded, maintaining his composure as I tried not to choke on my kebab from laughing at his dry humor.
"Your cousin is interested in moving to the city but hasn't found a job yet. He doesn't have much college education but is there a job for his level suitable for him?" his mom tried, changing the subject.
"He can sweep the floors," Jasper scoffed, his sarcasm sharp as ever.
I couldn't help but laugh, earning a nudge from Jasper's mom towards his dad. "Harper's pregnant. You know that no good boyfriend of hers just dumped her?" his dad chimed in, clearly trying to stir some sympathy or perhaps manipulate.
"I heard about that along with the entire station, but as you two know, I'm already married. You both know Alex is my husband—" Jasper began, his tone firm.
"How can you say you have a husband so easily?!" his mom snapped, clearly disturbed by the normalization of his statement.
"A rebound, darling," his dad interjected, wrongly assuming the nature of our relationship. "Someone he's using to deal with the pain of losing his chance with Harper."
"Alex is not a rebound!" Jasper defended me passionately, which warmed my heart despite the coldness from his parents.
"Then what?" Mrs. McNeil pressed, relentless.
"MOM!" Jasper's frustration was palpable.
"What are your intentions towards my son?" she demanded, her gaze piercing.
"Nothing but peace," I replied, keeping my composure against her accusatory tone.
"Or you love what he can offer?" she suggested, implying a material motive.
"I have my own money, there's no need for your spare change," I countered sharply. "I also run a multinational company while yours is confined to one state. No offense but I'm the catch here."
"Then why are you with Jasper?" she persisted.
"Because I can be!" I exclaimed, exasperated by her inability to grasp the simplicity of liking someone.
"No. Break up with him," she ordered bluntly.
"Make me," I taunted, unwilling to let her dictate my life.
"I don't approve of him," she declared, as if her approval was necessary.
"He's perfect," Jasper interjected, his voice full of conviction.
"Really? What's your definition of perfect, son?" she scoffed.
"Alex," Jasper said.
"You're young and you haven't seen much of this world. You don't have to settle on a plain guy when there are so many better options out there," she continued, completely oblivious to how insulting she was being.
"I'm not settling on anything and Alex is far from plain," Jasper shot back, his patience wearing thin.
She patted his head condescendingly. "You don't know what you're talking about," she said gently, as if explaining something to a child.
"I'm a grown adult. Why can't you let me make my own choices? Why can't you accept my husband and just get to know him?" Jasper pleaded, his voice breaking slightly.
"Because I don't want you to have any regrets in life! I want you to live to your fullest and enjoy. I don't want this man to drag you down. There's someone out there for you and it's not Alex," she concluded, her tone final.
"Alex is better than anyone else," Jasper asserted firmly.
"So is Harper," she countered, still pushing her agenda.
"For fucks sake! Why do you want to stick me with her so badly?" Jasper groaned, his frustration evident. "I'm gay, I don't want to marry her. I hate her!"
"You could adopt the kid—" she tried again.
"Out of the question. Why should I fund some other guy's child?" I objected, shocked by her audacity. "Make the father do it."
"And who are you to offer up someone else's child?" Jasper agreed, his tone matching mine.
"But if you don't have a son, what about your legacy?" she pressed, speaking only to Jasper now.
"I'm not marrying her and adopting her son because she got knocked up by some guy," Jasper dismissed the notion with a roll of his eyes.
"I know what he's doing to you here! I read the articles!" his mom snapped suddenly.
"You mean the one you sold to a broadcasting station?" I interjected, recalling the mess I had to clean up recently.
"I— I didn't do that!" Mrs. McNeil stammered.
"Eunice said she got the story directly from you. If it weren't for my quick intervention, my stock would've plummeted and I could've had legal grounds to sue for defamation and harassment," I pointed out. "Could you afford that?"
"Bullshit! I know you don't love my son!" she accused again, her face contorted with anger.
"You know so much."
"You can never love him like his mother can," she finished, her voice cold and dismissive.
"Why would I want to do that? I'm not his mother," I rolled my eyes at her absurd demand. "You're actually lucky I forgot to retaliate against you."
"Don't threaten my wife!" Mr. McNeil snapped, his temper flaring.
"Or else what?" I challenged, unwilling to back down. "You'll arrest me?"
"Ok! Stop it!" Jasper intervened, raising his voice to be heard over the growing argument. "We already talked about this, mom. I'm happy where I am so stop pushing Harper towards me. Alex is NOT a rebound, Alex loves me and I'm not going to clean up Harper's life for you! Why are you so obsessed with the idea anyway?"
"You and Harper would look great together and you'd make a beautiful family. She's the perfect daughter-in-law!" His mom insisted, clinging to her idealized vision.
"Just make her your daughter then. Why do I have to give my life to that awful woman when I'm happy now?" Jasper countered, exasperated. "Dad, why the hell would you bring Harper up?"
"Your mom thinks you can do better," his dad offered weakly.
"Better than a CEO? Stop joking around," I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood despite the seriousness of the conversation.
"We all know the Todd family is bad!" Mrs. McNeil tried again, attacking my family's reputation.
"I was disowned, I have no family. Well, Jasper is my family now," I shrugged, feeling a bit provocative. "Looks like Harper is your parents' family, Jasper. She even got your mom to call you a pervert. You two still haven't talked about that."
"He has no manners," Mr. McNeil hissed, clearly offended.
"He's my husband, naturally he knows everything. And you guys have been rude first by bringing that woman's name up in our house expecting me to help her!" Jasper added, his frustration evident. "We should talk about that fight."
"I told you I didn't mean it," Mrs. McNeil said, trying to backtrack.
"Then why'd you call me a pervert?" Jasper pressed. "Why'd you start treating me like a virus and try to take my life over with things I hate?"
"You liked sports!" His dad defended.
"I liked musical theater a lot more," Jasper corrected him.
"Harper is the only one who can handle your mental state!" Mrs. McNeil insisted.
"Mental state? It's fine when I'm not being pestered by you three! Besides, am I really that much different than dad?" Jasper challenged, bringing his father into the argument.
A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone processed Jasper's words. The tension escalated further when Mr. McNeil slapped Jasper across the cheek.
"You son of a bitch," Mr. McNeil growled.
"Don't act like it isn't true," Jasper retorted, unfazed by the physical assault.
His father raised his hand again, but I intervened, grabbing his arm. "Calm down, Beyoncé," I said, trying to defuse the situation with a touch of humor. Mr. McNeil didn't seem to like that and raised his other hand to strike me.
"Don't touch him!" Jasper shoved his father back into his seat with surprising force, protecting both of us from further aggression.
"If you don't dissolve this marriage now you can just forget about ever seeing us again!" Mrs. McNeil ultimatumed Jasper.
"Fine with me! You already have a replacement for me lined up! Have fun with your perfect new daughter and grandchild!" Jasper spat back, his voice laden with sarcasm and hurt.
"Why are you letting him do this to us?" Mrs. McNeil began to cry. "Why is he treating us like this?"
"He didn't treat you like anything! You're actively disrespecting him in our home because of someone who doesn't even live here! Didn't you always teach me to be respectful on other people's property? What are you two doing? Are you not ashamed?" Jasper crossed his arms, standing his ground. "If you defame Alex again, I'll make life very hard for you two."
"Don't worry about it. It's election time and if your father was smart, he would've come to me for backing to stay as the chief of police. Looks like he'll be demoted soon," I said nonchalantly, though I was fully aware of the weight my words carried.
Mr. McNeil gave me a look that wasn't hard to read, a mix of fear and loathing. "You're threatening my job?" he scowled, his voice thick with accusation.
"No, I'm just saying you never know what the new governor will do," I replied with a smile, trying to keep the mood light yet pointed. "You have other things you can fall back on anyway. Maybe you can even retire early."
"You're using your power to bully us!" Mrs. McNeil sobbed, her emotions getting the better of her. "And my son!"
"Release our son!" Mr. McNeil demanded, his tone desperate.
"Why're you screaming? I'm going deaf over here," I rolled my eyes, tired of their theatrics.
"Sir!" The security team, having been alerted by the commotion, rushed into the living room.
"Remove these people and make sure they can't come on this property," Jasper instructed firmly, his patience exhausted.
"Yes, sir," the security guard complied, gripping Mr. and Mrs. McNeil by the arms and leading them towards the door.
As they were being escorted out, Jasper pulled me onto his lap and hugged me tightly, seeking comfort in our closeness. His parents' protests faded into the background as they were dragged away.
"They were assholes anyway," I murmured, trying to lighten the mood.
"It's ok, Alex. I don't need comforting, I just want to hold you, it makes me feel better," Jasper brushed off the unpleasant encounter with a wave of his hand.
"What's up with you?" I asked, feeling his tension.
"You may think I'm just rebelling, but I don't get along with my dad. They treat me like I have no idea what I'm doing even though I'm 30. I never belonged there," Jasper confessed, his voice filled with a mixture of resignation and relief.
"Fuck them then, I'll take responsibility for you," I declared, my words meant to reassure. "You have a better family now anyway, so just stick with me."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein