Chap 10: Aiden's new dilemma

Disclaimer: This chapter contains emotional content and tackles themes that may create disagreements and opinion-based judgments. Please read with an open mind and be aware the story involves themes such as abuse and homophobia.

Six years later...

Aiden was in his school and had just finished his class. He decides to go to the restroom before heading to the cafeteria for lunch.

As Aiden was leaving the washroom, he was suddenly pushed inside by someone.

Aiden was shocked by the sudden intrusion; he looked up, scared out of his wits, and saw his senior Bill push him towards the wall.

" Hey cutie, you look good today! " said Bill in an attempt to be seductive, but Aiden cringed at his tone.

'P-Please l-let me go," Aiden stuttered in fear.

" I will let you go if you give me a kiss," purred Bill.

Aiden tried to push Bill, but Bill used his strong hand to pin Aiden's both hands above his head. Bill touched Aiden's silky smooth hair with his other hand, and then he proceeded to move down to his cheeks.

Bill then licked Aiden's neck, trying to taste his skin. " Your skin is so smooth, I can't wait to have you, Aiden," said Bill in between his licks.

Aiden was in tears, but he couldn't scream for help as his voice was stuck in his throat.

Bill brought his lips towards Aiden to kiss him, but Aiden moved his face from side to side to avoid him. Bill held Aiden's jaw tightly and was about to kiss him when the door was burst open.

Aiden looked towards the door and was horrified to see Dylan.

Dylan saw Bill standing over Aiden, trying to kiss him, and he lost his cool. He dashed towards Bill and sent him flying across the washroom by punching him on his face.

Bill cried in pain while Dylan held Aiden's neck and squeezed, " What the f**k were you doing with him? Are you gay?"

The fear Aiden had a few minutes back increased by tenfold, seeing Dylan's angry red eyes, which looked at him in disgust and accusation.

Aiden's silence enraged Dylan even more, and he tightened his hold on Aiden's neck. " I asked you something. Are you gay?" Dylan screamed.

Aiden was out of breath. He tried to move Dylan's hands away from his neck, but his strength was no match for Dylan.

When Aiden thought it was the end of his life, he abruptly got up from his sleep. He was panting for breath and frantically held his neck to see if he were alive. Aiden was relieved to realize it was only a nightmare, a nightmare he feared could come true at any time.

Aiden got down from his bed and had a glass of water kept on the bedside table. He checked the time, and it was still 4 a.m, but he could no longer sleep. He laid down on his bed and thought about the nightmare which felt so real.

Aiden was now 16, and it was six years since he arrived at this Mansion, and it was not an easy journey for him. The first year itself, he knew his place here; the adoption was just a pretense, while Aiden was merely a server boy to Dylan and his parents.

Initially, Aiden thought obeying Dylan's orders without question was the best way to avoid punishments, but he was wrong. Dylan was very hard to please, and he got offended at the slightest mistake. He started looking for reasons to punish Aiden. For Dylan, it was a way of exerting control over his property. The weird punishments and the verbal abuse were a constant in Aiden's life.

The punishment he had received from Dylan when his friend Jace had come to the Hunt Mansion was still fresh in his mind. For years, he dreamt about it and was forced to relive those moments in his nightmares over and over again.

After that incident, he never dared to invite anybody else to the Hunt Mansion, and he was even forced to break his friendship with Jace.

Dylan didn't like Aiden having friends as, according to Dylan, if Aiden had other friends, he wouldn't be able to give his hundred percent attention to Dylan. Dylan never shared his things with others, and for him, even Aiden was nothing more than an object meant for his use. Aiden's feelings never mattered to Dylan as he never thought of Aiden as a human. When Dylan's friends asked Aiden to do something like fetch drinks and snacks, Dylan was not happy at all, and as usual, Aiden had to bear the brunt of it.

By the time Aiden was twelve years old, he was so fed up with the daily torture; he even requested Mrs. Hunt to send him back to the Orphanage.

Dylan was so angry with Aiden wanting to leave him that he locked him up in the basement for a week, in the dark. That one week was pure torture as it reminded him of his punishment in the dance studio. Even without the torturous sounds, he hallucinated them. He had lost count as to how many times he had fainted within that one week.

After that, the nightmares were back, and he had a fear of the dark and closed spaces. He also realized that there was no point in requesting the Hunts for anything, as it would not be fulfilled no matter what it was.

But now, when Aiden had grown accustomed to Dylan's ways, there was another cause for concern. Recently, Aiden had realized that he had no romantic or sexual desire towards girls in any way.

He had his first crush on his senior Josh, who was the captain of the football team. Obviously, Aiden never had the guts to approach Josh; he just glanced at him from a distance when no one was watching.

Dylan was homophobic. He and his friends made it a point to bully those who were gay or anything other than 'normal,' and according to them, only straight people were normal.

One of Dylan's friends, Bill, who acted like a homophobic in front of his elite group of friends, was a closeted gay.

Aiden had grown into a handsome boy with natural golden locks that were silky smooth to the touch. He was around 5'7" tall with a slender body and had gathered attention from girls as well as boys.

Even Bill had taken a liking to Aiden and harassed him at every opportunity he got. More than Bill's advances, Aiden was scared of getting caught by Dylan. Aiden had no interest in Bill, but he is afraid that if Dylan finds out he is gay, his already pitiful life will be even more pathetic.

Dylan was in his final year of high school and would soon be graduating. Aiden waited for the day when he would be freed from Dylan's constant scrutiny, at least at school. Even Bill was in Dylan's class, and Aiden had to put up with him just for a few days.

Aiden's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the alarm clock. He shuts it off and gets ready to go to school.

At the school, Aiden stayed in a crowd to avoid being alone with Bill.

After lunch, Aiden was on his way to the next class when he saw Dylan and his friends bullying Aiden's classmate Brad and his supposed boyfriend. It seems Dylan had seen the boys kissing in the locker room.

Even after staying with Dylan for so many years, Aiden could not comprehend what Dylan and his so-called friends would gain from hurting others. All of them were born with a silver spoon in their mouths and had parents who loved and cared for them, but still, they didn't seem satisfied.

If Aiden had such a life and family, he would make sure to cherish every moment of it.

Aiden heard a scream and saw Dylan punch Brad on his face. Brad's nose was bleeding, and on impulse, Aiden moved forward to help him, but the next moment, he realized his mistake. However, it was too late. Dylan had already seen him, and he didn't look happy at all.

Aiden jerked back in fear as Dylan gave him a death glare as if telling him he would take care of him later.

Once Dylan and his friends seemed satisfied with their daily beating quota, they got ready to leave.

Dylan approached Aiden and warned, " Don't you dare help them or go anywhere near those faggots."

Aiden quickly nodded as Dylan walked away with his friends.