5 Lies

Ian's POV

My lips parted and I stared at him in awe. What he told me should explain the little girl's picture I saw on his bedside table.

"You're a family man?" I asked shutting the door behind me. Ted had me fooled all this while. I guess even a devil could be tricked.

"Now you know, can you please let me leave? My daughters life can be in danger if they find out she's my child."

Ted's voice came out low and cracked. His booger filled eyes were brimming with tears and he was trying his best to avoid my inquisitive eyes.

"Didn't you read the requirements for the job?" I gasped and messed with curls of my short hair. "It clearly stated that you shouldn't be a family man. My boss doesn't want any distractions."

Tears began to snake down Ted's cheeks. For the past one year I've worked with him, I didn't know him to be this emotional.

He sniffed loudly, dragging back his disgusting mucus into his nose.

"Look, I was running low on money and I needed to give my baby girl a better life." He moved back to his bed and dropped on it like a bomb, rumpling the white sheets of the bed.

So Ted was a caring father who loved boobs and vagina, great. Still, I admired his care for his daughter. The one person who showed me such was brutally battered by my father.

"Papa please, leave her alone."

Slice.

"Papa please."

Tear.

"Hailbuzar, watch how we devils..."

"....even when I." I felt something heavy land on my head. "Ian, are you even listening to me?"

"I'm sorry I was just..."

"I knew it was worthless talking to you." Ted threw his head back in annoyance and dropped it on the bed. "God, this life sucks."

Try putting yourself in my shoes Ted, and then, you'll know the real meaning of a life that sucks.

"I really love her." His sniffs and snobs filled the room. After he was tired of stressing his tear gland, he sat up. He looked at me slowly blinking his eyes and I watched how his tears fell off his chin. "Ian, please help me talk to your boss. I'm sure he'll listen to you."

Too bad he didn't know I was his boss. But this was my chance to sympathize with him. I've had enough of his dog like whimpers for a day.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure my boss will be happy if you leave." I ambled towards his bed and sat down beside him. "I know how it feels to have someone you badly want to protect."

I knew how that felt and I never stopped thinking about her. She made my childhood memorable in a good way. Except from the part where She was tortured in front of me.

"I never knew my mother." I threw my gaze on the white tiles, trying not to look pathetic in front of Ted.

He stared at the side of my face, trying to find my eyes. "I never knew that."

"Well, you didn't ask."

"Must've been hard on you."

"Yeah, really hard. But there was this woman, she was a mother figure to me. I wanted to protect her so badly cause she meant a lot to me." I sighed deeply and rubbed my hands down my face. "But I was too weak to protect her. I thought I was strong enough to protect her but clearly, I wasn't."

I couldn't believe I exposed this part of my life to Ted, a human. People like me weren't meant to look weak in the eyes of humans. But I was different, I must not live up to the expectations of my father.

Ted wiped off the tears from his eyes, with the heel of his palm and rubbed a hand soothingly on my back. I widened my eyes in shock.

Ted was being  nice to me.

"I'm sorry man."

"It's okay Ted. I know you want to protect your daughter, but running away will make things worse. I never got to meet my mother and I won't lie to you, it made me hate her."

"Janika won't hate me. I'm doing this for her."

I'm assuming Janika is his daughter's name.

"That's what you think." I got up from the bed and headed towards his half curtained window. The rain had stopped falling and the celestial fireball in the sky was brightening up the whole city, drying up the damage of the heavy downpour.

I opened the window, letting the sun illuminate the room with it's golden touch. "Trust me, if your daughter wakes up tommorow and finds out you ran away, she'll hate you for life."

"Why would she hate me?" He asked, yelling at the top of his voice. "I was already planning on leaving my grandma with enough cash to take care of her."

Humans and their foolish mentality.

Money wasn't everything.

"She stays with your grandma?" I asked, cause I was wondering who the girl was staying with if she didn't stay with him

"Yes, you would've known if you listened to what I was saying some minutes ago."

"All I'm saying is, don't quit the job. If you want to keep your daughter safe, be there for her. Don't make the same mistake my mother did."

He picked up his luggage and started pouring his clothes on his bed. "I guess you're right."

"So does that mean you're staying?" I asked as I moved towards him.

"Yes,"

Finally.

"But, I'm still getting an increase right?" He added.

The corner of my lip twitched and I nodded my head. "Sure, my boss will definitely be happy I pulled off the deal."

Ted threw on a lacklustre smile and headed towards the door. "Let me go get you something to..." He just stood at the door way, immobile.

Abruptly, a strong gust of wind circulated around the room, causing Ted's clothes to fly around carelessly. I held my hand over my face trying to see what was going on.

After a while, the wind dispersed and the clothes dropped on the floor. I looked at the door way and saw the shadow of huge wings being cast over Ted and I, plastering itself on the mosaic wall.

I knew that presence. It reeked of evil and everything I went against. I heard the wings flap close, causing it's silhouette to disappear from the wall.

He was here and I knew it. But what got me wondering was, how did he find me?

"Hello brother, did you think I won't find you?" His voice was deep and smooth as always.

Classic Albazar.