I said, wondering if there was more to his materialistic philosophy. He replied,

“Of course… Max, you need a wife.”

I was shocked by what he said… A wife? He knows I’m gay! Why does he want me to get married?

“Dad… you know I’m gay, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“So why do you want me to marry a woman?”

“Because you need to.”

“You’re joking, aren’t you?”

He replied calmly,

“I’m not joking… If you want my entire fortune, then get married.”

I stared at him for a moment, trying to take in what he was saying.

“Dad, are you trying to take advantage of me?”

“No.”

“Then why are you forcing me to see you?!”

“Listen… in the world of wealthy families, love doesn’t exist at all. There’s only money and heirs… If you get married, you’ll ensure there’s someone to inherit your businesses and carry on the family legacy.”

“Well, I don’t care about the family business.”

“Max, don’t be a fool!”

He opened his phone and showed me the extent of his wealth… 326 million euros! I took the phone and stared at the figure… It’s not a small amount at all; it’s a fortune, it’s power… I put the phone down and looked at my dad, then back at the phone again. Will I give up what I want for the sake of money? Money comes and goes, but I might never be able to amass a sum like that on my own if I leave my dad… I can do whatever I want with money… but without it, I’ll just be an ordinary, powerless person in everyone’s eyes… I remember… yes, people need money to be strong… given what’s happening in the country, I won’t be able to live on an average income… Life at my mum’s house wasn’t perfect; they don’t have all the luxuries we have at my parents’ mansion.

“So, what’s your decision?”

My dad said with great confidence, as if he knew exactly what was going through my mind… ...I took a deep breath and then said,

“I’ll think about your offer.”

He blinked several times, as if he couldn’t believe what I’d said.

“You’ll think about it? Max, if you put this to a madman, he’d agree without hesitation! How can you turn down an offer like this?”

“I haven’t turned it down... I told you I’d think about it.”

“Do you think there’s any hope with that boyfriend of yours? You’ve known him for three years, and as soon as he heard you’d gone bankrupt, he left you and never got in touch again.”

“Maybe I’ll find another boyfriend.”

“You were arguing with me because of him, and now you’re thinking of replacing him? Max, have you lost your principles?”

“No, I haven’t lost them. I just… need some time to myself.”

“All right, take your time, but I want you to do one small thing.”

“What is it?”

I expected him to ask me to meet a girl or something like that, but he said:

“Call your boyfriend, Johan, in front of me and tell him your bank account is active.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Do it now, and put it on speaker so I can hear him.”

I took my phone out of my pocket, looked up Johan’s number and called him… It rang and rang, but he didn’t answer.

“Bloody hell… Send him a text.”

I did, and he saw it and called me back.

“Max, has your dad really forgiven you?”

“Yes… he’s forgiven me and my bank account is active now.”

“I’m so happy for you, darling. You wouldn’t believe how worried I was about what would happen to you… Where are you now?”

“At the palace.”

“Well, I hope you’re comfortable, darling.”

“Yes, I’m fine… Why didn’t you reply to me last week?”

“You know… I had exams and lots of things to do, so I was really busy.”

“Are you free now?”

“Hmm, now? Well, a bit… I mean, maybe I’ll see you tomorrow. I don’t want your dad to get angry with you again.”

“Right, see you tomorrow… Bye.”

I hung up and noticed my dad’s angry face.

“He’s lying to you.”

“Huh?… I mean, yes, but… hang on, what?”

“Last week at his university, there weren’t any exams for his department.”

“How did you know?”

“I know the dean of his faculty and asked him about it yesterday.”

“Are you keeping tabs on me and the people I’m with?”

“No, I don’t do that to everyone. I did it with Johan Brown because I was afraid he’d hurt you.”

I looked down at the floor, feeling nervous, and said in a low voice,

“What should I do now?”

“Leave him! A liar doesn’t deserve love or attention.”

“Not even me?”

I raised my head and noticed my father’s expression; he looked as though he’d been taken aback by what I’d said. Silence fell between us, then he stood up and said,

“It’s getting late. Go to your room.”

To be continued...