CHAPTER 16 - RICHARD
I walk out of the mansion with Ray, stepping down the front stairs. I'm back in the parallel universe and ready to do whatever it is my other self used to do. Right now, we're heading to his company, or do I say, 'my company?'
I'm still a whole lot confused about what to do and how to behave for it to seem "normal". But I'm willing to adapt, and as quickly as possible. Flair said I'll be meeting Jane here in a few days. I should have adapted a bit before then.
"We're late." Ray huffs, checking his wristwatch with irritation.
"For what?" I ask, following his every move. I don't know my way around, and he seems to know where we should be headed.
"The goddamn meeting with the Russians. Don't tell me you forgot about it," he increases his pace and I do the same.
"No. How could I forget?" I mutter less confidently. If only I had a fucking clue…
The kind of meetings we hold back in the pack in the other world seems to be a lot different from whatever kind of meetings will be held in a world this sophisticated. So yeah, I have no clue. Still, I try to hide how clueless I am.
We get to a place filled with cars, which has to be a garage but the most luxurious I've ever seen. I'm shocked and just stare around.
Ray is already headed to a car and sliding into it, as a man holds the passenger door open. I'm guessing the man is the driver.
"Get in, man. We're fucking late." Ray rasps.
"Wait. Why are we going in that car?" I ask confusedly, as my gaze sweeps over the other luxurious cars in the garage. They had to cost more than life itself. Damn!
"Uh, because you've always preferred this car?" Ray questions, more like a statement.
"That –" I pointed at the car, "over these?" I pointed at the other better-looking cars. I'm gonna have to learn their names later.
"Yup," Ray nods.
"Now, why would I have such a ridiculous preference?" I ask, crossing my hands over my chest.
"Because flashy things make you puke and you'd rather go with things that are less eye-catching," Ray says sarcastically.
"I must have been out of my goddamned mind." I scoff. My other me had to be some kind of monk or a recluse or a plain Idiot, I don't know…but how the hell does he have such stupid tastes?
"Are we leaving or what?" Ray asks impatiently.
"Yeah, sure. But not in that car." I say, taking a few seconds to choose from the other cars. "Let's go in this." I point at a bright red car.
"A Lamborghini Aventador? That's tight, bro." Ray chuckles and heads to the car.
"And you'll be driving," I add, snatching the key from the driver and tossing it to Ray. He catches it effortlessly and we slide in.
"I don't know what flu you caught last night but I hope it doesn't ever go away. I'm beginning to love it." Ray teases, as he turns on the ignition.
"I know right." I chuckle at his attempt to make a joke. If only he knows he's dealing with a different Richard…not the boring one he's used to.
The driver hands him a suitcase and bows as we screech out of the driveway, heading to the company.
"So, uh –" I adjust on the seat, slightly facing him. "What is it we have to do with the Russians when we get to the company?"
"Oh, man." Ray sighs, drumming his fingers on the steering. "I hope your flu didn't come with memory loss, or we'll be damned."
"Why?"
"Because you assured the team that you're gonna figure it all out on your own. You gave us your word, man. So drop the act, like for real, drop it." Ray flashes me a glare.
"Okay. But why the heck will I give such strong assurance?" I ask, needing to be sure.
"Well, because you're Richard Riggo, the brain behind R & R firms and corporations. Because you're…"
"Richard Riggo?" I cut in.
"I already said that…"
"No. Wait. I mean, my last name is Riggo?" Not Brown? I have a different last name here. Flair didn't mention that to me. In fact, it seems Flair left out a lot of things in her briefing.
"Oh, man. You're beginning to scare me." Ray sighs, glancing at my face. "Did you really lose your memory last night?"
"Only a bit of it."
"How come?"
"I have no clue. Must have hit my head hard somewhere. I can still feel a bit of the pain." I let out a fake groan, rubbing the back of my head.
Saying I lost a bit of my memory is a clumsy lie but the only lie I could come up with to save myself from Ray's incessant questioning. If he suspects I'm a different Richard from the one he's used to in this world, things could turn ugly. Flair already warned me of it, so I can't let that happen. I'd rather go with this lie.
"So you saying you've got a half-assed memory and no hope to seal the deal with the Russians?" Ray asks.
"Just give me a file about that project or whatever you call it. And then a file about me and my…" I clench my teeth, and add, "...family."
"This is weird," Ray mutters and rummages through the suitcase. The other hand is firmly around the steering. Soon, he takes out two files and tosses them on my lap.
"Thanks." I quickly open the files and the first one has to be the project. There are a lot of words and stuff I can't understand on such short notice. I toss it aside with a sigh and go ahead to open the next file.
The first picture is my father's and seeing him stirs up a lot of rage in me. The kind of rage that forces you into a killing rampage. He might be my father but he's always been my undoing. I'm not so sure how he is to me in the world though.
"Am I close to my father?" I ask, still going through his details.
"Well, not exactly. The old man is kind of difficult, but you try your best." Ray says like he's being fucking careful with his words. That's not what I need. What I need is a blunt truth.
"In other words, I work my ass off to impress him and he still doesn't regard me? Does he think I'm not good enough? Is that it?" I ask sternly, as my chest clenches in raw pain.
"Uh, yeah. I think that's pretty much it." Ray nods, with an unsure look. "You've always been understanding of his attitude towards you. So why do you sound pained now? I don't get it."
I've never been the type to shed tears, but right now, I could feel a kind of wetness in my eyes.
Some things don't change. Whether it's in the other world or here, one thing remains the same. And that's Father's refusal to believe in me. Killing him off in the other world was my revenge. Should I do the same here?
Flair says I should be good in this world. But how can I be fucking good when the man who drove me into becoming a monster still treats me the same way here?!