[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 77: Torn Between Love and Family

~Alexander’s POV~

She leaned over the table, her voice cold. "Never. I will never accept him, and you shouldn’t either. Let him go."

"He didn’t give up!" I snapped, standing to my feet so fast my chair scraped loudly against the floor. "You pushed him to that point, Mom. You didn’t just make him feel unwelcome... You made him feel like a mistake in his own life."

My voice dropped, but the anger didn’t. "And now you’re standing there, trying to make him look like the bad one? How does that even make sense?"

My mother didn’t flinch. She crossed her arms, a faint, cold smirk settling on her lips. "He saw a way out... and he took it, Alex," she said. A man who truly loves you stays and fights beside you. He doesn’t run to his mother the moment things get hard."

Her eyes hardened. "He’s just using my so-called ’cruelty’ as an excuse to walk away from a marriage he was never strong enough for."

"That’s a lie, and you know it!" I stepped toward her, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and pain. "He stayed. He put up with everything, your comments, your cold attitude, all of it. He didn’t run. He endured it because he loved me."

My voice shook, but I didn’t stop. "But everyone has a breaking point... and you pushed him right to it."

"He’s weak, Alex," she countered, her voice rising to match mine. "And he’s making you weak. Look at you, begging for a man who has already drafted the papers to erase you from his life. Is that the son I raised? A man who begs for scraps of affection from someone who wants to divorce him?"

"I’m not begging for scraps! I’m fighting for my husband!" I shouted. "If he’s leaving, it’s because I failed to protect him from you!"

"ENOUGH!"

The words hit the room like a slap.

My father suddenly slammed his hand down on the dining table, the sound echoing as the silverware rattled.

We both froze, turning to him.

He stood on his feet, his face tense, his anger quiet, but heavier than anything my mother had said.

"Both of you," he said, his voice low and sharp. "Be quiet. Sit down. Now."

I sank back into my chair, my chest heaving. My mother smoothed her skirt and sat slowly, her eyes were burning with defiance. My father looked from her to me, then back again, the silence in the room suddenly feeling very heavy.

"I’ve only been gone for a few weeks," my father said, looking directly at my mother. "And I come back to find my son’s marriage falling apart, and my wife talking about divorce like it’s just a business deal being canceled. Honey, explain yourself. And Alexander... tell me the truth, without the shouting."

"I’ve explained it before, Dad," I said, my voice cracking despite my efforts to stay calm. "It’s Mother. She has been saying the most cruel, hateful things to Alis for years, but this past weeks... she went too far. She’s the reason he’s broken. She’s the reason he feels he has to file for those papers."

My father turned his gaze toward my mother, his eyes hard and demanding. "Honey, explain yourself."

Mother didn’t even look ashamed. She lifted her chin, her expression cold and arrogant. "I have done nothing wrong," she declared. "The only things I said to Alis were the truth. I don’t want him for Alex. He is going to destroy our son’s life, and it’s better that he leaves now. If the divorce papers are ready, Alex should sign them and be done with it."

My father stared at her as if he were seeing a stranger. "Honey... do you realize how you sound right now? You aren’t talking like a mother. You’re talking like a devil who enjoys destroying something beautiful, especially your own child’s happiness."

Mother snapped her head around to look at him, her eyes wide with shock. "How can you say that?"

"Because Alis is like a son to me," my father countered firmly. "I have never seen that boy do any wrong. So tell me, exactly what is it that makes you refuse to accept him?"

"I just won’t!" she snapped, her composure finally breaking. "I’m fine with the divorce! I want him to leave Alex so my son can marry someone who can give him everything... including a child!"

I looked at her, the realization hitting me hard. Tears filled my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them.

"Why, Mom?" I asked, my voice breaking. "Is it because Alis isn’t a woman?"

"I just don’t want him!" she screamed.

"Which part don’t you understand?" I turned to her, my voice shaking. "Or is it that you just can’t accept who I am?"

I swallowed hard, my voice breaking. "I love men. And Alis is the only one I want. Instead of taking it out on him... just be honest with me, Mom. Tell me the truth."

I held her gaze. "Tell me you hate me because I love men... and not women."

The room went deathly silent. My mother’s face went pale, a flicker of panic crossing her features. "I... I don’t hate you, Alexander."

"You do, Mom!" I sobbed. "You hate my sexuality. You just can’t say it to my face, so you take it out on Alis. You believe he’s the reason I’m like this, but the truth is, I’ve always been this way. And the only man for me is him."

My father reached out. "Alex, listen—"

But I couldn’t listen anymore. I wiped my face and stood up, turning to face my mother.

Then slowly... I fell to my knees.

I looked up at her, my vision blurred with tears. "Please, Mom... I love my husband," I said, my voice breaking. "I love him so much. Please... don’t let me lose my marriage. I don’t want to divorce him. I love him... and without him, I don’t think I can go on."

I thought for a second she might soften. I thought the sight of her only son begging on his knees might break the ice around her heart. But she only looked away, her expression hard. "You will," she said coldly. "With time, you’ll forget him. There is no way I will accept Alis, not after he’s the one demanding a divorce. Let him go."

She stood up abruptly and walked away from the dining table, her heels clicking sharply against the floor until she vanished down the hall. My father sat there, looking completely lost, caught between his wife’s stubbornness and his son’s grief.

I sank back into my chair, burying my face in my arms as the sobs racked my body. It felt like the end.

"Alex," my father said, standing up and placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Be a man. You aren’t going to divorce Alis. I won’t let it happen. I will go talk to your mother."

He squeezed my shoulder one last time before heading after her. I stayed there at the table, alone in the middle of the empty dining room, crying for the man I might never be able to bring home again.

Just then, my phone vibrated on the table.

I lifted my head and glanced at the screen through blurred vision.

Alis was calling.

A video call.

Panic hit me instantly. I can’t let him see me like this... he can’t see how badly the first day went.

I pushed up from my seat, quickly wiping my face with my hands and taking a shaky breath. I hurried toward the stairs, trying to fix myself, smoothing my hair, steadying my expression, before I finally answered the call.

"Hey, baby," I said, my voice sounding a bit too thick.

"Babe? Why did it take you so long to pick up?" Alis’s face filled the screen. He looked beautiful, but his eyes were slightly narrowed with concern. "How is it going over there?"

"Sorry, babe," I said quickly, leaning against the banister as I climbed. "My dad is back from his trip. I didn’t expect to see him, so I’ve been caught up in a long conversation with him."

Alis’s expression softened slightly. "Oh, your father is back? How is he doing?"

"He’s fine, really good," I replied, finally reaching the sanctuary of my bedroom.

I set the phone against the dressing mirror, keeping the camera angled so he could see me as I moved around. I started pulling off my watch, then my shoes, shedding my clothing pieces until I was down to just my trousers.

I finally sat on the edge of the bed, picking the phone up and lying back against the pillows so I could look directly at him. "So... what are you doing?"

"Just missing you," he whispered. Then, his voice grew more serious. "Have you talked to your mother yet, Alex? Have you said anything to her?"

I went quiet for a moment, her cold, unyielding face flashing through my mind. I couldn’t tell him the truth, not when I had nothing but bad news.

"Baby... I just got here," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "And with Dad being home unexpectedly, I haven’t really had the right moment yet. I’ll talk to her properly tomorrow... and I’ll tell you everything she says."

Alis nodded, though he looked a little disappointed. "Okay, baby. Have you eaten?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I just finished."

"Okay..." he trailed off, and a brief, heavy silence settled between us.

"Babe?" he added. "Tell the driver to bring my car over tomorrow. I don’t want to be using my mom’s cars while I’m here."

I frowned slightly, sitting up. "Where are you going?"

"I haven’t given Andrew’s mom her birthday gift yet," Alis said. "I promised her, so I need to go get it and take it to her. I want to apologize for missing her birthday."

I stared at him through the screen...