Chapter Text
Albert looked dully at the fat stack of cash that sat on the desk after it was aggressively placed in front of him.
“Great work out there, Al .” His boss said as he gave a sickening grin. It’s what Albert liked to dub ‘The Stereotypical Evil Businessman’ kind of grin. He doesn’t know what made him think of that name, it just came to mind. One that made him want to shove that same bundle of money and shove it down that man’s unforgiving throat. But Albert knew better, and he knew that that same man is the only reason why he and his mother had a roof over their heads. Albert would never forgive his fathers actions or intention, if given the choice, he would spare his boss and choose to choke his father with his money instead. The man already wore it so much outside, why not let Albert help decorate his inside too? But Albert knew that he would never be given the chance to even look at the man in the eyes, willingly or not. The man barely answers his own mother’s calls, what makes Albert think he and his mother are special? But it’s not his dad not returning calls is something he had a problem with. No, it’s much much more deep.
It was the fact he justified it because he indirectly flexes his money while also creating an excuse to not be caught talking to poor people.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Oh, what Albert would give for at least one of those birds to be his dad, sometimes Albert doesn’t even think that he deserved such a title. A dad would be with his family as much as he could. A dad would put his family first, not his money. A dad would actually call back. That man was not his father. That man is a sad excuse for a tycoon. He made Albert want to eat the rich in more ways in one.
In short words, Albert hated luxury. He hated money. He hated everything that his father had, which was everything. The only thing keeping him in labor for money was his mother. His mother was still attached to the money and luxury that was handed to her. So attached, her bipolar episodes trigger without her getting something she wanted in that moment. It was like an age-regressed headspace she was locked in. And there was nothing they could do about it unless they had money. Something that they barely had anymore. So, to prevent that from happening, Albert had to not only work day and night to put food on the table, he also had to work for the coach purse she had a mental breakdown over yesterday.
Thankfully, there was a sale and at the moment their pantry had enough soup cans to last them until the end of the week. It was Tuesday.
“Thanks.” Albert said as he took the cash and stuffed his pockets with it. His boss studied and looked down at the poor brunette before speaking again, this time with a sickening poison lacing his voice as he did so. “
Y,know,” His boss started, “I know some alternative ways for you to make more money. Maybe a… promo-.”
Red flags and alarms set off in Alberts head. Albert didn’t care that he’s probably sitting in front of a molester at that very moment. It was the fact money was brought into the equation. “No!” Albert quickly cut the man off in a panic. Albert cleared his voice as he struggled to collect himself. “I mean- no thank you, sir. I appreciate the offer but I think I’m good.” Al said, voice shaky at first but slowly adding some stability as he finished his sentence. And Albert would be lying if he said the sudden change in his boss’s demeanour didn’t startle him a bit. ‘Surprised’ would be a bit of an understatement to describe the shocked look on his boss’s face.
“You of all people turning down money? No offence Albert, but you are the only person here who comes back to work with the same $2 t-shirt everyday. Albert felt attacked at that very moment. He felt pitied. Something he did not like or want. So much for no offense.
“Look, I don’t want any more money than I already make and that’s final. Unless there is anything else you need from me, then I’ll be clocking out now.” Albert said as he pushed back his chair and stood up, making two steps before his wrist was caught by a hand. Albert turned his head towards the man who held him captive in his grip, preparing to probably cuss him out before he was cut off. “No Albert, that’s not what I’m trying to get right now.Your father ordered me to bring you to him. He said that you and him need your guy’s relationship to be somewhat mended. If not, then he wants to at least help you and your mother out. It’s completely up to you.” Albert fell silent as he looked his boss in the eye then at the floor. ‘I’m not actually considering ths, right?’ Albert thought as he soon felt a burning sensation arise up in his stomach, feeling more weary as seconds passed by.
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Albert thought the silence would swallow him whole. He felt so small at that moment, he had to do something. Anything. It wasn’t much later when he finally spoke, scaring the life out of him. “Can I have a few days to think about this?” Albert said so quietly, he was afraid his boss didn’t hear it. Understanding, his boss nods as he lets his grip lax and allows Albert to leave. It wasn’t before Albert looked back to see the grin his boss wore that clearly said ‘victory’ was when Albert realized that this probably was the biggest mistake of his life.
Albert mentally cursed himself, kind of pissed as he walked home alone in the cold sidewalks of
Nevada. He could hear the yells and cheers of late night gambling for the casino from where he was. He despised everyone who stood in that very building. And the root of it was money; he hated any thought of it. He didn’t want to think of him not right now, but he was all that was on his mind. There was nothing he could do, especially when he knew it’s either his happiness or his mothers. But if only it were that simple. It’s not either him being happy and his mother being miserable or him wanting to constantly hate his life as his mom is living out her dream. No, it’s much more complicated. It was either things stayed the same or he went to stay with his father and bring his mom along. Sounded easy, right? He doesn’t have to work so much at 17 and his family is safe and happy. Even if he didn’t like his dad, he could manage. But the problem is his dad.
He could leave again at any minute.God had he wanted to damn that prenup to hell.
It wasn’t even the fact it was his dad anymore. He hated the thought of not working for anything, it just seemed meaningless. If you didn’t put your blood and sweat into it, then where is the appreciation? It’ll be like every other item just handed into your greedy hands, only for it to get forgotten and tossed away/ Just like how Albert did. If there was one thing he had learned from working day and night endlessly, it was that life is nothing more than a breeze when you can just get anything you want when you want.
As crazy as it sounded, Albert liked the feeling of dread and anxiety when he was short on the amount needed to pay rent. Albert liked the feeling of feeling tired after working from 5:00 AM - 1:00 PM and 4 PM - 11.PM. He craved the thrill of his boss yelling at him to do better or work another shift after being caught napping in his lunch break. It was like a big long rollercoaster he never wanted to get out of. Could it be just him in need of some sort of mental stability and comfort? Probably, but he didn’t want to do it alone. He wished his father had proposed this when he was 18, but that wasn’t until another year or so. He had just turned 17 a few weeks ago. ‘Wait-- that’s it.’ Albert thought as he stopped in his tracks, eyes suddenly blowing as wide as the moon that sat above him.
‘I’ll stay for the year, and move out as soon as I’m 18!’ Albert felt like a genius in that moment as he soon resumed his walk home again. Maybe because he dropped out in middle school but that’s besides the point. It wasn’t long before Albert’s mind was running a marathon with ways he could cooperate with his situation. He let his feet take him home from that point on as he let himself be swallowed by all kinds of plans and adjustments that could at least sort of satisfy him.
‘Maybe I could try talking to him?’
‘Possibly try to make them divorce and this time his mom take the money’
‘Convince mom to get a good job?’
‘Or maybe I get a job’
‘Emancipation?’
‘Foster Care might spare me’
‘Running away also might work’
‘We could try the child abuse route, that might work.’
‘Frame him?’
‘Or maybe just kill that scumbag.’
Woah. Albert felt frozen in fear -- of himself.
‘I’m not that desperate, am I? God Albert, going to get your ass thrown in jail.’ Albert thought as he took a minute and sat on the side of the curb he was walking by. He felt as if he just needed a minute to sort out and get his life together. It wasn’t easy balancing taxes, rent, daddy issues, homicidal thoughts apparently, and financial issues all at once as a 17 year old. Albert knew better. He would go to jail, lose his jobs, lose his rights, everything. He figured it was one of those things like him shoving the stack of money down his boss’s throat, he’d think it but wouldn’t dare do it. Right?
In the end, Albert just chose to forget it for now and focus on getting home. He needed to prepare his mother’s breakfast for the morning, anyway. Not to mention, he still had his own personal hygiene to worry about. But no matter how many excuses Albert gave himself, it never did leave his mind. And it wasn’t fair. But when was anything fair? Especially for Albert. Albert was nothing more than a puppet to the universe. A puppet who was designed to entertain. To laugh at. A puppet didn’t get or deserve justice. A puppet like him would never be provided happiness. Albert was just supposed to be a puppet, his master also being himself. He was controlling himself. But his father was controlling him. His master’s controller was his own father. And there was nothing he could do about it. He was in a lose situation.
Albert let out a tired sigh as he approached the door of his worn down apartment. It wasn't much but it was all they had. He lazily takes out the kry and aggressively jams it into the hole. He was almost afraid that he had broken the old thing but that anxiety was soon lifted when he turned it and his door finally opened. Suddenly he was inside his house. Albert turned around to close the front door, but he stopped and froze when he saw a nice pair of house slippers. It was clear they were used on a daily basis, but still nice. The slippers were spread across the floor, 2 feet away from the shoe rack. Albert remembered when he had first bought those shoes. It was for his mother after she had had a temper tantrum over the fact there was an expensive nice pair of house slippers and how she didn’t have it on her feet the same minute. The next morning, Albert took out half the money going to rent and put it together with his allowance to buy his mother those shoes. But back to present time, Albert felt a wave of emotions crash over him. Like a tsunami trying to drown him out with fear, anger, and anxiety. But it wasn’t the fact those nice shoes were just tossed around the floor like it was nothing. (Just how Albert was.) Even after he had seen his hard work being tossed like it was nothing, the shoes weren't what Albert was so emotional about.
No, it’s much, much deeper. It was the pair of shoes that were missing from that shoe rack.
Her favourite pair of high heels were gone.
Shit.
Albert wasted no time running his way to his mother’s room, the room she only ever left to complain about a Rolex or to finally go eat after hours and hours of throwing endless fits. Albert had even forgotten to close the front door because he was in such a rush. He immediately slammed open his mom’s door, only to reveal her and her high heels. Albert gave a sigh of pure relief before studying the room. And suddenly, he was lost again, just like he was 4 seconds ago.
Was that…
Dad?
“Oh my!”
The man yelped in surprise. No, not Albert’s father, fortunately for him. The man his mother was with looked nearly identical to his father. He looked back at his mother, then the man, then back to his mother.
His hand on her waist,
Her hand on his chest,
Sweet nothings and whispers sweet as honey,
Soft praises.
Then it clicked. Mom only wanted this man because he reminded her of him.
HIs mom wasn’t interested in the man at all. She was interested in two things both him and him had in common: looks and wealth. Mom only had this man in her room because she was trying to convince herself that he was Albert’s father.
Albert knew, he knew too well.
Mother only wore her heels to impress his father, to please him. Mother only put her hand on his chest to seek comfort. And when she did, she was returned with gentle pecks on her cheeks, neck, and lips.
That man probably was confused. He didn’t return to little kisses or praises. He just wanted his mother’s body. He saw this as nothing more than a mere one night stand. Albert didn’t know who to feel bad for, his mom or that man.
“Get out the fuck out.”
Albert’s voice was laced with venom, it was like that man had done everything to Albert. And he and Albert barely knew each other. Al’s mother looked at the boy with desperate eyes, Albert felt his chest tighten at the sight of the poor woman. “Get out, damn it!” Albert repeated, just this time his voice was a bit more shaky than the last firm statement. Thankfully, his mother got the message, she retreated her hands from his bulky chest, one might mistake it for cleavage. His mother gave a little nudge, dismissing the man and redrawing her consent. Albert waited to hear a firm ‘SLAM’ of the front door before looking his mom in the eyes. “Al, baby please listen to me, i-” His mother choked on a sob and her words, failing not to stutter. She struggled to breathe, but before Albert could help, she was up at it again. “I am so so so sorry..” She repeated as she finally let her tears flow freely across her red tinted face. She let out a choked sob before collapsing and falling to her knees. Albert tried to get a grip on her hands to help her but she clutched his red crew neck instead. Albert let out a few reassuring whispers as he struggled to help her up, all while her long string of apologies refused to cease.
“Mom- mom you’re going to need to breathe for me real quick, alright?” Albert struggled, trying not to let out a few tears of his own at the sight of his own mother breaking in front of him. He felt helpless in that moment, he couldn’t imagine how his mom felt. Albert struggled to get the woman up on her feet, She released his sweater and clutched his wrist. “I’m sorry baby boy! Please I swear-” Albert knew he had to put a stop to this.
“Mom!”
Suddenly, her mantra of words and apologies stopped. “Mom, it’s fine. I need to tell you something.” His mom looked at Albert in the eyes, nodding at him softly to proceed as she got back up on her feet. Albert watched as she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her arm before talking again. “Dad wants us back with him..” Albert whispered, knowing he just signed himself off to hell. “No, Albert wasn’t happy with what he had just decided. But if it meant she would stop, then maybe, just maybe he could manage. His mother stopped breathing for a minute, eyes widening in disbelief. “Al, baby, tell me you’re lying.” His mother said. Albert wasn’t sure if it was out of happiness or not. “No, I mean- You can go talk to my boss if you’d li-” Albert’s mom cut his short ramble off. “When?” His mother asked, and for a moment, Albert swore he could see a glint of hope in her tired eyes. “I- I don’t know, mayb-” It was like Al was never allowed to finish a sentence, because once again, he was cut off. “Then we have to go now!” HIs mother exclaimed, somehow collecting herself in a few seconds and going crazy around the house, immediately packing things for the trip. Albert tried to get a few words in the midst of all the chaos. “M-mom, we have to at least give it some thought!”
“No time! There's no time to give it thought! Let’s go!” And in a blink of an eye, Albert was inside their car, on their way to Austin, Texas.