Chapter - 7: Barry's Past

"Are you gay?!" Shouted Armond, Barry's Dad.

"D-Dad, l-let me explain," replied Barry with a trembling voice. He is kneeling on the floor while his dad interrogates him. His Dad accidentally caught him kissing a guy in his room, they're supposed to be practicing dance. But out of the blue, his friend suddenly kissed him, out of curiosity and the foreign pleasure he felt during the spur of the moment, Barry reciprocated the kiss until they both flopped on the bed half undressed. The door isn't locked and it happens that his dad passed by and heard soft moans and a thud.

"Explain?!" Hah, I know it! I scolded your brother and thought he was lying, but now I caught you myself, what is there to explain?! Get out of my house, you bastard!" Armond shouted and dragged Barry.

"D-Dad, please, it... it won't h-happen… again, I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Please don't kick me out!" Barry while clutching his Dad's leg, crying and shivering.

"Tsk! Disgusting fag! I know you're a slut, I just didn't expect that you even brought a guy in the house," said Emma. Barry's stepmother

"Tsk! Such a disgrace," spat Randal, Barry's half-brother.

Barry ignores their ridicule, they never treated him well ever since the day he was born and always saw him as an eyesore.

"D-Dad, I'm begging you, please don't kick me out." Barry continues to beg but his Dad shook him off and pushed him outside the gate.

"You are not my son from now on! I don't have a slut son! You are a disgrace to the family, don't ever come back, you are not a part of the family anymore!" Armond firmly said and shut the gate.

Barry continued knocking on the gate but was ignored and later on dragged by the guards away from the house. Barry wanders on the street in the cold weather, he has nothing but a thin shirt, pants, and rubber slippers on his body. He tried going to his friend asking for help but they refused him.

Barry went to the park and slept on one of the benches there as his body was so tired and cold. He was crying until the darkness engulfed him. The next day Barry tried to go home and planned to beg his dad to let him in, but he couldn't even enter the gate. The guards blocked him and dragged him out again.

Barry never loses hope, he thought that his dad might forgive him once his anger subsided so he continued to go back but in vain. Barry realized he was completely disowned and abandoned by his family.

"Is it a big sin being gay? What did I do wrong to be treated like this?!" Barry shouts outside of the gate but is ignored. He slowly walks away while crying and shivering because of the cold weather. He walks and wanders aimlessly with his thin shirt while sobbing. The weather isn't good for him either, thunderstorms and lighting booming reverberates in the sky, and soon the rain pours heavily.

As the dark and stormy night continues to rumble, Barry continues to walk aimlessly. He was all wet from the rain and had nothing but a thin shirt, pants, and rubber slippers on his body. He was trembling because of the cold but it seems like his family's coldness towards him has a deep impact on his heart more than anything.

"Why was I even born in the first place? If I had my mother, would I be treated like this?" Barry mumbles in the middle of the stormy night. He was walking without concern for the surroundings until he fell in the middle of the road and was almost hit by a passing car. Fortunately, It was already dawn so fewer cars were passing by.

When Barry woke up, he was on a hospital bed with a dextrose needle at the back of his hand.

"Hospital?" Mumbles Barry upon recognizing the surroundings.

"You're awake," a soft melodious voice reaches his ears. Barry looked at the voice owner, a middle-aged woman yet a youthful atmosphere evident on her complexion. Beside her is a man that seems like her husband," thought Barry.

"How are you feeling?" She asked with a genuine concerned yet relieved tone as the boy finally woke up.

"I'm fine, but may I know who you are, Mam, sir?" Asked Barry politely

"I am Elizabeth and this is my husband George Carter, you fainted on the street and were almost hit by our car, so we brought you here. You don't have any contact information about your family so we can't contact them," she said.

Barry's complexion changed upon hearing "family”.

"Thank you so much for bringing me here, Mam, sir, but I don't have money to pay for the hospital bills. I'm sorry for troubling you." Barry while fiddling his fingers

Elizabeth and George glance at each other, "Don't worry about the hospital bills, it's not much" George spoke. But how can we contact your family so we could inform them about you?"

"Barry lowered his head and continued fiddling his fingers without realizing he was sobbing and his tears were dribbling already.

"What's wrong, boy?" Mrs. Carter worriedly.

"N-nothing, Mam, I - I'm sorry," Barry then wiped his tears with his palms.

"I-I don't have a family, I was disowned by my father because I'm… because I'm gay," said Barry honestly. He was so tired of pretending and there's nothing he could lose anymore. Another rejection wouldn't affect him that much. Oblivion to himself, he was began sobbing again.

"Oh my," Mrs. Carter hugged the boy. "How can he do that to you? That's unforgivable!" Mrs. Carter said angrily

"Barry cries louder as for the first time someone hugs him without disgust.

Mrs. Carter looked at his husband and he nodded

"Go home with us, you are our son from now on," said Mr. Carter. Barry looked up at him, baffled, and shifted to Mrs. Carter, she smiled and nodded.

"Y-you don't feel disgusted by me?"

"Why should we?" Said Mr. Carter "Every child is a blessing, your father for sure was stupid for throwing you out. We've been trying so hard to have a child yet that ignorant father of yours is throwing his child. If only I could punch him in the face right now!" Mr. Carter was fuming with anger. Barry laughed at Mr. Carter's remarks to his dad. Indeed, his dad is stupid and a jerk!

"What's your name? Asked Mrs. Carter

" Barry Hill–"

"Huff!" Mr. Carter stopped him from completing his name. "Barry Carter! That's your name from now on. Forgot that son of a bitch ex- father of yours." Mr. Carter litany

The couple brought home Barry and he was listed on the family list as their child. Barry continues his studies in a different university, he gradually becomes active and lively again as the couple showers him with parental love and support. They accepted Barry's sexual orientation wholeheartedly and supports his passion for dancing, they become a true family. Barry found loving and supportive parents and the couple was granted a child they were yearning for a long time.

The couple made Barry the heir of their wealth and businesses without him knowing and that caused the family members to go against their decision.

Barry overheard the elders and family members' heated conversation and that's how he found out.

"Mom, Dad, please don't argue with your family, I don't want to be the successor of the Carter Family business." Said Barry politely

"But you are our son and you have the right to inherit our property," insists Mrs. Carter.

"But Mom, I don't want you arguing with the elders, and besides I can't handle such a large company and the wealth. I'm happy enough that you accepted me for who I am. I won't be happy either spending the money that is not the fruit of my hard work." Explain Barry

"Oh my, how come you're so humble?" Mrs. Carter hugged him. "We're so lucky to have you, Barry," said Mr. Carter. Because of Barry's kind and humble nature, they grow fond of him even more.

Barry is now 21 years old, he is in his last year in college. Those five years with his adopted parents are incomparable to those 16 years with his blood family. Barry couldn't ask for more than to stay with his Mom and Dad for as long as possible and repay their kindness in the future.

However, it seems like the Almighty hasn't been in favor of him. Elizabeth and George died in a horrible car accident leaving Barry alone. And as if that isn't enough suffering, the Carter family forced him to leave the house and denied him. Barry has no choice but to leave home with his suitcase and the little amount of money he saves from his allowance. He never asked for money that is more than what he needed for school even though Elizabeth and George said it was okay, but he only took a small amount.

With a heavy heart, Barry could only take a glance of the Carter house and reminisce the happy memories with his Mom and Dad.

"You're a grown-up man, Barry, you can make it," Barry mumbles silently to himself and wipes his tears. He turned his back on the house and walked away from the place he once considered home.

One of his good friends from the university sheltered him, and Barry has room to sleep again. But society is too cruel to him, his friend's family finds out he's gay and told him to leave the house as they said it's not good for their son to befriend someone like him. Chris, his friend, had no choice and couldn't defend him from his family's ridicule.

"I'm sorry," Chris could only utter.

"It's okay, you don't have to defend me and fight with your parents, I understand," Barry comforted Chris. He doesn't want Chris to feel guilty.

Barry found a small room and used the money he has to rent the room just to have a roof above his head. To survive in a brutal world. He works multiple part-time jobs while studying to sustain his daily necessities. When he saw the advertisement for the dancing competition, Barry didn't miss the chance. He went for an audition and managed to pass and become the champion. Barry used the amount he hardly earned and won from the competition to continue his study and not long after his hard work was paid off. He graduated with a degree, Master Of Fine Arts, concentrating and specializing in choreography.

Barry pursued his dream and became an international dance instructor. There are no types of dance he can't perform. Later on, he met Seth, his ex-boyfriend. He gave everything Seth asked for, car, jewelry, branded clothes from head to toe, and even bought him an expensive apartment using the money he works hard for. He is even willing to marry Seth, despite the man never laid him for once. Just to find out Seth was just using and milking him.