This shut Bilal up but, to Octavius’s delight, made everyone else laugh. It was the first positive sound he’d heard in weeks.
Things had been so awfully quiet in the aftermath of the funeral, and even at the funeral, which was a whole weird day in itself. It had taken place at a church in the French countryside, in the town their father had been born.
None of them could bring themselves to cry on the day, which probably made them all look guilty. But at that point they didn’t really care.
They were guilty, and they felt that guilt every day. And it wasn’t guilt for their father, but for Henry Xu, the man who deserved so much more than his fate.
The siblings had all held hands during the service, and even after the service. It was a physical reminder that, whatever happened next, they would always be there for one another.
And that’s what they were doing now; being there. They stayed in the attic for hours that night, talking, and it felt so much like when they were children, before life became so complicated and dark.
Octavius was so glad things were starting to feel light again.
Henry Xu, the Notorious Button Butcher, Found Dead in Prison Cell
In the early hours of New Years Day, the former secretary to the late billionaire and head of Button Games Ltd. was found dead in his prison cell in the Prometheus Correctional Facility in Seneca, where he had been awaiting trial for the murder of his former employer. The trial was set to take place months from now, with experts expecting Xu to be given a life sentence.
We are awaiting further details at this time.
THE BUTTON MANOR
The days following the news of Henry’s passing were some of the worst days they had ever experienced in their entire lives.
Not only was it devastating, but it made their public life all the more of a spectacle.
There had been several attempts at break-ins from the press, which meant that Perdita—now the head of the Manor—had to hire more security. It meant none of them could go anywhere for real, not just because they were trapped by their grief. They were now literal hostages in this misery of their own making. Most of the staff had resigned, as working at the Manor proved to be too traumatic for them. Not that any of the siblings blamed them for leaving. Even the Grays left, choosing to retire and get away from their cursed family.
Romeo somewhat envied them all, as he could not escape himself. He’d always be a Button.
In this strange no-man’s-land, the months slipped by and some semblance of normal began to return—though a normal that was still intangibly changed. And it didn’t look like a normal that other people might consider one.
As a new November rolled around, Romeo’s siblings began moving out again. There was something about it having been a year that gave them permission. A signal that it was time. That there was to be no ball this year—or any year. They could finally move on.
Bilal went to stay with Anwar’s family in Boston; Perdita had thrown herself into a new project, traveling all across the state after finally having her firstidea in a long while; and Octavius had dropped out of boarding school and was now wherever Octavius usually went when he wasn’t at home.
Even Fola was barely at home these days, always traveling to guest lecture at mathematics symposiums.
Unlike the others, Romeo had nothing to occupy himself with but being at home, occasionally trying to bake things using Mrs. Gray’s recipe books, but most of all trying not to read the papers that were still bashing Henry even a year after his death. Most days he ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner alone with no one but the ghost of their father to keep him company. He’d look across the long, empty table sometimes and it was almost like he could see him there; his father’s apparition was like a mirror, reflecting back to Romeo his own rotten soul.
The apple does not fall far from the fucked-up tree, it seems.
After everything they had done, they would have to live with being awful.
Although Romeo was striving to be less awful every day. He’d decided that in order to achieve this, he would need to do a good deed every day.
Today, his good deed involved a trip into the city to walk the family pig while feeding the ducks in Central Park.
“Not sure you’re meant to walk pigs,” a familiar voice called out to him. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in over a year.
“Litzy likes it,” Romeo said, as Evie’s footsteps neared.
“Did you ever finish making her that scarf?” she asked.
“Nope. But I am a failure. As I’m sure you know. I fail at making things, at finishing things… and apparently I very completely fail to pick up when someone who I thought was my friend was actually just pretending to be my friend so she could enact some twisted revenge fantasy on my family,” Romeo said.
“I’m sorry” was all she said after a few quiet moments.
Romeo sighed and looked at her. “I’m sorry too,” he said. “I’m sorry for snapping at you just now. I’m sorry for everything my dad… my family putyou and your parents through. We deserve to be the subjects of your twisted revenge fantasy.”
