Chase turned around, his eyes taking a clear view of the entire room.
Nearly everyone was laughing.
He had not expected Xavier to come to his defense, and neither was he lying.
True enough, Chase's mother worked as a maid for the Baltimore family and she was impregnated by her late boss, Xavier's grandfather.
There was a time he used to be embarrassed about that aspect of his life, and Xavier would constantly make fun of him, especially when they were in high school.
But he had not expected adults to find such details funny.
Sasha gradually moved closer to him.
"What? Do you want to say something?" She mocked.
Chase's hands clenched into fists, his chest rising and falling.
"You are worthless. Remember, you are not yet a graduate, and things can change!" She warned him.
"What do you mean by that?" Travis yelled at her.
"I mean he is nothing but a maid's son, and I only dated him because I needed a data boy to use!" She spat out, laughing.
Travis quickly stepped in front of Chase.
His words were hushed, "Chase, keep in mind what your mother always says."
Chase forcefully swallowed, recalling his mother's words.
"Looking away does not make one a coward," he whispered back.
Sasha smiled, "Chase, you did me a favor. I was going to dump you on our last paper," she laughed, evoking a murmur from the audience.
"That's it!" Travis yelled at her.
"Oh, shut up. Who in their right mind would really fall in love with a maid's son!" Sasha yelled back.
Chase looked at the woman he thought he loved but he understood what she was trying to do.
Turning, he grabbed his bag.
"A prostitution-born son is incapable of even standing up for his mother!" Sasha kept yelling.
With a pause, Chase inhaled deeply.
She really wanted him to hit her, obviously trying to get him expelled but he had endured far worse humiliation than she was dishing out.
He walked right past her, completely ignoring her.
"Where are you going? I am not finished with you!" She let out a scream.
"Three weeks," Chase kept mumbling to himself over and over again.
That was his remaining time before graduating.
Three weeks, only.
Getting into a fight with Sasha was not worth it.
Filled with regrets, he headed straight to the school bus and took a seat in the back, passing time.
He was supposed to go back for the afternoon shift but he chose to avoid everyone.
When it was time to go back, he was quiet the whole ride to the university.
Travis gave him space.
When they arrived at the university, he offered his friend a ride, but Chase Insisted on being alone.
The Baltimore mansion was near the university and was in the opposite direction of where Travis was going.
He said his goodbye and headed off. The walk took twenty minutes and offered a stunning view of the rice farms that made up the Baltimore Estate, as well as a river that flowed through it and a bridge.
The walk gave him time to reflect and repeat Sasha's remarks to himself.
The phrase "a Baltimore maid's son" was the one he detested the most.
Knowing his mother was not a prostitute prevented the word prostitute from inciting hatred.
Had it not been for his father's unexplained death, his parents would have eventually gotten married and he would have not been tagged with such insults.
He walked past the bridge, cursing.
Eventually he walked into the Baltimore mansion and gazed at its magnificent architecture from the fourteenth century.
He was leaving it all in three weeks.
It was supposed to be half his, but he was a man who realized early on that some men were meant to start at the bottom.
He walked inside and heard someone yell, startling him out of his reverie.
It was Xavier, his spoiled Nephew yelling as usual.
And such yelling was always targeted towards Chase's mother, Agness.
He quickened his steps and could see his mother on her knees.
Agnes, with short black hair, in her black and white uniform, in tears, begging for mercy.
"I am sorry, sir, the madam instructed me to boil the fish," she cried out.
"Boil! Are you foolish? Are you aware of the price of this fish?"Xavier, who was standing in front of her, yelled.
Xavier and Chase were the same age. In Fact Chase was a day older but Xavier treated Agness as if she was his personal maid.
Despite his extreme bitterness, he would not consider firing Agness or asking her to resign, instead he would constantly point out flaws, treat her with disrespect, and degrade her.
Chase printed to her rescue.
"Mom, what are you doing? Get up," he said, grabbing her hands immediately.
Xavier's nose flared up with anger.
"Take a step back!" He yelled at Chase.
Chase, however, disregarded him and said, "Mom, you do not need to bow to a boy."
Agness spoke up immediately, "Son, please go to your room."
She did not want to get in more trouble.
The interference from her son was only going to make matters worse.
"Mum, no, get up!" Chase Shouted at her.
"You ugly lapdog…." Xavier tried to raise his voice.
"How much!" Chase yelled.
"Are you stupid?" Xavier spat out.
"How much is that stupid fish worth?" Chase insisted.
"Chase, please!" His mother begged.
"Mom, you ruined his fish, so let him tell us how much it was, and I will buy him the stupid fish!" Chase Yelled at the top of his lungs.
Xavier's parents walked into the kitchen in disbelief.
Fredrick Baltimore, white hair though he was only a year older than Agness and his wife Karen Baltimore, laughed.
"Do you know how much Bluefin tuna costs?" Fredrick asked.
"Father, he is ignorant. He can't even afford to buy himself lunch," Xavier added.
Frederick smiled.
He was determined to teach the impoverished boy a lesson despite his daring.
"Agnes, stand up; your son is going to purchase the fish," he ordered.
Agness quickly bowed down, her eyes nearly bursting out of her socket.
She exclaimed, "Sir, no, no, he does not know what he is talking about."
Frederick said, "I want my fish, by 7pm, or else I will sue you," and turned to leave.
Karen and her son smiled, while Chase got on his phone and texted Travis to bring him the stupid Bluefin fish.
His mother gave him a raised gaze.
"The fish costs five thousand dollars per pound!" She stammered, draining the color off her son's face.