Esper Harem in the Apocalypse

"That's not controlling. You are jumping to conclusions again, mom."

"Oh, I am not. I have been thinking about it for thirty minutes. I tried to think of as many reasons as I could to justify your actions. But I couldn't come up with one!" she asserted with a glare in her eyes.

"Maybe you just don't want to think of me as innocent. Maybe you just want to blame me for everything."

Rebecca rubbed his hands on her face and muttered, "I don't know what to say. Why do we always fight? I don't want to fight you. But as a mother, I need to stop you when you are doing something wrong."

Her voice broke, seemingly, she was about to cry.

"What did I do wrong?!"

"I already told you. And you are not understanding."

"Maybe because I am not doing what you are claiming?"

"Then prove me wrong! Tell me, how are your actions not controlling Joe's life? He has to do what he is ordered to do. He has to go on a trip when you want him to!"

"And that's normal. If it was someone else in my place who was the boss, he would have made the same choices. Joe is doing a job, and the boss' role is to boss around and decide what an employee would do.

Every job in the world is like that. Everyone has to play the role they are given! Joe would still be working the same as he is now, and he would still be a slave, making 1/10th of what he deserved.

I helped him and made him happy. How is that controlling his life? Today, he said he wanted to go golfing, but he thought his colleagues wouldn't join him. So I ordered them to go golfing so Joe could have fun.

How is that controlling his life? I fulfilled his wish and made him happy. That's all I have done. Is that enough to prove me innocent? You should be praising me instead of calling me a manipulator."

"You are absolutely right. But what were your reasons for doing that? Did you genuinely do them to make Joe happy? You admitted that you promoted him to keep him busy and sent him on the trip to keep him away from home.

Today also, you sent him golfing so we wouldn't be alone in the house. You did all that for your reasons. Ask yourself that, what was the true reason? Was it Joe's happiness or your selfishness?"

"..."

"And was Joe the only one in the corporation who was living a slave's life? Was he the only one who worked more than they should and earned less than what they deserved? The answer is obviously no.

There are millions of people in the world who are like Joe. You didn't help any of them because they wouldn't give you anything in return.

Did you help them? Did you promote them? Did you send them on a trip?"

"No…"

"Thank you for understanding. Look, I am happy that you want to keep Joe away from me. I really am. But what you are doing is controlling his life. I am not saying this because it's Joe.

But I want to help you understand that you are taking the wrong path and not even realizing it. You are doing this to your family. You know Joe better than I do. You have spent more time with him than I have.

In the past world, he did so much for you. And this is how you are treating him now... as a tool! Yes, he is making more money, but I am not sure if he is truly happy because I didn't see him smile, not even once.

If you can do something like that with your family member, I am afraid of what you can do with a stranger. Look, it's your power, and you can use it however you like. But don't walk on a dark path when you don't even realize where you are heading.

Nothing good comes out of it. You probably hate me by now for ruining your mood and lecturing you. But know I love you, and I am doing this because I love you. I don't want you to get hurt.

I know you are the strongest, and nothing can harm you, but you have emotions and feelings just like any other living being. And you are not intolerant to that. If something hurts you emotionally, it will hurt. Your powers wouldn't be able to heal that pain."

"..."

Rudy had become totally silent after hearing Rebecca's words. He realized something that sent him into a spiral of thoughts and made him question his actions.

"Go take a bath, mom. I will wash the dishes."

"You don't have—"

"Just go. We both need time to cool down."

"..."

Rudy patted Rebecca on the shoulder and walked past her, saying, "Don't worry. I don't hate you, nor am I angry. I will never be angry at you, mom. I know when I am right and when I am wrong. Thanks for reminding me of that."

Rebecca reluctantly went to take a bath while Rudy washed the dishes.

"..." Rebecca's words kept ringing in his ears.

'You are using him as a tool.'

At that time, Rudy recalled something, or rather, his mind reminded Rudy using his powers.

'It's nothing personal. All people inferior to you are nothing but your tools. It doesn't matter who they are or what they do. If there is a need, they must be sacrificed. In this existence, from the very beginning, winning has always been everything. As long as you win in the end, that's all that matters.'

Rudy recalled the words of his worthy rival— Asura.

'When Asura said that, I called him arrogant and considered him an absolute piece of trash. But… I was doing the same thing as him. And that too… with a close family member.

I didn't want to admit this, but… mom does have a point. I might not be as extreme as Asura, but had mom not pointed this out or confronted me about it… I would have never realized.'

"I am… becoming more and more like Asura…"