CHAPTER 4

“Divorce him?” Rose asked as if she didn't hear clearly what he said.

“Yes, daughter. I want to make it as peaceful as it can be and I don't want him to cause any grudges between us. Although he is going to die in this ring any moment from now, we will need his signature for the divorce. I don't want to have his name associated with my family even if he is dead.”

“So you are certain you want me to divorce him?” Rose asked again, this time pondering whether it was finally time to succumb to the pressure. She would be saving his life if she agreed just right there and then. 

Alan couldn't possibly blame her for saving his life, would he? Perhaps she would just prank her father so that he would call off the fight. Anything to save Alan’s life which could be no more any second - a hard punch could be all it took.

Just then, Rose’s attention caught something. There was a loud uproar in the hall so she angled her gaze properly to get a good sight of how Alan was faring.

With a few more sharp punches to Alan’s face, Tobiat rendered him crumbling to the ground. Alan was barely able to catch his breath - his life slipping away with each moment. 

His eyes squeezed shut as he let out gasps of pain. Why did the earth have everything going against him? 

“Is that all you’ve got? Come on! Get up you poverty-stricken idiot,” Mr. Lawrence screamed on the top of his voice. “Gosh! I hate poor people so much. And to think that he is somehow married to Rose Billing - how on earth did that kind of alliance happen?”

Lesley Billing had poisoned their minds on why Alan was a good-for-nothing pauper who deserved to die in the fight. They didn't want Alan to take home the 15 million dollars that was assigned to the fighter who won the first bout.

“He has no balls. Can you imagine that the idiot also broke my expensive watch? He deserves to die,” Lesley who was seated next to Mr. Lawrence reacted.

“Kill him!”

“Kill him!”

“Finish him off and take your 15 million dollars.”

The guests erupted in a loud voice with cheers and jeers.

“Dad, it's alright. I will sign the divorce - hurry up and call off the fight now. Alan has suffered enough and he could die any moment,” Rose begged her dad, her voice breaking in anxiety. It seemed like she was the only one in the whole hall who didn’t want him dead.

“Aren't you curious though? You might want to see if Alan would survive this.”

“You are taking a piss, Dad. It's not fair….call it off now. I have already promised to divorce him,” Rose raised her voice, urgency tinged in her tone.

Rose's gaze was fixed on Mr. Billing, her eyes filled with concern. Time was ticking fast - only one signal to his guards and the fight would be called off.

Tobiat was hesitant despite the loud jeers of the guests. He didn't want to kill Alan. He wished there was a way both of them would come out alive but the rules remain the rules - he had to take the life out of him to be crowned champion.

Mr. Billing had a train of thoughts pouring into his mind. Maybe he should just let the God-forsaken pauper die a miserable death.

No doubt he wanted Alan dead but that would mean that he would die as a member of the Billing family. Everyone would attribute Alan Greyson as his daughter’s late husband. 

No! He could die later but not while being married to his daughter.

He had dealt with enough shame from their marriage as it was already and he was ready to make the divorce as public as it could get when it was signed.

Mr. Billing raised a fist to the air, signaling for his watchmen dressed in suits and dark shades to put an end to the bout. 

The watchmen entered the ring and separated the fighters. An almost lifeless Alan was bundled into an ambulance and taken to a nearly private hospital.

***

Beep! Beep! Beep! The gentle sound of the heart monitor had a solemn feeling take over the hospital.

The hospital was filled with the smell of antiseptic as Alan Gregson lay on the bed with bandages wrapped around his head and torso. His in-laws had given him the humiliation of his life. 

His wife was all he had left and he didn't even know how long she would keep fighting her family to stay with him. If she hung on a little longer, he would give her everything in the world - he swore in his mind.

Rose’s eyes softened as she looked at her husband with compassion. The bruises were a poor sight for her but this was more than just the injuries - she had come to a point of no return. Her mind traced back down the years she married him. 

“I have something to tell you, Alan,” she said, reaching out to her handbag for a bunch of papers. She fidgeted with her hands as her eyes darted around the room. How could she possibly tell him?

“Is there a problem darling?” Alan asked in a weak tone. 

“These are divorce papers and you have to sign them. It is over between us.”

Alan’s mouth hung open in disbelief. He tried to help himself up from the bed but he was too weak. His mind was racing.

“Why Darling? Wait a little longer for me and I will be rich just like your family,” he pleaded.

“Rich? Is that what you had in mind when you chose to steal my family’s pendant? No wonder Father hates you, no wonder everyone hates you.”

“What?! What are you talking about? I didn’t steal any pendants. Whose pendant did I steal?” Alan’s face was frozen in utter disbelief as he muttered those words - he was wincing in pain from the bruises but didn’t want to show how much pain he felt when his wife was with him. 

Rose didn’t have much strength to argue with Alan. She thought the hatred he usually got was uncalled for but not after her father’s latest revelation.

Rose had suffered enough by being his wife alone. The least he could do was to admit what he did.

“You know what? I won’t argue with you. Just pick up your phone. It has been vibrating on the shelf beside you.”

Alan noticed that Rose didn’t have much strength for an argument and only used the vibrating phone as an excuse to lessen the momentary tension. He would get to the root of the matter though, he thought before reaching for his cell phone on the shelf.

A smooth feminine voice reached Alan’s ear through the cell phone. “Am I onto Mr. Greyson please?”

Alan lay on the bed, his expression blank as the silence stretched on. His mind was on the allegation his wife had just thrown at him.

“Well, Sir…if you are still on the line, I am Ms. Daniels, the lawyer in charge of your family matter. This is to inform you that the court hearing for the review of the earlier decision to freeze your consortium’s assets is going to be held tomorrow.”

What?! That is great news, Alan thought. Could the stars possibly be smiling at him again? 

He shrugged off the momentary positive feeling. It was probably another stunt by Mr. Billing or one of the other in-laws to make a mockery of him. But then none of them knew his true identity. 

Could something be in play here?

“Make sure your dress is appealing, Mr. Greyson. A nice deep blue suit with a grey tie speaks well to the jury.”