Chapter 2
Author: Lustre Okengwu
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Archer stood heartbroken for a minute. He didn't think, he kicked the door open.

He blinked when he saw Hailey wrapped in the arms of another man, both of them staring at each other lovingly.

"W...what's going on here?" he asked.

Hailey stood and wrapped the sheets around herself as she looked Archer in the eye.

Archer felt the knife twist deeper when he noticed the woman standing in front of him wasn't his sweet Hailey.

In her place stood a cold woman.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"What do you mean, your friends and I have been waiting for you." he snapped.

Hailey let out a chuckle, "Oh, sorry I lost track of time."

"What's going on here, Hailey, and why are you with this man?"

Archer pointed to the man who was slowly wearing his pants by the side of the bed.

"What does it look like? Are you blind? Don't tell me you are both stupid and blind?" Hailey snapped.

Archer furrowed his brows in confusion, "Hailey, what has come over you?" he asked.

Hailey threw her head back and laughed, she stumbled and the man caught her.

They looked at themselves before Hailey reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Archer clenched his fist, "Hailey, explain yourself now!" he barked.

Hailey was startled but it quickly changed when her face went from scared to angry.

"There is nothing to explain. You on the other hand need to explain what you are doing in my house," she said.

Archer stumbled back, "Today is your birthday. Did you forget your friends had a surprise planned out for you?" he asked.

Hailey laughed again, "A surprise party? Did you plan it? With what money?" she mocked.

"Hailey..."

She held up a hand to silence him, "God, Archer. Do you want me to suffer with you?"

"Huh?"

"You have no money, no class, and yet you chose to interrupt me when I am about to have the time of my life. Something you lack in too."

Archer's eyes widened as he stumbled back. The words hit him square in his chest.

"You suck," Hailey mocked making the man beside her laugh suddenly.

Archer kept mute, his mind working tirelessly to process what was happening. He felt like he was stuck in a bad dream.

His eyes roamed around the room, the clothes thrown everywhere and the bedsheets rumpled.

He closed his eyes so he wouldn't imagine what they had been doing. He opened his eyes again and met the man's eyes.

They were cold and assessing as they started right through him. The man looked at him from head to toe before his eyes narrowed.

Archer moved the hand the man was looking at behind him, the man walked up to him in two strides and snatched the hand revealing the ring box.

"What's this?" the man asked.

Archer said nothing as the man forcefully pried his hand away from the box and opened it.

He lifted it for Hailey to see, "Aww, the poor guy was going to propose to you."

Hailey laughed.

"What do you say, babe? Do you want to marry him?" he asked Hailey.

Hailey scoffed, "This poor excuse of a man? I rather choke to death." she sneered.

"I can't believe you wanted to propose to my girl." the man said as he took the ring out and examined it under the light.

"How many years did it take you to get such money for this tiny diamond? Eighteen years." the man asked cruelly.

Archer sighed, "Please give it back," he pleaded.

They both laughed at him, "Did you think I would accept this tiny diamond?" Hailey asked as she flipped her hair.

"He thinks this will satisfy you," the man said.

"That's why you are the better man in all the ways," Hailey said as she rubbed the man's arm.

Archer followed her movement with his eyes, the action causing the knife in his chest to go even deeper.

"That's right, baby." the man grinned.

The man spared Archer a glance before grinning, "You are a worthless piece of shit. How dare you come in here and disrupt my good time?" the man yelled.

"Calm down, baby." Hailey comforted the man before glaring at Archer.

The man shrugged Hailey's hands off him and walked to his phone.

"Give me a minute, I have to call the cleanup crew," he said.

Archer tried to talk to Hailey but she won't even look at him.

"Hailey, why would you do this to us?" he asked in a pleading tone.

Hailey glared at him, "Us? Where is it written that I have to tie myself down to your miserable life?"

"We had plans," Archer said.

"It's not with me. That man over there is willing to do the things you can't do and more. So, why would I waste my time to entertain you?" Hailey yelled.

Their argument seized when the man's conversation reached their ears.

"Send your security to come pick up the trash," he said.

Archer's eyes widened at that and his eyes burned with tears of humiliation but he refused to let it fall.

Not while Hailey was looking at him with a smug smile.

It was then that Archer realized he had lost her, the sweet Hailey he knew was nowhere to be found.

The man walked over to Hailey and wrapped his hand around her shoulders.

"You have to excuse now, we need to get back to what we were doing and take this with you."

He flung the ring at Archer, the ring bounced off Archer's chest and rolled to the floor.

Archer felt uncontrollable anger seize him at the man's actions.

Without thinking, he charged toward the man with his fist raised intent on causing damage.

He found himself on the ground, Archer held his side as pain exploded through his body.

The man looked down at him with a sneer, "You are pathetic. You cannot throw a simple punch. What a loser."

The man kept hitting him everywhere with anger. Archer was too weak to defend himself.

The man satisfied with his actions spat on the spot beside Archer, "Weak, pathetic. You sicken me." he chuckled as he wiped his hand with the handkerchief he pulled out from his pockets.

The security chose that time to enter the room. Archer kept looking at Hailey with hurt in his eyes.

"Hailey," he pleaded.

"Take this fool out of here," she told the security firmly.

"Beat him, or whatever I don't care as long as he doesn't return here again." the man ordered.

Archer's heartbreak was sealed when the security dragged him away. The last image he saw was Hailey and the man hugging as the door closed.

The security manhandled him till they were outside.

They tossed him on the ass with a firm warning not to return there or they would make his life miserable.

Archer sat down there. Disappointed, humiliated, and heartbroken.

It was like his whole world was crumbling around him and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Not knowing what else to do, Archer put his head in his hand and sobbed like a baby.

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    Dear readers, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has taken the time to read my book. Your support means the world to me, and I am thrilled that you have joined me on this journey. To my family, friends, and loved ones, thank you for your unwavering encouragement and patience. Your belief in me has been a constant source of inspiration, and I am forever grateful. To my editor, and Ae, thank you for your expertise and guidance. Your dedication to bringing this story to life has been invaluable. And to the characters and stories that have taken up residence in my mind, thank you for choosing me as your vessel. I am honored to have been able to share your tales with the world. Thank you again for reading, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you in the future but we are not done with this for now. I am about to start season two of Archer’s journey and I would like to prepare all of you ahead of it. There would be more aggressive

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