Grudge of the Vengeful CEO

Chapter 2 : Alive

.Hidden behind the surrounding clouds, the green-peaked mountain loomed, its slopes covered by dense, tall trees swaying in the wind. The woods appeared tranquil and quiet on this dawn. However, deep within the remote and desolate woods, a cruel and bloody scene unfolded.

A young man, dressed in a prison uniform, was forcefully held down in a kneeling position with his arms twisted behind his back by two burly men dressed in black. Blood poured from his face, his hair scattered across his features as he looked up at those responsible for his suffering. Drops of blood fell to the ground, slowly seeping into the earth.

With great difficulty, he asked, "Why?"

"Why? Well, it's because you have to die for me to be happy," came the reply. "You remember you promised you would do anything to make me happy. So just do this for the sake of the love you have for me."

"So, everything wasn't enough? Taking the blame for your mistakes, going to jail for your brother, spending a part of my life in pain and discomfort... all of that wasn't ENOUGH?" he questioned.

"Well, you have always been an obstacle," they retorted. "I had to marry you for the sake of family gains, and you are of no use anymore. Anything of no use should be disposed of, don't you agree?"

He laughed through the pain, saying, "Emma, you got me there. I thought I was doing this for 'my family,' but I never knew it was my nemesis instead. You really got me."

"Well, as your 'family,' you have to sacrifice so the family can prosper," Emma responded.

"You will suffer a fate worse than mine. I curse you and your next generation," he angrily declared, his face filled with anger and resentment. He desired nothing more than to skin the woman he once called his wife alive.

"Oh, baby, that would have happened to our first child if he hadn't been murdered," Emma casually revealed. "Oops, I said that out loud."

"You lied about the miscarriage?" he asked, surprised.

"Honey, it was actually an abortion," she innocently admitted.

"So, the incident with falling down the stairs was all fake?" he asked with a trembling voice.

"The hospital reports, the tears... everything was a joke?" he continued, trembling all over. His child, his innocent child, murdered by his own mother. Was this the same sweet and caring wife who had promised to care for their children?

"Well, I think you're right. Everything was faked," Emma confirmed without remorse. She looked at her new lover and soon-to-be husband, the young master of the Sander's family, with great affection.

Nagid looked at her, wondering how he had never noticed that his 'wife' never looked at him that way.

"Ha, Baahir, you really made me believe you were a good and the best friend ever. I didn't realize you were part of this conspiracy," Nagid said, disappointed. This was the friend he thought he could rely on.

"I didn't plan any of this. Emma and I fell in love, and we intend to keep each other's company for the rest of our lives, right Emma?" Baahir said.

"I second everything you say, Baahir," Emma replied affectionately, giving him a kiss. Nagid looked at her with surprise, but what was he expecting? She had been able to deceive him all these years, and there was no need for her to pretend anymore.

"Just kill me," Nagid said, his eyes closed. It seemed that life had never been good to him.

"Oh, I will, honey, but the thing is, I can't just kill you because you still have something that's mine," Emma responded. "And until I get it, you're not going to die. I'm going to take 'good care' of you."

"Emma, you're evil. How did I not notice that you've been a white lotus all this time?" Nagid said in great agony. He wanted this to end. He just wished it was all a dream from which he would wake up.

"Too much talking," Emma interrupted. "Baahir and I have a date, and we can't keep you company any longer."

"But don't worry, I will definitely come and see you soon," she added.

"Emma, shall we?" Baahir asked, holding Emma's hand.

"Of course, baby," she replied.

They left, talking and smiling sweetly at each other, leaving Nagid filled with hatred as strong as the love he had once felt for her.

Two burly men in black took Nagid and threw him into a wooden house in the forest, locking the door. Nagid started to recall how he had suffered and the misery he had endured for the Thompson family.

He remembered when he was given the position as the manager for their company's headquarters, where he had worked as a manager for five years without any promotion. He never complained because he considered them his family.

He worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk to help the company grow. He had even helped secure a million-dollar contract, but he was never praised for it. Instead, his father-in-law took all the credit, leaving Nagid out of the picture. Still, Nagid never complained.

He also took the blame for his brother-in-law's crime of raping and killing an innocent girl, which led to a 20-year imprisonment. He accepted it without complaint, thinking he had a friend who had his back, only to discover that he had an enemy close by, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Nagid stared at the stars in the sky and wondered if it was all worth it. He had done all this for a "family" that had never appreciated him from the beginning, seeing him merely as a chess piece whose value had been lost.

Two days passed like this, with Nagid staring at the sky, even when the sun was out, viewing his life as a miserable one about to end.

On the third day, Emma arrived alone.

"Has he made any fuss so far?" she asked the men guarding the place.

"No, young mistress," they answered emotionlessly.

"Well, that's new," she remarked, surprised. The Nagid she saw yesterday was wild and unyielding.

It was the first time she was seeing this side of him, but it didn't matter to her anymore. He was just a dead man in his last days, and his behavior was no longer a concern.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Open the door for me. I need to see my 'husband.' He might be missing me," Emma instructed. 

 The two burly men in black opened the door, and Emma entered with her head held high.

"Hello, honey," she greeted.

Nagid did not respond.

"How are they treating you?" Emma asked.

Still silence.

"I came today to ask for something. Where is the password?" she inquired.

"What password?" Nagid was surprised. Just how much did these people know that he didn't?

"Honey, don't try to act smart around me. I know you know what I'm talking about," Emma said.

"What are you talking about?" Nagid stammered.

"Okay, well, you're actually not an orphan. Your family is a mystery. No one knows where you actually came from. But you were given to my father to hide until they come for you. You were given a password to open the bank to a billion dollars," Emma revealed.

"My fa... family? I have a family?" Nagid's voice trembled.

"Yes. My father told me, and he needs that money for the benefits you've enjoyed," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Benefits? What benefits? I've never been given more than a hundred dollars a month, but I never complained. And you're here talking about benefits," Nagid roared, shaking the wooden house.

"Even if I die, I will never give you the password," he said through gritted teeth.

"Well, I thought I had to be nice, but I think that won't be necessary anymore," Emma responded.

"Actually, I already know the password, but it's not legally accessible until you're 30 years old. Now that you're almost 40, I think, as your 'wife,' I have the right to own what's yours," she explained.

"So, that's why your father agreed to our marriage in the first place?" Nagid realized.

"What else would be the reason? I had to live with a man who was fed by the family and beneath my status," Emma sneered.

"Hahaha... this is really interesting. A family of vampires sucking other people dry," Nagid's eyes burned with anger.

"Enough of the talk. The only reason you're alive is because you own the password and it's in your blood," Emma stated coldly.

Emma took out a knife and pierced his heart without batting an eye.

"With your blood, the DNA test would prove you are my husband, and I will get my money," she said.

His blood? There was so much he didn't know about how they had this information, but he had never been aware of it.

"Emma, I will be back," he said with deep hatred.

Nagid opened his eyes to a room filled with boxes and old antiques.

This was the Thompson family's storage room, his room.

Nagid touched his head and found no blood. He touched his heart and saw no marks from being stabbed before. He felt confused and left the storage room, stepping outside where he saw people talking. It was as if the current moment had happened before.

Nagid realized that he had been reborn, sent back to the day he was supposed to take the blame for his brother-in-law's crime. He searched for his phone and found his old one where he usually kept it. He checked the date and time, discovering that he had been transported back 20 years before all his troubles began.

It seemed that life had given him a second chance to change things. He wouldn't be weak and tolerant anymore.

But this time, things were going to be different. The Sanders family, the Thompson family—they would all pay for what they had done. Nagid would search for his real family and inquire why they had given him up. He would build his own empire that would rival the world and repay all those who had mistaken his tolerance for weakness.

This time, things would work out in his favor. He would uncover all the secrets about his identity and reclaim everything that belonged to him.

Because Nagid was alive and well, and he was determined to change his destiny for the better. Nothing was going to stop him this time.