His Redemption

The betrayal

She was hurt that made him have sleepless nights, yet loving her was like the drug he needed to survive.

He thought she was the one for him and she could handle his laid-back life until he finally became the man she wanted.

But all of that came crumbling when his father died leaving him with a huge debt that could hardly be paid off with his job as the neighbourhood dog sitter.

She was his obsession, and he was her nightmare, she was using him for her selfish gains, and all that surfaced when he was in his lowest of all moments.

It was their graduation ceremony and as usual, all the elite children came showing their flashy clothes and shoes talking about the big Universities their parents were willing to enrol them at and there was Chris_.

In his usual slacks and a worn-out dollar T-shirt, he had bought from the thrift store.

As luck would have it or rather as Ill luck would have it the Principal had to announce the death of his father when they all were rushing to the graduation ground.

And he didn't just end there, under his breath, as it had been a rumour, the Principal said_ "And as it is forgotten about any signs of furthering your education because nobody will help you and your father left a huge gift of debt for you" The Principal said and left the area leaving Chris heartbroken for his father's death, in front of his bullies and his Girlfriend Liana whom he thought was going to handle the shock with him.

Brought back to reality with a punch to the face_

"So what are you going to do now...?"one of the bullies asked after giving Chris a slap across the face.

Like any normal girl, Liana dreamt of fairytales and happily-ever-afters. And her life went upside down overnight. She lost her home and parents. And Chris was not the one to give her what she wanted.

He was a basic guy and she wasn't into basic things.

Being with Chris was the only way to get her grades up so the man who had taken over her father's estate that is, her Uncle, could send her out of the country to further her studies in the University.

She kept the facade of the happy popular girl of the school but deep down she wanted more, especially in her academics and _Chris was that means to an end.

"Don't you dare touch me again" Chris managed to muster the courage and say as the other bully teased him even more.

As he managed to gather his thoughts even the seat he had found at the end of the hall was yanked from under him causing him to hit the floor with a yelp he landed on the ground and a roar of laughter from all his mockers.

"I am going to hit you one more time and there is nothing you can do about it," Richard the school's biggest bully and son to the city's biggest business tycoon said as he yanked his fist to Chris's belly causing him to yelp in pain coughing out blood as he held his belly trying to shield himself from Richard.

Chris looked towards his girlfriend Liana as she stood there with the others laughing. It was more like a dream to him because she usually came through for him when these bullies overwhelmed him, but now she just was in on the mockery too.

He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Li_Liana?!" he managed to call as she had been the one most times to stop these bullies from bothering him, and trampling on his self-esteem but it turns out he was in for more than a heartbreak as she joined in on the insults.

"Why are you calling my name?" she asked with disgust as she spat on the floor close to him.

Chris managed to stand from his crunched state and walked close to Liana who only shifted away from his touch as though he was some sort of infectious disease.

He pulled his hand away as he managed to say the words he never thought he would ever say.

"I thought you were going to help me? I thought we discussed that after school you were going to be by my side till I brought back my father's company to what it used to be?" Chris began slowly before yelling in frustration and anger as he watched Liana be nonchalant with him and she didn't even comfort him when he got the news of his father's demise.

"Well that was when I needed you, Look around you Chris, What made you think, a classy and chic babe like me was going to stick by your side forever? You were a means to an end that has just been met, I can't fathom being with you" she scowled as she let out an evil laugh.

"What are you saying Li...Liana_ Baby, Please don't do this to us, don't do this to me, I need you now more than ever" he appealed coming close to her steering his words, forgetting that they had a great audience as some even took out their phones to have something to laugh and talk about later.

"You have no future, Chris, Let's face it, all these years I have been with you for the good academic performance because I needed it for a brighter and greater future, a future without you in it, a future with a great and influential man by my side, someone who can take care of me and my needs, not some Algebra formula, and chemistry equations, I need a real man and sadly you are not him," she said with each word more venom-like like that the other causing Chris to flinch at those words she just spewed with no regard of his feelings towards him.

The poor man didn't know what was going on, he couldn't comprehend where those words came from, how could he not have seen this coming, he stood with the blurry eyes of a sad man who had just received the greatest blows of his life in the space of an hour, he couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing before him.

The taste of blood now tasted sweeter than the betrayal he was witnessing from the one female he had loved and given his all to.

She had been supporting and protecting him all these while because she was using him? He thought to himself barely whispering the question out loud.

He risked his academic morals for her? There were moments when he wrote exams for her and did all her science projects whilst she took the grace for it and aced all her classes while he had to try to cover up for lost time at his other classes.

She had made him miss his class at one point to hide behind the school while she wrote her exam and he told her the answer through an airpod and all those years and times he felt he had found who was his.

He thought they were meant for each other and she was so good at hiding it too she had him fooled all this while.

The realization hit him as he turned to her, his eyes filled with tears as they plunged.

"You had me fooled Liana," he said as if asking a question but rather it came off as a sentence.

"Oh come on and be a man, Men don't shed tears only a whim does that," Richard said from the corner of his eye irritated at Chris and almost going in for yet another punch when Liana stopped him.

"At least she stood in for that one," Chris thought inwardly as he felt a glimmer of hope for their broken relationship. But who was he kidding?

"Everyone else knew, hence, yes Chris, you were fooled 'cause you didn't even understand that you were being used, You just thought I was going to end up with trash like you?, Nah!"

"The only thing you have at this moment is to settle your wretched father's debts and don't think about love for a very long time" she continued.

As if the insults weren't enough, Liana flipped her hair and walked majestically towards Richard the son of the richest tycoon in the town, and placed a kiss on his lips during the graduation ceremony announcing to the whole school that they were officially a couple.

This gesture alone was the last straw as Chris felt his heart ripped.

She was the scar that led him to bleed so much and he was that bitter taste of black coffee that most people hated.

And yes she hated him.

Turns out Liana had been having a secret relationship with Richard whilst using Chris for her selfish gains and now that she had succeeded in having a great GPA there was no need to hide or sugarcoat anymore.

The betrayal was unbearable for Chris. He looked around at those he called classmates making numerous videos for their blogs about his sad life and ran out of the school premises in tears.

He was devastated and heartbroken.

Hence he ran to his father's grave and there he mangold-looking man in a wheelchair by his father's grave.

Going closer...it was his Grandfather.