Chapter 378Up ahead, he saw a dimly lit bar on the corner. The neon sign flickered in the night, casting an eerie glow on the sidewalk. Ben hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but the bar could offer him some answers. He could ask around, get directions—maybe even find someone who’d help him.As he approached, he kept his head low, making sure to avoid any lingering eyes. He didn’t want to attract any suspicion, not tonight. The bar’s door creaked as he pushed it open, and the familiar smell of alcohol and stale smoke hit him as soon as he entered.The dim interior was bathed in amber light, the kind of place that felt stuck in time—dark wood paneling, worn leather stools, and a long, polished bar. The chatter of a few patrons in the back corner mixed with the soft sound of a jukebox playing an old song from the ’80s.The bartender, a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, glanced up from wiping down the bar and gave Ben a once-over. Ben met his gaze b
It was a late winter night and cold outside. The street was decorated with Christmas lights of various shapes, sizes, and colors.James Wane had just returned home from work with a bouquet of flowers in his hand to surprise his wife, Alisha.It is their third wedding anniversary. He was tired but happy, looking forward to having an intimate night with her tonight just like a few days back.He didn't buy her any gift but he had prepared her favorite dish in the morning before he left for work. He quickly parked his electric bike outside and headed to the door to surprise her with the flowers.As he walked in, he was surprised to see two people seated in the sitting room watching TV. One was a middle-aged woman who looked about 40 years old. She was dressed in an expensive Dior gown and had an expensive Dior bag with the same color as the gown.The other was a young man in his late twenties. He was wearing casual wear. It was the kind of clothing you wear when you're relaxing. A T-shi
James was still in shock. He had always believed that Alisha loved him as much as he loved her. But It seems that's not the case. The idea of a divorce was unimaginable to him. It was just a few days ago that they had shared an incredibly passionate night together, and he could tell how addicted she was to their lovemaking.He silently wished that this surprise visit from his in-laws was some sort of cruel joke, but as he looked at the divorce papers again and again and recognized Alisha's handwriting, reality hit him. He has been jilted. "Do you believe it now? You simp!" Kate mocked. "You have only but tonight to pack your things and get going. Idiot." Henry added. Alisha had told him that she had been working late at the office recently, using that as an excuse for her continuous absence.Now, it all made sense to him. The truth was hitting him hard. His wife, whom he loved deeply, had signed those divorce papers without his knowledge or consent.To make matters worse, it was
The man on the other end was Ryan Wane, James' uncle, and the younger brother of his mother. Ryan Wane is currently the richest man in the whole of Emerald Falls.He is in charge of all the major companies in the state. He is what you can call the man of the people and everyone loves him because of his philanthropic nature.James's mom was supposed to be the heir of the rich Wanes family, but she died together with her husband when James was a kid. So, James's uncle, Ryan Wanes, had to take charge until James got older.When he knew it was James calling him, he was so excited. He had been looking for James for the past three years after he left home."Oh! James! How are you, son? Where have you been all these years?""I'm good," James replied."Where are you now, James?" His uncle asked him excitedly."I'm safe. I want to tell you two things." James declared."Go on, James. What's this you want to tell me? I will do whatever you ask.""The first is I want to let you know that I'm di
When Alisha and James got back home, Alisha's mother, Kate, and her brother, Henry, were still in the house. They didn't waste any time and directly inquired about the Divorce Agreement Paper. "Has he finally signed those papers?"Alisha ignored them. They didn't hold back their disapproval, even going so far as to insult James, despite him being right there with them."This useless loser doesn't realize how serious this is.""He's treating our family like a joke.""I can't believe we ever allowed him into our lives.""He's nothing but a burden, and he's taking advantage of our kindness.""We should have never trusted him with Alisha."The hurtful and boastful way her family spoke about James made Alisha feel uneasy. James didn't pay much attention to their behavior. Instead, he went to the room to start packing his things to leave.He was still packing when Alisha entered the room."James you gotta understand…" "Understand what??? After all, I've done for you, Alisha, this is how
The next morning, inside the court, James and his wife, Alisha were about to get divorced officially.Kate was at the court, too. In fact, she was the first person to come to the court that morning. She wanted to make sure that Alisha divorced James once and for all and for good.She had invited her friends and all the people in the family who despised James so much. Alisha wasn't in support of it."Is this your disgusting son-in-law?" Her friends asked her. "Oh, point of correction, he's not my son-in-law anymore." Kate snapped. "HAHAHAHA!" They all laughed maliciously. "I can't believe you put up with him for so long.""He's nothing but filthy." "Filthy? That's an understatement. He's a disgrace."James overheard their insult, but he kept a straight face which pissed them off the more. When the judge finally arrived, they all kept mute and waited for the proceedings. The judge was a quiet woman who did the proceedings without delay. She asked them. "Why do you two beautiful c
After the divorce, James decided that he would finally quit his cleaning job at the local grocery store to concentrate more on expanding his business empire.Hence, he will go ahead to deal with the Carl family and the Sterling Dynasty and show them that he is the one in charge now.He wanted to prove that he was the new boss and make them regret their actions. Alisha and her family would soon realize their mistake and come back begging. When he arrived at his workplace to let his boss know that he was quitting his job, there was a surprising turn of events.Two men in uniform walked up to him. These were police officers from the police department in Emerald Falls.James found himself face-to-face with the two stern police officers who wasted no time in apprehending him."You're under arrest!" The first officer declared."Yeah, we've got reports on you for stealing," added the second officer, whose tone was accusatory.Despite the shock of the situation, James remained remarkably cal
Meanwhile, in the police station, James was kept in a private torture room.The room was completely dark with no windows in it.Ten minutes later, two policemen came into the room to question him about the crime he didn't commit."Hey Listen up, Mr." One of the policemen, the one who appeared to be their leader, said to him. "I know you know why you have been arrested. Yes?""But I didn't steal anything," James replied calmly.The other policeman said, "Well, the evidence says otherwise. We have you on camera, and your key can open that strongbox.""That's a lie! Tell you what, here's what happened ok…""Better don't start cooking up stories.""I had no place to sleep that night, and the only place I could think of was my workplace. I only slept on the veranda and I did not break into the building.""But you were the only one the CCTV camera captured last.""Did the CCTV capture me breaking into the building or exiting with the safe?"The policemen were at a loss but they knew they ha