Richard stared at Damien with suspicious eyes while the woman behind him was sweating buckets. Damien frowned at Clarissa, but she couldn’t possibly look at him straight in the eye.
“Why does he know you?” Richard asked his wife. “Who is he?”She was shaking. The woman finally glanced at Damien and he shook his head terribly. All of a sudden, she replies.“Yes, I know him.”Damien’s heart loosened and a smile erupts from his hopeless face. A little bit of confidence poured into him, but it didn’t take long before all of those momentary relief becomes snatched. Clarissa’s eyes were then clouded with tears. She sobbed on Richard's shoulders and the cameras focused on her. Damien listened.“He was my ex-boyfriend! He abuses me every day and tried to touch me even if I protested. Richard, please… you have to send him away!”Damien turned pale as the cameras flashed before him, taking pictures of his shocked face. He couldn’t feel anything… he couldn’t even absorb what she had accused him of.Touched her?Clarissa was even the person who’d throw herself on him when she was drunk, but he would always resist her because he respected her.How can she say such a thing?“I never…” Richard's chest ignited upon hearing the small squeals of his beloved wife. He then sends the guards to arrest the stunned man— whilst he pulled Clarissa into his arms to console her. He kissed her forehead while the girl continued to whimper.Damien could only stare in horror as he caught a glimpse of Clarissa’s smirk when she buried her head against Richard's chest. It was only then that it was made clear to him that the woman he’d pampered with– did not truly feel the same as he did.“Nerdy.” he heard her insult him. “I won’t let this four-eyed dork hurt you again.”“No…”Anger seared through his body and Damien overpowered the guards who grabbed his arm. He rushed towards the couple and robbed Richard's collar. Before the businessman could react, Damien had already smashed his face with his fist. Richard drops to the ground, Clarissa’s eyes widened. Damien glared at her with his eyes flaming— murderous and his patience, over. At that very moment, Clarissa had a look of regret in her head.She didn’t think a glasses-wearing, workaholic, introvert like him could wield such strength. He sauntered close to the woman and she took steps back.“D-Damien…”“Take back what you said.” Damien approached her, but the security took a firm hold of his shoulder. “You can’t do this to me, Clarissa! I loved you!”“Take him away!” Clarissa screamed as she ran to Richard , who was trying to get up from the floor. Blood could be seen dripping from the edge of his lips while his wife tries to dab it with her handkerchief. Camera flashes started growing rapidly and the security finally drags Damien away from the banquet hall. He didn’t have any strength to fight back either. They threw him out of the gate and into the pouring rain. Damien landed on his knees and hands as the security closes their gates on him. He gets up, wipes the blood from his face from being beaten by the guards, and limped in the middle of the road. There were no taxi cabs around because the road was rented out, he had to walk on the road until he would reach the main street. And he did so. Thankfully, because it was midnight, the environment around him was hazy and dark— the rain being his only consolation to cover the tears that kept spilling from his eyes. He reached the main road, wiped his tears, and looked for his wallet. But he had accidentally dropped it somewhere due to being in hurry. Right now, he basically had no choice but to walk home. He had no phone and whenever he approached someone to ask if he could borrow theirs, they would move away from him— thinking he was dangerous.Damien walked alone in the rain and closed his eyes. The pain he felt was indescribable. All of a sudden, a man from afar calls out his name.“Damien! Damien!” He turned around to see his coworker from work that had followed him all the way from work. He was panting too. Damien looked at him, the spark from his eyes long gone. “Why did you come here?”“You’re my friend, man.” His coworker frowned. “I’m worried about you. Speeding off work like that after seeing that girl on the news… I can’t believe it. Was she really your…”Damien’s eyes averted, hurt. “Yes… but apparently,” he frowned. “…not anymore.” “I… I’m sorry to hear about that, man. That… sucks. I can’t imagine my wife leaving me like that too.” his coworker couldn’t find the right words to say. “Then was it true?” “What?” Damien’s eyes flashed. “That you harassed and abused her when you were together?” Damien gritted his teeth. “You know I would never do that. How can I? I loved that woman all my life. Everything I’ve worked hard for… it’s all for her. The reason why I am still living… was all because I looked forward to starting a family with her.”“I… sacrificed everything… for her smile.”Damien looked at his coworker, but he was nowhere convinced. And that look on his face made Damien’s pain spike even more.“W-What…? You don’t believe me?”“I… don’t know man.” He took a step back. “I mean… why would a girl lie like that? Media said there were accounts of bruises on her skin. When you left, she said they were all caused by you.”“Me..?!”“Damien… are you sure you’re not unstable?”“What the fuck? Do you think I am crazy?!” Damien grabbed his coworker’s collar. “I didn’t fucking touch her! I never did! Why do you believe in them?!”His coworker looked terrified. Damien saw the fear in his face when he turned almost violent. A calm man like him— suddenly grabbing his collar like that… Damien loosened his grip and his coworker stepped back. With that, Damien knew his friendship with him was also severed.That night, Damien lost a friend at work. His coworker looked at him at disbelief and pushed the male away from him. “You’re not like this before, Damien.” He said out of spite. “Even if you were angry, you’d never grab anyone’s collar like that.”Damien was silent. He clenched his fists and bit his lip until he could savor the metallic taste of blood. “I didn’t do it.”“Well you fucking say that to the media.” His coworked grumbled. “Now that you’ve shown your terrible side, I have no doubts you actually abused Miss Clarissa.” “I fucking didn’t.”“That’s why she probably left you.” “That’s fucking enough!” Damien launched himself towards his coworker and lands a punch on his cheek. The coworker drops to the floor, bleeding through his mouth. Damien stood there, stunned at what he had done. His coworker weakly looked at him and shook his head.He angrily stood up even when his legs were wobbly. He spat the blood to the ground and gave him a rejected look. “You fucking changed,
Damien woke up the earliest and bathed using a hose in the garden. He picked out what was left of his clothes, but they weren’t fit for work. He wore his gray hoodie and some worn navy-blue pants. He walked to work, even if was very far. He couldn’t afford to call a cab because he had no money. As he reached the urban part of the city— where the big skyscrapers mounted to the sky— he took a deep breath and made his way to the bank. The security guard looked at him with a suspicious face. Damien shrugged and then proceeded to the desk to inquire about a loan.“Do you have any identification card, Sir?” the lady in the desk asked her as she was getting out some forms to the small box beside her for Damien to fill out. Damien scratched his head. “I’m sorry, miss. I lost my wallet and it had all my I.Ds in it.”The lady stopped. She dropped the paper and then proceeded back to typing very fast in her keyboard. “You can come back once you have an I.D, sir. We cannot process that so quic
He picked up the piece of paper on the floor and then barged out of the company while gritting his teeth and holding the box of his last belonging with him. When Damien was out of the building, he approached a nearby pillar, put the box down, and then took a while to breathe. His palms were bruised. So bruised because he had been clenching them since the beginning of the day. The little money he had was the last thing he was holding on to. He checked the money inside the envelope. This was two months’ worth of pay. With that money, he could pay off half of his debt to the landlady. He stashed the money into his pockets, securely and then left. He walked home that afternoon, and of course, he arrived when it was almost nighttime. His knees were near to giving up, but Damien was used to walking home from another city away at that point. Whenever he would pass by shops with television on, it always showed the prestigious wedding premiere of Clarissa and Richard.Had Damien noticed it,
Damien is then sent to the interviewer’s office, where he waits on the same benches along with four other interviewees. After twenty minutes, a secretary came out of the interviewer’s door and calls out Damien’s name. At first, she was cheerful, but when she laid sight of Damien’s face, her smile quickly faded. “It’s your turn, sir.” Damien composed himself. “Thank you.”Why did he feel unwelcomed?He entered the interviewer’s office. He was a short, stout man with piercing black eyes and a credible mustache. He gandered at Damien and then offered him a seat. Damien settles down, gives him an envelope, and gives the interviewer the time to read his documents. Damien’s resume was brilliant. He had many achievements and awards from previous works, and one could tell from the first look at his resume that this man was the asset they needed. Damien was confident with his resume. He was even more confident of his performance.The interviewer began with some simple questions and then sl
Damien stared at the people before him and shook his head.“Look, I had a terrible day. If this is a prank, quit it out.”The girl named Ash sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I know you do not want to jump, Master Blackwell. Step out. Your father wants to see you.”“Father?” confusion is visible in the male’s eyes. “Sorry… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t think it is me you’re looking for.”“You are.” Ash leaned closer to him until he could feel her breath on his face. Damien averted his eyes from her and looked away. “Emerald eyes and jet black hair, with a small scar on your cheek. You are indeed Lord Blackwell’s son.”“Who—”Ash placed a finger on his lips cunningly and then shifted her eyes to the men behind her. “It’s him. Take him.”The men in black approached Damien and pulled him off the edge of the bridge. Several cars in the street would look at the suspicious sight in front of them but figured that they didn’t want to get involved so they kept on driving.When
Lord Tyrell sat on the far end of the long table while Damien was on the other end. Ash moved his plates to his side and served as their referee when things heat up. The girl then stationed herself beside Lord Tyrell.The dining hall was very silent. The two didn't know who should start eating. Ash cleared her throat. “Please, Master Damien, dig in.” Someone had to say it.Damien said nothing and took his spoon and fork. He weighed the utensil in his hand and realized how heavy they were. He then starts eating his breakfast, and his father follows.Ash could feel the awkwardness between the two. She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned against the window while watching the two eat. Now, it would be interesting who would be the first one to break the tension.She waited and waited, but there was not a single word being shared between the two. They finished their meals and have not yet said a single thing to each other. She was about to break the ice, when all of a sudden, thank
TWO YEARS LATER________________In a dark, wet alleyway of 504 Greenhill Street, just near the dumpsters— a bleeding man is surrounded by five other men wearing black suits and dark shades, each of them holding a gun to his head. A black Cadillac parks near the alleyway, blocking its only entrance and exit to the main road— giving these mobsters their own privacy.The man is sent to the muddy, grimy floor— begging for his life. “Please don’t do this! Have mercy on me! I was only told to do it!”The drizzling rain covered the man’s muffled cries, making him unnoticeable to the people walking past the street. But even if someone had noticed them, they wouldn't dare interrupt. After all, the Black Vigilantes was a former mafia group and now works as the government’s lapdog. A huge business, for the Blackwell family, head of the mob.A woman’s powerful heels then join the scene— Ash Harlock’s haunting footsteps caused the man to tremble even more. “Is this him?” “Yes.” One of the membe
When they returned to the villa, Tyrell Blackwell was waiting for them in his office. As always after a late night’s hard work ends, Damien hopped off from the vehicle while stretching her arms in the air. Ash followed behind while dragging the unconscious man with her into the ground. When she dropped his body into the soil, Ash crouched and chuckled. “Whoops, sorry didn’t mean that. Whoops! Uh-oh didn’t mean that either!”Damien sighed at the girl. He really thought Ash was going to be one of those butlers that are always so strict and polite. But she was the polar opposite of what he had expected. Ash was brave, but foul-mouthed and also unbelievably honest to the point that her honesty can sometimes make you cry. There are times when she is so naughty like a preschool kid who had gone into a park for the first time, and there are times when she becomes a complete beast. And in those times, she becomes deadly. There are indications that could tell when she was. If the atmosph