AUGUST WASN'T able to move at first. His lips parted, and his eyes widened as he realized how Samantha betrayed him. Based on Peter and his other co-employees, Samantha and Bruce had known each other for a very long time.
Which means that Samantha was also cheating on him for a long time as well.
'Is this the reason why you've been acting cold at me for all this time?'
August breathed heavily. Every realization hit him right now—On how she wanted to make their relationship a secret. On top of that, she doesn't even want to acknowledge August as a colleague in the Sandoval Corporation.
What Samantha asked was difficult for him, but because he loved her so much, and he wanted to make her stay, he never questioned everything she asked for. He promised to understand her, no matter how hard it was.
'And yet, this is what I got?'
August clenched his fist tightly as he continued to watch the live broadcast. Bruce was still kissing Samantha passionately. His hands traveled onto her waist, while Samantha's hands clung to his neck, deepening the kiss.
'Samantha never got intimate with me like that.'
It was enough for his heart to break, and for his mind to get back to his senses.
The anger took over his body. August slammed the cell phone on the table, and held Peter on the collar, causing the latter to flinch. His gaze was cold and deadly— like he could kill someone at any second.
His co-employees gasped in shock as they noticed what he did.
"Where can I find this place?" asked August in a low, intimidating tone.
He pointed his index finger at the screen where the live broadcast was showing.
"What are you planning to do— "
"Don't let me ask you for a second time." August's voice was full of rage. He tilted his neck to stretch it a bit. "What place is this? How can I go here?"
Both his hands were placed on Peter's neck this time, fully prepared to strangle Peter at any second. His legs were also on both sides of Peter's lower body to prevent him from moving.
He may be an outcast, but with his muscular body, he learned how to fight.
No one tried to stop them because suddenly, they became afraid of August. However, Kaylee couldn't take the situation anymore. She went in front of August with her feet stomping, while her other hand was placed on her waist.
"August— Are you out of your mind?!"
Kaylee held onto his shoulder, but August effortlessly pushed her to the side. She didn't stumble as they impact isn't that strong, but still, Kaylee felt upset.
"How disrespectful!" Kaylee commented with anger.
But August didn't care at all.
"I-It's fine, Kaylee. I can handle this," Peter reassured her as he made a thumbs-up.
Judging by August's appearance, he would never back down as long as he couldn't get an answer.
"I-It was The Rosehouse, a five-star hotel t-that was near from here. You can even walk."
Having no choice, Peter told him the truth.
"It costs sixty thousand dollars for one night, and approximately twenty thousand dollars for one meal—"
"Stop," August cut off his sentence. "That's the only thing I need to know."
August finally let go of Peter's neck. He took two steps away from him before he massaged his forehead using both of his hands.
It felt like there was too much information coming onto his mind, and he didn't know how to deal with it.
'She betrayed me because of money… She cheated on me because I'm poor...'
August's eyes began to weep as he came to that realization. Even though his heart was already breaking, he still wanted her. He's still willing to hear her explanations.
And even if she lies, he would accept her… as long as she comes back for him.
Feeling agitated, August immediately ran out of the room. He ran outside the Sandoval Corporation and tried finding a hotel named The Rosehouse.
'Once Samantha sees me, she'll get back to her senses. She'll realize that she loves me, and he'll leave Bruce...' August consoled himself.
As August was out of sight already, a few of Peter's coworkers in the room walked up to him. They asked if he was okay and if there was something between the two of them that would have caused the pathetic commoner to behave in such a manner.
"I'm fine, everyone," Peter reassured them.
He fixed his collar that got crumbled because of August's grip on it. Peter snorted afterward as he realized he let someone inferior like August scare him like that.
'What the fuck is wrong with him? He acts like he's Samantha's boyfriend, asked Peter at the back of his mind. 'That freak. That's why no one likes him in this company.'
He got his phone again to watch the live broadcast on Bruce's account. However, his eyes widened as he saw a familiar figure on the video.
'Why... Why is he there?!'
"THIS IS IT," said August as he stared at the building in front of him.
August was glad that the information Peter gave him was right. He reached that place even if he just walked. It was really near their company, although he wasn't able to see this place since it was out of the way towards his unit.
He went inside the hotel. Despite wearing a faded t-shirt, pants, and slightly worn shoes, he confidently tried to find the restaurant he saw on the live stream earlier. However, as he explored the place, some people took a judging glance at him, and some even stared at him from head to toe.
By their stares, they were telling him that he doesn't belong in this place… which he already knows from the start.
'Got it!'
After a few minutes, he finally saw the restaurant. At the corner, he saw Samantha and Bruce who were sitting beside each other.
"You smell so good," said Bruce as he brushed Samantha's straight black hair to the side and gave her tiny kisses on her neck.
"Gosh, Bruce! Stop it!"
Samantha laughed as she tried to stop him, only to moan a little afterward as Bruce's expert tongue started sucking on her skin.
"That bastard."
August wasn't able to contain his emotions anymore. He clenched his fists in anger as he stomped his feet towards the entrance.
However, three bodyguards having muscular bodies, and wearing black suits, blocked his way.
"You can't go inside," one of the bodyguards told him. "Wait, are you lost? Because you look like you do," he added before laughing.
The three bodyguards stared at August, obviously mocking his appearance.
"Look— I don't want to make a scene here," said August as he raised both of his hands, like surrendering to someone. "I just want to talk with Samantha. That woman in the corner."
He pointed at Samantha. "Can you tell her that a guy named August Fordman is here?"
"Why would we?" asked one of the bodyguards, raising a brow.
"Please. She knows me. I just want to talk to her."
"She's one of our VIPs here. She didn't tell us that another guest would come." The other bodyguard pierced him with his deadly gaze. "If you really don't want to create a scene, get lost."
The bodyguards in front of him were big. Although he was also muscular and knew how to do basic fighting skills, there was no way he could win against skilled bodyguards.
However, he doesn't want to leave. He needed Samantha to see him.
August sprinted to the side to go inside the restaurant, but the third bodyguard was able to catch him. He carried August by his waist and slammed him onto the wall.
"Do people like you don't know how to listen?" the bodyguard told him and snapped his neck. "Let us give you a good beating, freak."
Meanwhile, Samantha and Bruce heard the commotion outside. They turned their heads to see what was happening.
"What the!" Samantha's eyes widened as he saw August being beaten up. "What are you doing here, nerd?!"
"Sam…" August mouthed as one of the bodyguards punched him in the face.
Samantha gasped and covered her mouth using her hands. She felt a little hint of conscience, but it suddenly faded when Bruce held onto both her arms and turned her body at him.
"Let me handle this. Alright?" said Bruce, and Samantha had no choice but to nod her head.
"Fuck!"
August wanted to escape from the bodyguards desperately. Samantha had already seen him, and he hoped she might change her decision about the proposal.
However, the bodyguards were beating him up to their heart's content. He couldn't even move his hands or feet.
August was about to lose hope, but someone spoke behind him.
"Release him."
WITH JUST one command, the bodyguards let go of him and took one step away from him. August turned his body to see who ordered them, only to see Samantha and Bruce. “So, it’s him…” whispered Bruce to Samantha before he leaned towards her, licking lightly onto her earlobe. "No wonder why you wanted to dump him so badly, baby." “B-Bruce…” said Samantha, feeling awkward as Bruce was doing naughty things in front of her ex-boyfriend. However, Bruce didn’t even budge. All she could do was close her eyes and feel how good Bruce’s tongue was. August suddenly clenched his fists at the sight. Bruce has everything everyone could ask for. Wealth, a good reputation, oozing sex appeal, and stamina that could make her moan in ecstasy every night, what more could she ask for? Everything Bruce has was the exact opposite of August. She never loved him, not even a bit. She just used him to buy the things she wanted, and to enter the Sandoval Corporation so she could execute her plan. ‘Samantha…’
"DO you think you've learned your lesson yet?" one of the bodyguards sneered, yanking August's hair and forcing him to meet the intense gaze of the three men towering over him. One of them stood with crossed arms, biting his lower lip in anticipation. Another lazily dragged on his cigarette, exuding an air of indifference. The third squatted before August and delivered another blow, snapping August out of his thoughts. After Bruce told them that they could do anything about him, one of the bodyguards made a powerful punch to August’s gut, causing August to cry in agonizing pain. Paralyzed and helpless, he was mercilessly dragged to the parking lot by the bodyguards. The other people didn’t care about what they would do to him, even though it would be something horrible. Once there, the bodyguards, bored and callous, unleashed their fury on him, treating him like a human punching bag. August could hear their sadistic laughter and gleeful chuckles as he coughed up blood, gaspi
A WEEK later and August was already healed. The medicine worked its magic, fastening his recovery. He suddenly felt relieved as his body became lighter, and the swelling in his knee receded. Although the pain was still there, it was more tolerable than the last time. What the nurse told him before wasn’t a joke. The hospital, the famous Remington Medical Hospital owned by the multi-billionaire Charles Remington, hadn't demanded a single dime for his stay in the VIP room. Someone had taken care of his medical bills, an act of kindness he should be grateful for. Yet, Samantha's betrayal had left him jaded, eroding his trust not just in her, but in the world as a whole. "Is there truly no ulterior motive?" he asked, slightly suspicious of the nurse who handed him a document to sign. "Can I truly walk away unscathed?" The nurse retorted with a hint of sarcasm, shaking her head. "If we had malicious intentions, would we bother curing you?" August's mouth opened slightly, his senses
THE next day, August found himself fixated on his phone screen, clad in a worn-out white t-shirt, faded pants, and carrying an old black bag on his back. He contemplated how to handle the unexpected money that had miraculously appeared in his bank account. It had been quite some time since August last set foot in the Sandoval Corporation. Uncertain of his current employment status there, he decided to take a risk and approach the management, determined to explain the reasons behind his absence from work. "I'm not sure if I should use this…” said August, his finger tapping on the screen as he proceeded to pay his monthly expenses. "But well, at least now I have the means to cover my expenses, or maybe even take a taxi." With this newfound fortune, August realized he not only had enough to cover his basic needs but also to indulge in some wants, a luxury he hadn't experienced before, given his modest paycheck. August didn’t know who sent him the money. Despite his efforts to uncover
AFTER the intense earlier scene in the room, Bruce, reluctantly but driven by necessity, hoisted August onto his back and hurriedly made his way to the hospital. The Remington Medical Hospital wasn’t the nearest hospital to the Sandoval Corporation, but Bruce saw it as an opportunity to leave a positive impression on Charles by assisting one of his employees. Due to the Remington family’s standing, everyone who wanted to propose a partnership between them found it challenging to cross paths with them. The Sandoval family wasn’t an exemption. However, Bruce refused to give up. The Remington family’s heir died long ago, and Sapphire Remington, Charles’ second child, would ascend as the heir. Once he seduced Sapphire, everything would be easy for him. He was willing to dispose of Samantha, driven by his insatiable greed. ‘With this, I can secure the support of the highest-ranking family!’ Bruce exclaimed inwardly. Little did he know, Charles was already aware of dirty tactics just
“THIS is the crucial evidence Samantha had given to Bruce, proving that you abused her and forced her into a relationship with you,” Henry's words echoed in August's mind as he stared at the Polaroid pictures he held. It was Samantha’s pictures— where she had bruises on her skin and a selfie with her face swollen as if someone had slapped her. August had seen these images before, not because he was the one who did this, but because he had been the one to tend to Samantha's wounds whenever she sought comfort in him. He remembered it all—the moments he questioned his girlfriend about what had happened, only to be met with her silence every time. Samantha never opened up to him, not even once. ‘Yet, Sir Henry claims this as evidence against me,"’ August thought, feeling a surge of madness at the accusation. As he played the footage from the mini-camcorder that came with the brown envelope, anxiety gripped August, and he gasped when he realized where the scene in the video took pla
"BREAKING NEWS! Bruce Sandoval, the eldest son of the Sandoval Family, has been honored with an award by the Brooklyn Nominations for his recently launched virtual game within their company…” August's fists tightened, desperately attempting to ignore the newscaster’s words. The news reached his ears loud and clear, yet it felt muffled within his mind. He was the one who poured his heart and soul into crafting the proposal for the new video game, dedicating his entire life to the company. Yet, someone else reaped all the glory. “What a fortunate man he is.” “Rich keep getting richer, while the poor suffer more.” It was a conversation between two customers at the restaurant where August worked as a waiter and dishwasher. When Bruce and Samantha tarnished his reputation, they didn’t just destroy his life, but they took everything he ever had. August lost his job, and in the days that followed, people who had watched the live show began hurling insults, belittling him. Some even w
AS August slowly opened his eyes, a room engulfed in suffocating darkness greeted him. A chilling shiver ran down his spine as he realized he was seated on a cold, steel chair. The moment he attempted to move his hands, excruciating pain coursed through his body. His hands were tightly bound behind him. The rope strangling his hands was mercilessly tight to the point that he couldn’t feel his fingers even if he moved them. Surveying his surroundings, August noticed that the only light in the room came through a small window at the top of the wall. The place looked like an abandoned building, leaving him perplexed as to why he had become the target of this kidnapping. “No one but Bruce could be behind this,” August muttered to himself. “That despicable bastard,” August gritted his teeth. His gaze fixated on the partially open door not too far away, his eyes widening in astonishment as an old man wielding a cane entered the room. He casually kept one hand in his pocket, trailed
TWO YEARS LATER…The waves on the water splash on the yacht where August was standing right now. Both his hands were holding onto the rail as his gaze fixated on the sunset in front of him. It was beautiful, ethereal, and breathtaking… Just like the woman who was walking toward him.“August,” Daphne called her as she gave her husband a fruit shake. “You’ve been there for an hour already. Would you want to spend this day with fish than me?” she asked, pretending to be pissed as her lips curved into a smile.“No need to be jealous of nature, my dear wife. I just want to appreciate how beautiful the sunset was.”August laughed, pulling Daphne gently closer to him using his other hand. Now, both of them were staring at the sunset with genuine smiles plastered onto their faces. August’s hand was resting on Daphne’s waist, while the latter had her head leaned on her husband’s shoulder.A year ago, both of them got remarried, for real this time. At that moment, both of them couldn’t help bu
COUPLE DAYS later, August was able to heal from the beating he had endured when Raquel took him down. He was now as good as hell, and he could now work tirelessly to catch up with all of the deadlines and meetings he had neglected while he was at rest. Fortunately, the press, with a lot of help from Daphne, didn’t know a thing about what happened to August, or else he would be bombarded by the press in front of the Remington Corporation. However, it would not be for long, as something grand would happen now. August had been waiting for this day—The day when the final showdown begins. This day had come down to this moment, where the tables would turn, and justice would finally be served. This time, August made sure that Francis would not be able to run away from his crimes, nor frame someone up to escape from it. Inside August’s office, all of his allies, Daphne, Sapphire, and Maxine, were inside the room. The air was thick with tension as they were looking at the wall clock from ti
RAQUEL, at that moment, was too stunned to speak. Shivers sent down his spine as the unexpected news lingered in his mind. His shoulder was aching because of the pain, but suddenly, it became numb as the pain struck his heart.“W-What?” Raquel asked, blinking his eyes twice. “Are you… fooling me?”“No… It’s the truth.” Sapphire shook her head, the pain registering through her rounded, brown eyes. “We’re Maxine’s children—Her lost twins.”“But how?” Raquel’s brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance at the same time. “If she is my brother, and you’re my twin, and you knew everything about it… Then why didn’t you approach me?”“Maxine only knew it recently, the same as mine.” Sapphire heaved a sigh and bit her lower lip afterward to contain her emotions.After a few seconds, she spoke again.“August informed me recently by giving the birth certificates Master Charles hid in his cabinet. It turns out that Maxine didn’t want to know us at that time because of the complexity of her job… Sh
AUGUST WAS in a daze when he woke up from his not-so-peaceful slumber. He didn’t wake up naturally, but he woke up when someone poured him cold water placed in a bucket, causing August to jolt in shock… Only to realize that he was tied to the chair.Same situation. Same abandoned room.Shivers sent down his spine because of the uncanny coincidence both of the situations had.‘Fucking shit. This is déjà vu,’ said August at the back of his mind when he realized that this is where everything started—When Charles had his people take him so he could have a one-on-one talk with August about being a pretend heir.However, the only difference between the event before and now, is that the person in front of him looked like he was eager to kill him in an instant, but he was just taking his time to do it.“R-Raquel…” August mumbled, slightly stammering, as his gaze fixated on Raquel.“How’s your sleep, August?” Raquel threw the silver bucket on the floor in force while wearing his most sardonic
[RICHARD WELLINGTON]August blinked his eyes twice, trying to confirm if what he was reading on the paper was true, or if his eyes were just playing with him. However, a few seconds had passed, and he still read the same name.“H-How…” August was at a loss for words. It wasn’t something that he expected. He almost thought that it was Francis, but turns out that the lead scientist is Richard, the Wellington family’s original heir.“Are there—”“Greetings, Sir August.”August was about to ask the lead engineer if he found more documents other than the white folder he was holding now, but his words went midway as three cleaners who were wearing personal protective equipment suddenly bowed in front of him.“One of your employees called us to clean this room,” one of the cleaners said as she glanced at the mess August made earlier.“A-Ah. Right.”August only nodded at them, not knowing what to say. His mind was so shocked that he didn’t even notice his employees leaving him alone in the ro
TWO WEEKS LATER, the event about Bruce being confined to the Remington Mental Hospital scattered around the country. According to the doctors, Bruce was diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he would need long-term medication and treatment to heal.While some people sympathized with Bruce for it, some people say that it was karma because of what he had done to August.However, August didn’t care what those people think about now. He had work—A bunch of them—And it was never-ending.It was already one o’clock in the morning as August had finished meeting with the different departments, and reviewing business proposals. He wasn’t eating his lunch yet but he was determined to finish everything first. August wanted to have free time so he could take care of his other business that he neglected because the work became surprisingly overwhelming.“Maxine…” August called, causing Maxine, who was sitting on the couch, to look at him. “Do I still have any urgent matters
“MR. JAKE SANDOVAL, the head of the Sandoval family, was arrested for torture against his son, Bruce Sandoval. The police said that they were investigating thoroughly about this matter and that they will preserve results with fairness and no biases—”Before the reporter could finish her sentence, August already took the remote and turned the television. Daphne, who was immersed in watching the news, jolted in shock as she turned around, only to see August smiling at her.“I’m home,” said August in a sweet tone as he extended both his arms, asking for a hug.Daphne couldn’t help but laugh a little. She went toward August and wrapped him in her embrace. “How was it? What happened to Samantha?” she asked in curiosity.“I think Samantha and Bruce divorced… But I’m not yet sure.” August caressed Daphne’s hair lightly and gently pushed her head more onto his chest. “Stop watching the news, okay? It’s already enough that you know anything, but don’t think about it too much.”Daphne only nodd
“WHERE DID you go? Why do you look like shit?” Nicole asked as Bruce went inside the room, all his clothes were soaked because of the rain. “Take a bath first before you go to the dining table. You know that your father didn’t like seeing you like that,” she added, shaking her head. “Yes, Mother.” Bruce nodded as he was tired to explain everything. He went to the bathroom to fix himself. Bruce wore a simple white shirt and sweatpants before he went to the dining table, joining Nicole and Jake for their late dinner. Samantha was already out of the picture as his parents were also informed of what she did earlier. However, they weren’t aware that Bruce felt hurt because of the same reason. “Did you chase that bitch away?” Jake asked while they were eating. “Y-Yes, Father.” “That’s good,” Jake commented, and Bruce only smiled subtly in response. Bruce ate his steak, but because of his stomach churning and his heart thumping rapidly, he felt like that piece of steak was hard to sw
SHE IS the most stupid person in the world, and she knows it. Samantha couldn’t help but look at August in disbelief, the pain and betrayal registering upon her facial expression.“August… You can’t do this to me…” Samantha mumbled as her knees went wobbly. If not only for the table in front of her, she might be sitting on the floor now. “This isn’t what we have talked about…”“I know,” August said, and Samantha didn’t notice that he was just done talking to someone on the phone. “That’s why it is called betrayal. It’s painful, especially when you’re feeling desperate.”“How can you do this to me? I am your girlfriend!” Samantha exclaimed, gritting her teeth and clenching her jaw.“Ex-girlfriend, Samantha,” August corrected before he heaved a sigh. “Our relationship was over years ago.”As if on cue, two guards entered August’s office and took Samantha away, just like what he did yesterday. He could even hear Samantha cursing and begging him at the same time before the guard closed th