"Hail Victoria!" "Hail!" "Hail Victoria!!" "Hail!!" "Hail Victoria!!!" "Hail!!!" The thunderous voice of the army echoed through the forest. Judging by their response, one could discern the might of the army. Lieutenant Anderson, the second in command of the Giant Hall Army of Victoria elite soldiers, was in a cheerful mood that day.
The soldiers gathered for the next line of instruction. "Soldiers!" Anderson began. "We are not here today for war; we are here for a celebration!" Anderson shouted with great joy in his voice, which made the soldiers chant in jubilation.
As the cheering subsided, Anderson continued, "We are gathered here for the wedding celebration of Dominic Lorenzo, 'The Surtr' and 'Fire god' of the Giant Hall Army!" Anderson screamed at the top of his voice, the soldiers cheering along. Happiness filled the atmosphere. It was their Captain’s wedding celebration, and they were excited.
“Wedding anniversary,” Sergeant Ramirez whispered in Anderson’s ear before withdrawing from him. “Huhhhh, wedding, anniversary… is there really a difference?” Anderson asked, squeezing his brows at Ramirez.
“Eat, drink, and party, knights; the party has just begun,” Anderson echoed with so much charisma. “Don’t forget, we need him back. We can’t underestimate Mezeth,” Ramirez reminded Anderson. “Ohhh goodness, Ramirez, are you made for war? Enjoy the moments, man. Party, drink, eat.”
Dominic needed to be back as soon as possible to protect his people from Mezeth. There were rumors that they were planning an attack on Victoria in the absence of their captain.
KESTER CITY, 9:35 PM
Dominic returned home after a stressful day, eager to wash away his stress under the shower. He opened the door, which made a squeaky sound. Dominic sighed. "This door needs to be greased," he said to himself.
"Dominic! Is that you?" A familiar voice called out. He sighed in frustration; all he wanted now was a cool shower and nothing more. "Yeah, babe, I'm home. How are you?" Dominic asked, faking a smile as he observed his wife engrossed with her phone on the sofa.
"I want some oranges now!" She ordered without sparing him a glance.
"Not now, babe. I'm so tired; I want to shower." Diana shot him a deadly glance that made him reconsider his decision.
"How do you want it? Babe, you can't be serious now. You know I can do anything for you," Dominic said, smiling at his wife. She had a way of emotionally blackmailing him. "Oh, dumbass, it's just a way to prove how well-cultured you are," she sneered with disdain.
"Culture? So, you were testing me. You’re unbelievable," Dominic sighed and made his way to the kitchen. He wasn’t in the mood for her games.
Diana chuckled as she watched Dominic obey her. She continued on her phone, replying to Frank’s message. "My plaything. He's indeed a good dog and will always do as I say, so you don't need to worry. I'll make him sign the divorce." She waited impatiently for Frank’s reply.
Diana had met Frank Catt, a plump and overweight man, six months back. He had managed to capture Diana’s heart with his money.
She had secretly been having affairs with him, as he provided for her needs and spoiled her with whatever she wanted. Diana soon became tired of Dominic.
He even proposed to her and promised to marry her if she managed to divorce her husband. Diana loves Frank for his money and is willing to divorce her wretched husband for him.
"Here you go, babe. I could feed you if you want," Dominic said, trying to be romantic. He couldn't wait for tomorrow to see the shock on his wife's face when he reveals his real identity, and she realizes that she's the first lady to a Surtr and first in command in Victoria's territory.
Dominic moved close to his wife, shoving the strands of hair that slightly covered part of her face. In disgust, she shoved him off, making the tray of oranges slip from Dominic’s hand and spill on the floor.
Dominic sighed in frustration. He stood up and made his way to the shower. He wasn't ready for her tantrums.
Dominic wondered if his subordinates had made all the preparations. He couldn't wait to give his wife a better life. He worked four extra jobs to make sure he made his wife comfortable.
Dominic soon finished his shower. He approached his wife; she must have forgotten tomorrow is their anniversary, or was she also planning a surprise for him?
"Okay, I’ll be there tomorrow. Please prepare the divorce papers," Dominic heard Diana discussing with the other person on the phone. "Divorce?" Dominic raised his brows in surprise. "Yes, darling, I have an anniversary surprise for you," Diana said with a smirk on her face.
"Oh wow, that would be fun. I can't wait for your surprise. Talk to me, babe," Dominic said joyfully as he took a seat close to her. "I filed for a divorce," Diana said straight to the point without flinching or an iota of remorse.
Dominic's eyes instantly turned red; he didn't understand why his wife was filing for a divorce. “We have been through a lot together, babe, so why a divorce now?” He couldn't believe his ears; Diana, again, made him feel like a failure.
“I can't bear the shame anymore, Dominic. Washing dishes in that pathetic restaurant downstairs, really? And you touched me with those filthy hands! Disgusting.” She said, spitting at his face.
“Diana, it's a job! I'm working hard to provide for us. I work five part-time jobs daily, aside from my main work with the company,” Dominic said, wiping his face with sadness as if all his efforts had been in vain all this while. He worked many hours a week to meet up with her extravagant lifestyle.
Diana laughed, “Your idea of providing is lining up for the latest iPhone and juggling five part-time jobs a week? It's embarrassing. And don't even get me started on not having my own car!”
“Diana, we ought to be a team. I thought we were happy,” Dominic said, with the last strain of hope laced in his voice.
“Happy? With a pauper like you? I deserve better. I'm no worse than anyone else, so why did I marry you?”
Dominic just stood there as he watched his wife; she was breaking his heart. Tomorrow was their wedding anniversary and also his birthday. He had prepared his gift. He wished she could wait a few more hours to see it.
“I deserve the best. I don't want to be tied to someone who can't give me the life I deserve,” Diana said, standing up to leave.
“Diana, please. Let's talk about this. We can work it out.”
“No, Dominic. I've made my decision. Tomorrow morning, we're signing the divorce papers. I will forward you the location of the law firm. Goodbye.”
Dominic stood devastated; all his efforts indeed went in vain. She left him. She called him a failure. Her words taunted him badly. He loves her and could do anything for her. But she broke his heart. Dominic’s phone beeped, jolting him out of his misery.
He glanced at the video message sent to him and forced a smile. He looked at his watch, and it was already 12 am. “Happy birthday, Commander,” he heard a familiar voice of Eleanor behind him.
“We've got Diana so many gifts and surprises,” Eleanor said as she stood gallantly in her silver tuxedo. Dominic faked a smile as he admired his female guard. He had missed them and her especially.
“Where is she? I can’t wait to see her,” Eleanor voiced out, looking around in expectation.
"Cancel all preparations and prepare for my homecoming," Dominic ordered, feeling a surge of power inside him.
"What!" Eleanor exclaimed in shock, looking stunned.
"She said I have no money. That's the reason. It's over.”
Dominic double-checked his phone to confirm he was at the correct address. Standing in front of the private law firm, he read the name as if to reassure himself. Today had been ruined before it even began. Instead of celebrating his anniversary and birthday in grand style, he found himself at the threshold of a legal office."Good morning, you must be Dominic, right?" the lady at the reception said with contempt evident in her voice. "Yes, I am. I'm here to...""That way, please. You kept everyone waiting, thrash! No wonder she wants a divorce. Such a loser," the receptionist yelled harshly. Dominic remained unfazed; he had encountered such disdain before. The city was toxic, and everyone seemed to take out their frustrations on those they perceived are beneath them.Dominic attempted to compose himself under the weight of unwelcoming gazes from those around him, their eyes judging him as if he had committed a crime.He walked into the cold atmosphere created by Diana and her lawyer.
Eleanor's face was all smiles; she was enjoying what she was doing. How could a mere civilian cheat on her general?She took it personally and upon herself to humiliate and cause misunderstanding to Diana and the overweight man standing beside her.Dominic wasn't interested; he just wanted to leave and contemplate his life although there was a sly grin that appeared at his chin as Eleanor humilates Diana. But it left as quickly as it came. He looked at Eleanor, and for a moment, he didn't recognize her. He had never seen this side of her. So, he gently pushed her hand away, eager to get out of there.Eleanor still held his hand, unwilling to let them further humiliate her general. She was prepared for them.“Stand down, Captain,” Dominic ordered coldly. Eleanor's face immediately changed. She released his hand but stood beside him she didn’t expect him to reprimand her.Frank watched closely. "Who could this beauty be, and why was she so clingy around this loser?" He immediately left
"Come on, princess, the clock is ticking. Chop-chop!" Linda mocked, exchanging glances with her accomplice Zara.The two always found it amusing to taunt Dominic. He consistently overlooked their attempts and focused on his work, and today wasn't an exception. However, he had made up his mind."I wonder how he manages to work so hard. Rumor has it, he's his wife's puppet." Zara said silently but loud enough for Dominic to hear. This wasn't his problem; he had learned how to ignore them. They were still unaware that he had divorced his wife, so they still mock him for always pleasing his wife.Although their words still hurt, he wasn't ready for it to deter him. He had made up his mind to move on, and he continued to pack his belongings. He was ready to call it quits. He had worked hard to serve this company and also put in extra effort to please his wife. That was all the aim of coming to Kester city and since his wife left him, he wasn’t ready to keep up with it.“What's with the gl
Dominic went straight to his locker, ignoring them as if he wasn't the one they were referring to. Clark was not ready to let it slide; he attacked Dominic, pushing him on his shoulder. “You're despicable and a coward. I hate you.” Dominic ignored him like he wasn't there.“What do you expect from the little princess? Once a lady’s puppet, always a laddy’s puppet,” Linda added. Dominic saw it as a waste of time to reply to them; he was going anyway, so they could keep ranting all they could.Suddenly, a group of men stormed the office, looking dangerous and terrifying everyone present. There were five in number, and their presence sent terror through the office. “Where the hell is Selena? Don't make this harder than it needs to be.” the leader of the gang shouted intimidatingly.When he received no reply, he walked up to Zara, who was visibly shaking and he seemed to relish in the fear he caused. “Well, well, what do we have here? A little sweetheart. Maybe she'll keep us entertained
Dominic stood there motionless, unsure of the best way to react to what Selena had typed down on the agreement paper.Although he knew that she doubted he had $8 million dollars to give her, she had already won his admiration, making any wrongdoing on her part insignificant.“Okay... Ehhrrmmm… I mean your account number,” he said while sighing, attempting to control his emotion.“It's on the paper there, check it out,” Dominic said simply. She had given up on making him see reasons why he shouldn't involve himself. So, she just wanted to see where this whole drama would end. She was patient with Dominic; he has been one of her hardworking employees.Her phone beeped; she was expecting a reply from Clara, her best friend. She had asked her for assistance to pay off her loan. Yes, Clara had replied, but another message from her bank distracted her.“Ohh no,” she said surprisingly as her gaze met the sheepish smile of Dominic."How did you..." she tried to ask, but he cut her off. "Pay i
“How cheap! I can't believe my elder sister sold herself for $10 million,” Camara mocked, and Selena's countenance changed. She was angry but chose to hide her anger so she wouldn't ruin her grandma's birthday celebration. Dominic took a deep breath, his tone firm but measured. "Camara, that comment is disrespectful and uncalled for. Selena and I are married because we love each other, and the decision was based on more than just financial considerations. Let's focus on the joyous occasion and show some respect.”Camara faced Dominic, ready to fight back. She was angry that he didn't have the right to reprimand her like a child, but Silas quickly stopped his wife from reacting to Dominic. He was afraid and didn't want his wife to mess with Dominic, realizing he could be the son of a very rich and influential person in the state.Clearly envious, Silas swiftly searched for Dominic's name to check if he was a celebrity he wasn't aware of. Finding no matches, he became suspicious of Dom
Silas leaned back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin. "I did a little digging, Selena. Your charming husband here isn't the hidden wealthy man you think he is. He's just a small employee juggling several part-time jobs for the past few years. The money he used to 'save the company' is likely every penny he scraped together from those menial jobs.”Dominic sat unfazed by Silas’ revelation and responded calmly, "Impressive detective work, Silas. Yes, I worked hard, took odd jobs, and saved every penny to help Selena's company. It's not about being a hidden rich man; it's about dedication and genuine care for someone I love.”“Oohh shut it, you loser. You don't have a place here,” Silas stressed with disdain. The room fell silent as everyone gasped at the sudden revelation. The Alexiou's family doesn't tolerate poor people, so they took it upon themselves to ridicule Dominic and make him see he doesn't have a place with them.Camara got the perfect opportunity to diminish Dominic fu
" Why don't we go to my house?" Selena suggested as they got to the carpark, she still had her rickety car they could take home. Dominic shrugged before nodding slowly." Okay." It wasn't as though he had a place to stay since he and Diana were no longer together. Together, they entered her car and she smiled at him as she threw the car keys at him. He caught them with ease. "Will you drive?" She asked him before furrowing her eyebrows as she stared at him, "I'm sorry, can you drive?" Dominic nodded, he didn't blame her for thinking that he wasn't capable of handling a car. " I can manage." He said and ignited the car. Selena smiled, " I trust you, but I don't want to die." She said. He grinned and Selena was taken aback by his handsomeness. Diana missed a gem and she was happy that she was the one who got it. " I can feel your eyes on me." He said and Dominic smiled as he navigated the car home. Then he suddenly brought the car to a halt causing Selena to be startled." Why did