The Formidable Vicario Returns

Chapter Five

"Hey!" I shouted, my voice ragged from the exertion. "Stop!"

 

He did not react; he did not even flinch at my cry. 

 

With a few more strides, my legs pumping furiously, I reached him.

 

Throwing myself at him, I managed to get a grip around his middle just as he was about to fall. With a grunt of effort, I heaved backwards, using every ounce of strength to divert his trajectory.

 

The two of us went tumbling as we hit the ground hard with a bone-jarring thud. 

 

Gasping for air, I disentangled myself and pushed up on my hands to get a look at my would-be rescuee. 

 

He was already trying to clamber back to his feet, eyes wild and teeth bared in a feral snarl.

 

"What's wrong with you, man?" I wheezed, frantically scanning for anything that could subdue him without serious harm. 

"Snap out of it! Are you under some kind of spell?"

 

He did not respond.

 

Though his face was obscured in the shadows, I could sense the anger radiating off of him in waves. His body was tensed, fists clenched at his sides as if ready to strike out at any moment.

He spat out. "You think you've saved me, don't you? You pathetic fool..."

 

“Did I ask for your help?” His voice was laced with fury, which surprised me, making me wonder why a person could resort to such an action.

 

I used to view people who resorted to committing suicide as losers and weaklings.

 

Before I could catch my breath, while groaning from the pain of the fall, he suddenly rose to his feet. 

 

A determined, almost manic resolution burned in his eyes as he turned and started marching back towards the edge. 

 

My eyes widened in shock as I scrambled upright, realising he was still intent on ending his life. 

A tight knot of dread formed in the pit of my stomach as I wondered what sort of darkness had held him and driven him to this. 

 

I had to stop him again, but I decided to reach him with words because if I physically prevented it again, the suicidal urge might return.

 

"Fine, if you really think this is the answer, at least tell me why. What prompted this decision?" I asked him.

 

He hesitated, his back still turned. 

 

“Why do you care?" he muttered bitterly.

 

"Just let me die in peace." The plaintive plea cut me to the core.

I scoffed, aghast at his words. "Die in peace? You call voluntarily drowning yourself a peaceful death?"

 

Slowly, he turned to meet my gaze, his eyes haunted. "You know nothing...some things are better left unsaid."

 

But that voice... I knew I had heard the voice before, but I could not recall when or where I did.

 

“Okay, since you don’t want to talk about it... How about you listen to mine because it seems we are here for the same purpose?” I mused.

“Why does it matter?” He inquisitively asked me.

“At least I’ll be assured that the only person I told of my pain and heartbreak could not tell a living. Your determination has assured me that my secret will be safe with you.”

 

He chuckled. “Were you not trying to save me some moments ago?”

 

“Well, it seems you don’t need me to save you.”

He heaved a ragged sigh, his shoulders sagging with bone-deep weariness. "Okay...I'm listening."

So I began laying it all out: the inexplicable determination that had drawn me here and the unexpected heartbreak. 

"If only I was rich..."I mumbled bitterly.

"None of this would have happened."

He finally turned to face me fully then, and I jolted backwards, stunned. 

Because at that moment, I knew exactly who stood before me.

"Wh-What?" The strangled exclamation slipped out in a harsh whisper.

This haunted, broken man was none other than Lugano Chris, a powerful CEO, and one of the most successful and influential figures around. 

A few nights ago, his grand mansion was the site of an unspeakable tragedy when four of his family members were brutally murdered. Only he and his youngest daughter survived the massacre.

The horror of it all slammed into me in full force. No wonder his voice had rung so familiar—I had delivered pizzas to that very mansion before.

He watched me closely, correctly reading my expression. 

A sad smile ghosted across his lips.

"From your expression, I see you know who I am now and why I've been driven to this."

My eyes widened further, my hand rising to cover my gaping mouth. 

The implication hit me like a physical blow. This powerful, untouchable man had been utterly devastated, reduced to a mere husk. 

 

He had given up on his life.

 

“Life can be ironic sometimes…” He chuckled.

“Your reason for being here is related to your being poor, while mine is because of my wealth.”

 

My brows arched in confusion concerning what he meant, prompting me to ask for clarification from him.

A bitter chuckle, laced with searing pain, slipped from his lips. "It was definitely one of my competitors... A rival is looking to utterly destroy me. Well, he succeeded."

His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he glanced back out over the lake. In that moment, the anguish was etched rawly across his face.I felt a pang of empathy, my heart aching for the unfathomable calamity he had suffered.

His gaze snapped back to me. 

"One man's meat is another man's poison," he stated cryptically, the words carrying a twisted wisdom born of his tragedy.

I opened my mouth to respond, to reason with him, but stopped short. 

As unthinkable as this brink of suicide was, I understood the all-consuming torment driving him here. 

But the question remained—why couldn't he bounce back? Overcome this devastation, as he had no doubt conquered past setbacks. Why accept to be a loser?

“I understand you, but it isn’t worth you taking your life in the process.” I mused.

 

He scoffed. “You can’t understand. What is more in this world to live in? Nothing! All the people that were my drive for success are no more; the only one left is just like a nobody.”

 

Beads of tears rolled down his cheeks as he sobbed.

 

“If you are talking about your daughter... I know what happened to her, but did you consider her before making this decision?”

 

I was shocked by his stupidity when he told me that he had willed his properties to her.

 

“As for me, my purpose on this earth has ended.” 

 

I scoffed. "What makes you think those same people won't cunningly take advantage of her condition? If they were capable of such atrocities against your entire family, an innocent child is hardly safe." 

 

My words seemed to land, giving him pause. 

 

He turned away from the edge and slowly made his way to a nearby bench, sinking heavily. 

 

A sigh of relief escaped my lips, and I sat beside him.

 

But then his shoulders slumped further.

 

"But I'm done. A loser, finished," he muttered despondently. 

 

The haunted look in his eyes spoke volumes—this man had utterly lost his will to persevere and to fight. There didn't seem to be even a flicker of hope left inside him.

 

I pressed on, keeping my voice level. "Did you even consider how your daughter would feel if you took your own life? Can you imagine the additional trauma of losing you too, right after this calamity cost her siblings and mother?"

His gaze slid towards me, but his eyes were hollow.

 

"She would resent you for the rest of her days…” I drove the point home.

"Because the one person meant to support her abandoned her alone to deal with these problems."

 

My words hung heavy in the air between us.

 

He said nothing, but the muscles twitching in his jaw spoke volumes about the internal war raging within him.

His brow furrowed as realisation seemed to dawn on him. 

"You're right," he said slowly, brushing a hand over his head in regret. 

“How could I have even entertained the thought of abandoning her too?"

He met my gaze, a flicker of determination surfacing amidst the anguish.

“Thanks for helping me see things clearly," he said, shaking his head sadly. 

“Maybe this is just karma finally catching up to me."

Though his voice still carried the weighty pain lancing his soul, he continued haltingly. 

“But it would have been better if that karma had only taken me, my wealth and status...and spared my family this..."

Then, ever so slightly, the corner of my mouth quirked up with a hint of a smile. 

A seed of an idea took root, blossoming into something that could potentially rewrite this entire tragic situation of mine and his.

This could be it! A golden opportunity.

I caught his eye once more, holding his turbulent gaze steadily. 

“What if..." I began slowly, letting the two loaded words dangle teasingly.