2024-08-30 16:52:59Matthew was numb, his eyes were locked on Ashley but he just stood there, not knowing what to say or what to do.
Her expression shifted from anger to shock, and soon she began to avoid his gaze.
As he connected the dots—the underwear in his hand, her earlier furious accusations, and the look on her face now—everything fell into place for Matthew.
Now, she felt like a stranger. But a stranger's betrayal wouldn't cut this deep.
“Ashley,” he finally managed to say, his voice was low and trembling with emotions that were barely restrained. “You cheated on me?”
Ashley’s mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words. Not that Matthew would believe a word out of her mouth.
“Matthew, I—” she stammered, taking a hesitant step back. “It’s not what you think, I—”
“Then what is it?!” Matthew found himself almost yelling. “How can you do this to me?! I’ve given you everything I could! All these years, all the sacrifices I made... was it not enough? Was I not enough?”
“Well, isn't this interesting,” Darrell leaned against his car, arms crossed as he watched the scene unfold with a smirk on his face.
Ashley glanced at him nervously, and sighed, her eyes turning cold as she embraced the truth. “Listen Matt. I can't do this anymore with you. I mean look at you.”
She sized him up arrogantly. “You’re poor. You’ve always been poor. I can’t keep living like this, scraping by and hoping for something better. I want more, Matthew. I deserve more.”
Matthew's heart twisted in his chest. He couldn't believe this. His Ashley, his girlfriend saying these horrible words to him. “But I loved you, Ashley. I did everything I could for you. You know that.”
“Love doesn't pay bills!” she snapped. “You might be poor, but you're not dumb enough to think that it does. Or maybe you are. Look at Darrell! Can you see the difference in class between you too. You're his car washer! Imagine!”
She gestured for Darrell to come to her and she wrapped her hand around his. “Darrell can give me the life I’ve always dreamed of — the life you could never provide. I’m tired of waiting for you to get your act together. I’m tired of pretending that we have a future.”
Matthew felt his anger rising quickly, overtaking the sadness. All the years he had invested in her, the emotional and financial commitment he had placed in their relationship, all being dismissed like they meant nothing.
How did he not realize that Ashley was only a parasitic whore?!
“Hey, lover boy!” Darrell drawled, mockery in his voice. “Instead of standing there crying like an idiot, why don’t you make yourself useful? Wash my car—and you know what? To prove a point, first, how about you lick my shoes clean?”
“What?” Matthew frowned, the insult only adding to his injury.
“You heard me, you fool!” Darrell stretched his leg forward. “Get on all fours and lick my shoes clean like the poor little puppy you are.”
That was the last straw. The insult landed like a punch to the gut, and Matthew's rage exploded. “Who do you think you are, huh?! You think you can just waltz in here, throw your money around, and disrespect me!?”
Darrell's smirk widened to a mocking sneer. “Mind your tongue, little puppy! Do you know how powerful I am in this city? I can lay waste to you anytime I want. And what are you going to do about it, hm? You're just a broke loser who scrubs cars for a living. A poor, miserable… little … puppy.”
Before Matthew could respond or retaliate, Darrell's hand shot out and slapped him across the face. The slap resounded through Matthew's cheeks and he jerked backwards, clutching his face in pain and shock.
“Pfft!” Darrell scoffed, daring Matthew to do his worst.
And so, without thinking, Matthew lunged at Michael with fists flying.
“I’m going to teach you a lesson!”
A fight broke out between the two men. First they grappled, and then they began to exchange wild punches as Ashley shouted for Matthew to stop!
Matthew didn't care about what she had to say any longer, and he was clearly a better fighter than the rich, spoiled Darrell. He landed a solid hit on Darrell’s jaw, but when he wanted to follow up with another, a sharp pain exploded in the back of his head.
He stumbled forward, grabbing his head in pain, half-disoriented, and when he turned to see what had hit him, Ashley was standing there. On her hand was a heavy wrench that she had grabbed from a nearby workbench. Her face was twisted in fear and anger.
This heartless bitch! Matthew cried in his thoughts.
“Stay down, Matthew,” Ashley yelled a warning as she raised the wrench. “You’re making things worse!”
Feeling dazed and hurt, Matthew fell to the ground, still clutching his throbbing head.
“You piece of trash!” Darrell barked as he kicked him hard in the ribs. “How dare you put your hands on me! This suit costs more than your damn life —ngh!”
Another kick. A harder one that caused Matthew to clutch his stomach rather than his aching head.
Just then, Mr. Dempsey burst out of his office and to the front of the car wash. “What the hell is going on here?” he shouted, his eyes falling on Matthew, who was struggling to stand.
Ashley immediately let go of the wrench and scurried to Darrell, who hugged her tightly as he regarded the car wash manager.
“Mr Dempsey, does this delinquent trash work for you?!” he demanded.
Mr. Dempsey looked fearful as he did not want to lose an important customer such as Darrell Ferguson. “Matthew!” he shouted at the ‘delinquent trash.’ “What have you done?”
“He attacked me and my girlfriend!” Darrell said angrily. “I came here for a simple car wash, and this maniac decided to start a fight. Why do you hire street trash such as this, Mr. Dempsey?”
Mr. Dempsey's palms clasped together. “I am so sorry, Mr. Ferguson. I will deal with this, right away!”
Then his expression darkened as he turned to Matthew. “You! I warned you not to cause any trouble. And now look what you’ve done. You want me to lose my important customers? I would rather lose you instead. You're worth absolutely nothing anyway!”
Matthew's heart fell. “Does this mean—?”
“You’re fired! Get out of my sight before I call the cops myself.”
Matthew’s mind reeled. Fired? Just like that? What the hell is going on today?
This had to be the worst day of his life. He wanted to argue, to defend himself, but before he could speak, Darrell stepped forward, straightening his jacket cockily as if to shake off the encounter.
“No need to worry about that, Dempsey,” Darrell said with a cruel smile on his lips. “I’ll take care of this little punk. I have friends in high places who will make sure he spends a good time in prison for this very act.”
Then he squatted low and gazed into Matthew's eyes maliciously. “Battery and assault. With a charge like that, and with an important figure like me opposing you, you'll be done for, little pup.”
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The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 3• Beaten in Prison
Matthew sat on the cold, hard bench in the police station, his head still throbbing, his ribs aching and his entire body weary from the earlier ordeal.Out of nowhere, three men in black suits had arrived and picked him up from the car wash, forcefully taking him to the police station. So there he was, handcuffed with his face low as he regretted his life.He regretted ever meeting Ashley! He regretted falling in love with her!Policemen walked about in the station, there were low voices and the clattering of keys. It was a busy day, and no one cared to listen to his pleas of innocence.“Look at you,” Darrell Ferguson, who was standing just a few feet away, sneered. He was flanked by two officers who seemed more like his personal guards than upholders of the law.“Pathetic, useless thing. You thought you could stand up to me? You, a mere car washer against the man who runs this city? You're as stupid as you're poor! You’re nothing, Matthew. Nothing but a worthless piece of trash.”Eve
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 4• Most Important Client
“Get him cleaned up!” the chief commanded the officer. “And bring him to my office. Now.”The officer, along with another that had just arrived, scrambled to obey. They lifted Matthew and half-dragged him to the station's medical room where they hastily patched up his wounds, cleaned the blood and urine with a wet rag, then wore him old, lost and found clothes.Although he was too dazed to comprehend what was happening, Matthew had caught snippets of their nervous conversation. Who was this Harold Wellington and why had he come for him? Matthew had no friends in high places, no connections to power. It made no sense.Within minutes, he was ushered into the chief's office where a man in an expensive tailored suit stood by the window, holding a briefcase. He had dark hair, and his eyes were sharp behind his pair of glasses as he assessed Matthew.‘Who is this?’ Matthew wondered. ‘What is going on?’“You harmed him,” the man said to the police chief once he was done with his assessment.
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 5• The Houston Family
Matthew sat on the black, plush leather seat inside an expensive Jeep that was being driven by a stern chauffeur. In his mind, he was trying to put together the events that had just happened because none of it made sense to him.Maybe one of the men had hit his head so hard and he was imagining all of this. Beside him was Harold Wellington, the powerful lawyer who for some reason had come to his rescue. Although he felt too overwhelmed to ask them, Matthew needed his questions to be answered.“Why are you helping me?” Matthew finally asked Wellington. “I don’t even know who you are.”Wellington glanced at him briefly, an assuring look on his face. “I understand how confused and overwhelmed you might be after all of this. But I assure you it will be fine, Matthew. My name is Harold Wellington. I'm your family's lawyer—your true family, the Houston family.”Matthew blinked. “Houston family? I've heard that a lot today. I don't know who they are so I don't understand what you're talking
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 6• We Will See Whose Face Will Be Laughed At
“So because you are the manager of some family business then you think you can mock me?” Matthew asked with a voice that even though was calm, carried his frustration of everything he had been through today.“Ah, so the hick can talk, hm?” Spencer Delacroix mocked, a shark-like grin on his face. “You should learn to watch your mouth. My family is very powerful. We even have deep ties with the Houston family, which is even why I'm here; to discuss business and cooperation. But instead, I have to endure the presence of a beggar like you, sullying this reception hall with your rags.”“You are the one who should learn to watch his mouth,” Wellington said with a stern voice. “The Delacroix family is a small enterprise, your family is barely worth half of the Houston family’s wealth. The matriarch of the family hasn’t even granted you an audience, and yet you dare to humiliate the young master of the Houston family?”Spencer's eyes widened with amusement and he glanced at Matthew, who was s
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 7• The Matriarch's Wrath
The presence of the matriarch commanded the utmost respect. She hadn't even said a word, and yet an aura oozed out of her as she walked into the reception hall. She was dressed in an elegant but understated suit, and she walked royally as though she was twenty years younger. Her hair was silver and had been impeccably styled and packed behind her head. The bodyguards that had opened the door for her walked dauntlessly by her sides and scanned the room with their military eyes. Spencer Delacroix gulped. But realizing that this was the woman he needed to impress, he did not waste any time, he rushed forward eagerly, walking past Wellington and Matthew, desperate to make a good impression despite the earlier fiasco. “Mrs Houston!” he said with a big smile. “It’s an honor to see you! I am Spenc—” But the old lady didn’t so much as glance in his direction. It was almost like he wasn't even there, like his presence was meaningless compared to the grandness of the matriarch. Her shar
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 8• Billionaire Card
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The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 9• CEO
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The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 10 • Look Her In The Eyes
Matthew was surprised to see them standing behind him, he looked at Darrell, anger bubbling within his chest, and then at Ashley. He never thought the day would come when he would look her in the eyes and feel nothing but disgust.The look on Darrell’s face mirrored that of Ashley's, they were both wondering what a common car washer like Matthew would be doing in a fine establishment like this. Darrell quickly concluded that perhaps he was here to apply for a new job as a cleaner or maybe even a carwasher and so he stuck his hand in his pocket and scoffed, shaking his head lightly.Matthew stepped forward. “What are you two doing here?” he asked.Darrell scrunched his face in disgust as he glared at Matthew, looking him head to toe like he was a church rat. “I should be the one asking you, last I checked, they don’t hire low lives like you around here.”Ashley held on to Darrell tighter with a sense of pride and she adjusted. “If you must know, my boyfriend is so influential, he’s her
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174 • No for an Answer
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173 • In Due Time
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172 • Back Against the Wall
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171 • Money for the Birkin
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170• Anderson Cabrera
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169 • Surgery Booking
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168 • Catch Feelings
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167 • Safety Guarantee
Xander still had his back flattened against the wall and when he heard what she said he immediately left before he would be spotted.He knew that Lola didn't exactly say anything wrong, but the idea that she still had some residual feelings for Matthew bothered him deeply.He leaned against the wall at the end of the hallway and pretended like he had been there the whole time. “Are you done talking to your grandmother? Was she okay?”Xander nodded slowly. “Let me drop you off at home.”“Oh…” Lola was a bit taken aback, his offer was sudden and brash. “Okay it seems like you have somewhere important you need to be?”“Yeah I need to go to the mansion and take care of some things,” he lied, pressing his hands against the bridge of his nose. She nodded and then they left together. But before she totally exited the hospital, she looked back at Matthew, just to glance at him for a second.Even though Lola knew that feelings didn't just disappear into thin air, and that she would obviously
