Ignoring the trembling of his legs, he goes to the washroom. Splashing water on his face, he notices the swelling and pain in his stomach. After a bath and fresh clothes, he returns to his room and sits on the bed, feeling heavy and numb.
A knock comes at the door. Rohan opens it and finds a female servant holding a breakfast tray. He frowns at the coffee and the food.
“Sir Kaden sent me. He mentioned you got into an accident last night.”
Rohan nods, and Sara, Kaden’s personal maid, enters. Sara is tall and slender with a plain face. Her hair is pulled back in a bun. She is dressed in a gray uniform and black apron and carries an air of confidence.
She sets the tray down and pats the bed. “If you would sit here, I can look at the wound on your face,” she says. “And anywhere you are wounded.”
Rohan nods, and she inspects and cleans his injuries. “It’s fine now, Sir Rohan,” she reassures.
Rohan clears his throat. “I’m not a sir anymore.”
She frowns. “Why?”
“I’m not part of the Walton clan anymore.”
“Because you are cleaning the house and transferred to this room?” she asks.
Rohan shakes his head, embarrassed. “I’m no longer treated as a proper son-in-law.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Rohan averts his eyes and says nothing as he takes the food.
“Are you done?”
“Yes,” he replies.
Sara leaves, and Rohan locks the door. Since he finished his tasks yesterday, he can rest and tend to his wound. Before he can take a step, someone bangs on the door.
Rohan opens it again and finds Kaydance Walton, Kyndra’s youngest sister.
“Ewww, what happened to your face?” she asks, pointing at his cheeks.
“Accident,” he replies. “What are you doing here?”
“My friends are here,” she informs. “We need a taster for our cakes. The butler says you are free all day.”
Rohan follows her into a luxurious kitchen that is humid and bathed in the sunlight, like egg yolk dripping into a giant waffle. Kaydance’s friends are busy chattering and laughing. He hears steel pans, eggshells crunching, and frying.
“Here’s my brother-in-law!” Kaydance announces. “At our service!”
“Hello,” he greets, and the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries assaults his nose.
“This is your brother-in-law?” the young woman with pale skin and freckles asks.
“Yes, Lilian,” Kaydance answers beside her.
“Let him try the chocolate one,” the tall, dark-haired one suggests.
“No, Delora! Make him wash his hands first,” the girl in the pink shirt says, grimacing at his fresh wound.
“You don’t have to sound so disgusted, Vina,” Lilian scolds her.
“But it’s disgusting.”
“Enough,” Lilian scolds. “You! Wash your hands first just so Vina is satisfied.”
Rohan washes his hands and takes a seat. The girls give him a small cake, emitting the smell of chocolate, butter, and cinnamon.
Vina explains, “This is the chocolate one.”
Rohan bites into it. “This is delicious,” he praises.
The girl passes around cakes. After eating two, Rohan is full and sleepy. He rests his head on the table and dozes off while listening to the girls’ chatter.
“The private party for the elites will be tomorrow.”
“I heard it’s two hours of drive away.”
“It’s a hassle,” Delora remarks. “But there will be wine and whiskey. Not to mention gorgeous actors and models.”
“You don’t have to be so crude about it.”
“But it’s exciting!”
“You see actors and models all the time,” Lilian points out. “Besides, we can’t go. Kay has no boyfriend.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll take him,” Kaydance says, pointing at him.
“Didn’t you say he was disgusting?”
“I thought we were going to a party, not the poorhouse?”
Vina rolls her eyes at Kaydance. “Why take that?”
“It’s supposed to be Kyndra,” she replies. “I need to substitute.”
Rohan raises his head at the young women. “I’m full. Can I leave?”
“No!” The young women circle him, pushing him back to the chair. “You can’t leave without eating all these up.”
“Can I play him, Kay?” Delora asks.
“Sure, go ahead,” Kay replies.
Delora grabs a cake and presses it on his chest.
“What the!?” he exclaims.
Delora drops another cake on the floor, sending crumbs and whipped cream everywhere. Then she pushes a cake onto his face.
“Hey, stop it!” he shouts. Delora looks at Kaydance and says, “Can I have him, please?”
Kaydance shrugs. “You can’t. He is already our dog.”
The door bursts open, and a butler enters. “How could you let this happen?” she scolds Rohan. “You should be ashamed of yourself! Your wife just died a year ago!”
Rohan stands up. “I did nothing wrong. I just tasted their cakes.”
The butler stares coldly at Rohan. “You are a disgrace, pervert.”
Rohan doesn’t argue, asking instead if he can already leave. He knows Kaydance will turn the tables on him again. The butler steps aside and allows him to leave.
However, that’s after calling him a “low-life.”
After his bath, Rohan enters a sun-filled greenhouse of vines and flowers. Inhaling the sweet scent, he relaxes in the comforting oasis.Rohan knows he’s dreaming when he sees Kyndra smiling down at him. Her dark hair falls around her shoulders, and her eyes sparkle in the light. She moves closer and presses against him, whispering, “Come to me.”He bolts awake, groaning. It had been a while since he last dreamed of his beloved wife.“Fuck me harder! Ah! Come for me!” It is a shrill cry of a woman amidst ecstasy.Rohan crawls towards the sound and sees Kendrick Walton and Chelsea, the famous actress, in a passionate embrace. She is writhing beneath him as pleasure wracks their bodies.Kendrick yells, “You whore! Stop faking your orgasm!”“I am not,” she purrs. “You are so good.”Kendrick whirls around and bellows, “Who’s there?!”Rohan panics as Kendrick’s eyes flash with murder. There’s no way to escape.Kendrick takes his pants and a gun. He fires. Rohan feels a sharp pain, and bloo
The grand party is filled with vibrant colors, music, and lights. Guests are dressed in their finest and are dancing. Buffet tables are set with crystal glasses, dishes, and food. The aromas of sweet desserts, savory meats, bread, coffee, and flowers fill the room.Rohan stands stiffly as Kaydance Walton smiles at their greeters. Kyndra should have been the one attending, but now Kaydance and Rohan have to substitute.“Why are there too many people?!” she complains, her arms interlaced on his. “I thought this is a gathering of the elite? It’s not elite if there’s a lot!”Rohan still thinks the number is small. Less than a hundred for the entire country.“Do something, dog!” Kaydance orders.Rohan ignores her command. His shoulders ache from Kendrick’s hit yesterday, and he is uncomfortable wearing a black tuxedo while others wear colorful gowns and suits. Thankfully, he only had to stay until Kendrick’s announcement.“There are a lot of handsome actors here. Dog, make yourself handsom
Kaden pulls Rohan’s head up. “Since you will die soon, I will tell you something really good,” he says. He leans closer to his ears and whispers, “I killed my sister Kyndra. I had no choice. She is about to squander our fortune. Too much for being one of the Twelve Elites. She is a massive fool, destroyed when she met you.”Rohan’s eyes flew open and sees the ceiling of a house. He is only dreaming. No, that was real. As he was dying, Kaden whispered it to him. That monster killed his wife! And then, he killed him too!His eyes begin to well up with tears. If he could go back in time, he would do everything differently. He and Kyndra would stay together forever. Instead, they wasted years, and their marriage only ended in misery and sorrow.“Why is the young man crying?”Rohan’s eyes go to an old man by the door. He is holding a pitcher with a small cup on top. And on his other hand is a water basin with a towel hanging on its side.“So, angels look like that?”The old man chuckles. “
When the gauze is unwrapped from Rohan’s face, he realizes he is looking at a stranger in the mirror. His terrified eyes scan his new features, feeling the unfamiliarity of his changed jaw, cheeks, and eyebrows.“I am sorry, but your face is too beat up that I had no choice but to completely change it,” Crete informs him too late.“Why...”“It’s also safer for you. If those people realize that you are still alive—”Fury boils within him as he snatches Crete’s collar, cutting his sentence off. He balls his hands into meaty fists. He lifts his arms, ready to unleash his wrath, when he holds back with great effort, leaving the air quivering with his anger.“Don’t worry, I understand,” Crete says.Rohan’s face contorts with rage. A sea of white-hot anger engulfs him. His jaw clenches. He can feel his heart pounding as every ounce of his being is consumed by the fierce desire for vengeance.Without warning, he storms over to the chair and unleashes a furious onslaught of kicks, obliteratin
The city is still the same as before. Heavy traffic. Pickpockets. Vendors on the side of the street. Women having a catfight on the side. It is chaos. Yet, there is a certain sense of comfort in him. Rohan has been here for a few months. He’s been studying the elites, taking information, and planning his next moves.Rohan walks down the busy streets. He spots a few men in black suits going to his destination: the fitness center. He follows them until they enter the gym.Rohan enters the lobby and looks around. There is a woman behind the counter checking people out. He approaches.“Good morning, I am Rudi Rowe. I am here to apply as one of the gym trainers or cleaners,” Rohan starts. “I just need a job.”The woman looks at him from head to toe and back again. “If you can wait there,” she says, pointing at one of the couches. “You are just in time. I believe the boss is looking for a new personal trainer.”Rohan nods and obeys the woman. He sits on the couch and replays his separation
Three months later...Rohan is in front of Yu’s employees. He is the first quarter’s top awardee because he’s got a couple of clients and is earning decently. James approaches him with a smile on his face. “Congratulations, Rudi! You’ve done well.”Rohan nods. “Thank you.”“You are welcome. I was wondering if you would like to join my team. I am looking for a personal trainer to help me manage the other trainers.”Rohan is stunned. This is precisely what he wanted–the opportunity to work under him. That way, his revenge will be easier. “I’m interested.”“Great!” James claps his hands together. “You start tomorrow morning.”James turns his attention back to the other employee and says, “For anyone who would like to have the same position. Work hard, and I will include you in the team that I am building.”The employees cheer. “Now, let’s celebrate!” James shouts. “To a successful first quarter!”**************The next day, Rohan arrives at the gym early in the morning and sees James s
The day of the show has arrived. The audience watches the program while waiting for the host to call on James. He is the recent winner of another fitness reality show competition. A few minutes later, when the emcee announces James, he comes out wearing a shirt and pants instead of his usual suit. He sits down in front of the camera and smiles at the audience. “Hello, everyone!” he chirps.The host starts with the interview, while Rohan stands on the side. He watches closely how James presents himself to the public and tries to memorize everything he does. He could use it against him later.“You won last year’s competition. How did you prepare yourself for this season?” the host asks.“I trained harder than before.”“What kind of results did you get?”“I was able to increase my muscle mass by two percent.”“That’s an appreciable increase.”“Not so much. That is why, for this season, I hired a personal trainer to help me reach my goals.”“How many trainers do you have?”“Only one, but
A multi-step plan. Kyndra had always told him that to win, he needed more than one alternative plan in case Plan A fell apart.Now, Plan A has fallen apart. Kyndra mentioned that James was a closet homosexual. So Rohan expected that after that scene with the hired whore, James would force him to become his lover. That way, he will offer a different male to be his lover.“Rudi, don’t just stand there. Open the door,” James orders.That’s when Rohan realizes he’s been standing and staring at nothing for a while. He is inside James Yu’s office pretending to be a good employee.Gathering himself up, he walks up to the door and opens it. Mr. Dugal enters the room with a young man behind him. A new personal trainer, his hired male escort. The man is tall, muscular, and very handsome. He has short brown hair and dark brown eyes. His lips are full and pouty. He wears a tight black tank top underneath a polo shirt and grey slacks.He glances at him and gives a single bow as acknowledgment. The