Chapter 1 Wretching Betrayal

CHAPTER 1.

WRENCHING BETRAYAL.

The deafening sound from afar was the only reason Luca could sense that the DJ set he had paid for was already at his girlfriend, Mia's, residence.

But it was too loud. Mia doesn't like loud places, and she rarely even goes to the club. This was all the more reason why Luca quickened his pace so he could stop them before she arrived home.

She had told him she would be returning today by 5:00 pm.

He looked at his watch; it was already 4:47 pm!

"She must be on her way now," he mused, adjusting the bouquet of flowers in his hands.

She had told him she was going on a business trip to Kenya and would be back today. Well, today was also her birthday, and just like any couple would, Luca was preparing not only to surprise her but also to propose.

He had been saving up for all of this for the past nine months. He tripled his hustle: he became a bar attendant during the early evening and a stripper at night so he could afford to give her the life she desired.

Stripper? Well, yes! Tippers tip him to look good, but he spends it on Mia.

He pushed the door open, and his brows furrowed in surprise when he saw Mia and some of her friends dancing together.

He was really aggravated when his eyes wandered around and there were not any of the DJs or even decorators he hired around.

What happened?

"Mia! Mia! Mia! Mia!" he yelled her name repeatedly, but she couldn't hear him over the loud music.

He maneuvered through the crowd of people and grabbed her by the arm.

"Mia," he said, and she looked at him with a broad smile. She probably expected it to be one of her friends.

But when she saw that it was her boyfriend, her smile faded away almost immediately.

"Why are you here? Didn't you go to work?" she asked calmly.

Luca rolled his eyes, trying his best not to yell at her. What kind of girlfriend hosts a birthday party and doesn't invite her own boyfriend?

Well, it was only Mia!

Luca said, "You said you would arrive by 5:00 pm, and I sent an Uber to pick you up from the airport and bring you here. How come you're already here, fully immersed in the celebration of your birthday, and without me?”

Mia scoffed mockingly. "It isn't a big deal, Luca. I arrived earlier, and my friends were already hosting a birthday party for me. Besides, you wouldn't have done something as extravagant as this!" She pointed her hand at the exclusive DJ set, packs of expensive gifts, and the liquor and chicken sticks corner.

She wasn't entirely wrong. Luca couldn't afford all of it despite working multiple jobs, putting in nothing less than twenty hours every day. From being a delivery man to a bar attendant, and even a stripper at night!

His eyes wandered around the spacious living room. He had rented it for Mia just two months ago, while he didn't even have a roof over his own head. Juggling those jobs, he slept at the club and woke up the next morning to do delivery jobs.

He almost didn't recognize the apartment anymore. It was now painted with Mia's favorite original pink color, and some parts were adorned with portraits of half-naked women. The chairs were exquisite, and it surprised Luca because he didn't remember buying any of them. Moreover, the last time he checked, Mia didn't have the money to afford such chairs and cushions.

"Oh, look at the saint stripper. Who invited him here? Will he be dancing for us?" a feminine voice said as she walked over to where Mia and Luca were standing.

When Luca heard her words, he wished he could dig a hole and disappear into it. Mia didn't know that he was stripping to earn a living. The reason the lady called him "the saint stripper" was because he didn't allow any of the women at the strip club to touch him or sexualize him.

Mia was taken aback.

"Damn! Did Owen invite the strippers to strip for us?" the lady asked further.

Mia was confused. "Stripper? Which stripper?"

"Him!" the lady squealed happily, pointing her finger at Luca.

"He is a stripper. Don't you know him? Oh well, you don't attend clubs,What was I thinking." she said, walking away and winking seductively at Luca.

Mia stood there, dumbfounded. She was completely surprised to learn that Luca was a stripper. It was new information to her, and perhaps she now saw it as an excuse to break up with him. She was now a CEO, and of course, she couldn't be seen with a "stripper pauper."

Meanwhile, Luca's brows furrowed. He had just heard Owen's name, and his mind hadn't been able to decipher who the hell Owen might be.

He turned to Mia, with a lot of questions to ask her. But before he could even say a word, Debby, one of Mia's friends, rushed into their circle. Her face was radiant with a soft smile as she said, "Where the hell have you been, Mia? Owen is coming!”

"Leave this wretched delivery boy!" she added rudely with a deep sigh.

Debby looked so happy. Before Luca could say a word, Mia grabbed Debby's arm, and they both rushed to the door excitedly. Luca was surprised. Why was she so anxious about Owen's arrival?

The door opened, and a tall man walked in. He was undoubtedly handsome and incredibly wealthy. Luca could clearly see him dressed in a Louis Vuitton suit and a Richard Mille wristwatch.

In fact, he exuded wealth. He had that affluent aura without even saying a word. Everyone turned and their eyes were glued to him.

He walked over to where Mia was standing and affectionately kissed her cheeks before taking her hands in his own.

Mia looked very nervous, perhaps because Luca was standing in front of them, but she didn't resist his gesture.

Luca was shocked! Who the hell was Owen to her?

Mia had been working at Grayson Empire, and Owen happened to be the company's Managing Director. But Luca wondered how they went from a staff-boss relationship to holding hands and kissing affectionately in front of everybody.

It was now clear to Luca how his girlfriend had gone from a modest promotion to becoming a CEO.

Luca didn't mind but walked over to where the celebrities of the night was and interrupted their conversation.

"Mia, who is he?" he asked.

Mia went stiff for a moment, knowing whose voice it was, before she and Owen turned to face Luca.

Owen had a disgusted look on his face as his eyes scanned Luca before turning to Mia and warning, "I clearly said I don't want to see this pauper around this party. Who let him in?"

The whole place fell into silence, and the DJ stopped the music as Owen's voice resonated through the building.

There were stares and murmurs, but Luca was unfazed. He stood his ground, staring at Mia and Owen.

It felt like a prank to him. Another man ordering his girlfriend around in the very house he had rented for her two months ago?

If sarcasm were a person, it would be life!

"What is he saying?" Luca asked again.

Mia's eyes turned red with disdain as she whined, "Didn't you hear what he said? Just leave already and don't cause more trouble!"

"Where the hell did you find this guy?" Debby whined, as usual. "I've never seen someone this poor and disobedient. He really thought you're his... Oh my God!"

"Girlfriend?" Owen picked up on Debby's words. He turned to Mia. "Don't tell me this pauper slept with you?"

A cold chill ran down Mia's spine as she heard the question. Luca had actually been the only guy who had satisfied her so well. Even Owen wasn't as skilled as Luca in bed, and she knew that. But saying that would only anger Owen, so she lied.

"Impossible! How can you even ask such a thing? This pussy is pricey!" She gestured to her vagina with a girly attitude, causing an uproar among the gullible girls in the crowd who supported her, giggling happily.

A broad smile curled up on Owen's lips as he watched her.

Luca couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say. He didn't expect her to lie and embarrass him like this. She had praised how good he was in bed and how big his dick was, but now she had backtracked on everything she usually said.

He never expected her to betray him so quickly. She had been the only one with whom he found peace of mind, and he had even sworn to be faithful to her. That was the reason he only danced in clubs and didn't sleep with other women or accompany them back to their houses for personal tips.

Over a decade ago, when he woke up in the orphanage and they told him they didn't know who had brought him in, he was wrapped inside a bag and left at the door. He had no one he trusted, except Mia, not knowing that she was only a gold digger!

"Oh, I see you're sad," Owen suddenly said, and Luca raised his gaze to him.

"I can actually elevate you from being a pauper to being a millionaire in just a few seconds if you do what I'm about to say. And wait, you can also get your bitch back," he boasted.

Mia's eyes widened in shock as she looked at him. "What are you trying to do? Give me back to him?”