On seeing her husband standing at the door, Addie's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of guilt, or perhaps realization flickering in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by intense irritation.
She didn't get up from her place or make any move to explain herself, but she simply glanced at him with a mixture of impatience and exasperation, as if his presence was the real problem.
But Addie was not the one to break the silence in the room.
"You freeloading jerk!"The man who had come out of the bathroom, wearing only a bath towel, was none other than Leon’s boss, Mr. Cooper. For a second, Cooper seemed shocked to see Leon standing in the doorway.
But then his expression quickly transformed into one of anger and arrogance, as he shouted;
"You just can't stop slacking, can you, Jenkins? What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the day?"
Mr. Cooper barked, without even an ounce of self awareness.
"You’re supposed to be at work, completing your reports and not sneaking out of the office!"Leon’s blood boiled. The sheer audacity of his boss, standing half- naked in his bedroom, with his wife, and then accusing Leon of shirking work!
Before Leon could think, he had launched himself at Cooper, roaring at the top of his lungs;
"You rascal!" His fist connected with Mr. Cooper's face with a loud crunch, causing the man to stumble backward. Cooper didn't even get the time to stabilize himself before Leon jumped on him.
His vision was blurred with rage, and it was like his tunnel vision was locked on Cooper's face. He knocked Cooper to the ground and straddled his torso, attacking him non-stop with his fists; channeling all his pent-up anger into every single punch.
Although Leon had cancer, he was still able to overpower his boss, who could only grunt and try to shield his face.
Leon’s knuckles were bleeding by now, but he didn’t feel the pain. After all, he was finally getting the opportunity to exact revenge on the man who had made his life a living hell.
"You really think you can treat people like trash and get away with it?! You think you can control everything, huh!"
Mr. Cooper's attempts to defend himself were weak and ineffective, and he squirmed under Leon’s assault.
But suddenly, Leon felt a sharp, searing pain at the back of his head. The world around him seemed suddenly titled. He turned to see Addie standing over him, her face pale and twisted with desperation.
In her hands was a broken photo frame that she had hit him with, and the corner of the silver frame was bloody. Inside, their wedding picture was splintered and shattered around the edges.
Leon’s vision swam, and he could see Addie's lips moving, but her words were drowned out by the roaring in his ears as blood trickled down the side of his face.
Addie screamed, her voice shrill;
"Get away from him, right now!"Leon couldn't believe it, had she actually hit him for the man she was cheating with?! In disbelief, he touched the back of his head, and his fingers immediately became sticky with blood.
Meanwhile, Cooper decided to take advantage of Leon’s distraction, and shoved him away, trying to sit up.
Addie rushed to Mr. Cooper's side, her eyes blazing with anger, saying,
"Oh my Gosh, are you okay? Leon, you are a fucking animal! Who does that?"Cooper pushed her hand away, choosing to get up on his own; the whole time, he was glaring at Leon.
"You ungrateful piece of shit!"
He cursed, getting to his feet and wiping blood from his mouth."You should be thankful I even gave you a job in the first place, otherwise you would be begging on the road like the street urchin that you really are!"
Leon struggled to maintain his balance, the room spinning around him. But Cooper's anger was rising with every minute that he spent, looking at Leon's disgusting face.
"And as for Addie– she actually enjoys sleeping with me, unlike you! Who can't even give her any pleasure or satisfaction. So, technically, I’m doing you another favor by taking care of your wife's needs because a loser like you clearly can't."
Leon was feeling dizzy due to the massive amount of blood loss, along with his anger making him blind to everything else. He could barely see straight, but the smirk on Cooper’s face was clear.
Even though Leon was miserable at his job and didn't earn much, he really took pride in earning his money through honest means. But it felt like at this moment, he had lost everything he had worked hard for: his dignity, his marriage, and the last shreds of respect he had been clinging to.
He looked at Addie, hoping for some sign of regret, but all he saw was her standing there with hate reflecting on her face. He felt a flash of disappointment towards this woman, and he spat out;
"How dare you–"Cooper laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed in the small bedroom.
"Because she can't stand your fucking guts! You really are pathetic, Jenkins. Just look at yourself…"Addie shouted in response, adding insult to injury as she spoke;
"How dare you! I should be asking that, not you! How dare you barge in here and cause such a scene, huh? This much audacity doesn't suit a pathetic poor loser like you! Why do you hate me so much that you have to ruin every good thing in my life?"
Leon looked at her in disbelief, as if he was sure that he was mistaken.
"What are you talking about? You are the one cheating on me–"
"And what else do you expect me to do? You clearly can't satisfy any of my needs, not financial, physical or emotional! All day, you slave away at your stupid job for barely a few hundred dollars!"
Addie retorted in a voice of pure hatred.
"Of course not! I deserve a better and richer man! Do you think I want to live in this poverty with a horrible husband like you?"
Leon felt his anger rising again, mixing with the hurt and betrayal.
"Are you seriously trying to say that this is my fault?" he yelled back."Fine! You know what, let me make you free of your misery. I will definitely divorce you, but give me my bank card first!"
Addie sneered, her lips curling into a cruel smile.
"Oh, you want your bank card? Sure, I'll give you your precious bank card."She walked over to the dresser, opened a drawer, and grabbed the card. Turning back to Leon, she threw it at his face, the plastic edge catching his cheek before falling to the floor.
"Here, take that and leave me the fuck alone!"
Leon picked up the card, his hands shaking with rage. He clenched his fists, and for a moment, he was tempted to show them just how angry he was feeling towards them.
But then he remembered the doctor's words, and decided that they didn't deserve anything more from him. His health had to come first.
Without another word, Leon turned on his heel and left the bedroom; he needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. He couldn't waste any more time on these cheaters.
________
Leon stumbled out of the house without even registering his surroundings properly. He didn't want to think about anything right now, because if he started to think about how shitty this day was, he might never stop spiraling.He flagged down a taxi and gave the driver the address of the hospital. By now, the bleeding from his wound had stopped, but there was definitely a dull ache at the back of his head. He rushed inside the hospital, greeted by the sterile smell of disinfectant as rushed towards the doctor’s office. Dr. Walter greeted him with a concerned look as Leon walked in.“Oh, Mr. Jenkins, please have a seat. It’s good that you were able to come today.” Dr. Walter began to speak again as Leon sat down on the chair, his voice steady but serious. “Here are your test reports.” He handed Leon a thick envelope and continued, “Look, Mr. Jenkins, I'll be completely honest with you. If you can afford it, I would highly recommend that you get the surgery. Otherwise, you might no
Leon was wandering the streets like a zombie, barely dodging the incoming traffic and catching himself from stumbling over at the last moment. The betrayal, shock and disappointment from the day’s events was driving him to the edge of a nervous breakdown. He didn't know where he was, or where his other belongings were… his phone, his bank card, the reports– he wasn't aware of anything at this point.All he knew was that some time during the phone call with Addie, he had walked out of the hospital without saying a word to anyone. What was the point of staying anyway? It's not like anyone could help him get back control of his life, or his savings; nobody could offer him anything other than pity. He didn't want to talk to anyone, nor did he want to sit and wallow in self- pity; and so, he was out on the streets, while memories flashed before his eyes. And in hindsight, his whole life starting from childhood to adulthood, just seemed like a collection of missed opportunities and shatt
The leader's face was twisted in horror as the reality of the situation sank in… he was in deep trouble, more than he had ever bargained for. "Oh shit… shit, shit shit…" he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over his pounding heart. "He… he is– we killed him. No, one of you bloody bastards killed him! And now the cops… the cops could be here any moment!"The other gangsters looked around frantically, their own fear reflecting in their wide eyes. There was an outbreak of panic in the group, and without waiting for orders, a few of them turned around and bolted, running away as fast as they could."What are you looking at, you fools? Help me up!" The leader shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. He struggled to his feet, his legs shaking under his weight. Some of his most loyal followers rushed forward, supporting him by the arms. The remaining men were stunned, glancing nervously around for the one who had struck Leon. But of course, he wasn't waiting around to be
Leon could hear a beeping sound near his head, and the faint sound of medical equipment was only becoming louder and more persistent in his ears. He tried to move, but he felt some heaviness in his limbs. It was a struggle to open his eyes, and when he finally managed to, his vision was blurry and unfocused. Suddenly, a cheerful voice pierced through the fog. "He woke up! Mom, he's up! His eyes are open!"Leon’s eyes shifted towards the sound. A little girl stood at the foot of his bed, her face lit up with genuine amazement and happiness. As his vision cleared, he saw a beautiful woman walking towards him.Their gaze met, and the woman's eyes widened with surprise before she said,“You're right, sweetie! Let me inform them." "Doctor, nurse! The patient is awake!" She called out, her voice carrying a sense of urgency. She was dressed in a set of crisp formal clothes, and Leon couldn't place her at all. Who was she, and had they met before?Leon’s mind was still in a fog of confusi
Leon sat up straighter, his mind racing with confusion and curiosity. How could it be impossible for him to have cancer? It wasn't anything less than a miracle to go from having advanced stage terminal cancer to being completely cancer free and in perfect health within less than twenty four hours!Unless… could it be a mistake? There was only one way to confirm it; if he managed to get his examination results from the other hospital, to prove to the woman that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Maybe there was some kind of misunderstanding, and he was getting too hopeful on the basis of just one comment. Leon was thinking about how he might be able to retrieve the documents he had left behind at the other hospital, but before he could discuss anything with the woman, a sudden chaos erupted outside the room. The woman's face turned serious as she heard the commotion in the hallway. "Just stay put for a few minutes, I need to see what is happening outside. I own this hospital, a
Emily was in despair knowing that the hound could brutally attack her innocent little daughter. Sarah’s eyes remained closed as her hands and knees trembled out of this terrifying moment.Meanwhile, Watt's outburst of laughter does not show any pity for the poor little girl. “Don’t feel sorry for this pathetic little girl. She was just an adopted daughter anyway—merely a bastard. After we get married, she will be kicked out of our lives,” he declared arrogantly.However, when the hound was a few inches away from Sarah, its fangs were ready to bite the poor kid, Leon got through its way rapidly, punched the hound heavily, and flew 3 meters away. The hound was chased away and burst out a horrible shriek.“Get off her!” Leon yelled furiously. He suddenly became a completely different person, not showing any weakness as a patient even though he was admitted to the hospital.Watt’s jaw dropped. He didn’t expect Leon to knock down his precious hound in a single attack. He was so confused ab
Leon was shocked but apparently, this old man and his men saved his life. If it weren’t for them, he might be tortured by Watt’s guardians already. With a confused face, he asked, “Who are you?” He was so clueless about what this old man was talking about. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere, talking words Leon failed to understand.The old man bowed to Leon. “Finally, I found you, young master,” he said respectfully.It made Leon more confused. Why did he call him young master and why is he looking for him? “Can you tell me what is happening here?” he asked desperately. He thinks that maybe this old man just mistook him with someone else. There is no way he can be a young master in an instant.The old man smiled genuinely. “You are my young master. By the way, who are those guards and where did they get the guts to offend my young master?” he asked with a gritted tooth. The smile on his face suddenly faded and turned darker knowing that people tried to hurt his young master.Howe
Despite the frightening situation that Leon has witnessed earlier, he is left with no choice but to trust the old man. Indeed, he was cruel and heartless but he also saved his life from those men. He believes that the old man only did his duty since he recognized Leon as his young master.As the car rushed to the villa at a high speed, the old man spoke out. “Young master, I’m glad that I have finally found you. You are the only son of the Tarlose family I have been looking for so long,” he revealed.Leon’s forehead creased. He didn’t get any of his words since the first time they met earlier. It seemed that the old man knew his strange identity which he wasn’t aware of at all.“I never heard of that family. How come I became their only son? Can you explain it further to me, please,” he baffled. Not having an idea about it makes him anxious about his own identity. He also doubts whether he will believe what the old man says or not.“You probably haven’t heard about them because they a