CHAPTER 3

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.

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