Apocalypse—Bonds of Abundance

Chapter 005: A Price for the Truth

The silence that followed felt really heavy.

Every neighbour standing on the snow-covered street stared at Williams as if they were just seeing him for the first time.

Whispers instantly erupted.

"Did you hear what he said?"

"Frederick stole his brother's lover?"

"Good heavens! I knew the Amante Family had been hiding something."

Dora's heart pounded violently in her chest.

"No!" she snapped suddenly, her voice shrill with panic. "That nonsense! Arrant nonsense!"

She turned to the neighbours across the street, simultaneously pointing at Williams with accusing fingers..

"This boy is slandering us!"

Frederick quickly regained his balance and wiped the corner of his mouth, his face still burning freshly from the slap.

"Yeah, that's right," he said through gritted teeth. "You think you can just move around making up stories just because you suddenly have money?"

Then he turned toward the neighbours like Dora, raising his voice too. "Everyone here knows my brother has been unstable. He's just jealous of me!"

Several neighbours exchanged uncertain looks. Williams surely didn't look jealous.

He looked calm, too calm to say the least.

"Jealous?" Williams repeated, slipping both hands into the pockets of his coat. His faint smile returned. "For years in your house, I was forced to sleep in the storage room beside the washing machine whenever you wanted me to."

Gasps sounded from the crowd.

"I ate leftovers while the rest of you enjoyed the full dinners."

More murmurs spread.

Williams' eyes slowly swept across Dora and Frederick, and then to Isaac and Vera who were across the small street.

"You claim I was family," he continued quietly. "But I was nothing more than the servant in that house."

Dora's expression twisted even more. She was so good at pretense.

"It's a lie from the pit of hell!" she yelled.

Frederick nodded quickly. "Exactly! Lies! All lies!"

Then his eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.

"Since you feel like talking about Vera," he said loudly, pointing toward the young lady standing on the other side, "why don't we ask her directly?"

Then he turned confidently. "Vera, tell everyone here the truth."

Dora nodded, crossing her arms smugly. "Yes. Vera wouldn't lie."

Her eyes quickly flicked toward the girl. "Tell them whether Frederick stole you from Williams."

Frederick smirked. They were so confident of the outcome.

Yes, Frederick had indeed pursued Vera deliberately to steal her away from Williams. And after seeing the wealth of the Amante family, Vera had quickly chosen Frederick instead.

Not only that, she had even helped them humiliate Williams countless times.

Getting her to lie again should be effortless, they thought.

Frederick folded his arms. "Go on, Vera."

All eyes turned to Vera, making her suddenly feel like the entire world was spinning on her axis. Her mind instantly went blank.

She looked at Dora and at Frederick.

Then her gaze slowly shifted toward Williams. The floodlights from the mansion illuminated him clearly now.

Behind him, the workers renovating the massive estate were still moving around. She watched as Williams suddenly reached into his coat.

All the neighbours also watched curiously as he pulled out a thick stack of crisp dollar bills.

Without even glancing at the amount, he handed it to the renovation foreman standing nearby.

"Good work tonight," he said casually. "Share this with your team."

The foreman stared at the money in complete disbelief. "This...this is too much!"

Williams merely waved his hand. "Take it. You all deserve it."

The workers all burst into cheers.

"Thank you, boss!"

"Boss is generous!"

Even the neighbours gasped. That stack alone looked like thousands of dollars.

Williams then slowly turned his gaze toward Vera. Without a word, he pulled out another stack of bills.

It was thicker this time, the green notes fluttering lightly in the cold wind as he fanned them between his fingers.

Frederick frowned. He knew exactly what was going on.

"W-what the hell are you doing?"

But Williams didn't answer him. His eyes remained locked on Vera shamelessly starting coming toward him. The message was obvious, and the entire street could feel it.

Vera's heart pounded violently as she crossed the street and reached Williams.

He had money now. So much money.

When she first met him, he had been poor but kind. She had liked him then.

But when Fredrick came along with expensive gifts and promises of great luxury, she chose wealth instead.

Now, the man she abandoned seemed even wealthier. Far wealthier.

Her throat suddenly felt dry.

"Vera!" Frederick snapped impatiently. "Tell him the truth that I didn't take you from him!"

But Vera wasn't listening anymore. Her eyes were locked onto the money in Williams' hand.

Williams tilted his head slightly, the faint smile on his face carrying something that was almost mocking.

Then, he flicked his wrist slightly one more time, and the bills fluttered again in the cold wind.

Now, that was enough. Vera covered the gap between them in a leap.

Her voice trembled. "Frederick...forced me!"

The street exploded.

"What?!"

Frederick froze. "W-What?!"

Vera's eyes instantly filled with tears. "I–I never wanted to leave Williams!"

She covered her face as if crying bitterly. "Frederick threatened me...he said if I didn't become his girlfriend he'd make sure I lost my job!"

Dora's eyes nearly popped out of its large sockets. "Oh, you little–!"

Vera continued desperately. "I always loved Williams!"

She pointed at Frederick with trembling fingers. "He stole me from him!"

The crowd erupted into chaos.

"So it's true after all..."

"My goodness..."

"The Amante family really did something like that?"

Frederick's face turned pale with rage. "You lying bitch!"

But Vera was facing Williams now, and before anyone could react, she quickly grabbed his arm.

Her voice softened instantly, eyes shimmering with false affection. "Williams...I'm sorry. I-I never stopped loving you."