Becoming A War God: Rise Of Darius Holloway

CHAPTER ONE (1):

Darius had always loved his wife the way flies love alcohol—knowing full well it might destroy them, but unable to look away.  

Lisa was cold. Not the kind of cold that shivers, but the kind that freezes you out slowly, day by day, until you forget what warmth ever felt like. She kept him at arm's length for three years.   

Three years of sleeping on the far edge of the bed. Three years of conversations that ended before they began. Three years of Darius telling himself that if he just tried harder, loved louder, gave more—she would finally let him in.

He planned the cruise as a last resort. A floating gamble. Ten days on the Mediterranean, just the two of them, no work, no distractions. 

The day of departure, he stood at the port in a linen shirt she had bought him last Christmas—the only gift she'd ever given him that felt personal. 

She had told him to wait for him at the shore, while she attended to some personal things.   

Darius, on the other hand, did nothing but to agree, and travel to the shore all by himself. 

He watched the taxis pull up one by one, searching for her face. When her car finally arrived, his heart did that stupid hopeful thing it always did.

Then he saw her get out.

She was beautiful, as always. Hair pulled back into a ponytail, sunglasses hiding her eyes, a cream-colored dress that caught the sea breeze. 

Darius was smiling ear to ear. 

Then, all of a sudden, his countenance changed instantly to that of surprise, curiosity. 

She wasn't alone.

A man stepped out behind her. Tall. Confident. 

He placed his hand on the small of Lisa's back—a casual, possessive gesture—and Lisa leaned into it.

Darius froze.

He had never seen his wife lean into anything. She never reached for him in public. She never laughed at his jokes, never touched his arm during conversation, never looked at him the way she was looking at this stranger right now. Her whole face had softened. Her shoulders had dropped. She was smiling—a real smile, the kind that crinkled her eyes and made her look ten years younger.

And all of this was because of a stranger. He was really pissed. 

Sooner, the both of them got closer to him. 

"Darius," she said, her voice almost cheerful. "This is Harry. We grew up together."

Harry extended a hand. His grip was firm, his smile easy. "I've heard so much about you, man."

“Lisa, is this really your husband? You really got eyes, such a handsome man!" Harry mumbled, a compliment that didn't reach his heart. 

Lisa smiled awkwardly, and hit him playfully. “Come on, you talked too much!" She beamed, “Let's get into the ship! It's going to be so much fun!" 

Without taking more glance at Darius, the both of them climbed into the ship laughing wholeheartedly. 

Darius stood shocked, surprised as he watched them. 

The first night on the ship, Darius watched the two of them at dinner. Harry told a story about a dog they'd both loved as kids, and Lisa laughed—actually laughed—so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes. She reached across the table and touched Harry's wrist. She looked at him like he was the only person in the room.

Darius sat there, stirring a drink he hadn't touched, feeling like a ghost at his picnic. 

He was unseen, not cared for. They never acknowledged him as both of them kept laughing. 

Darius has had enough. He gently tapped onto the table, calling for their attention. 

“Lisa!” He called, “Can I talk to you alone?” he asked Lisa, his voice low.

She rolled her eyes, still clinging onto Harry's. “Alone? You can say whatever you want to say to the both of us!”

“Alone,” he repeated, his voice a bit rising. 

“Fine!" she snapped, visibly furious and rose to her feet, "Make it snappy!”  

Darius walked behind her as they walked into their cabin, and he questioned her. 

“What are you doing?” Darius asked. His hands were shaking. He shoved them into his pockets. “You brought your ex-boyfriend on our vacation trip.”

“That’s my childhood friend,” she corrected, as if that made it better. “He had been away and just got back into the country . We’re just catching up.”

“Catching up?” Darius laughed, and it came out broken. “Lisa, you’ve been frolicking  and laughing around him throughout the day. I bought these tickets for a reason, and you never seem to know me. 

Ever since I got married to you, you have never touched me the way you did with him. Upon trying my best for you to notice me but you never did. You laughed wholeheartedly on his dry jokes and you expected me to keep calm. 

I'm getting frustrated already. I need my wife back. I brought you here to seek your love but it kept getting worse.” Darius blurted out, his eyes laced with rage and hurt. 

Lisa has never seen him this broken before, and she felt guilty but never wanted to accept it. Her face got hardened instantly, the warmth she had shown Harry vanished, replaced by the familiar coldness Darius knew so well.

“What gibberish are you sputtering out of your mouth, Darius? There is nothing wrong with whatever I'm doing! Catching up with a long lost friend is not a crime, is it?” Lisa grumbled out disparagingly, “I am having a nice time with my friend and we can book for another ship cruise for you and I. That shouldn't be a big deal!” 

Darius stared at her in absolute bewilderment. He wondered if she really loved him. 

“But the reason for this ship cruise is for us to connect, know ourselves more. Why throw because of your friend? Is this how less you regard me? Do you even love me, Lisa?

Lisa broke a little laugh and scoffed. “You’re being dramatic and jealous. It’s embarrassing, Darius. I’m a grown woman. I’m allowed to have friends.

Harry is just an old friend, nothing more. You are feeling insecure and frankly, it is exhausting. Come on, you need to grow up and act like a man.”

With that being said, Lisa walked out of the cabin, leaving Darius standing by himself. 

Darius stared as she vanished out of his sight. It kept getting clearer. He has every reason to know Lisa didn't love him but he chose to not to accept it.