Becoming A War God: Rise Of Darius Holloway

Chapter 5: Despicable

CHAPTER FIVE:

“Harry?!!”

Lisa's scream cut through the room like a blade.

She had rushed toward Harry the moment he hit the floor, her hands reaching for him, her eyes wide with panic. But then she looked up. She saw Darius standing in the doorway, rain dripping from his ruined clothes, his face hardened like a rock. 

And she screamed again—louder this time, upon seeing the nightmare standing in front of her.

Harry scrambled behind her back, his fingers digging into her shoulders like claws. His breath came in short, wet gasps. Lisa could feel him trembling against her spine, could smell the sour stench of his fear.

She wanted to push him away. She wanted to tell him to stand up, to be a man, to stop hiding behind her like a child. Knowing how fragile and weak Harry was, Lisa didn't push him away. Because somewhere deep inside, Lisa had always liked being needed. And Harry needed her desperately.

Darius watched them both with eyes that held no warmth. No anger. No pain. Just emptiness. Like he had already buried every feeling he'd ever had for her in the ocean where he'd almost died.

"Are you human or ghost?" Lisa whispered. Her voice cracked on the last word. She also was visibly shaking. 

Darius laughed. It was a hollow sound, dry and sharp as broken glass. "Does it matter? Either way, I'm still standing here. And you're still trying to protect him, while I am at the brink of death."

Lisa opened her mouth but found no word to say, then opened it again. "I—I was going to call for help. But Harry got sick, and I had to take him to the hospital, and then—"

"And then you forgot," Darius finished for her. His voice was flat. "You forgot your husband was drowning in the ocean because your old boyfriend is sick, Lisa? Is it that you hate me so much to wish me dead? I'm your husband for crying out loud."

"It wasn't like that, Darius!" Lisa's face flushed. "You don't understand—"

"Oh, I understand perfectly." Darius reached past her and flicked the light switch. The room flooded with harsh yellow light. 

“Well, somehow I got lucky and survived the storm.” He muttered and strode past them.

Harry flinched and whimpered. 

Lisa blinked, disoriented. 

"I understand that you chose him over me on the ship. I understand that you threw me a broken life jacket and rowed away without looking back. And I understand that when you finally remembered I existed, you still chose to take him home instead of coming to find me."

Lisa's hands were shaking now. "That's not fair. You don't know what it was like. The storm, the chaos—"

"The chaos," Darius repeated slowly. "The chaos that ended three hours before you called for help. You know what I was doing during those three hours, Lisa? I was drowning. The life jacket you gave me? It was sabotaged. Someone cut the straps and hollowed out the foam. Your so-called childhood friend has done this!"

Lisa's eyes widened. "That's impossible. Who would—"

Her voice died in her throat. She turned, slowly, to look at Harry. He was still cowering behind her, but his face had gone very, very still. 

"Harry?" Lisa said, her voice barely audible. "Did you know about the life jacket?"

Harry's face twisted into something that was almost a smile. "Lisa, baby, why would I know anything about that? I was with you the whole time."

His words came out smoothly, sweet and no doubt, Lisa believed everything that come out of his mouth. Darius glared at him maliciously, he wasn't surprised at all. He knew he had nothing to say but to lie. 

And in that silence, something between them shattered.

Lisa's phone rang. The shrill noise made Harry jump, and she fumbled to answer it. "Hello?"

It was Captain Reeves again. 

"Ma'am, I wanted to inform you that we've officially identified the victim we recovered. It's not your husband. We made a mistake based on the clothing description. I apologize for the confusion."

Lisa exhaled. A long, shaky breath. Her shoulders dropped. Her panic faded. And as she hung up the phone, something shifted in her expression. 

The guilt that had been there—briefly, fleetingly—melted away like frost in the morning sun.

She turned back to Darius. "You're making this up. You're just bitter because I forgot about you, and now you're trying to blame Harry for something he didn't do. Can you just grow up and stop all this childish play, Darius?"

Darius was astounded by Lisa's words. He never expected she'd say that to him. She didn't even believe he survived the storm by luck. Believing Harry over him all over again.  

When has she turned this way? He thought. 

Darius said nothing. He just looked at her completely disappointed, he regretted ever having anything to do with her. 

And she made her choice countless times. 

Again, she chose Harry!

"Are you seriously thinking I'm going to buy your jokes? How do you survive the storm if the life jacket was completely useless?" she snapped at Darius. 

"You're perfectly fine. You're standing right here. You're not even hurt." She gestured at him angrily. "And you come bursting in like some kind of monster, scaring Harry half to death? 

He has a heart condition, Darius! You know that! And now he's going to be sick again because of you. 

How do you become this jealous? I have told you repeatedly, there's nothing between Harry and I. So stop with all this lies and deceit. Seriously, you need to apologize to Harry!"

Darius stared at her for a long, terrible moment, he didn't utter a word. He just looked at this woman he had married. This woman he had loved. This woman who had just watched him walk back from the dead and found a way to blame him for it. The woman who had just chosen her good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend over him.