Betrayed and Broken : My Touch Reveals Your Secrets

Chapter 2

People were once again laughing at and mocking Peter.

In fact, Peter was the most handsome man in the crowd—indeed, the most handsome in the whole university. However, good looks without money or status were of no use.

What is there to be proud of in a poor man?

Peter immediately looked away as Clara and Simon kissed again. How unfortunate—he felt his face burning so fiercely that tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

Every moment he’d shared with Clara had become a sharp thorn tearing him apart from within. He tried to convince himself that it was all just a game. Yet, seeing how tenderly Clara and Simon kissed made him certain that it was all real.

Peter suddenly felt numb. He couldn’t say a word, as if a huge thorn were lodged in his throat. His legs felt so weak that he nearly fell over several times. His beautiful hopes had ended in disappointment and humiliation.

The woman he had always praised for her beauty and kindness turned out to be nothing more than a common, cheap woman. She had been deceiving and taking advantage of him all along.

Peter looked around, taking in the scene one last time. Clara and Simon were still kissing, and everyone was still laughing at him.

“Look at this!” shouted Sean, holding up a small box in his hand. “Peter brought a present for Clara!”

Peter was startled to see that the present was already in Sean’s hands. “Give it back to me, Sean!”

“Give it to me!” Simon took the box from Sean and opened it. “This is....”

Simon suddenly burst out laughing, holding up a ring for everyone to see. “You’ve come to give this cheap ring to my girlfriend? In other words, you want to propose to Clara today too?”

“Yikes, that ring is absolutely hideous!” Clara snorted in annoyance. “I wouldn’t even deign to touch it, let alone accept your proposal! Why on earth would I want to know a pathetic man like you, Peter?”

“This ring belongs in the right place!” Simon flung the ring towards the lake, laughing.

Everyone laughed at Peter for the umpteenth time. The crowd had grown larger than before.

Peter gritted his teeth, staring at the ring box lying in the grass. He recalled the moment he’d bought the ring with such enthusiasm.

“Why are you so bold and so certain about proposing to my girlfriend, Peter? Is it because you think you’re so clever and feel you have a good job as a new staff member at a company in the capital?”

Peter suddenly stared intently at Simon. “How could you....”

“I told one of my subordinates to pretend to recruit you as a new staff member. You are clever, but I didn’t want you working at my family’s company. I just wanted to amuse you a little.”

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Peter, hurling him to the very bottom of a black hole. Peter and Clara not only humiliated him but also shattered him completely, reducing him to the lowest depths.

Just as he felt his life was beginning to change after securing a good job and with his sincere intention to propose to Clara, Peter had to realize it was all just a joke to them.  

The laughter of Simon, Peter, and everyone else continued to ring in Peter’s ears. Not a single one of them made any effort to stop it.

When Peter closed his eyes tightly, he had made a decision.

Peter suddenly burst out laughing, leaving everyone silent.

“Have you gone mad because you can’t accept this reality, you bastard?” snapped Simon.

Clara said, “Go away now, Peter! You’re a real nuisance! I’m lucky because from tomorrow I won’t have to see you anymore!”

Peter clapped his hands. “Congratulations on your engagement, both of you. You really are a perfect match.”

“You bastard! Are you mocking me and Clara now?”

Peter suddenly lunged forward, landing a hard punch on Simon’s face.

Simon was immediately knocked backward, colliding with several people before landing at the edge of the lake. Everyone fell silent at once. The atmosphere, which had been bustling, turned silent.

“Simon!” Clara screamed hysterically, “What are you doing, Peter? You’ve completely lost your mind! You’ll pay for this!”

“You bastard!” Simon crawled with great difficulty to the lakeside. He immediately lay down on the grass, panting heavily. His body was soaking wet.

Sean pointed at Peter. “You’re going to die after that stupid stunt, Peter! Simon’s family won’t let you...”

“Shut your mouth or I’ll throw you into the lake too!” snapped Peter with a piercing glare.

Sean fell silent at once, swallowing hard several times as he backed away. Peter was taller and more muscular than he was. That glare instantly made his courage vanish.

Everyone slowly backed away, moving away from Peter. They exchanged glances.

“You’re going to die, Peter!” Sean ran towards Simon and Clara.

“I won’t stand for this insult! You....” Simon suddenly coughed. “I’ll throw you in jail until you....”

“You deserve it, you bastard!” Peter smiled, feeling deeply satisfied at Simon’s current state, though it did nothing to ease his pain.

“Peter! You must take responsibility!” Clara screamed, “you....”

Peter grinned widely. “A cheap woman like you is a perfect match for a piece of rubbish like Simon, Clara. You two really do complement each other perfectly.”

“What did you say, huh? How dare you!” Clara was so furious that she threw her shoe at Peter. “Say that again if you dare!”

Peter moved his lips as if to say ‘cheap woman’, but he deliberately made no sound.

“You bastard! How dare a piece of rubbish like you insult me!”

Peter paid no heed to Clara’s shouts. He made his way through the graduates until he finally moved away from that wretched crowd.

Peter had arrived in high spirits, but left feeling humiliated.

Peter kept walking, glancing around. Everyone seemed happy today. Some graduates were chatting with their families.

Peter arrived at a bridge situated behind the university’s main building. He looked at the trees and the river beneath the bridge. The roof of a building was visible through the dense foliage.

“Why has my life ended up like this?” Peter touched his chest, which felt tight, and gripped the bridge railing tightly. “They’ve really been playing me.”

Peter opened the photo gallery on his phone and looked at Clara’s photos one by one. He quickly deleted them all.

“I admit I’ve been a fool for not realising your game all this time, Clara.”

Peter let out a long sigh. “I was so angry I ended up beating Simon. He certainly deserved it. He’s been bothering me ever since I started studying here.”

“I have to be prepared to face the consequences of what I’ve done. I’m sure Simon won’t let me off that easily.”

Peter opened a few messages. “Clara sent me a message. She said I’d definitely die for insulting her and Simon. A number I don’t recognise sent a message that was almost the same.”

“I’ve only got a little bit of savings left now. I spent my savings on that bloody ring.”

Peter started walking, lost in thought. One finger traced the ring on his left hand. “I have to leave immediately. I need to start a new life in another city. I’ve got a few job recommendations from....”

“Die, you bastard!” Simon suddenly shouted from behind, swinging a wooden plank at Peter.

Peter was so startled that he didn’t have time to dodge the plank. He was instantly pushed off the bridge as the plank landed on his head. His right hand managed to grab the bridge railing, but Simon kicked his hand, causing his grip to slip.

“This is your punishment for hitting me!” Simon laughed heartily as Peter fell from the bridge.

Peter watched Simon laughing and shouting from the side of the bridge. The pain was clouding his consciousness. As his eyes closed, he lost consciousness.

Peter plummeted down at great speed. His body struck a tree, collided with several branches, crashed through the roof of an old warehouse, and finally collapsed, buried beneath a pile of books from an old bookcase.

Peter lay there, helpless.

Amidst the silence and darkness, Peter’s blood splattered onto a book. A bright light instantly appeared, illuminating the room. The blood transformed into a note on the book’s first page.

[User detected]

[‘Past Vision’ skill activated]

[User Name: Peter Miltra]