DAMIEN WEST ALMIGHTY SYSTEM

Chapter 2

Damian didn't even seem to hear what the manager said. He just nodded and walked straight into the rain. It had slowed down now, just a light drizzle, but he didn't care. All he could think about was surprising Megan. She was probably still at home right now, busy taking care of his grandmother. He wanted to see her face when she opened the gift. That's why he bought it. That's why he rushed through work today just to get home early.

He couldn't wait.

He hopped on the public bus, and before long, he was standing in front of his apartment building. It wasn't much. Just a normal rental. Nothing fancy. Nothing special. But it was home.

Then he noticed the car parked out front.

It was expensive. The kind of car that screamed money. Whoever owned it was rich. Really rich. But that wasn't his business. His business was getting inside and seeing Megan.

He walked up to the door and reached for the handle. It wasn't locked. That was strange. Megan always locked the door. Always.

His stomach tightened. Maybe she was too tired. Maybe she forgot. He'd been working so hard, but so had she. Taking care of his grandmother wasn't easy. The thought of her being that exhausted made him feel guilty. He was supposed to be making her life easier, not harder.

He pushed the door open slowly.

That's when he heard it.

A sound. Coming from the bedroom.

A moan, Immediately he froze.

What was that? His mind scrambled for an explanation. Was Megan watching something? An adult movie maybe? That didn't make sense. She'd never done that before. But what else could it be?

Then another thought hit him.

When was the last time they'd been together? Really together? It had been weeks. Maybe longer. He'd been so caught up in work, so focused on making money, that he'd forgotten about that part of their relationship. Could it be that she was...lonely? That he'd been neglecting her without even realizing it?

The moaning got louder. More intense. Damian's feet wouldn't move. He could hear the bed frame slamming against the wall. Over and over. The rhythm was unmistakable.

That was Megan's voice.

His chest felt tight. Maybe she was using something on herself? But why would the bed be shaking like that? Why would it sound like someone was actually...

No.

He forced himself to move. One step. Then another. Heading toward the bedroom. The sounds got clearer.

"Mr. Nathaniel..." Megan's voice came through the door. Breathless. "You're such a bad man. Such a bad uncle. You're not showing me any mercy. You're just pounding away like you don't even care."

At that moment Damian stopped walking.

She kept talking. "So what else are you going to make me do? You forced me into this relationship. Forced me to pretend everything's fine. Forced me to put up with all this nonsense. What's next? Are you going to make me have a child for him too?"

Then the pounding stopped.

At that moment A man's voice answered. Deep. Smooth. Confident.

"No. That's never going to happen. Why would you have a child for that riffraff? That good-for-nothing scumbag can't even take care of himself. He can't even come up with ten thousand dollars. You think I'd let you have a baby with someone like that? It's sad enough that you're with him at all. I don't even know how you manage it. But if you're having a child for anyone, it's going to be me. Not that fool. Not that pathetic excuse for a man. For now, we just keep him in the dark. That's where he belongs. I'll never let that pig raise my child or lay his dirty poor hands on what's mine."

Damian's jaw clenched so tight it hurt. His fists balled up at his sides. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Megan. His uncle. Together.

How? When did this start?

Megan, of all people. He would've bet his life she'd never do something like this. He would've sworn on his father's grave. He would've sworn on his own deathbed that Megan wasn't capable of this.

But why? His feet moved before his brain could stop them. He stormed up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door open with his shoulder.

"Please let this be wrong. Please let this be some kind of mistake. Maybe it was a movie. Maybe Megan was just watching something and one of the characters was named Nathaniel. And Maybe the voice just sounded like his uncle's and sounded like her also.

“Please this should be the case.”

But when the door flew open, there was no movie.

It was real.

Megan was on the bed. Naked. His uncle was under her. Also naked. She was on top of him.

All the air left Damian's lungs. His body went cold. Like someone had ripped his soul out and left an empty shell standing there.

His voice came out shaking. Broken. "What the hell is going on?"

Megan climbed off his uncle slowly. She grabbed a short silk robe from the chair and wrapped it around herself loosely. It barely covered anything. His uncle didn't even bother getting up. He just pulled the bedsheet over his waist, still half exposed, and reached for the half-smoked cigar sitting on the nightstand.

He lit it. Took a long drag. Then blew the smoke directly at Damian.

"Are you surprised?" His uncle's voice was calm. Almost amused.

 "You really didn't see this coming? Well, since you're here now, no point hiding it anymore. But honestly, you shouldn't be surprised at all. Did you really think you could keep a woman like Megan? Beautiful, smart, ambitious. You thought just because you're handsome or hardworking, that'd be enough? You think hard work and loyalty mean anything in this world anymore? Let me tell you something. They don't. Money talks. Money rules. And you don't have any. So tell me, what exactly did you expect? That she'd stick around when you have nothing?"