Chapter 001 - The Fall of Williams Miller

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“You will never amount to anything in your miserable life.”

These words were like night terrors that had been haunting Williams’ life for days now.

No matter how much he wished to forget them, to erase how they were spoken, who uttered them, and to erase the images he had witnessed before these words were mockingly voiced to him, they kept coming back like incurable ailments.

Poor Williams Miller.

Williams Miller was the son of Jacob Miller, the now-deceased patriarch of the Distinguished Miller family that reigned supreme in Zed City.

Until five years ago, Williams' life was still filled with sweetness and joy, when he didn't need to concern himself much about sustenance, finances, clothing, or anything else as they were always readily available to him.

His misfortune all began on the day he lost his parents in an unfortunate plane crash.

Even now, Williams couldn't come to terms with it, perpetually hoping that it was all a nightmare he would soon awaken from.

He could still remember weeping for days to no end when he had received the grievous news. However, before he could even make sense of things, his uncle, who had always displayed love for him when his parents were alive and had always treated him nicely, transformed into a beast overnight.

Before Williams knew it, he was thrown out of the Miller's estate with only his bag of clothes, his uncle usurping the patriarchal position that rightfully belonged to him after his father.

Initially, Williams was reluctant to accept this, so he implored his uncle, kneeling outside the family's estate for days in hopes of being reinstated. He had first pitifully believed then that his uncle must have only wanted to penalize him for an unknown transgression.

But when the harsh truth dawned on him that his uncle was merely driven by greed for the patriarchal role and that he had not offended him in any way, Williams sought solace in his parents' close friends from when they were alive. Alas, he was not even granted entry, let alone the chance to communicate his predicament to them.

It took several months of hardship for Williams to finally grasp the malevolence of this world—that with nothing, no one would extend assistance, and it was one's possessions and status that commanded respect and cultivated connections.

Poor Williams, he ultimately succumbed to his destiny, now a nobody.

However, at that juncture, Williams still believed he had not lost everything, as the girl he had been romantically involved with for years remained by his side, exhibiting love and affection.

Unfortunately, everything was a sham, a conspiracy orchestrated by his detested cousin, his uncle's son, to further torment him.

Williams became privy to this truth a few days ago upon returning from his arduous job.

Initially, he refused to believe his ears when he heard the moans emanating from his bedroom before he had entered.

He had speculated that his girlfriend, whom he rarely sees now, must have visited and might have been watching a video from her cell phone.

In that instant, Williams sighed helplessly, wondering what sort of film his girlfriend was viewing that necessitated such high volume.

'Is she aiming for the neighbors to believe she's watching something dirty?'

That was Williams' thought as he entered his single-room apartment, furnished with only a small mattress on the cemented floor, a few bags, a small stove in the corner, and a few buckets and pots.

But what he saw next left him utterly dumbfounded.

Even now, it felt like a dream, one he refused to acknowledge.

There, on the very bed his girlfriend had always insisted she couldn't sit on, let alone sleep in because it might contain germs, his cousin was engaged in intimate acts with her in ways Williams had only heard of but never experienced.

The most ridiculous aspect was that they even noticed him as he entered.

"You... um... you're... um... back!"

Amidst her ecstatic moans, that was his girlfriend's stutter as she clutched the bedsheet tightly with bliss while intensifying their activities.

At that moment, Williams almost thought he saw his life slipping out of him.

He had remained motionless, unable to react, foolishly watching the duo on the bed having the time of their lives until they concluded.

"It took you so long to catch us," this was his cousin's remark as he withdrew his dripping rod from his so-called girlfriend's body, yet Williams remained unresponsive.

He observed as the two completely unclothed individuals rose from the bed, tidied themselves, and dressed. Nonetheless, Williams remained unresponsive.

It was as if time had been suspended for him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of hoping it was all in his imagination and a mere nightmare, a pat on his shoulder from his cousin was what jolted Williams back to reality.

Instantly, his eyes had brimmed with anguish as he gazed at his supposed girlfriend whose countenance was devoid of remorse, and a mischievous smirk adorning her lips.

"This wasn't real, was it?" His voice was hoarse, but in response, his supposed girlfriend and cousin had merely exchanged glances and even chuckled at his naivety.

"What wasn't real? What you witness just now?" His girlfriend had giggled in response, while his cousin had burst into laughter.

"If you're referring to the act you stumbled upon, which we've been engaged in since you moved here, it was as real as it gets."

Williams refused to accept it.

He couldn't fathom that his beloved girlfriend, whom he had showered with affection and financial support, someone he had never betrayed, even in his destitution, would betray him in such a manner.

Then, he learned from the two that they had been engaging in these activities on his bed since he moved in here, eagerly anticipating the day he would discover them.

He had also learned on that day that his supposed girlfriend had only been with him all these years after he became nothing due to a bet she had made with his cousin.

'No wonder she withheld intimacy from me for five years,' This thought crossed Williams's mind that day.

Finally, everything made sense to Williams, though it was already too late.

There, he listened as his supposed girlfriend, adopting a serious tone as though offering counsel, delivered these words:

"Simply accept your destiny. It was our plan all along, to make you realize how insignificant you've become. Williams Miller, you will never amount to anything in your miserable life again."

With those parting words, the two had linked arms and were about to depart when Williams lost control.

Overwhelmed by anger, he had pounced on his cousin, subjecting him to a merciless beating.

However, this had landed Williams behind bars, where he had endured three days of unrelenting torment.

…

Returning to the present, Williams finally arrived at the imposing conglomerate after what felt like an eternity.

This was where he had been employed since his expulsion from his family.

During that period, Williams had sought employment in numerous establishments and organizations, but they had all declined him out of fear of repercussions from his family.

Only this conglomerate whose background far surpassed his family's stature, had granted him a job as a security guard.

Before the unfortunate events of the past few days, Williams had exhibited exceptional diligence and had earned commendations from the stern and beautiful CEO countless times.

However, this led to relentless hostility from his superior, who constantly penalized him for every single error.

"Shit! Brother Williams, why are you arriving at work at this hour?"

Entering the changing room with a vacant expression on his face, Williams was suddenly woken by his colleague's exclamation, gazing at him as if he had seen a ghost.

Lifting his head, Williams took a moment to comprehend the situation.

Then raising his wrist, he checked the cheap wristwatch strapped there. Immediately, his eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat.

He was already thirty minutes tardy.

'How could time have passed so swiftly? Didn't I leave home two hours ago?'

Williams was overwhelmed with apprehension, and droplets of perspiration swiftly drenched him.

"Has... has the supervisor observed my nonattendance?" He inquired cautiously, but in response, it was an ugly voice seething with fury that responded to him.

"No... no, I haven't detected it."

Williams' complexion turned pale as soon as he recognized the owner of that voice.