Chapter one

"Get your fucking hands off my girlfriend!" Oliver had exploded before he punched the strange man in the face. The man groaned as Elina, Oliver's girlfriend gasped. The man frowned. He gazed at Oliver, and then adjusted his expensive suit to exert his wealth. Oliver's old and tattered clothes stood no chance but he was not giving up.

"You dare lay your filthy hands on me?" He asked Oliver.

"I don't know who you are, but no one tries to bully my girlfriend. How dare you grab her arm? I'll destroy you!" Oliver yelled again. The man scoffed and chuckled, and rolled his eyes to Elina. Then he took his phone and made a phone call.

Few minutes later, a police car pulled up. They grabbed Oliver and shoved him into the back of the car. But before they drove off, Elina rushed to him.

"Stay put. I'll bring you out in six days time," She told him.

"I love you, Elina," he muttered, but she said nothing. She just gave him a final look of pity as the car zoomed off.

It's been over a year since Oliver heard those words from Elina's mouth. He thought about them as a cab cruised to a halt in front of a mansion with colossal gates. It was raining, and visibility was low.

Rumbling thunder followed occasional flashes of lighting. The streets were devoid of people and vehicles.

Oliver stepped out of the cab and sighed. He was dressed in worn-out jeans and a shirt, and his shoes were old and scuffed.

The young man knew he looked pedestrian, but that did not stop him from coming to see Elina Grey, his beautiful girlfriend. 

Oliver had just been released from prison which explained his overgrown beard. He was extremely tired and hungry but he couldn’t keep himself away from the love of his life any longer.

Did Elina reciprocate his feelings? She was supposed to bail him after six days, why didn't she? She never even came to visit him in prison, not even once. It was heartbreaking for him considering that he was locked up while trying to protect her.

Oliver had managed to beg for cash from a random stranger to pay for the cab. He was really surprised that Elina had not come to pick him up. She was supposed to miss him as a lover, was she not? Why didn't she show up? Oliver was sure there were explanations, and he wanted to hear them.

“You are ten dollars short, man." the cabbie said to Oliver rudely. The young man gave him a distant look. Including cab fares, a lot had changed while he was locked away.

"That's all I have," Oliver murmured, shivering as the cold rains drenched his shirt.

The cabbie exploded in anger. "Fucking beggar! I'm not running a charity here!" he barked and drove off, splashing mud on Oliver.

Oliver sighed as the rain washed the mud off his face. Everything would soon be fine, he assured himself. Elina would run into his arms and everything would be settled.

Oliver walked towards the gate and rang the bell. He looked up and saw a camera facing him. The rains kept pouring, and as he trembled, he had to ring the doorbell again. What was taking them so long?

A side door opened and a burly man rushed out, holding an umbrella. Oliver recognized him as Callum, the head of security. Once upon a time, the man used to greet him respectfully. Now as the guard eyed Oliver, a deep frown appeared on his face.

"Yes? Who are you, and what is it that you want?" Callum asked rudely, casting derisive glances at his mud-covered clothes. “We give away alms to the poor and homeless only on Sundays,” he added.

Oliver could not believe his ears. Why was he feigning ignorance?

"Callum, you know who I am..." Oliver said. "Elina’s boyfriend. It's raining, and I am cold and would like to come inside." However, the security guard stood perfectly still.

"Miss Elina does not want to see vermin like you!’ he spat. “You have no place here. It’s better to return to the trash pile you came from."

Oliver took a step back in shock. He figured Callum was acting on his own accord, against Elina’s wishes. He was determined to have her discipline the guard later.

"Elina will not be happy with this. I demand to come inside now!" Oliver yelled, and when he did, a thunderclap resounded. Callum looked at the sky in silence before he slowly turned to Oliver and sneered.

"You still do not get it, do you? I have orders from Miss Elina not to let you into her residence. She clearly doesn’t want to see the likes of you. You are an ex-convict. If you have nowhere to go, then there’s a homeless shelter in the district.." Callum turned to leave. 

Elina didn’t want to see him? A wave of desperation rushed over Oliver. He dashed towards the gate and started rattling it like a madman. He could not believe a word that Callum was speaking. Elina would never turn him away like that. He knew she still loved him. She had to, after what Oliver sacrificed for her!

"I don't believe you. Elina would never do that to me! Tell her I am here. She'll come running!"

On hearing the racket, two other security guys stepped outside with umbrellas over their heads. They were escorting a beautiful woman in a short green dress.

"What the hell is going on?" Elina asked Callum who stood at attention with his head bowed. 

"Miss Elina, it appears you have an unexpected guest." She walked towards the gate and caught sight of Oliver.

"What are you doing here, Oliver?" she asked with a grimace.

"Elina… I came to see you…. I came home…. Callum is blabbering nonsense! Somehow he believes you don’t want to see me anymore… Tell him he’s wrong. Ask him to open the gates...”

Elina crossed her arms. "Home? What sort of delusion are you under, Oliver? Has prison driven you crazy? This is not your home. Miserable people like you belong in the streets. Get out of here. You don't fucking belong here!"

"What are you talking about?” Oliver exclaimed. “You are my girlfriend! I went to jail for you. My life was ruined because of you. Why are you acting like this? Don’t you love me?”

Elina let out a derisive laugh. "Love? Don’t make me laugh. Take a good hard look at yourself. How can I love a piece of trash like you? Do you think you belong by my side in this mansion? Get lost! Your life was already a joke before I picked you up from the slums!

Oliver still could not accept the reality that his beloved girlfriend was treating him like garbage. But then, the unthinkable happened.

"Honey, what's going on?" A tall man dressed in an Armani suit stepped out of the mansion. Callum rushed to shield him from the rain with his umbrella.

The stranger approached Elina and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. It was then that Oliver realized that his world had shattered.