RETURN OF THE LEGENDARY CASSIAN MARKAVELLI

4- Hurt but not broken

His angry eyes locked onto Cassian, scanning the crutch, the limp, the torn clothes. He sneered. “What the hell is he doing here? I need an explanation.”

Veronica’s face paled.

“Don’t worry about him, ” she whispered, placing a hand on the man’s arm. “ I'll take care of this," she said and planted a kiss on the man's lips.

Cassian's anger increased at the sight.

How could she do that in his presence???

She was not even feeling remorseful.

He wanted to scream at her.

“Ho—How c-c-could y-you do t-t-this—”

He couldn’t finish.

The man scoffed. “He’s stuttering? Jesus, is this some kind of comedy show?” He laughed without humor, looking Cassian up and down. “Is he your brother or something? ”

" He's a nobody, Derick..."

The words pierced Cassian like a dagger.

She caught Cassian's heartbroken face and glared at him.

" Yes, you know it. Everything between us happened because of Derick—because he hurt me that night. He had left me and I needed some solace. I wanted him to regret leaving me and when I saw you, you look like the perfect revenge for that and now he's back, thanks to you " she giggled.

" you even helped me get more followers on I*******m when pictures of me visiting you got into the net, even my company sales skyrocketed, which made me keep up with the act" she gigled

Cassian shook his head in hurt.

He couldn't believe he was just for show all along.

Fuck!

He had let his guard down due to his feelings.

He was a nobody, poor and dirty.

The world never favours people like him and he keeps forgetting that.

He sniffled in tears.

" I-I'm l-l-leaving... L- let us us not m- meet a-again. G-g-goodbye " he said and turned for the door.

Veronica let out a laugh.

" Where do you think you are going? Stop the joke and go back to the living room."

He looked at her painfully and swallowed nothing.

The look on his face was enough to tell her he was serious.

" Get back to your senses, Cassian! You know you can't survive without me. Besides you knew we can never be together. You knew it was all a show. So why are you acting like I hurt you or something??? Don't tell me you took the whole thing serious, Cass? "

Cassian didn't respond.

" Please Cassian. Just go back to the living room, I'll be there to explain everything soon, please. "

He shook his head as he stared at her.

The man tried to continue but she pushed him away playfully.

" Stop it, Derick... Allow me to be done with him" she chuckled playfully.

Cassian shut his eyes and tears streamed out.

Without another word, he grabbed his crutch and walked out of the room, going down the stairs.

" Cassian!.."

" Cassian!!"

He heard her call but he was not going back.

He went down and flung the soda and chocolate biscuits on the far side of the room.

He grabbed his bag and hurried out of the house, trying to hide his hurt.

His mind was going crazy at the way the whole thing turned out

His tears was falling now.

He ignored the suspicious look from the guard and exited the compound.

Why did she smile at his jokes when she knew he never mattered in her eyes?

Why was she kind to him when he was a nobody to her?

Why and why.

He let his tears fall more.

As he walked in the streets, the street lights brightened as he made his way past them.

The road was mostly empty except for the few cars that passed every minute.

Soon he got to one of the center bridges and went under.

There was a mat on one side, next to the trash bins. It was where he slept since he escaped death five years ago. His home before Veronica came into the picture.

He sat down and laid his back to the wall, feeling his pain consume him.

He was so tired from the stress of walking with his swollen leg and didn't know when he fell asleep.

The next morning, he was woken up by the sound of cars and trucks driving past with loud horns.

The sun was out in the sky and the air felt warm.

He got up and yawned.

He cannot let grief engulf him.

He had let love distract him from his main goal and he promised himself he would never let that happen again.

He shifted the trash bins and underneath was a small bag filled with money, money he had been saving for the last four years for his leg and throat surgery.

He added last night portion into the bag and hid it back the way he found it.

He got up and moved into the road, setting out for another day of begging.

As he tried to cross the highway, a car stopped abruptly in front of him, nearly hitting him.

" Get out of the way, you bastard. If you are tired of living, can't you find elsewhere to kill yourself!! The driver shouted at him.

He hurried his steps and moved out of the road.

Soon he got to his usual spot on the road.

He sat down and extended his plate for alms

The sun was a bit nice and he didn't have to cover his face as he extended his plate to passersby.

Cars drove past in a hurry and people were moving all around him, they all seemed to be in a hurry as they moved to and fro.

Some passed, glaring at him.

A few others dropped a coin and walked away.

He bowed his head to thank them.

He took a scarf and covered his head as the sun was getting hotter.

At the other side of the road, he saw a black limousine pulled down with a convoy behind it.

He watched as militants rushed out to from a circle around it.

The door opened and a man dropped down.

Another set of militants rushed to guard him.

From the heavy security, he could tell the man was one of those top billionaires that controlled the city.

Cassian smiled as he watched them escort the man into a huge building and stood on guard outside.

As soon as people saw the car, they began to gather but the militants held them from getting too close.

Cassian's smile drew bigger.

In this world, there are three kinds of people

First the top one percent who rules and controls everything.

Then followed by the rich who bow only to the top one percent and lastly the poor who is being controlled by both the top one percent and the rich.

He wasn't always like this.

He was once among the top one percent.

He wasn't born with the stuttering disorder nor was he born with the paralysis in one leg.

He had once been called with the title master and rode the most expensive cars but now, even the poor has some dignity and honour compared to him.

It's like being thrown to the top bottom of the food chain but he must endure it all.

Someone suddenly kicked his coin plate, making the few coins inside spill over.

" My coins! My coins!!" He wailed as he tried to get his coins.

And the next thing he heard was laughs from the people around as they watched him struggling to collect his coins from the floor.

" He's so pathetic.."

" He should just die to save himself this misery "

" Hahaha, even a church rat is comfortable compared to this"

He gathered his coins and sat back, their laughs ringing in his ear.

He can't die.

He's not allowed to die, not until he gets his revenge on the person who took away his life, his everything.

He refused to die.

He won't die no matter how worthless and hard his life gets.

He must get his revenge no matter what.

He took a breath as he went down memory lane, four years ago, to when it all began.