Chapter 2: I'm not in love with you

“He’s the heir to the Bronzmore family,” Wendy stated. James immediately recognized the name and understood the power associated with the Bronzmore family. But he wasn’t willing to let go of Wendy so easily.

“So what? We are legally married, Wendy!” James retorted.

“Just a sneeze from the Bronzmore family can send someone like you to eternal damnation. You should be bowing at his feet, not attacking him,” Wendy defended Alex.

“Wendy, I’m your husband. You can’t belittle me just because he’s wealthy,” James stammered.

“Husband? I thought you said you’d divorced him already. How can you call this man your husband?” Alex questioned Wendy, leaving James in shock at how Wendy was defending Alex.

“Our marriage is just on paper. I was waiting to tell him after Christmas, but since he’s here now, he can’t escape the inevitable,” Wendy said, her tone devoid of emotion, snapping James out of his daze.

“Let’s get straight to the point, James. I’m breaking up with you,” Wendy declared without remorse. James was still processing the situation.

“You’re breaking up with me?” James stammered, trying to figure out who had betrayed whom.

“Yes, James, you know our marriage was bound to end one day. Today is that day. You can’t even take care of yourself, let alone me. I deserve better, and Alex is that person,” Wendy replied.

“How could you do this to me? I was going to buy the designer dress you’ve always wanted today. I’ve been saving for weeks to get it,” James stammered as he spoke.

Alex and Wendy burst into laughter.

“How did you end up with this homeless beggar?” Alex mocked.

“I married him because I was desperate, and it turned out to be the worst mistake of my life. I’m tired of his nonsense,” Wendy said, her voice filled with anger.

“What…?” James stammered, shocked by Wendy’s declaration that he was her worst mistake.

“Look around you, see all these boxes? Alex got them for me. Even if you worked for a year, you wouldn’t be able to afford them. Snap out of it, James! It’s over,” Wendy declared, her tone resolute.

Pointing her finger, Wendy displayed a golden bracelet. “This cost a whopping $10,000. Can a humble pizza delivery guy like you afford it? I’m done with you, James. I’ve found someone who can meet my needs,” she said with finality.

“You heard her, man. It’s time to accept your defeat,” Alex chimed in, drawing Wendy closer to him.

A tremor of disbelief ran through James as he questioned Wendy, “Aren’t we in love with each other?”

Wendy burst into laughter. “Hahaha! I’m not in love with you! Let me remind you in case you’ve forgotten. I married you to avoid marrying that scum back then. Turns out, you’re even worse. You’re too poor for my taste, James,” Wendy stated coldly, leaving James shivering as he grappled with the harsh reality.

“He’s just lusting after what he can’t afford, sweetheart,” Alex added, rubbing salt in James’ wounds. However, as James approached Wendy to plead with her, the security personnel burst into the room suddenly. Cedric and Freeman, who had always bullied James when he delivered to the hotel, rushed at him without explanation, landing hot slaps on his face. James wasn’t given a chance to speak, even though he tried.

The other security staff attended to Alex, who still had bloodstains on his face. One of them grabbed the phone to call for medical help.

While they attempted to handcuff him, James turned around and saw Wendy checking on Alex to see if he was hurt. It felt like a knife had pierced his heart. However, Alex appeared unfazed by her concern, more focused on how to deal with James for ruining his precious moment with his college lover.

Since James had left the orphanage, his life had been a struggle marked by poverty and hardship until he met Wendy. She was his only family, and now she was gone because he was poor. Why did it always have to be the good ones? He felt shattered and betrayed because Wendy was gone.

James was then taken to the back of the building, where he was subjected to a severe beating by the security personnel. They had been waiting for an opportunity like this, and instead of involving the police, they took justice into their own hands.

“Hey, hey, hey! Look who we’ve got here finally. The good-for-nothing pizza deliverer who had the audacity to fight our customer,” Freeman taunted while James tried to defend himself.

“You thought you could take on both of us? How dare you?” Remy added, sizing up James.

As James attempted to protect himself between the two bullies, his face grew tense. Even though he was outnumbered, he refused to let them bully him without a fight.

Freeman and Remy charged at James simultaneously, laughing wildly. James managed to evade Freeman’s punch, but Remy’s landed on his cheek. They were both so aggressive that they overwhelmed him with a barrage of brutal slaps, eventually sending him crashing to the floor. Remy grabbed him by his shirt, pushing him up against the wall.

Amidst the merciless beating, James heard a faint ringing sound, and all other noises faded away as his vision blurred. Freeman and Remy felt victorious after they had the opportunity to unleash their fury on James.

Meanwhile, Alex rushed out of the room in a frantic search for James and the security personnel. He scanned the area but couldn't spot them. Just then, Wendy hurriedly emerged, carrying her gift boxes. She dumped them into Alex's Mercedes-Benz Capoue, and they sped away in haste.

Freeman and Remy waited until the night had fallen and everyone had left the scene. Under the cover of darkness, they woke James from his slumber, urging him to leave. However, James was too weak to walk on his own. They placed him on his bike, with Remy offering support, and together they transported him away from the hotel. They eventually left him and his bike in an unfamiliar area.

"Hey, wake up," a stranger's voice gently tapped James. He groaned as he struggled to open his eyes. In the distance, a faint Christmas song played.

"Are you okay? Why are you lying out here alone in the dark?" the stranger asked, her concern evident. James tried to regain his consciousness. The blurry vision gradually cleared, revealing the lady before him.

"Hugh, I'm fine," James replied, attempting to stand but feeling pain all over his body. The brutal fight had drained his energy.

"No, you're not. You need medical attention. I'll call 911 right away. Let me get my phone," the stranger insisted, but James resisted.

"I'm fine, that won't be necessary. Thank you," James responded weakly. The stranger was surprised to see James on his feet, considering he had appeared half-dead just moments ago.

She handed him her water bottle, and James drank it as quickly as he could. Using a bit of it, he washed his face and finally managed to stand on his feet. He glanced around but found only himself and the stranger. How had he ended up here? James wondered, as the last thing he recalled was the merciless beating he'd received from the security personnel.

"I appreciate your help," James said to the lady.

"Are you sure you can ride this bike? You can join me if you don't mind," she offered.

"Maybe next time. I'll make sure to be careful. By the way, I didn't catch your name?" James inquired.

"I'm Sarah. And you?" Sarah asked.

James nodded to Sarah and said, "James. See you some other time, Sarah." With that, he rode his delivery bike back to The Thirsty Bird, limping with pain, his face swollen, and his body aching.