Cheater

Richard stared at Damien with suspicious eyes while the woman behind him was sweating buckets. Damien frowned at Clarissa, but she couldn’t possibly look at him straight in the eye. 

“Why does he know you?” Richard asked his wife. “Who is he?”

She was shaking. The woman finally glanced at Damien and he shook his head terribly. All of a sudden, she replies.

“Yes, I know him.”

Damien’s heart loosened and a smile erupts from his hopeless face. A little bit of confidence poured into him, but it didn’t take long before all of those momentary relief becomes snatched. 

Clarissa’s eyes were then clouded with tears. She sobbed on Richard's shoulders and the cameras focused on her. Damien listened.

“He was my ex-boyfriend! He abuses me every day and tried to touch me even if I protested. Richard, please… you have to send him away!”

Damien turned pale as the cameras flashed before him, taking pictures of his shocked face. He couldn’t feel anything… he couldn’t even absorb what she had accused him of.

Touched her?

Clarissa was even the person who’d throw herself on him when she was drunk, but he would always resist her because he respected her.

How can she say such a thing?

“I never…” 

Richard's chest ignited upon hearing the small squeals of his beloved wife. He then sends the guards to arrest the stunned man— whilst he pulled Clarissa into his arms to console her. He kissed her forehead while the girl continued to whimper.

Damien could only stare in horror as he caught a glimpse of Clarissa’s smirk when she buried her head against Richard's chest. It was only then that it was made clear to him that the woman he’d pampered with– did not truly feel the same as he did.

“Nerdy.” he heard her insult him.

 “I won’t let this four-eyed dork hurt you again.”

“No…”

Anger seared through his body and Damien overpowered the guards who grabbed his arm. He rushed towards the couple and robbed Richard's collar. Before the businessman could react, Damien had already smashed his face with his fist. 

Richard drops to the ground, Clarissa’s eyes widened. Damien glared at her with his eyes flaming— murderous and his patience, over. At that very moment, Clarissa had a look of regret in her head.

She didn’t think a glasses-wearing, workaholic, introvert like him could wield such strength. He sauntered close to the woman and she took steps back.

“D-Damien…”

“Take back what you said.” 

Damien approached her, but the security took a firm hold of his shoulder. “You can’t do this to me, Clarissa! I loved you!”

“Take him away!” Clarissa screamed as she ran to Richard , who was trying to get up from the floor. Blood could be seen dripping from the edge of his lips while his wife tries to dab it with her handkerchief. 

Camera flashes started growing rapidly and the security finally drags Damien away from the banquet hall. He didn’t have any strength to fight back either. 

They threw him out of the gate and into the pouring rain. Damien landed on his knees and hands as the security closes their gates on him. 

He gets up, wipes the blood from his face from being beaten by the guards, and limped in the middle of the road. There were no taxi cabs around because the road was rented out, he had to walk on the road until he would reach the main street. 

And he did so. 

Thankfully, because it was midnight, the environment around him was hazy and dark— the rain being his only consolation to cover the tears that kept spilling from his eyes. 

He reached the main road, wiped his tears, and looked for his wallet. But he had accidentally dropped it somewhere due to being in hurry. Right now, he basically had no choice but to walk home. He had no phone and whenever he approached someone to ask if he could borrow theirs, they would move away from him— thinking he was dangerous.

Damien walked alone in the rain and closed his eyes. 

The pain he felt was indescribable. All of a sudden, a man from afar calls out his name.

“Damien! Damien!”  He turned around to see his coworker from work that had followed him all the way from work. He was panting too. 

Damien looked at him, the spark from his eyes long gone. “Why did you come here?”

“You’re my friend, man.” His coworker frowned. “I’m worried about you. Speeding off work like that after seeing that girl on the news… I can’t believe it. Was she really your…”

Damien’s eyes averted, hurt. “Yes… but apparently,” he frowned. “…not anymore.” 

“I… I’m sorry to hear about that, man. That… sucks. I can’t imagine my wife leaving me like that too.” his coworker couldn’t find the right words to say. “Then was it true?” 

“What?” Damien’s eyes flashed. 

“That you harassed and abused her when you were together?” 

Damien gritted his teeth. “You know I would never do that. How can I? I loved that woman all my life. Everything I’ve worked hard for… it’s all for her. The reason why I am still living… was all because I looked forward to starting a family with her.”

“I… sacrificed everything… for her smile.”

Damien looked at his coworker, but he was nowhere convinced. And that look on his face made Damien’s pain spike even more.

“W-What…? You don’t believe me?”

“I… don’t know man.” He took a step back. “I mean… why would a girl lie like that? Media said there were accounts of bruises on her skin. When you left, she said they were all caused by you.”

“Me..?!”

“Damien… are you sure you’re not unstable?”

“What the fuck? Do you think I am crazy?!” Damien grabbed his coworker’s collar. “I didn’t fucking touch her! I never did! Why do you believe in them?!”

His coworker looked terrified. Damien saw the fear in his face when he turned almost violent. A calm man like him— suddenly grabbing his collar like that… 

Damien loosened his grip and his coworker stepped back. 

With that, Damien knew his friendship with him was also severed.