THE HUSBAND THEY BULLIED, THE KING THEY FEARED

CHAPTER 4

THE GRAVE AND THE GATE 1

The street was bustling with the sound of chatter and the hum of morning traffic. But Damien had tuned everything out. The image of that man kissing his wife on the lips, Vanessa stretching her hands for him and the echo of her shouting voice in his mind drowned out everything else. 

‘How did I even get to be with you.’

‘You don't deserve me.’

‘If you say it is, then maybe it is.’

She had not even bothered denying it. That was what had hurt him the most. 

Damien clenched his fist, his jaws tightening as he tried taking his mind off everything. But the more he tried pushing it away, the harder it rebounded, the truth smacking him right across the face. 

Suddenly, his phone vibrates, jolting him back to the present. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared at the screen. It was Ryan. 

With a weary sigh, he slid the call icon and placed the phone against his ear. “What is it, Ryan?" he asked, his voice reduced to a soft whisper. 

“Sorry if I'm disturbing, sir,” Ryan's voice came through, calm and professional as always. "I actually wanted to inform you that the documents have been prepared already.”

Damien paused, his head banging as he tried understanding what Ryan was saying. "I'm sorry but… w-what documents are you talking about?" 

“The… the document you requested yesterday, sir," Ryan answered, his voice tinged with caution, unsure if he had misheard and made a mistake. “You told me to prepare a document for your handing over the company to Mrs. Reed.”

"Oh, yeah,” Damien muttered, nodding slowly.

"The transfer of the shares is actually almost complete," Ryan said, his voice filled with relief. “I'm going to send the documents to your email after the call. In two days, once she rings the Nasdaq bell, you'll be able to present the documents to her as a gift–”

"There… there will be no need for that, Chen," Damien breathed, his jaws clenching. 

He had done so much for her… poured his all into preparing this surprise for her… and now? The thought of her betrayal tightened his chest and a lump formed in his throat.

“... sudden change, sir?" 

Damien blinked twice as he came to. " W-what did you ask, Chen?” he muttered. "I didn't get what you asked.”

"I… wanted to know why you're suddenly changing your mind, sir,” Ryan answered, unsure if he was meant to be asking such a question. 

Damien's lips curved into a bitter smile. “I handed Vanessa our divorce papers today,” he replied. "I'm to return in three days for her response." 

There was a long pause on the other end. Finally, Ryan let out a soft sigh. "I'm… really sorry, sir." 

Damien chuckled as he shrugged. “There's no need for apologies, Ryan,” he said, his voice low and distant. "Handle everything as you seem fit. Right now… I just want peace.”

Before Ryan could reply, Damien cut the call, turned his phone and placed it in his pocket. He stood still for a moment, breathing in the cold morning air. He held it in, his lungs burning, before he sighed out loud. 

He needed that. 

Slipping his hands back into his pockets, Damien made to turn towards a coffee shop when his gaze drifted down the old road that led to the cemetery. His jaws tightened and he turned his steps in that direction. 

_______________________________________

The iron gates groaned as he slowly pushed it open. The entire place was empty and silent, left for the whistles and chirps of the morning birds flying about. He looked down, staring at the familiar headstone when a voice called out to him. 

“Dammy," the voice shouted and he looked up. 

“Gary," Damien answered, his face brimming with a smile. 

An old man walked out of the caretaker's shed, a shovel in his hands and a wide grin on his face. “It's been a while son,” he said as he licked his yellow teeth. “I thought you'd forgotten about us.”

"Oh, I could never,” Damien said with a chuckle as he wrapped his arms around the old man, pulling him into a hug. 

The strong scent of cigar and dirt hit him but he didn't mind. He needed the hug anyways. 

“Greet your mother for me, will you?" Gary laughed as he pulled out of his hug. “She's missed you." 

Damien smiled weakly, watching as the old man walked past him and out the gate. Soon, silence returned as he walked down the small path leading to the headstone he was staring at earlier. 

His steps grew slow as he arrived at the grave. He stared at the modest white tombstone, staring at the words engraved in it. Grunting, he bent down and brushed his hands against the grave. 

“I'm… sorry I didn't bring flowers this time, mother,” he murmured, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips. “I guess I'm as useless as she said, huh?”

He let out a shaky sigh. 

“I just… I… I don't know how long I can keep on holding on, mom. I… I worked hard, did everything she asked, reduced myself to a… measly servant because I thought she'd look at me the same way you used to.” He shook his head, the memory of everything rushing back. “But she didn't… she never loved me. Instead, she gave her heart to another man.”

His shirt billowed in the wind as he stayed there, guilt weighing heavily on him. He lowered his head, his lips trembling. 

Suddenly—

“Help me! Please, someone help!”  

A woman's frantic cry echoed through the empty cemetery, causing Damien to look up, a frown forming on his face. 

That voice--it was coming from the road beyond the cemetery gates.

He could make out figures moving just outside the iron fence, laughing loudly. The woman's cry came again and Damien grunted.

Something was wrong. 

Wiping the dirt off his hands, he began walking toward the gate