CHAPTER ONE (MIDNIGHT MESS)

Exasperated rasps escaped his lips as he strode out of the driveway - striding down the road. Every step trudging in despair and anxiety with the resonance of insects rending into the calmness of the night.

The alley was void of people and the distant headlights of passing cars occasionally blared into Bryan's view, with the raves of their engines slashing into his thoughts frequently.

As Bryan treaded through the silent alley, his thoughts swirled with every distant headlight that pierced the darkness. Finally reaching a restaurant's parking lot, he wearily leaned against a car, his head bowed, fingers unconsciously ruffling his hair.

He peered at his timepiece and it was exactly midnight, he heaved a sigh - eyes still fixated on the timepiece. It felt like waiting for the waves of an ocean, and when it finally hits you, instead of swimming to the shore, you're stuck at the ravine of the flow.

His eyes - stung with tears, every miserable mess he'd been through replayed in his head at that moment and he hemmed his hands across his stomach.

Poor Bryan.

A familiar chuckle tore into his ears. For a moment it sounded like one of those nights when he was tired and all he heard was cackles and noise of lovers hanging out. It's one of those nights, but the voice of the lady seemed to ring bells of extreme familiarity. He traced the place where the sound came from and his heart constricted in shock.

"That's Charlotte" he mumbled under his breath.

He shifted to the back of the car - close to the trunk, to get a proper view of the scene.

Bryan blinked his eyes rapidly to ensure he wasn't dreaming, and the scene in front of him wasn't a schtick from a Disney movie.

Charlotte was moving toward the parking lot with another man. They clung to each other like lovebirds and the sight of it made shrills of nausea and anger run through Bryan's veins.

Bryan's instincts gained momentum, and he slowly stifled his face beneath the car - but he still had a hazy view of them through the windscreen.

The creaks of their steps drew closer than before. Bryan's eyeballs dilated when he realized they were pacing towards the car - the car he was hiding close to its trunk.

"They're coming towards me" Bryan muttered under his breath. He wiped the streak of sweat slipping down his face as he raised his head, sauntering towards the duo - enraged.

"Charlotte?" Bryan yelled, walking towards them.

The duo struck a pause. Charlotte slowly turned to trace the voice to Bryan's lips - her hands still stuck under the arm of the man standing next to her.

Her demeanor shrunk when she saw Bryan trudging towards them in outright rage.

"Charlotte"

Bryan narrowed his lips together. He parted them when he noticed the irritated stare on the face of the guy holding his girlfriend by the arm - like he was walking her down the aisle with her.

"Is this the home you told me you were going to stay at?" Bryan shouted - staring at Charlotte. "You told me you were sick and you needed to rest....."

"...and, what's going on here?" The guy with Charlotte broke in.

Those hasty words made Bryan turn his gaze to the man. His deep brown eyes made shrills of pressure run through Bryan's veins. He was going to smack him in the nose or better still pull him by the collar and headbutt him and warn him sternly to stay away from his girlfriend. But he was so scared of those muscles. The man's biceps and triceps looked like a man who'd lived his entire life in the gym. A single altercation may send Bryan to intensive care.

Bryan bit his lower lip - breaking eye contact with the man. He turned back to Charlotte. "c...Charlotte w..who's this man?" Bryan stuttered.

Charlotte feigned a frown. She stared into space and locked her gaze back on Bryan. "what are you doing here Bryan?" She shot.

A bleak smile curled on Bryan's lips. That was the last thing he expected to hear from Charlotte. After all, he caught her snuggling into another man's arms. In a Disney movie, she was meant to kneel and knead her hands together and plead. But her demeanor didn't portray and sign of remorse.

Bryan bit his lips for the umpteenth time. He stepped closer to Charlotte - still dazed at her utterance. "What do you mean?" What are you doing with this man out here? He was even kissing you" he muttered. His voice sounded melancholic, other than the fierce way he thought his voice was going to sound.

The man standing with Charlotte nudged Bryan's chest. "Step back," the mystery man said, footing into Bryan's space.

Bryan clenched his fist. For a moment, the fear he had about getting beaten up vanished, as his eyes were beginning to seethe with rage. Another nudge could lead to a chaotic altercation.

"Hey, stay away" Bryan threatened, darting a finger into the air. He turned to Charlotte again "Say something Charlotte, what's going on?" He asked - impatient.

"What going on is that you're causing a scene here. You're harassing my girlfriend" The man cut in. He slowly pushed Charlotte to the side and he slopped a stance in front of Bryan.

A ball of fury clenched Bryan's throat, as wrinkles appeared at the corner of his face. "Touch me one more time and I'd send you to intensive care" Bryan muttered through his teeth. At this point, his heart was pulsing like it'd fall off and every vein in his system was willing to bleed rage.

"What the hell will a loser like you do?" The mystery man said. He connected his palm to Bryan's cheek.

For a moment, Charlotte's lips sulked in a silent wow - at the sound of the slap. But what can the naive blonde do? This mystery man pays the bills her supposed boyfriend can not afford.

Bryan grabbed his cheek. His feet shivering in fury and a drizzle of uncertainty. He raised his hand to slap the man too, but he got manacled. The sharp grip around his wrist overpowered him. The pain became unbearable and Bryan was forced to let out a loud groan. He gripped his aching arm with the other one - head hunched - and a face festooned with sweat.

"Please let go..... You're hurting me" Bryan shrieked in pain.

"....wait.... Are you trying to slap me back?"..... The mystery man snarled. He further tightened his grip around Bryan's arm. "You freaking loser. You're weak like a vessel. Watch me crush your bones"

Bryan toiled to free himself from the violent grip, but every attempt ended up hurting him. "...please, let me go"

"You don't deserve this alluring woman," the mystery man said. He violently let go of Bryan's arm and he fell to the floor.

"A mere delivery boy wants to compete with me... Isn't that the most hilarious joke of the century?" The mystery man snarled, locking eyes with Charlotte. He moved closer to her and placed a kiss on her lips.

Bryan's heart constricted in rage. It felt like every part of his life suddenly came to a halt - as he watched Charlotte kiss another man - right in front of him.

"You can have a woman like her when you can afford this," the mystery man said, pulling out a car remote. He hit a button on it a beeped loudly.

Bryan's eyeballs dilated. Bryan's goal was to save up and buy Charlotte a befitting birthday present. But even if he saved his earnings for a hundred years, he'd never afford a Rolls Royce Wraith.

Charlotte and her new man walked towards the car. At the drop of a hat, Bryan sank into the depth of the humiliation he just received.

Tears trickled down Bryan's eyes. The sharp ambient lights became blurry - in his sight as his lips trembled sadly.

Just in, his phone beeped.

A whopping one hundred million dollars had been deposited into his account.

Bryan's tear-streaked face transformed, mirroring the disbelief at the unexpected deposit. The weight of humiliation lingered, but the sudden fortune added a surreal twist to his night of heartbreak.