2024-08-24 23:02:23Two days after Marvin’s discharge from the hospital, he was driven home. The shock of his wife’s revelation still clung to him like a shadow, leaving him sober and hollow.
It wasn’t just that he had wasted years loving the wrong person—the truth was worse: He had no children. As the car rolled to a stop in front of his house, Marvin barely noticed the towering structure before him. His mind was a battlefield, as the words of his wife replayed in a torturous loop. Therapy had been prescribed for his injured head, but how could twenty-four hours of counseling ever soothe the wreckage of a man who had lost everything? "Hey, I know you're dealing with a lot," said Mr. Fredrick from the driver’s seat, breaking the silence. "But don't be too hard on yourself, okay?" Marvin nodded absently. "Okay," he muttered, already opening the door. "If you need anything, just call me, alright?" Mr. Fredrick added before driving off, his voice was full of concern. Marvin stood at the entrance of his sprawling, two-story mansion, nestled in the heart of the luxurious Richmond Estate. The gates creaked as he pushed them open, but something felt wrong. A sleek, black G-Wagon was parked outside, one he didn't recognize. Frowning, he hurried to the front door. His key twisted in the lock with an unsettling ease. Inside, Marvin's breath caught in his throat. The house was stripped bare. His lavish furniture, the towering entertainment system, the wine collection—all of it was gone. The walls were naked, echoing his every step. "What the hell?" he whispered, his voice began to tremble. Panic flickered in his chest, but it wasn't the missing items that sent a chill through his spine. No, it was something far more important. Ignoring the pain pulsing at the back of his head, he raced upstairs, his heart was pounding as he headed for his private study. His life’s work—his research, his theories—was all that mattered now. When he reached the second floor, he froze. The door to his study, which was always securely locked, was now wide open. With dread swirling inside him, Marvin stepped inside. Sitting casually at the desk, flipping through his research papers, was the last person Marvin ever wanted to see—his father, Mr. Richmond. Marvin's heart lurched. He staggered backward, unable to believe his eyes. The man who had disowned him, the man who had taken everything from him, was now seated comfortably in his sanctuary, studying his work with a cold, calculating gaze. "Dad?" Marvin's voice cracked. Mr. Richmond didn't look up. "You’ve always been good with numbers," he said, his tone was smooth but loaded with something far darker. Marvin’s blood ran cold. "Where's all my stuff?" he demanded, forcing himself to stay calm. "Your stuff?" His father finally looked up, his eyes were narrowing. "When did you ever own anything, Marvin?" Confusion flickered across Marvin’s face. “What are you talking about? I used my money to refurbish this house—” "Your money?" Mr. Richmond scoffed, rising to his feet. His towering figure loomed over Marvin. "You think a few scraps from my company give you ownership of anything? You think your half-baked 'contributions' entitle you to something?" Marvin felt a surge of anger but he bit his tongue. He wasn’t here to argue. "Just tell me where my things are, Dad." Mr. Richmond let out a heavy sigh, his lips curled into a cruel smirk. "I had them burned." Marvin’s world spun. "What…?" His breath caught in his throat, as disbelief rendered him speechless. "Oh, and this house?" Mr. Richmond continued, as if he hadn’t just shattered his son’s life. "It doesn’t belong to you anymore." Before Marvin could react, the door behind him swung open, and in strode three large men. Flanked between them, standing smugly, was Daniel Richmond—his younger brother. And right behind Daniel…was Martha. And the children. Marvin's stomach churned. His rage, which was once barely controlled, now roared to life. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white. Seeing Daniel was one thing, but to see Martha—the woman he thought was his wife—standing so comfortably with his brother, tore him apart. Daniel smirked, sliding an arm around Martha's waist. "We’re here to tear down this dump and build something proper," Daniel said, with a voice that was dripping with arrogance. "Martha and the kids deserve better. They’ve waited for me all these years." Martha smiled up at Daniel, planting a kiss on his lips. Marvin felt the ground slip beneath his feet. Mr. Richmond’s voice cut through the suffocating silence. "You’re lucky we even allowed you to stay here as long as you did. Now, this house will be mine again, and your 'research'... well, it never meant anything." Marvin's hands trembled with fury. "Dad, all these is insane." Marvin muttered. "Besides the fact that this wizzle here has synapticore force, he doesn't have the technical know how to run the company. He doesn't know anything about tech." Marvin said angrily. SLAP. The force of the blow made Marvin’s ears ring. Mr. Richmond stood over him, his face became a mask of fury. "How dare you insult my real son?" he spat. "It was because of him, the Bowen group ended their long lasted rivalry with us and agreed to partner with us, awarding us a contract of a hundred million dollars." Mr Richmond said proudly. "Just like that. Something you could never dream of accomplishing." Marvin’s vision blurred with the sting of tears. But as the insults rained down, as his brother gloated, and as Martha and the children watched on with indifference, he felt something shift inside him. Beneath the rage and humiliation, a fire kindled. He may have lost everything, but he hadn't lost himself. Marvin forced himself to remain calm. "Dad," he said quietly, "just let me take my research with me." "Research?" Daniel snorted, striding over to the desk. "You mean this junk?" "Those papers, and the formulas on the board," Martha said, with a voice that was dripping with contempt. She leaned in close to Daniel, with her gaze never leaving that of Marvin. "Let’s see what this ‘genius’ has been working on." Marvin’s heart pounded in his chest as Daniel reached for the papers on the desk. If they touched his work, it would all be over. His only hope, the last remnants of his tech future, would be destroyed. Just as Daniel's hand hovered over the documents, something snapped inside Marvin.
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Marvin walked through the entrance of the company building to the reception. Upon reaching where the receptionist was and upon sighting him, her eyes were wide out of shock. "Good morning Master Marvin." She greeted. "Good morning Mrs Flora, how is everything?" "Everything is fine. How about you?" "I am good." Replied Romeo. "So sorry about what happened to you, I on you must be going through a lot right now." "I know Mrs Flora, but what would I do, my father has made his decision." Marvin shrugged his shoulders. "You know I really wish you had the synapticore force within you, you surely would have been a great leader." She was aware of how hardworking and passionate Marvin was during his time at the company. "Well, I don't have it." "About your wife…" "No Mrs Flora, don't go there, I don't wish to remember anything about Martha Arceneaux." Marvin interrupted. "I am sorry about that master Marvin, but what I really wanted to say, is that I have a niece that you c
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The world around Marvin was dark and quiet.It was no longer the golden, peaceful lounge of La Vie En Rose. No music. No warmth. Only the low hum of silence and the smell of rust and oil.Dim lights flickered from old, hanging bulbs. The walls were made of bare concrete, and the floor was stained with grease. Broken car parts, metal tools, and oil drums were scattered everywhere. It looked like an old, abandoned car garage. Cold. Lonely. Empty of life.The only sound was the soft drip of water from a leaking pipe in the corner.Marvin’s head felt heavy. His eyes were half-closed. His whole body was weak—like he had been running for days with no food, no rest. Sweat rolled down his forehead, sticking his hair to his face. His mouth was dry. His tongue felt thick.Slowly, he began to wake up more. He tried to move.That’s when he realized…He couldn’t.His arms were spread apart, each one was chained tightly to the sides of a steel pole. His legs too were stretched and chained to the
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She had heard it all. Every word, every promise, every confession. Her heart sank with each syllable that left Marvin’s lips. His voice was so filled with conviction, so different from the way he had spoken to her. To Helena, it was a cruel revelation. The man she loved—truly loved—had just opened his heart to another woman in a way she had never imagined.Helena stood frozen just outside the door, her breath caught in her chest. She wanted to retreat, to leave the space, but she couldn’t. She was paralyzed, as if the air had thickened around her, suffocating her ability to move. The reality of Marvin’s feelings for Stella settled over her like a dark cloud, suffusing her thoughts with bitterness and sorrow. She couldn’t comprehend how it had all gone so wrong upon the firm confirmation that Marvin had another lover.From inside the office, Marvin’s voice continued to flow, filled with life and excitement as he spoke to Stella, unaware that Helena was standing mere feet away, hea
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Marvin leaned back in his chair, the conversation with Helena was still echoing in his mind. It had been a close call earlier, but things had finally lightened. She had kissed him lightly on the cheek before heading for the door, leaving behind the faint trace of her perfume, the scent lingered in the air like an invisible mark of her presence.The door clicked softly behind her, and for a brief moment, Marvin let the silence settle. He closed his eyes, exhaling deeply, with a sense of relief washing over him. His shoulders, tense from the pressure of the conversation, began to relax as the moment of calm spread through him. But just as he thought he might get the chance to fully unwind, his phone buzzed again.He glanced at the screen, the name was flashing brightly: Stella Orion.A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Stella. She had this way of making everything feel easier, lighter. His mood shifted, almost eagerly, as he swiped to answer the call. No more pretending,
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She leaned forward, her eyes locking onto his. The tension between them was palpable, thick enough that Marvin could almost feel it pressing on his chest."Why are you not picking up your call?" she demanded, her voice was now laced with suspicion.Her tone had shifted. It was forceful now, more aggressive, more violent than it had been a moment ago. "Who is it, Marvin?"The question hung in the air like a heavy weight. Marvin’s heart raced as the blood drained from his face. He could feel the words slipping through his mind, desperate to make an escape, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak the truth. He had promised himself that he would be honest, that he would stop lying... but now, under the intensity of her gaze, he wasn’t sure what would happen if he did.For a moment, he simply stared at her. The silence stretched out, dragging on longer than it should have. The weight of their unspoken words pressed down on him, suffocating him in a way that felt almost unbearable.What
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Marvin opened the door gently.The soft click of the handle turning echoed slightly in the quiet room.Inside, Helena sat on the couch near the office desk, her eyes were fixed on her phone. Her fingers glided lightly across the screen, seemingly absorbed in whatever she was reading. The atmosphere in the room felt different — quieter, colder.As the door swung open, Helena raised her eyes slowly.Their gazes met.Marvin’s heart skipped a beat. A wave of relief and joy washed over him at the sight of her, but something else lingered in the air — something he couldn’t quite place.Without thinking, he walked toward her with open arms, he felt the instinct to pull her close. He had missed her — more than he cared to admit.But today was different.Helena didn’t rush toward him, as she used to. There was no excited smile, no sparkle in her eyes. She simply stood up, her movements were slow and deliberate, almost mechanical. Her expression remained unreadable.He faltered for a moment,
HOME, BUT NOT THE SAME 1
A Week Later…The city of Neovalle was bathed in the soft, golden light of morning.After a week away, Marvin Richmond finally returned to Neovalle.He sat comfortably in the backseat of a sleek black luxury vehicle, the engine was humming quietly as it moved smoothly through the streets.The windows were slightly tinted, shielding him from the outside world, but Marvin could still see the tall buildings, busy streets, and colorful banners fluttering in the breeze.Neovalle was alive as ever—but for Marvin, something felt different.He leaned back into the plush leather seat, resting his head for a moment against the headrest, deep in thought.The driver, dressed neatly in a black suit, maneuvered the car expertly through the final turns, heading straight toward the tall, modern building of Helios Enterprise.Marvin’s sharp grey eyes caught sight of the familiar shining letters on the front of the company compound as they approached.HELIOS ENTERPRISE.Home.The vehicle slowed down as
