Chapter 1

Tyler's heart raced as he found himself in a desperate situation. His mother's life hung in the balance, and he needed money urgently to ensure her treatment. Having just left the hospital where the doctor warned him of her deteriorating condition, he rushed to his workplace, filled with a sense of urgency and desperation.

Ignoring any semblance of office etiquette, Tyler banged on his boss's door, his tense body not allowing him to wait for permission. In his mind, all that mattered was saving his mother, who was battling cancer.

“Good da…” Tyler trailed off as his jaw dropped impromptu and his eyes dilated. He saw Clara and both she and his boss were naked!

Tyler couldn’t believe what his eyes beheld. He stood with weak legs and gawked at Clara and his boss.

“Cla… No, this can not be happening. No!” He shrieked and jiggled his head trying his best to not believe his visions but unfortunately it was beaming to his face.

“What the fuck are you doing? What the fuck!!!?” He growled. His eyes were red and his hands were balled into a fist. Veins popped on his forehead.

Clara stood up from her knees where she was and picked up her clothes in stillness.

“Shut the fuck up you bastard! How dare you shout in my office and who even gave you the permission to barge without my consent!?” Antonio rumbled as he zipped up his pants. He fumed with rage.

“Now fucking get out and knock before coming in!” Tyler’s eyes widened in shock.

“What!?” He stammered.

“You heard me right, you riff raff. Get out of my office! Knock and then I will tell you if you are to come in or not!” Antonio’s voice was just like a thunderbolt.

Tyler steered his look from Antonio to Clara. He felt disgust in his belly. There was the impulse to flaunt Antonio’s orders but then he couldn’t risk losing the job. His mother’s hospital bills depended on it.

He strolled out of the room with tears gushing out his eyes. His whole body was fluttering as he couldn’t get the image of what he just saw out of his head. He banged on the door after stepping out. There was no response. He had to bang the door a second time but still there was no response. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes to contain his anger.

“Come on in, asshole!” Antonio’s voice came out after Tyler banged the door for the third time. The latter was used to curse words from Antonio as it became a norm. He had to work with it so he could provide for Clara and his Mother.

Tyler took a few seconds to gather himself together before he stepped in. On entering, Tyler saw that Clara was fully dressed and stood in Antonio’s arms, no sign of remorse on her face. Her countenance was stoic and aloof.

“So what do you want, Tyler Miller?” Antonio asked with a smirk. He had always looked for means to disparage Tyler who was his attendant. It was known to everyone that Tyler was better than him and did most of the work which he always took credit for.

“Clara, why did you have to do this to me? You know how much I love you and all that I have done for you and you chose to do this to me? With my boss?” Tyler’s voice shuddered as he spoke. His heart was shattered. He tried holding back his tears but the emotions of pain and disappointment were too much to handle.

“I have lived my life for you. I have done everything for you and you know all I have done Clara. I even used my life savings to pay for your hospital bills when even your parents couldn’t. Doesn’t that show how much I love you? I even once gave you my entire month's salary just so you could pay for your tuition fees while I went hungry for the month. What more did you want from me? What!?”

Tyler’s remaining emotion he was trying to hide burst out like a pimple.

“Oh fuck it Tyler! You keep ranting about things you have done for me and blah blah blah. Just shut the hell up and cut it down with the emotional blackmail shit!” Clara roared and moved away from Andrew, her eyes blazed just like her voice did.

Tyler was astonished and his jaw dropped spontaneously. It was unbelievable to see Clara who claimed to be all humble and naive, who had never raised her voice on him just did.

“What have you done for me that someone else hasn’t done before? Huh? Tyler, do you even look at yourself in the mirror? You are stinking broke and poor. Looking at yourself, it’s very obvious that you do not have a future for yourself. If you aren’t an evil wizard, would you stay with yourself if you were in my shoes? Huh!?” She spat as she drew closer to him. Tyler was mute and still in shock.

She stood right in front of him, her black orbs darted directly into his. He couldn’t believe who was in front of him. It surely was not his Clara.

“What… What are you saying to me? Clara, what has come over you?” Tyler managed to get off his tongue.

“The truth and reality dawned on me. I have been wasting my life with you. I don’t deny the fact that you have done some things for me, but then I can’t stay bound to you because of that. I have my whole life ahead of me to live, Tyler. Our lives aren’t bound together. Antonio has shown me love and what real love is. He has been taking care of me and given me the true treatment I deserve. Trust me Tyler I’m sorry to say this but I think you are cursed and that’s why nothing right works for you. That’s why your mom has been sick maybe!” Clara dropped the last bomb.

“Clara!!!” Tyler raised his hand to strike. Antonio quickly moved in. Tyler’s hand stuck in the air while he looked at Clara with bulging red eyes.

“Don’t even dare, you stupid street Dog!” Antonio cautioned.

“Clara, you look me in the face now and tell me these?” Tyler shook his head as more tears rolled down. “Please just stop this Clara. I love you so much and we are meant for each other. Please let’s just let this slide like a bad dream. I promise that I am going to do everything to make things right and provide for you, please” Tyler pleaded and grabbed Clara’s hand.

“Let go of me!” Clara roared and poured the cup of wine that was on the desk on Tyler’s face.

“There’s no way I am going with you. I didn’t know how to tell you that I wanted you no more but I’m thankful you saw it yourself.”

“Now leave! And I mean leave completely because you haven’t just lost your woman to me, but you have also lost your job.” Antonio smirked. Antonio moved closer to Tyler and started walking around him. “You have always wanted to be the boss, always wanting to claim to be smart, now who is smart!?” He bellowed and cracked up in Tyler’s face.

“Leave!” Antonio thundered.

Tyler’s stare remained with Clara. “I just have one question before I leave, Clara” He whispered like a wounded wolf. “For how long? For how long have you been with…” he trailed off in disgust.

“Fourteen months!” Clara divulged.

“Asshole get yourself out of my office now!” Antonio growled.

Tyler in shame and heartbreak, spun to leave the office. He halted and faced Antonio once more. “Please just give me my pay. I need to pay for my mothers hospital bills' ' Tyler swallowed his shame and clipped his ego just for his mother's sake.

Antonio sauntered towards Tyler.

“Your pay right?” He chuckled and spat into Tyler’s face after which he pushed him till he crumbled on the floor.

“Get out of my office you son of a bitch!” Antonio thundered.

Tyler gritted his teeth but contained his anger still. He stood up and scoffed after giving Clara one last dead look. He walked out of the room in silence. There was nothing more to say. The flashback of everything kept slamming his head as he waltzed out of the firm. Andrew was right indeed. Tyler was broken into pieces. His job and girlfriend were taken away from him. The two things that were dear to him. How was he going to survive and live life without a job? It was a lot to swallow.

The fact that Tyler was too blinded not to see the red flags that were right in his face made his stomach churn. He cussed himself as he walked out of the building. He stood outside the firm and stared backwards. It started raining. He didn’t know where to start from. He started walking on the road like a zombie. There was a car behind him but he didn’t notice. The car honked for Tyler to shift away from the road but rather Tyler stepped completely on the tarred road.