Chapter 2

It was three years already, after I had broken my engagement with Ashley. I had moved from a broken man, to a much more miserable man, to a dead man in soul, but in that three years I had made a decision to live and go through life all over again.

"Good morning." I greeted back responding to one of the employees of the company I now worked for. This was the happiest I had been in three long years. Getting a job with a good position in a prestigious company, for the first time, my academic qualifications were paying off.

I had graduated top one in my class as a business student, yes, that was my course of study and for a purpose. Hoping that my grandfather, the owner to one of the most biggest company in the country would consider me a worthy grandson. My grandfather was one of the richest man in the country, and I was the son of his first child who let his family down, by getting married to my mother from a worthless background. Therefore I was crowned "The illegitimate heir."

I stopped in my tracks as I got to my office, noticing something unusual going on. My assistant, Bella, was taking my stuffs out of my office.

"Good morning sir." She hurried her words startled by my presence. I ignored her greetings and walked further into the office scanning the surrounding more before trailing my eyes back to her. Most of my things were gone and she kept her head low avoiding my gaze.

"Tell me what is going on here Bella?" I ordered. She flinched at my tone. I could see she was scared to reply.

"Ask me instead." Came a familiar voice. I turned towards the direction of the sound and I became more curious seeing my superior standing at my door. He walked in and dismissed my assistant. "I was asked to give you this." He said handing an envelope to me.

I looked at him suspiciously before going through the content of the letter in it. I let it fall off my hand the moment I got to that word "dismissed." They were laying me off from work. I felt my whole world crumbling. Just when I thought a bright future was waiting for me, a sack letter.

I saw Harry, my superior smile darkly at me, he seemed to be enjoying my predicament. Ever since I came to this company, I had performed excellently well. All my projects had been an outstanding success and there was a possibility of getting a double promotion making me higher than him in rank but now this? What could have gone wrong? I kept asking myself. Without haste I pushed Harry out of my way, heading to the manager's office. He was very fond of me and favoured me a lot.

"I'm sorry Nathan but there's nothing I can do." Came the voice of Adrain the manager of the company, he seemed to regret laying me of so much but why did he do it then? Why are his hands tied to the situation? Things didn't seem right. He looked genuinely sorry but I couldn't make out any reasonable explanation for his actions neither did he give me any. I was directed to where my properties were discarded and it made me more upset. It was thrown away like dirt. I was all so conflicted, why was I being treated this way?

I decided to head home and freshen up so I could plan myself better knowing I was helpless to what had happened. I got to my apartment and noticed a sign put up at my door that wasn't there this morning. It read that an emergency evacuation was to done in two weeks. I met the care taker that same day and was informed that the owner of the house had sold it to a big business man who wanted to commence renovation as soon as possible. Today seemed to be bad luck and it wasn't the end of the month, how were we to afford moving into a new apartment. Was the owner that inconsiderate? I was told that even if the tenants took the new owner to court we would lose, because the owner would bribe the judge. Just as I sat in my bedroom wondering how things fell apart, a call entered my phone.

"Hello..." I picked even though it was an unknown number.

"Did you like my surprise?" Came a voice that seemed excited and aware of what was happening to me. My eyes soon widened going from shock to anger realizing who my caller was.

"Ivan?" I asked needing a confirmation.

"Long time unheard cousin." He said, his voice roguish before cutting the call. Ivan, it was him. I shouldn't be too surprised, I should have known it was him all along. The past three years. Each time I saw a limelight something bad always happened and I only got a break from my badlucks when I started working as cleaner in a hospital. I had thought my life was back on track when I got my job at the company but as always my badluck came and it wasn't just badluck, an unseen force, my badluck happened to be a human being.

"Ivan!" I yelled barging into the Graystone's mansion. I can't remember the last time I came here but it has been ages. A maid had told me where I could find my cousin brother as I asked her calmly but she didn't know I was coming in an inferno.

The door shut open as I charged my way into my grandfather's study. Two brothers turning at once to my direction.

"Is he mad or stupid!" Carl yelled rather than asking. He was Ivan's junior brother the third grandson of the Graystones family. I glared at him and focused a death stare at Ivan who seemed to be amused by my furry. "Guards!" Carl yelled but was quickly stopped by Ivan who stepped forward to me instead.

"Leave him to me. His anger is justified and for that... I am the happiest man on Earth." Ivan confessed. My eyes twitched in disbelief, how could someone hate me so much to go to such length to frustrate me? I couldn't dwell on the thought as my emotions controlled my hands to land a blow or several blows at Ivan who staggered and fell back to the floor, Carl pulling him back from my angry attack.

"What in heavens name is going on here?" The place went silent as the voice of no other than the patriarch, Arthur Graystone resounded from behind.

"Grandfather." My cousins chorused adjusting themselves in a saintly manner before him. They worshipped my grandfather like a god and why not? He was rich and very powerful and I was a nobody before him. I bowed my head slightly in regret as I watched him pass to stand before me. He had a walking stick in his hand, a round cap over his head and a stick of cigratte which he popped.

"You good for nothing boy!" His tone was angry as he spoke to me. " Have you come here to cause trouble?" He asked staring intensely at me. I couldn't deny that this man had a dangerous and fearful aura around him, no wonder everyone feared him.

"Apologies grandfather." I said raising my face to him. I could hear my cousins mutter, they were obviously shocked that I mentioned the word grandfather.The old man didn't seem too pleased by it as well but he didn't decline.

"You must be out of your mind to barge into my study to cause trouble. Tell me..." He put off his cigarettes on my bare skin that was exposed but I endured the pain as much as I could. "Even if you sell yourself, can you afford a single thing in this room?" I stared up at him. His questions reminding me of my miserable life. I kept quiet and said nothing.

"Answer me!" He yelled and began using his stick on me. I remained still without moving not minding the injury his spanks might cause.

"Why do you hate me so much?" I said in a low, gravelled voice as I glared unwavering at him. He seemed to be taken aback by my question.

"Leave this instant!" He commanded turning away from me. Did my question have an impact on him? I couldn't tell for sure.

"If I can't make it using my mother's name, then forgive me. I will have to use your name to do that." I said and walked out, ignoring the curses my cousins were yelling at me.

"Nathan." My heels stopped hearing a familiar voice that introduced the memory of a thousand swords going through my heart. I turned slowly and my eyes fell on her, Ashley, she stood there, with a two year old boy by her right hand and another child living inside of her.