The Mysterious Midnight Magnate

05: The Ring

"You dare hit me?" Mr. Skillsgard had utter disbelief spreading across his face upon realizing blood was oozing from his mouth.

He couldn't believe someone as pathetic as Eric could do that.

And Eric didn't even respond, the look on his face showed that he would do it again if the man attempted to hit him for the second time.

He was already too upset over what was happening, so keeping his temper in check was out of the picture now.

"How dare you do this?" Claudia yelled so hard at Eric as she took quick steps until she was standing in front of him.

"So I should have let him hit me instead?" Eric stared at her in utter disappointment. It was one thing to divorce him and another to pick sides with her boyfriend when obviously she knew who was at fault.

"Of course yes, he holds more power than you and you cannot even measure up to one of his bodyguards or even his dog," Claudia glared at him icily.

Hearing this, Eric was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to be so partial and defensive. When she insulted him at the divorce attorney's office, she felt sympathetic and hurriedly brushed it off with a quick apology. Now, she was different.

Mr. Skillsgard yelled, "Guards! Seize him,"

Quickly, the guards surrounded Eric and held him like a thief.

"Let me go," Eric struggled to break free but they were more powerful than him, so they pushed and tried to kick him to the floor. But Eric struggled with them and stood on his ground.

"You will be dead meat for using that empty head on me!" Mr. Skillsgard was vindictive.

"Empty head, but it sent you to the floor," Eric scoffed bitterly and continue, "I won't let you bully me because of your status!" He added with a sneer.

"Shut your gob!" A furious Mr. Skillsgard clamored in Eric's face while hooking his hands around Eric's collars.

"You're suppose to crawl at my feet and plead for mercy!" The mayor fumed.

"I thought you weren't upset at the divorce at all, and now you're taking out your anger at my boyfriend. I am so disappointed in you, Eric. All the nonchalance and uncaring attitude was fake," Claudia threw her hands across her chest and shook her head at Eric.

"Your boyfriend tried to hit me first, I couldn't let that happen," Eric spat with a raised voice. He was still being held by the guards.

"You cannot even measure up to the dogs that I feed, yet you raise your hands on me?" Mr. Skillsgard could barely believe him.

"As long as we walk on the same floor and we breathe the same air, then you're not better than me," Eric uttered with an air of confidence. Yes, he was poor but he wouldn't let this man or even anyone trample upon him. He wasn't trained that way.

"You're just pained that you lost me to him," Claudia's accusing voice rang out.

This silenced Eric, as it stung deeply.

Claudia was right about this, and he immediately regretted letting his anger get the best of him. Had he known, he never would have raised his hand on her boyfriend, but on the contrary, he couldn't let the man hit him and go Scott-free.

"Lock him up and teach him a lesson of his life," Mr. Skillsgard ordered his men authoritatively.

"No," Claudia put her hand out to stop him.

"What?" Mr. Skillsgard was taken aback for a second.

"Just let him go, he isn't worth the stress," Claudia was addressing her boyfriend, but her gaze was settled on her ex-husband.

"Do you feel sympathy for him?" Mr. Skillsgard studied her expression with disbelief.

"No, he's already as pathetic as a worm. He has nothing and he won't even in the next couple of years," Claudia sounded so sure of herself as she pushed some strands of hair behind her ear.

And Eric snorted when the guards obliged to their boss's command, by releasing him.

"You cannot predict the future, Claudia," he straightened his wrinkled clothes as he told this to his ex-wife.

"Of course, I can't, but I've known you for thirteen years and you've had nothing the entire time. Couldn't even afford me expensive gifts, only cheap and worthless accessories," Claudia lashes out with an air of mockery.

Eric swallowed hard and let her insult him as she wanted. He knew he couldn't exchange words with this woman. She not only gave his heart bruises, but she was also peeling this wound and adding salt to it.

"Let's get out of here, babe," Claudia held Mr. Skillsgard's hand.

Staring at their intertwined hands made Eric clench his jaw.

"Fine, I'm going to listen to my girlfriend and drop this case because she insisted, otherwise I would have ruined your already miserable life for you." Mr. Skillsgard growled at Eric.

It was questioning to see the leader of a city so impulsive and hotheaded. He wasn't supposed to be the mayor in the first place, but he bribed his way through the elections with his wealth and rigged the mayorship results.

Eric balled his fists as he watched the dubious man and Claudia retreat from him, along with the bodyguards. The day was terrible for him, first a divorce and now humiliation. Claudia wasn't his wife anymore and now she was leaving with another man. Someone who would never sacrifice for her as much as he did.

If only he could acquire wealth bit by bit, he would make them regret this.

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That evening, Eric walked into the bar to get himself some drinks. He was heartbroken, hopeless and thought he needed some alcohol to make him forget about his depression.

He slid into the high bar stool in front of the bartender's tabletop.

"Two bottles of beer," he gave his order to the bartender.

The men he had side-stepped earlier, were watching him intently.

And he failed to notice the looks they were sending him because he was already caught up in his misery, although no one noticed. After all, he wasn't showing signs of vulnerability.

The men in the bar were thugs, and upon their arrival earlier, the weaker men had fled to save themselves from sustaining beatings because these thugs were seemingly dangerous.

So, when Eric walked into the bar, showing signs of nonchalance, they thought he was trying to challenge them.

"Here you go," the bartender settled Eric's bottles of beer in front of him and uncorked both lids.

Claudia's insults were still ringing in Eric's head when he picked up one bottle and drank straight from it.

After all, it had been a long day for him.

While drinking his beer, Eric lowered his eyes into a squint when he noticed a rusty ring with a reflecting diamond at the far end of the bar. It was right under a table that was stuck up with outdated cassettes, and other stuff.

It was so glaring that Eric wondered how it ended up there and if no one else could see it except him.

"Did you see that?" Eric asked the bartender.

"See what?" The man frowned.

"That ring over there," Eric stretched his hand and pointed at where the ring lay.

But immediately the bartender held out his head to take a look, he found nothing.