The Rise of Lucas

Chapter 6

As Lucas approached the table, the horror imprinted on his face grew when he discovered that the guy his wife, Tonia, was hugging so intimately was none other than the same crazy who had played a part in putting him to jail. The epiphany hit him like a lightning bolt, locking him in place for a minute as the pieces of a complicated jigsaw fell into a crazy alignment.

Tonia, first engrossed in the hug, caught sight of Lucas who wasn't far from her. Her shock was clear, but she swiftly controlled herself, a short trace of discomfort crossing her face before being replaced with an air of nonchalance.

Lucas, his voice tinged with a combination of amazement and betrayal, eventually managed to utter, "Tonia? What... what's going on here?"

Tonia, playing innocence, answered with a studied casualness, "Lucas, I didn't expect to see you here. Meet Richard. He's been an amazing friend while you were gone."

Richard, the individual in question, sported a smile that hinted at a deeper knowing. "Lucas, long time no see. Hope you enjoyed your vacation in the huge prison."

Lucas, attempting to digest the shock of seeing Tonia with the same person tied to his incarceration, shot out, "You set me up, Richard! And Tonia, how could you?"

Tonia, now calm, said with a disdainful tone, "Lucas, things change. I've moved on. Maybe you should, too."

Lucas, his voice wavering with a combination of fury and hurt, couldn't hold back the question blazing in his head. "Richard, why? Why did you do such a cruel act, putting me to prison? I was just a normal person, trying to earn a life for myself and my family. Why?"

Richard, with a smug smirk on his face, reclined back in his chair as if delighting in the control he held over Lucas. "Lucas, my good friend, it's a crazy world out there. I saw an opportunity, and I seized it. You were merely a piece in my quest for success."

Lucas, his hands knotted in rage, shot out, "But I trusted you! I trusted you. You were my boss for heavens sake! I never believed you'd betray me like way."

Richard, unimpressed by Lucas's heartfelt outburst, responded callously, "Business is about survival, Lucas. I needed to move ahead, and you were in the way. I did what I had to do."

Lucas, now fuelled by a combination of fury and despair, proceeded to question Richard, "You wrecked my life, Richard. You took away everything - my freedom, my family. How could you be so heartless?"

Richard, oblivious to the grief he had inflicted, said with a frigid shrug, "Heartless or not, it doesn't matter. I got what I wanted, and that's all that matters."

With a menacing grimace, Johnmockingly snarled at Lucas, "Let's face it, Lucas. You were a worthless spouse. Couldn't take care of your wife, could you? That's where I stepped in, filling the vacuum you left behind."

Lucas, wounded by the harsh comments, felt a rush of rage and fury. "You have no right to criticise my quality as a husband. You were the one who betrayed me and put me to jail in the first place."

Meanwhile, Tonia, seated alongside Richard, answered with a flirty grin, as if savouring the attention. She gripped to Richard's arm, her actions screaming more than words.

"You see, Lucas," Johnsaid, his tone oozing with condescension, "Tonia needed someone who could genuinely provide for her and our child. I was only being the guy you couldn't be."

Tonia, evidently delighting in the occasion, said with a sneer, "Johnhas been there for us when you couldn't. He's a true guy, unlike you."

Lucas, a combination of emotions surging inside him, strained to fathom the magnitude of the treachery. The lady he had once loved, now wrapped in the arms of the man who planned his downfall, dealt a blow that cut deep into his sense of self-worth.

Fury surged inside Lucas as he asked, "Where is our boy, Tonia? I want to see him!"

Tonia, her posture disdainful and uncompromising, crossed her arms angrily and responded, "He's not your responsibility anymore, Lucas. Johnis his father now."

Infuriated by Tonia's cruel reaction, Lucas clinched his fists. "He is my son, and I have every right to know where he is!"

Tonia, unfazed, maintained her stubborn posture. "You lost that privilege when you went to jail. Now leave us alone."

As the tension in the diner reached its climax, Richard, unable to take Lucas's presence any longer, sneered and yelled instructions to the guards, "Get this man out of here! I've had enough of him!"

However, before the security people could even make a move toward Lucas, the door flew open, and the mystery guy who had been watching Lucas's activities entered with a determined step. His demeanour was serious, and his eyes contained an intensity that demanded attention.

In an unexpected change of events, the strange guy lunged fast at Richard, his palm hitting with a loud smack across Richard's face. The harsh boom rang around the diner, briefly calming the developing commotion.

Richard, caught aback by the sudden smack, fell backward, a combination of astonishment and wrath on his face. The strange guy, his identity still concealed, remarked in a forceful tone, "You don't lay a hand on him. Understand?"