Xavier :The tale of the broken

01. The night everything burnt

Xavier was twenty-six and already exhausted by his own life. The kind no amount of sleep or weekend fun could fix.

It was the slow exhaustion of knowing exactly what tomorrow looked like and hating it before it even arrived.

He stepped into the dust-filled warehouse that was filled with tall metal shelves stacked with boxes of products he would never own in his lifetime.

He adjusted his gloves and lifted a crate full of car spares, groaning as the weight nearly cracked his back.

With so many cars needing parts, the workload had been brutal this week, forcing him to work eight hours a day, spent solely on moving other people's success while his own dreams collected nothing but dust.

As he carried the parts out of the warehouse, he glanced at his co-workers, seated around a table outside, drinking coffee.

"Oh, man. Last night was a blast. That girl l met at the bar was wild." One of them said.

"Don't tell me you took her to your house?" The other added. "Man, you're a man whore!"

They laughed, having fun. Xavier watched silently....He wasn't loud.

He wasn't confident. He wasn't the guy people gathered around. He worked hard to earn enough money to take out Lenny to her dream restaurant.

Lenny loved the fancy stuff. He wasn't born from a rich family they were middle class and yet, Xavier had always believed he could reach that stage one day with dedication and hard work. He believed consistency mattered most .As always, Xavier spent the whole day working hard. When he finally knocked off, he was tired, but that didn't stop him from thinking about his personal life.

He thought about Lenny, his girlfriend.

They had been together since Highschool, and lately, he hadn't been giving her enough attention.He took a heavy breath.

"I'll buy her flowers. Maybe we can have a movie night or something," he thought as he turned toward a small flower shop.

"She loves fancy things… hopefully she'll love these," he murmured after picking the best-looking ones among the cheapest options.

Lenny loved luxury.

At one point, he even borrowed his friend's car just to impress her on a date. Even so, she had stayed with him and loved him dearly.

"Oh…" He suddenly paused, remembering his mother's words.

'Chocolates are the best way to a woman's heart.' she had said.

"Yup! I almost forgot."

He made one last detour to buy chocolates before grabbing a taxi home.

He balanced the big flower and chocolates carefully and nudged the door open with his shoulder. It wasn't locked he frowned but she was usually cautious.

"Lenny?" he called softly.

The apartment was warm, dim, quiet. The bedroom lamp cast a golden glow down the hallway, soft and almost welcoming. He smiled faintly despite the fatigue pressing into his bones. Maybe she was having a relaxing bath ,tonight would feel different. Maybe she planned something sweet too .Maybe she noticed how hard things had been lately.

He went pass the sitting room passed through the kitchen to leave the keys.Then through the hallway to their bedroom.When he got to their bedroom door he heard a soft breathless sluttery and Intimate laugh not the laugh she used with friends. Not the polite laugh she used with strangers.

He pushed his ear against the door to hear more there was a man's voice ,so he opened the door quietly enough to peak in. Enough to see his brother in bed with his girlfriend. Xavier's heart didn't break immediately It slowed.His hearing sharpened. Just enough to hear and see everything clearly. He saw her first bare shoulders, hair falling down her back, fingers resting against someone's chest.

His brother was smirking like he belonged there.He didn't breathe nor shout even storm in he just stood there frozen, watching the life he thought would last .

"Does he suspect anything?" Liam asked casually.

She laughed softly.

"Xavier?" Lenny said. "He's too sweet to suspect anything."

Sweet.....too sweet, too soft,too blind to see this coming.

Liam kissed her neck.The room continued like Xavier didn't exist. He opened the door to make his presence known. Lenny pushed Liam off and covered herself with the blanket her face full of humiliation and shock.

"why..? was all he could utter

His chest felt hollow like something essential had been removed, leaving space where emotion should be.

"you were never around Xavier you went early before l woke up and came late when l was asleep "she said

"l was looking for money to fulfil your desires "he said

"l was always lonely and you never noticed that...things weren't working "she said

"we can fix it please" he begged

"She wasn't happy Xavier she chose me not you " Liam chirped in

"Is it true Lee" Xavier looked at her with pleading eyes she looked down unable to bear the looking at him.

"yes "she said

"come on get dressed and lets leave Lenny "Liam ordered her

After getting dressed Lenny came up to him hugging him,he didn’t hold her back.

When she moved away he tried pleading with her.

"Lenny please don't leave "his voice breaking.

"I'm sorry Xavier goodbye "she kissed him on the jaw before going .

Liam came up to him when Lenny was out of ear shot smirking.

"l always like her since l saw her for the first time now l have her to myself.You were always mother's favourite and l envied that even with my own business she loved her biological son more.You are a pathetic excuse of a man ", he said

"the dift had done its job by the time l entered the story offering company and ears.You've never been ambitious big brother women need security, direction.

You're still lifting boxes at the warehouse "with that he pushed past me after attering such bitter words .

There it was the real judgment small,replaceable and second best.

Xavier swallowed. He could punch him, scream, cry even but the worst part was that a part of him believed him.

All he was left with was emptiness in his apartment he sat on the bed processing everything that occurred.

How long had this been going on ?

All the family dinners,birthdays,Sunday lunches. Every memory suddenly felt staged rewritten and fake.That day Xavier was betrayed by 2 people he cared about in the world.Things changed that day changing a good man to someone totally different.

Xavier stepped out of the bedroom his heart was pounding, he was conflicted everything seemed blurry.

Someone moved in the shadows ahead, watching, waiting . A smirk appeared on their lips full of darkness.