2.

 Deigo's eyes widened as Sophia handed him a stack of papers.

 

 

 

 

 

 "What is this?" Deigo asked his voice firm yet cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 He thought she was going to tell him about her pregnancy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 She didn't come home for their anniversary dinner; heck, he hadn't set his eyes on her for three days since the news about her and Benjamin went pampered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 He thought she was avoiding him because she felt the guilt eating her up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Today she had called him to meet her at her office; according to her, she wanted to discuss something important with him, and he thought it had to do with the pregnancy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It should have had anything to do with them in general. They needed to patch things up and fix their lives back together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Divorce papers," Sophia replied, her expression cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

 

 

 

 

 

 "After everything we've been through... our promises... our child on the way..." Deigo's voice cracked.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's gaze remained icy, and she was surprised that he knew about the pregnancy.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're holding me back, Deigo. I deserve better. Someone with wealth, status, and power. You give me absolutely nothing; you've only been a liability to me and nothing else. I can't deal with this."

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's heart dropped, her words ringing in his head, hoping he heard wrong and that the woman he loves isn't just about to break his heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're doing this because of money?" he whispered.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia sneered.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're a church rat, Deigo. Poor and pathetic. I can't keep living with someone who can't provide for me. I should have listened to my parents when they warned me, Deigo. You are a worthless waste of time; I should have never spared you a glance, Deigo. I deserve better than you."

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo felt numb and in pain.

 

 

 

 

 

 "How can you say that? I've given you everything. Protected you, loved you... Our child."

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia rolled her eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 "That child is not yours. It's benjamin's. And I'm tired of pretending otherwise. It's time you face reality, Deigo. People like you don't belong in my world; you should be with your poor kind of people and not me, so please, let's save both of us the trouble and move on."

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's world shattered.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're... you're leaving me for him?" he stammered.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia nodded.

 

 

 

 

 

 "I'm upgrading, Deigo. You're just a temporary convenience. Sign the papers."

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's hand trembled as he took the papers.

 

 

 

 

 

 He scanned them, his mind reeling.

 

 

 Even though according to his late mentor, the marriage is suppose to last for three years and which it had, he was willing to keep moving and break the rules for her, yet this is what he gets in return.

 

 

 

 

 

 How could she do this?

 

 

 

 

 

 Didn't their love mean anything to her?

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo looked up, pleading.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Sophia, please... reconsider. I am willing to forgive and forget all that has happened. Know for a fact that the child belongs to me and not Benjamin. You are just mad at me, but I promise you I'll do better. Will work my ass out if I have to provide for you and our unborn child, just please."

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia turned, letting out a laugh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Oh, please, Deigo, I will never make the mistake of birthing a child with a low life. I don't want my children growing up in the slumps. Let's be honest, you are only clinging onto me because I give you food, shelter, and all the money you need." She mocks a slight smile tugging on her lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This doesn't feel real; this all feels like a dream to Deigo; he was finding it hard to believe that these words were spewing out from his wife's lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Sign the papers, Deigo. It's over."

 

 

 

 

 

 She snaps him back to reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A knock at the door broke the tension.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Enter," Sophia called out.

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin sauntered in, a smirk on his face.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Ah, Deigo, I hear you're being reasonable," Benjamin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he walked to Sophia, slipping his hands on her waist.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's jaw clenched. The bracelet in his hands was shaking, but he knew better than to let it come off.

 

 

 

 

 

 Blood will be shed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo is trying as much as possible to keep him cool, but Benjamin keeps pushing.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Just sign the papers, Deigo continued. "You're not worthy of Sophia anyway. I don't even know what got into her to ever give a man like you a chance; you don't fit her status; she gave you the pleasure of surviving with you for three years." 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia snickered. "Yes, Baby. Such an unfortunate experience, but it's okay. It's good to feed the poor; it brings good luck, and that is why I have you." She smiles as they share a quick kiss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's eyes narrowed, hurt and disappointment evident in them.

 

 

 

 

 

 "What are you waiting for, your misfortune? Huh?"

 

 

 

 

 

 "Shut up, Benjamin," Deigo growled.

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin chuckled.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Oh, look, the church rat has teeth," Benjamin mocked.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's anger simmered.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia joined in.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're just mad because you can't provide for me, and aren't you even supposed to be happy for me? I am finally going to be set free, away from this hell of a marriage. The least you could do for the fingers that fed you is be grateful," Sophia spat.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's control snapped as he muttered curses under his breath. 

 

 

 

 

 

 He was really trying to keep his cool, but somehow both of them kept fuelling it up; it is almost impossible to let it die down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Sign the papers."

 

 

 

 

 

 With a fierce roar, Deigo launched at Benjamin.

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin, anticipating the attack, swung at Deigo.

 

 

 

 

 

 The two men clashed, fists flying.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo hasn't been practicing or using his abilities for years now. Ever since he fell in love with Sophia, his priorities changed, his whole mind diverting to the woman he never thought would backstab him.

 

 

 

 

 

 He thought wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo stumbled back, blood trickling from his lip.

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin sneered.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're no match for me, Deigo," Julian gloated.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's rage boiled over.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo tackled Benjamin down, throwing punches at him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Stop it, fucking stop!" Sophis cried out, trying to stop Deigo from throwing another punch, but his anger had overclouded his vision.

 

 

 

 

 

 The office erupted into chaos.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia shrieked.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Stop it! Stop!"

 

 

 

 

 

 Security burst in, separating the two men.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's chest heaved.

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin smirked.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You'll pay for this," Deigo snarled.

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin shrugged.

 

 

 

 

 

 "I'm shaking in my boots," Benjamin retorted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's parents walked into the office, concern etched on their faces.

 

 

 

 

 

 "What happened?" Sophia's mother asked, eyeing the scattered papers and overturned furniture.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia pointed at Deigo.

 

 

 

 

 

 "This good-for-nothing man attacked Benjamin."

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's mother turned to Deigo, her expression cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You don't deserve Sophia one bit," she spat. "You're poor, weak, and can't provide for her, and you dare to come here and fight my soon-to-be son-in-law?"

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's face stung from the harsh words.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Son in law?" He couldn't help but question.

 

 

 

 

 

 She snorts, "Yes? Or do you have a problem with that?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "I have done everything for you people; I've loved and cared for your daughter, and although I may not be as rich as you are, I did try my best to make efforts to support your family through this crisis, and this is what I got in return. Betrayal?" He asks, his voice cracking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 They all burst into a fit of laughter as though he just said he was the funniest thing on earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 He shut his eyes momentarily, sucking in a breath to keep his calm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The securities stood beside him, calculating his steps, intending to stop him if he tried launching on anybody again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's father stepped forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Sign the divorce papers, Deigo," he ordered. "You're holding Sophia back. She deserves better."

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo shook his head.

 

 

 

 

 

 "I won't give up on our marriage; with all due respect, I love your daughter, and I am willing to do everything in my power to see to it that we both work out our differences," Deigo said firmly.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's mother sneered.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're not worthy of our family," she said. "You've leached off us for too long. We have respected our daughter's decision to bring you into this house, and now that she has finally come into her right sense, you better do what's good for you and sign the divorce papers." 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's father added.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You've never been good enough for Sophia. You're just a temporary convenience. Our daughter deserves Benjamin. The only one that would make our family business grow better and father to our unborn grandchild"

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo felt a surge of anger and pain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 "I protected Sophia," Deigo protested. "I kept her safe."

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's mother laughed.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You think you're some kind of hero?" she mocked. "You're just a pathetic church rat."

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's hands clenched into fists.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Sign the papers," Sophia's father repeated. "Or we'll make sure you regret it."

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia stepped forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Mother, Father, please," Sophia said. "Let's just end this."

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's heart broke.

 

 

 

 

 

 You're all against me, he thought.

 

 

 

 

 

 Fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 He'd sign the papers.

 

 

 

 

 

 But he will make sure they regret ever asking that from him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's hand trembled as he signed the divorce papers.

 

 

 

 

 

 His heart felt heavy, crushed.

 

 

 

 

 

 If only he had been led by the rules his master had given him, then he wouldn't be stuck in a position like this. Now here he is, unable to wrap his head around what is just happening.

 

 

 

 

 

 Every piece of his heart shatters as memories of all the sacrifices he has made for the marriage to work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 The love he thought he shared with Sophia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 All of it was nothing short of lies—lies that he has to live with for the rest of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 He felt his heart cracking as he signed on the last piece of paper, separating him from Sophia till eternity.

 

 

 

 

 

 Authur would be disappointed in him if he were to be alive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 He had saved Sophis's parent's company times without numbers from running bad deals because they all didn't know how to run good business deals. 

 

 

 

 

 

 He had made sure they had secret top-notch security that was around them all the time to prevent attacks of any sort, yet in the end, this is what he gets in return.

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin snickered.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Looks like the churchrat finally learned his place," Benjamin mocked.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's anger flared.

 

 

 

 

 

 He launched at Benjamin, fists clenched.

 

 

 

 

 

 But the guards grabbed him, holding him back.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Let me go!" Deigo struggled.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's mother smiled coldly.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Take him away," she ordered the guards. "Teach him a lesson."

 

 

 

 

 

 Sophia's father nodded.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Make sure he learns his place," he added.

 

 

 

 

 

 The guards dragged Deigo out of the office.

 

 

 

 

 

 As they pulled him away, Deigo saw Sophia holding Benjamin's hands that were on her slight bump.

 

 

 

 

 

 She didn't even glance at him. Her eyes were glued to Benjamin; they held so much love and affection.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo's heart shattered.

 

 

 

 

 

 In the hallway, the guards tossed Deigo into a waiting police car.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're going downtown, buddy," one guard sneered.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo slumped against the seat, defeated.

 

 

 

 

 

 At the police station, Deigo was thrown into a cell.

 

 

 

 

 

 He sat on the cold floor, head in hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 His world had collapsed.

 

 

 

 

 

 He'd lost Sophia, the child he thought he had, everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 The guards came later, taunting him.

 

 

 

 

 

 "You're nothing now, Deigo," one sneered, sliding him a tray of food.

 

 

 

 

 

 Deigo looked up, eyes blazing in anger but not directed towards the guard.

 

 

 

 

 

 He twisted and turned the bracelet on his hands. Each memory of his mistakes that he would save the rest of his life regretting came running down to him like a wave of nostalgia.

 

 

 

 

 

 The lies Sophia had told him, the way his inlaws had taunted and mistreated him

 

 

 

 

 

 This wasn't the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 He'd rise again.

 

 

 

 

 

 He'd make them pay.