The sun was already shining brightly when Len woke up. The steaks he cooked last night were already cold, while the red wine was starting to warm up because of the sun. Diana didn't wake up or even say hi when she arrived home last night.
He stared at the wasted food. "I have prepared the best for you. Yet you outright ignored it." Walking through the kitchen, he opened the fridge. The cake, specially made by the best chef in the city, was not even touched.
Walking to the car porch, Diana's car was not there. "She must have left early to work." He thought, but then he remembered, it was Sunday. Diana never worked on Sunday before. That was when he realized something on the table below an empty wine bottle that Diana brought home last night.
He picked up the stack of papers and began reading their contents. Tears slowly flowed through his cheeks as he continued reading from the first page until the third. His fist clenched tightly as his face changed from a calm-just-woke-up face into a red, sorrowful one.
"Old man Sigmund, I may not be able to keep my promise to protect your daughter. But I will still try to honor our agreement."
He kept the papers in a file and left it on the table before going upstairs for a cold shower. After showering, he sent Diana text messages, but they went unanswered. He tried to call her but was dismissed.
Not giving up, he called for Mattius to pick him up. Forty-five minutes later, a black luxury sports car arrived at the front gate. Len immediately opened the gate and went inside the car.
Mattius flashed a smile as Len was entering the car. "It has been a while, Len, how are you doing?" he asked.
"I am doing… pretty well, I guess," Len answered. He tried to make a faint smile, but it looked awkward and forced. "Can you send me to the office?"
Mattius looked at his watch, "You mean now? It is Sunday, Len, I don't think, -"
"Just send me there. I have a feeling about it."
"Alright, Len, as you wish," Mattius replied as he stepped on the gas pedal and sped towards the Red Dragon Company.
It took them half an hour to reach their destination.
"Alright, Mattius, thanks for the ride." Len said, "I think you can go home now. I am going there alone."
"Are you sure? I can accompany you there, you know. Most of the newer gang members don't recognize you, but they know me well. Perhaps I should accompany you, for safety…-"
"No, Mattius, I can take care of myself. You, don't worry, yeah?" Len smiled, trying to hide the sorrow beneath it.
Knowing the Len he knew was as stubborn as a mule, Mattius finally gave up and drove out of the company's compound. Len waved goodbye as his friend gradually disappeared from his vision.
He looked at the tall building in front of him. The 50-floor building was the legacy of his old mentor and partner, Sigmund Kylan, when he started his tobacco business. He remembered fighting alongside Sigmund when a rival gang suddenly appeared, threatening to burn the business down.
"Those were the good days," He thought.
Before he could even approach the building, five gang members surrounded him.
"What are you doing at this place? You stink!" one of them said, pushing him like a rag doll.
Len showed no reaction, which only irritated them further. They started hurling insults at him and kept pushing him until he stumbled and fell. He kept his composure and bore with all their insults.
"Please, just let me pass through. My wife is the owner of this place," he said. It prompted the gang members to laugh hysterically. One of them even mocked him, "If she is your wife, then the president is my grandpa!"
Len remained quiet and ignored their mocking. When he tried to get up, one of the larger gang members stepped on his head and pushed him, causing him to fall back on his butt. "Stay there, you beggar. You don't even deserve to lick the sole of my shoes." He spat his phlegm towards Len, almost hitting him, while the others continued to mock and laugh.
Then, a deep voice emerged as the sliding entrance door was opened, "What is going on around here?" Judging from the sound of his footsteps and the heavy presence he carried with him as he stepped outside the company, the man himself must be an impressive guy.
However, he was not walking alone. Another footsteps emerged, this one, Len recognized instantly. It was of Diana, and she was walking closely with another guy. Both footsteps slowly walked towards Len, who was sitting with his head down.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" the man asked Len. "Honey, do you know this guy?"
Len lifted his head, revealing his dirtied face towards the man and Diana. Diana gasped, shocked to see Len sitting like a beggar in front of her company.
Len tried to get up, "Diana… What do you mean by this? - "
A kick to his stomach abruptly cut Len off from finishing his words. Len squealed as he tried to catch his breath. The man lifted his leg again and landed a heavier kick at Len's stomach, causing him to fly further away from them.
Len knew that if he kept this up, Diana might see him as a weak person who could not even defend himself. He staggered half a step, but his eyes were focused on the man and his gangs. It caught the man offguard, the hair on his neck stood instantly as he saw the death stare Len was giving.
Len was about to jump on one of the gang members when Diana spoke. "Stop," she said, then she started kissing the man's lips while eyeing her beaten husband, "Let's forget about this loser and continue our… Conversation at your place?"
The man grinned from ear to ear. "Yes, honey, I will make you mine soon. After we got rid of your loser husband." He signalled to his gang members, "Do what you want. I don't care, just don't let that damn fool in this compound."
Then, he wrapped his arms around Diana's waist, and they walked together towards the basement.
Shocked and disheartened by what he heard, Len lowered his guard and just let himself get beaten by the gang members. When the gang leader saw that Len was no longer moving. He ordered his men to carry Len into their car and dumped him in a ditch, a few kilometers away.
His wife openly abandons and declares war against him…