As Charles stumbled away from the scene of his heartbreak, the world seemed to tilt and sway around him, as if reality itself were mocking his pain.
His chest tightened, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to contain his grief and rage.
'Why did she do this to me?' he thought, his mind reeling as he fought to process the betrayal that had so cruelly blindsided him. 'She played me like a fool.'
'Anna doesn't love me,' Charles mused to himself as more drops of tears rolled out of his eyes. 'She has been using me all this while.'
Charles sniffed his nose, biting his upper lips as he sluggishly walked down the roadside while staggering from one end to another.
His glasses were on his left hand while on his right hand were the things that he had picked up from the floor.
Charles placed the things he believed to be jewelry inside his trouser pocket as he kept on walking which was despite his blurry vision.
He lost count of time until eventually, he began to hear the loud sound of music coming from a nearby building.
Swiftly, Charles wore his glasses as he made his way toward the building.
It was a clubhouse.
Charles sniffed the snort that was trying to roll out of his nose as he stepped inside the building.
Loud music boomed and echoed throughout the entire place, its booming bassline shaking the very foundations of the building.
The lights in the clubhouse were dimmed, casting an array of colorful hues that danced and played across the surface of the walls.
Within the space, individuals could be observed swaying their hips and moving their bodies in rhythmic motion, following the hypnotic beat of the music.
It was as if the music had a hold on them, and they were moving in sync with its alluring melody.
Charles forced himself through the crowd of dancers until he finally arrived at the mini bar which had an individual seat.
He took his seat, resting his elbow on the table that demarcated the bartender from him.
Charles' voice was low, his words lost in the din of the club. "A tequila, please," he called out, waving his hand to attract the attention of the bartender, who was busy serving a young woman with an over-the-top cocktail.
The woman giggled, clearly enjoying the bartender's flirtatious attentions.
After a while, the young bartender nodded his head and immediately approached Charles, pouring a tequila shot for him.
In one gulp, Charles drank the entire shot of tequila, the hot liquid burning his throat and likewise his chest.
Charles hissed, frowning his face as he ordered another shot of tequila.
Once more, the bartender poured him a shot and he drank it in one gulp.
"Hey! Slow down," A young man stated and his voice prompted Charles to glare in his direction.
The young man was dressed in a brown leather jacket and black trousers, his skin punctured with metal studs and rings in his ears and nose.
He exuded a sense of edgy confidence that Charles found both intriguing and irritating and the man was also seated and he had a wine glass on his left hand.
"Are you alone?" The young man questioned Charles with an arched brow.
Charles scoffed, signalling the bartender to give him another shot.
"Well, I'll take your silence as a 'yes'," he said, a glint of mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Once more, Charles ignored the young man as he gulped his entire shot of tequila.
"Hey, slow down there. Besides, you shouldn't be drinking too much." He purred with a caring voice as he swiftly rose from where he was seated before making his way towards Charles.
As Charles sensed that the young man was about to approach him, he quickly rose from his seated position before turning around to join the crowd to dance.
"Young man! You haven't paid the bills-"
"How much is it?"
Before the bartender could finish his sentence, the young who was talking to Charles suddenly cut him off.
Without hesitation, the young man pulled out his wallet and paid the bill, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
He caressed his chin and like a predator he made his way towards Charles who was already dancing.
From the dance movement of Charles, one could easily guess that he was drunk because he was staggering from one end to another.
As the young man approached Charles, he swiftly wrapped his hands around Charles's waist. "Hey, don't fall." He mumbled with a warm voice, pulling the body of Charles closer to his.
"Get off!" Charles coldly spat, pushing the man away.
He dug his hands deep inside his hair, before blinking his eyes a few times.
The tequila shot was already taking a lot of control of his body and he couldn't feel his legs any more.
'I have to get out of here.' Charles thought to himself before shoving those who were dancing at his front.
With his legs shaking and the ground feeling as if it was about to open, Charles willed himself as he made his way out of the club.
'Why is it so dark?' He questioned himself because everywhere was extremely dark and the only source of light seen was the one coming from the street light.
'Fuck!' Charles seethed within himself as he lurched to the nearest corner, his hands pressing against his mouth in a futile effort to contain the surge of nausea that wracked his body.
Bending over at an awkward angle, he leaned against the cold brick wall, which was close to the streetlight pole.
The stench of vomit mingling with the stale odors of the alleyway as Charles groaned, his voice muffled by his hands as his stomach rebelled against the tequila he had so eagerly consumed.
With a swift, convulsive motion, Charles pulled his hands away from his mouth, a moan of defeat escaping his throat and he instantly began to throw up.
'Arrgh!' Charles breathed out which was immediately after he had successfully throw up.
Placing his hands on the pole of the street light, he swiftly forced himself to stand firmly.
'Why am I feeling so dizzy?' Charles probed while turning around but then…
Author Note;
The next chapter contains an explicit context.