Rock Bottom
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The evening was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that comes before something bad happens. It terrified me.
I gripped the small box in my hand firmly, the ribbon slightly loose at the edges from being held too tightly. Through the window bus, I saw the city lights, my useless reflection staring back at me.
My tired eyes, worn-out shirt, and a faint hope clinging to the corners of my mouth. Nicole's birthday was today. She had called me earlier, sounding in a rush and distracted.
Saying she had to work late. It was disappointing, but not surprising. Of late she has been working late for a while now. Still, I thought showing up to suppose her at her place with a gift would cheer her up.
I opened the box for the hundredth time, making sure the bracelet was still there. A small silver chain with a delicate charm symbol shaped like a moon. It wasn't flashy or expensive, but it took me weeks to save up to even buy something like this.
I stepped off the bus, approaching her apartment as the faint bang of music reached my ears. Music? I thought she said she was working late.
By the time I got out of the elevator, the music filled the hallway. For a moment, I hesitated, shifting the box in my hands. Maybe her friends were celebrating for her or planning a surprise for her?
It seemed old, "Don't overthink it, Liam." I whispered to myself. The door wasn't locked. I pushed it open and stepped inside.
The room was a commotion of noise and perfume. Laughter echoed off the walls, mixed with the mingling and clinking of glasses. Her friends sat on the couch, their clothes expensive, their hair perfectly styled.
Something I could never afford to look like. I felt out of place immediately in my faded jeans and torn sneakers. "Liam?" One of them said, her voice driving me from my thoughts.
"Hi", I replied awkwardly, holding up the box. "Is Nicole here?" I asked. The woman smirked, her lips curving in a way that made me nervous. Her eyes immediately dropped to the box in my hands.
"What's that?" She asked, her voice filled with mockery. "It's, uh... a gift," I said, feeling the heat rise to my face. She burst out laughing, loud and sharp, and soon the others joined in.
"Is that for Nicole?" another girl asked, leaning forward to get a better look." That… that tiny thing?" The laughter mocking me grew louder, echoing in my ears.
I tightened my grip on the box, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I'll just leave it in her room," I said quietly, trying to keep my demeanor composed even though I felt pained by their actions.
But they didn't stop. They just had to make my life a living hell. "Wait, where are you going?" one of them called out, giggling.
"Don't be shy! Stay and party with us!"
I didn't answer. Instead, I walked into the hallway heading towards Nicole's room, their laughter still following me like a bad omen.
My hand trembled as I reached for the knob. She wasn't home so I'd just leave the gift on her bed and leave quietly.
The door creaked open, and everything stopped, as if the world had taken a breath and held it. Nicole sat on the edge of the bed, her shirt undone, exposing the soft curve of her collarbone.
Her hair fell messy around her shoulders. Next to her, far too close was Mr Reed— my boss, the man I worked that miserable job for. His tie was loose around his neck, his hands possessively gripping Nicole's thigh.
The way he looked at her, so comfortable and sure of himself—it made my stomach twist. They didn't even notice me at first
Everything stopped, as if the world had taken a breath and held it. I just stood there, frozen, watching the scene in front of me. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.
Nicole's eyes were on the bed, her face a mask of shamelessness. Mr Reed's eyes never left her for a second. He said something to her, too quiet for me to hear. She looked up and saw me.
"Liam?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper, full of surprise and something else—guilt, maybe. The way she voiced out my name made it clear that she never even expected to see me.
Mr Reed turned slowly, his face calm and sinister. "aren't you supposed to be at work today, boy?" He shot back.
Nicole sighed, buttoning her shirt without meeting my eyes." Stop acting like this is a big deal, Liam." She said, almost as if what I saw meant nothing.
"It's…it's not a big deal?" I shot back. " You said you were working late tonight." She rolled her eyes as if it was the one overreacting.
"Don't make this dramatic, Liam. It's not like we are married or anything like that."I blinked, feeling like I'd been punched. "Nicole really?"
"We have been together for over two years and you say I should stop acting dramatic?"She shrugged, her face carrying no single sign of sympathy.
"You're nothing but a janitor Liam. I need more than this."Her words stung worse than any slap. I looked at Mr. Reed, who stood up slowly, carrying a sly smirk that I wanted to wipe off his stupid face.
"Take this as a sign," he said, his tone smooth and arrogant. "Nicole deserves someone who can actually give her the life she wants."
Anger rose in my chest, but I folded my fists, trying to keep my cool. Punching him won't change anything now though. It would just make things worse for me.
Nicole crossed her arms, her voice devoid of any emotions."Just go, Liam. This isn't working anymore."
I stood there, looking at her, hoping she would say something different, that this was all nothing but a mistake, and that she was sorry. But her face remained hard. Without saying a word, I just turned and walked away.
Nicole didn't even look sorry. In fact, she looked relieved. I should have said something.. maybe yelled, or even begged her, done something at least.
But all I could do was just turn and walk away. If I had stayed much longer, I might have done something I'd regret for the rest of my life.
***************
As soon as I stepped outside, my phone buzzed with a notification. I looked down at my phone, my vision blurry as I read the message.
"Your apartment lease has been terminated. Please vacate by midnight."
I stared at the screen, the words creeping into my skull like an unstopping drum. Lease terminated? Just like that?
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. First, I just found my girlfriend cheating on me with my boss. Now I was homeless. My whole life has just collapsed in a matter of hours.
Something inside of me snapped.
Screw this!!
Screw the fucking job!
Screw the Lease!
Screw Nicole!
Screw everything!
I needed a drink.
I sat up from the bench, my body tense from frustration, my steps quick and reckless as I walked towards the nearest bar.
I pushed through the doors, the scent of alcohol and cigarettes hitting me like a wave as I walked inside. The place was noisy, a mix of drunken laughter and clinking glasses.
Low-murmured conversations I didn't care about. "Whiskey. Keep 'em coming," I yelled.
The bartender, a fat guy with tired eyes, just kept staring at me but said no single word. He poured generous shots, and I gulped it all in one go, the burn hitting my throat like fire.
Good. I wanted to feel that burn. I wanted to erase every single thing I ever felt. I asked for another.
Then Another.
And Another after that.
Somewhere between my fourth and fifth drink, the world started to feel dizzy around me. My limbs felt tighter as my pain faded, drowned under the influence of intoxication.
But it wasn't enough.
I grabbed another glass and walked towards an empty table, slumping into the chair, my mind drifting to everything that had happened to me that day.
Betrayed. Homeless
It is not fair. I deserve better.
I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening around the glass. A loud burst of laughter erupted from a group of men at the other end of the bar.
Something about the way they looked untouched by my situation sent a feeling of resentment cursing through my veins.
Why did they get to be happy while I was unhappy? "Hey!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the whole bar.
They turned their heads, their eyes locking onto me." What the hell are you laughing at?" I yelled.
They all exchanged glances towards each other, and one of them—a guy with a cocky smirk, leaned back on his chair. "Relax, man. No one's laughing at you."
"Like hell you're not," I shot back, pushing myself to get up. I was too pissed off and lost in the haze of my alcohol.
"Look, buddy," another one of them shot back, raising his hands as if he was about to surrender to me."Maybe you should sit down before you hurt yourself."
Something inside me snapped.
The next thing I knew, my fist was swinging; it connected with one of their jaws… maybe? The impact sent a sharp pain through my arms, but I barely even felt it.
Chaos immediately erupted.
Chairs scraping against the floor. A heavy stone sent me staggering backward, crashing into a table. One of them grabbed my arms, but I dodged away, swinging my fists wildly at their faces.
"Enough!" The bartender's voice cut through the commotion, as his strong hands grabbed me from behind. Yanking me away from the bar.
"You're done, man. Get the hell out."
I struggled, but my limbs betrayed me. The next thing I knew, I was being shoved roughly towards the exit, my feet barely keeping up as I fell.
I landed hard, the rough concrete scraping against my palms as the door slammed shut behind me.
For a moment, I just lay there, looking at the glowing street lights. Reality slowly started creeping its way back into me.
I had nothing.
No job. No home. And now, I have made a complete fool of myself.
Rock bottom wasn't a feeling any longer; I was living it,, In Fact. I was just a ghost drowning in his failures. A nobody.
I barely noticed that it was even raining, a light drizzle that turned into a heavy downpour. Droplets mixed with the sweat on my skin.
My clothes were drenched, but I didn't care; I welcomed it with my arms, ready to embrace it even.
That is when it happened.
A sharp sound rang in my ears—it was unnatural, piercing through the noise of the city like a razor slicing through a cloth.
The sound wasn't coming from anywhere around me. It was coming from inside me. I blinked, my heart pounding as a glowing notification on my phone sent me in shock.
[Ding! Fortune Nexus System Activated.]
"What the—?"
I tried to speak, but pain immediately exploded in my skull, consuming my whole body as a choked gasp tore through my throat.
My vision faded, reality wrapping around me like a cloth. My knees gave out, and something new, something fast and unexplained, surged through me.
Information flooded my mind—an endless surge of numbers, symbols, and knowledge I couldn't understand. It was too much, too fast even. Like trying to drink from a waterfall...
I clawed at my elbows, my breath coming in short as I tried to recover from the unending pain inside my head.
I brought out my phone.
A voice
Mechanical.
Unhuman. Devoid of any emotions.
Whispered in my ear.
[Binding complete. Welcome, Chosen One.]
The world immediately faded. Darkness blinded my vision as I swallowed the last remaining lights of the city.
Then, immediately.
Everything went black.