Here’s chapter 43 of the new book, Dr. Clay, I’ve been writing since NaNoWriMo 2022. Enjoy reading. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
At the Elizondos, Alain flashed a broad smile, watching both families gathering together, feeling excited about the upcoming event. He walked around to check the invited guests, media, and the press to be present to cover their statements. He had been looking forward to this. He had prepared so much for his brother’s wedding. He couldn’t wait to see him walking to the altar with the woman he loved. Secretly.
When his eyes landed on Elizabeth, he couldn’t help but flush. His face turned scarlet when she saw her sitting beside Clay. His smile reached his ears when she finally noticed him. He waved his hand and nodded, looking proud. Clay, on the other hand, looked frozen in his seat.
As soon as the press signaled to start, Elizabeth leaned forward as if she wanted to speak first. She cleared her throat, preparing herself to speak.
While doing it, Alain, in turn, inhaled, sucking the air in the room as anticipation shot through him. With high expectations covering him from head to toe, he crossed his arms, becoming restless. At the back of his mind, he was getting more emotional. But, as much as he wanted to show it, he didn’t find it reasonable to do it.
“Thank you for coming tonight. Before anything else, I want to announce that Clay and I agreed to cancel our wedding plans….” Elizabeth explained so calmly, leaving Alain in panic.
His heart sank as his mind went blank. What did he hear from the lovebirds? Cancel? Wedding? Who would have thought this could happen to him? Wow. He couldn’t believe it. After all the planning he did, after feeling excited for them, watching them come to terms with ending their relationship while having the audacity to announce it to the public—to the press, to the whole country—was outrageous.
It wasn’t until he noticed Elizabeth in tears. God. Abruptly he felt like a fool. The anguish came out of him like blood from a chest wound. His agony thickened the air. His eyes popped and then narrowed in suspicion. He glanced at the couple again with his fingers tapping both arms. He looked like he was bracing himself to stop the coverage and drag Clay out of the picture.
He waited. Patiently. He tried to keep his composure until he was alone with his brother. When he finally had the chance, he didn’t have qualms about grabbing his arm and dragging him out of everyone. With Clay in hand, he walked in strides until he reached the exit.
He slammed his brother against the cold wall. He had pushed him too hard that he heard Clay yelping. “How could you?” He sputtered with his eyes shooting an evil eye.
Clay lowered his head. “I’m sorry,” he muttered under his breath.
“Sorry? Are you truly sorry?”
“Neither of us wanted it. But what could I do?”
“You should have explained something.”
“And for what?” Clay paused, glowering at him. “Why can’t you accept it, Alain? It’s over. Everything between Liz and I is over. So, what’s the problem now?”
Alain scoffed. “How could you destroy our family because of that man, Clay?”
Clay shook his head. “Valon doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
“How could he not?” He paused and grabbed his collar, pushing him again against the wall. But this time, it was harder. “Don’t you ever lie to me!” He took a deep breath as if he were drawing his brother into him.
“I’m not lying to you.” Clay paused.
Alain’s face softened. “Then, why are you doing this?”
Clay flashed a smug on his face. “We’re all going to get mad sometimes.”
When he heard the line escape Clay’s mouth, he couldn’t help but land his brother a slap on the face. The emotional outburst he had saved within for a long time had been too much to contain. “How could you say something like that to me.” Damn, his voice was scissor-sharp, getting louder and louder.
Clay cursed.
Deep down in his heart, Alain felt terrible for what he just did. Since Clay arrived into his life at ten, he had never screamed or lifted a finger at him. “I treated you like my own brother. I never hated you. I have loved you, protected you from everything, from everyone. But what did you do to me in return?”
“Why did you waste your time caring for me then?” Clay’s voice sharpened.
“It wasn’t my choice to be your brother,” Alain sputtered.
Clay was speechless. He nodded as if agreeing to what he said. When he struggled to find the right words to reply to, he shoved and walked past him without saying a word.
“Where are you going?” Alain walked in strides to catch him. He called his name several times, only to no avail.
Clay continued, ignoring him until he was gone.
Clay left. For good? He shook his head. No. He can’t be leaving. He thought as he stood at the corner as if nothing had affected him. Yet, as he watched the drama unfolding, he curled his fists until they grew white.
Just give up. You better die. You don’t deserve to live. You’re trash. The world will move on happily without you.
The look in his eyes intensified with hate. His face flushed, turning scarlet. When he felt the tears slowly well, it didn’t take long for him to walk away and leave.
For him, it was the only way he could do to ease and be at peace. At least for now. But as he went outside the mansion, the silence swallowed his heart. And the more steps he took, the more he struggled to contain his emotions. He couldn’t stop himself any longer.
Nobody cares about you. Not mom, dad, nobody. You’re a useless, worthless piece of shit.
He screamed his lungs out and murmured words like a madman. When he leaned against the surface, facing the distance, he lowered his head with his hand rubbing against his face.
As it dropped, he raised his face a bit, revealing anguish printed all over him. “You’ll pay for this, De Lara,” he whispered. He landed a punch on the cold wall and expelled a sigh before he walked in strides, heading back inside the cockfight.
Elizabeth fell to the floor, sobbing. She curled on the ground like a ball, covering her face with both arms, shielding herself from blows.
“You’re my only child. But you only brought disgrace in this family,” her father screamed as she wept and wept until her father picked her up. She didn’t fight, leaving her getting dragged.
What was the use? If this were a dream, she would wake up eventually. But if this was the truth…
Until loud noises barraged her ears, leaving her wondering. What was that? She heard noises, but she felt nothing. Did someone stop him? She looked, moving her head to peep. She saw her father crawling on the floor.
As she pulled her face to see, she saw Alain hitting him with a binder, slamming its hardcover on his face several times. He screamed words so loud that his vein popped out of his neck, muffling her ears. When he swiveled his head and looked at her, her eyes widened. She stopped. Her body was covered in a cold sweat. Alain’s face had gone so vicious, so she stepped back. The look in his eyes scared the hell out of her.
Jesus, if Valon’s baritone was enough to make her feel small, this guy was about two feet ahead of deadly, she thought.
But then, his expression changed as if he’d buried his emotions because he knew he had scared her. He walked, approaching her.
While eyeing him, she stood and patted herself. When she felt his hand, she was quick to shove them. Her hair stood as she turned red. “Don’t touch me,” she stammered, glowering at him and everyone around her. “I hate you! All of you!”
But when she returned her attention to Alain, she scoffed and checked her arms. Her face soured when she saw how bruised she was. She spat. “You could have done that earlier.” She didn’t wait until she heard his answer, as she walked out, leaving the scene. She rushed through the stairs, sliding into the car.
While on the road, she dialed Agatha’s number on display. She clucked when she kept hearing it ringing. When impatience overrode, she slammed her hands on the steering wheel, honking the car before her. “Drive faster, bitch!”
She continued honking until she decided to overtake. When the car was beside her, she cursed and gave the driver a middle finger before she stepped on the gas. She didn’t care about anything anymore. She felt like the whole world was against her.
Except for Agatha.
She needed her. She needed her now.
She kept eyeing the display, wishing she would answer the call. “Come on, Agatha. Answer it,” she muttered under her breath. When she was about to give up, she heard Agatha’s voice from the other end of the line. “Agatha, where are you?”
She heard Agatha yawning. “Hey, I was sleeping. Why did you wake me up?” She cursed.
“I said where are you?” Elizabeth screamed.
“I’m staying at a hotel. Why?”
“I’m going.”
“What do you mean?” Agatha’s voice sharpened.
“I want to see you now.”
Agatha clucked. “Fine. I’ll text you the address.”
“Okay. Bye,” Elizabeth said and pressed the display to end the call. It didn’t take long for her to change gear and speed up, not wanting to miss her any minute longer.
Not anymore.
Author’s Note:
Thank you so much for spending time reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when I wrote this part three months ago. This chapter, in particular, reminded me of those times when I sat before my desk, seemingly prepared to type in words, but I struggled to keep it up.
It took an external motivation to get it through, and, at that time, the NaNoWriMo event was upcoming. At that time, I thought, “This could be a great opportunity to try and give this a shot one more time. You’d done an excellent job with ‘The Rival,’ so you could do it, Mecyll.”
You know, it’s easier said than done because writing a chapter with a clear intent to finish it requires more than just a skill. Since I started writing fiction, I realized how much this work demands my ability to be naked and the guarantees to answer whether I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared to face my fears, conscious or unconscious.
So, being able to write this down meant I managed despite the countless times dancing around with depression and enjoying the roller coaster rides my anxiety provided me.
This is why I don’t know how to thank you for your support, regardless of the scale or contribution size, from sharing my work with others or buying my books. It doesn’t matter because, for me, every small act you show is appreciated.
Again, thank you, and have a great day!
If you like to support my writing life, here’s what you can do:
- Get a copy of “The Rival” Uncensored Gay Romance Novel.
- Check out my upcoming book, “Non-Native Speakers Only.”
- Find more writing tips on my website (i.e., content writing, freelance writing, copywriting, self-publishing, novel writing, and many more!)
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