Here’s chapter 58 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.
It was Alain. He grabbed his scarf and tugged him toward him, dragging him outside the room where a few passers-by were. His voice wasn’t at all threatening. For the first time, Elizabeth saw his face—a dark one, to say the least. Tension radiated from his features, from the lean line of his mouth, nose, eyes, and brow.
She wondered what those eyes saw. She wasn’t sure she would believe them if she saw them. All she was certain about was his eyes were clear and focused. Working with him for years, she knew it wasn’t the typical stressed Alain she saw.
“I’m sorry,” Valon replied.
Alain scoffed and then made a sound that was halfway between a grunt and a dry laugh. “I don’t need your apology. I need my brother back.”
Valon shook his head. “I can’t give you that.”
Alain shot him a sharp look and decided to release him from his grip. “I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done to my family and for using everyone I love for your gains. If something happens to my dad, I’ll kill you.”
“How dare you—” Agatha pointed fingers at him, ready to jump in, only to step back when she saw Elizabeth striding in his direction. Then, she heard a loud smack.
Elizabeth slapped Alain so hard that her hand bruised his face. “Stop it, Alain!” She glared with her fists curled.
“Why are you defending this man, Liz?” Alain sputtered.
“Honestly, if this isn’t about the De Laras, I would have left.”
“Why would you want to leave the foundation, Liz? The kids need you.”
“But we both know your family doesn’t need me. I’m done, Alain. I’m exhausted.”
“Please, Liz. Don’t leave.”
Elizabeth yanked her hand and freed herself from his grip.
“It’s his fault. He’s responsible for all of this. If he were—”
“What?” Elizabeth interrupted. “If he weren’t gay, you wouldn’t have to face this problem. Isn’t that what you’re saying?”
“How come it didn’t affect you? Clay left you because of this man!”
Elizabeth’s tears started to build around her eyes. “For sure. I was hurt. I cried a lot. I suffered. But I still wouldn’t like holding him back.”
“Even if it means leaving you for that man while you face humiliation like this? That doesn’t sound right to me, Liz,” Alain sputtered.
“Yes. But I don’t feel shameful.”
“No. Way.” Alain shook his head. “He wouldn’t have done this to you without meeting him. He needs to learn a lesson.”
“You saw the painting. Did you?” Elizabeth asked.
“What painting are you talking about?” Agatha asked with her brows furrowed. But when she saw the look on her brother’s face, she realized she had missed something. She scoffed and crossed her arms while shaking her head in disbelief. She was gobsmacked.
“I said did you see the painting?” Elizabeth demanded.
“Yes.” Alain nodded as if something had become clearer to him. “So, you knew all about this all along? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because there’s no need to, Alain.”
“But Clay did something horrible to you. He humiliated you with his disgusting art!”
“Clay did nothing wrong here. He’s not going crazy, Alain. It’s you! How dare you say something like that when you’re the one who needs a lesson? Why are you doing this?”
“Because I love you. I love my family more than anything else. But after all that I’ve done, I haven’t done far enough.” Alain screamed.
“Stay away. I don’t need your love.” She paused and shot him a long look. Her eyes burned, her chest swelled with rage. She couldn’t handle being silent, being a damsel in distress anymore. She wanted to fight back, take the stand, and let people know who she was. She clenched her fists, pressing her lips together as if she was preparing herself to speak from her gut. She knew she had no way to stop this. If there was one wish she hoped to see to fruition, she wished she won’t blow up.
Yet, she found herself here. What should she do? What else could she say? God. She knew she had a lot of things to tell Alain. Knowing she had no way back, she knew this was the moment she’d been waiting for. She was a landmine, waiting for someone to step into her.
And then, he did.
“You sounded like my parents. You don’t really care about how I feel. Because if you do, you won’t do this. You would never hurt Valon because you know it would hurt your brother. And when Clay’s hurt, you’re hurting me, too. But this? Is this what you call love?” She paused again to swallow the ravaging emotions inside her, trying to keep her composure intact. “You don’t know how to love, Alain. Why? Because you are only concerned with how things make you look and how helpful others are to you. And that’s who you truly are. Everything you do is purely transactional, purely business. So, stop telling yourself you’re in love with me because you aren’t.” She expelled a sound off her chest before she turned her back on him. She didn’t wait for Alain to speak nor spare him the time to think.
Even though she felt uncomfortable, she walked in strides in Valon’s direction with her hand at Agatha’s back. “Let’s go,” she announced in a desperate voice. She couldn’t wait until she’d left and felt the air less closed.
But deep down inside her, she felt great. Because, for the first time, she felt powerful. Damn. She had no idea standing up for herself felt this good.
Then, they drove off.
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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