Shawaty’s Betrayal

Chapter five

Bastard

I was still in my filthy clothes, stained with sweat and dirt. I took a short stroll around my room, letting my eyes linger as my fingers brushed over the wall from edge to edge.

I had not gone far before an object on the wall obstructed my freely moving hand. I stiffened, my eyes widening. This was the front of the room’s center. I moved my hand further over the object that had stopped me.

As my fingers ran over it, I felt uneven wood. It was a frame. I froze, and tears rolled down my face. I held the frame tight and turned it around.

It was a portrait of my mother. Instantly, flashbacks of my mother screaming my name came rushing back. It tormented me, and my hatred for my father grew even stronger.

“Bastard!” I screamed as I grabbed a car key from the key box and stormed out of the mansion.

Zhen was strolling around the compound when the sudden slam of the door caught his attention. Seeing me storm out so angrily, heading to the garage, he rushed over just as I opened the car, closing the distance between us.

“Sir, where are you off to, and why so angry?” Zhen asked.

Not minding him, I got into the car and zoomed off, racing through the road with no regard for traffic signs.

After some minutes of reckless driving, I turned sharply into a cemetery and pulled the gear into park.

The cemetery belonged to the Ying family, where every member would eventually be buried.

Bypassing all security protocols, I walked down to the grand hall where my father was buried. Lighted sticks of incense smoked the air.

Below a gigantic portrait of my father were offerings: neatly arranged bowls of fruit, plates of rice, papers folded into effigies of money, and garments stacked neatly.

“Bastard!” I screamed at my father’s portrait hanging on the wall.

In my anger, I swept my hand across the offerings. Fruits rolled to the ground, bowls toppled, and the effigies scattered into the wind. I fell to the ground, in tears.

“She was all I had! Why did you take her from me? You’re a bastard!” I cried aloud.

Security guards, watching through CCTV footage, rushed in to restrain me before I caused more havoc.

“Sir, please, I’ll have to ask you to leave,” the chief officer said as he advanced.

“Not a finger, not a single finger of your hand should touch me!” I yelled, my eyes burning with rage.

“Sir, please, you have to…”

Before he could finish, his hand touched me. Swiftly, I caught hold of it. With a sudden twist, I pulled sharply. His body lifted off balance, flew over my head, and slammed onto the ground in front of me.

Seeing this, the other guards reached for their guns.

“Let any of you….any of you dare…” I stopped my speech halfway.

The unfinished words sent shockwaves down their spines.

I let go of the man’s hand and stood up, walking to where an effigy paper lay on the floor. I bent down and picked it up.

The guards watched in horror, monitoring my every step. I walked to a fireplace meant for burning the papers, dipped it into the flame, and dropped it on the ground.

“You belong in hell, and I’m coming to sink you deeper,” I whispered.

I turned back and walked to the pained guard on the floor. His agony fueled my excitement.

I bent down, picked up the wrist I had twisted earlier, and twisted it again. A raw scream tore out of him as he yelled in deep, excruciating pain.

I threw his hand away and whispered, “Next time, I said don’t touch. Don’t touch.”

I stood up, gazing at the frightened guards. A different feeling came over me, not the pain of my mother’s death, but the evil happiness of vengeance. I felt so excited that I laughed out loud as I left the hall.

I drove home, not knowing why the sudden mood swing. Even Zhen was surprised, wondering if I had gone mad.

“Sir, are you okay, or are you nuts?” he asked as he opened the car door and saw me dancing to the song playing.

Someone who had left with so much rage returning with so much excitement. It was definitely unexplainable.

“Smile, Zhen, it’s Friday,” I answered, still dancing to the beat coming from the car.

“Yes, it’s Friday, but not a freaky one.”

I stepped out of the car and patted Zhen on the shoulder.

“Relax, Zhen, I’m fine,” I smiled.

I handed Zhen my key and walked into the mansion.

“Welcome, sir,” the servants bowed.

I just smiled and walked away. Suddenly, I remembered Xu was home. I walked back to the servants to inquire about her. The mansion was too big, I would not know where she was without asking.

“Where is Xu?”

The chief servant stepped forward.

“She is in the dining hall, my lord,” he answered, bowing his face to the ground.

“Alright,” I murmured and walked away.

The dining hall was as big as a ballroom, elegant in its majesty. The furniture was standard, costing millions of yuan.

As I pulled open the large door, I saw Xu dressed in a sleek, figure hugging gown with a daring slit at her thigh. I swallowed my saliva and walked straight to the dining table.

“Feeling better?” I asked as I pulled a chair next to her.

“I’m feeling better, thank you,” she said, sipping her coffee.

I struck up a conversation, and not long after, an awful smell filled the hall. What else could it be but someone who had not taken a shower in almost two days?

Xu tried as much as possible not to show any sign of discomfort, but behind her composure, I could see her gasping for breath.

“I should take my shower. After your meal, get dressed. Your mom will be expecting you,” I said as I stood up.

I left the dining hall for the bathroom, disgusted by my own smell. I pressed my thumb to the fingerprint sensor and the door snapped open.

I hurriedly pulled off my clothes and went into the bathroom. After having a hot bath and applying all my body care products, I put on a crisp white designer shirt, tucked into baggy trousers, and slipped on a pair of polished detailed sneakers.

“This should do,” I said, looking into the mirror.

I put on a pair of fancy glasses and left the room. Walking down the gallery, I saw Xu admiring an artwork on the wall. She was already dressed to go. I walked down, closing the distance between us.

“Xu, are you ready?” I asked.

She turned her focus from the artwork to me.

“Well, yes, I’m ready,” she answered.

“Alright, let’s go.”

We were heading back to the hospital to check up on her mom. Outside the mansion, my brother had just arrived to offer his condolences for our mother’s death.

As we stepped outside, I came out first, with Xu walking behind me. Seeing me walk out, Shengli advanced with his arms wide open as if to hug me.

“Brother,” he called out, advancing toward me.

This was still Shengli’s way of mocking me. Good enough, I was in the mood for it.

“Hey! You’re a lot faster,” Xu called out from behind me as she came out of the mansion.

Shengli turned to see who had spoken to his brother with such a tone. His eyes landed on the beautiful Xu as she drew nearer to where I stood.

Shengli froze. His eyes widened. I noticed the look on his face, it was as if he knew Xu. But how could he possibly know her?

“Xu?” Shengli called.