The Fallen Wargod

4

It was true that Reginald had been disappearing for a few days every month, but the only reason for that was because he volunteered to participate in a secretive military rehabilitation program not wasting time with a ‘mistress’ he only learned of today.

Reginald’s push was his determination to leave the military so he wasn’t bothered with covering the medical expenses out of his pocket.

As if remembering the other person in the room, Reginald shifted his focus to Lily’s mother who took hurried steps back and almost stumbled in her comical version of a retreat.

She eyed his legs, scrutinizing them. Surprised to see him standing.

“It doesn't mean you're useful,” she snorted.

She didn’t look at all convinced by his words.

“I don’t know what is happening here but I don’t care. If Lily wants you to leave then I suggest you should.” She straightened her shoulders, and Reginald avoided her deep penetrating gaze.

“I need help with Lily, this is the reason I’ve been unavailable for some time, all of this was – is – for her.”

She huffed, gesturing to the cheque on the floor. “That is generous; if I were you I would cash it in and move on with my life.”

“I don’t care about the money. I need Lily to know that I don’t care about that, the only thing I care about is her.”

She scoffed, turning her back to me. “Maybe she’ll believe you if you were more of a man and less of a burden.”

Helpless and torn, Reginald walked out of the office without taking a glance at the cheque. All he needed to do was see Lily and explain, hopefully whatever they had was still salvageable.

It was his fault for not confiding in her about his whereabouts but it was for her safety and he wanted to do this and surprise her after his Meridians had finally been unblocked.

Groaning, Reginald glared at his legs as he flew down the stairs, what a great time to finally get moving. He took stock of his body as he moved and noticed dejectedly that even though he was walking and at full health, his martial arts cultivation was at the lowest level.

He was nowhere ordinary even at his weakened state but he was far from the man he used to be, but that was a primary issue.

The National Martial Arts are divided into five major realms, ranking from the lowest to highest: Warrior Master, Grandmaster, Sect Master and Grandmaster.

Scaling these cultivation levels was no joke and Reginald hated the fact that he had been thrown all the way to ground level without a thought to his effort and all his sacrifices over the years.

Being at the forefront of war, he had zero choice but to hone his skills to the highest and sharpest level to attain his title as the once revered war god.

The rehabilitation program had a few gray areas but Reginald hadn’t cared about what it would cost him, all he wanted was the ability to walk again, to show his wife he wasn’t weak.

His mind flew to the last conversation he had with his wife and his heart clenched remembering the solemn acceptance in her eyes as she wrote the cheque. He also remembered how she held onto the necklace around her neck; she said it was impossible to love him.

Impossible to love who she already loved? A smile crept onto Reginald’s face as he exited the house. There was hope for them, now that he had erased the stumbling block that had stagnated him; the only thing left was to act.

After a quick survey, he saw that Lily’s car was not parked at its usual place and there was only one place she could have gone after their altercation. His wife was not a fan of her family; or rather her family was not a fan of her.

Lily was a successful woman but that did nothing to prove her worth to her family, their minds were already set on her brother, and even a fool would know that he was not business material.

The company wouldn’t last a month under his greedy hands, he didn’t know if they knew that. Reginald shook his head in disgust, sliding into one of the simpler cars his wife owned.

It wasn’t hard to figure out how the vehicle worked but his legs weren’t used to the pedals. The car jerked forward as he tested the accelerator and then the brake. He probably looked like an inexperienced fool to anyone watching.

A few minutes later, he was convinced he could drive without killing himself or worse returning to his handicapped state. The guard at the gate looked shocked to see him but he let Reginald through without a fuss.

Navigating the roads were worse than he thought, a curse left his lips every minute and he pressed his foot down on the brake harder than usual whenever he encountered a hiccup which caused a series of angry honks.

It was humbling and exhilarating to say the least. After what felt like a lifetime he arrived at the Bigalow Estate. The large golden gates looked foreboding but they slid open without a sound allowing him to roll past.

The guard nodded at him once, did his routine check and waved him off when he was done. Reginald always appreciated the preservation of nature at the estate even though the occupants were cold and heartless.

The drive down the obscenely long driveway was made better by the view it offered. Reginald also was not in any obvious hurry, he had reached his destination and he didn’t want to embarrass Lily again if he crashed the car.

Flustered by the amount of times his wife had been subjected to mockery because of his past state made his blood boil with a different kind of fury.

Parking the car in front of the long stairwell where the butler stood, Reginald unbuttoned his suit and stepped out.

Reginald reigned in shock, but he fully stopped himself from falling, which was impressive.

The servants were shocked to see him walking again. They whispered amongst themselves.

One of them walked up to him. “Mr. Reginald, it’s a pleasure to have you back here.”

It wasn’t on his part but he smiled nonetheless. “Thank you. Where’s my wife?” He asked, already moving up the stairs.

“She’s in a meeting with her brother and Marsha.” His tone indicated it would be wise for Reginald not to crash the meeting.

Nodding his thanks, Reginald took the stairs two at a time, breaking a sweat due to lack of exercise but he pushed his discomfort aside. His heavy footsteps echoed in the empty house but he never slowed as he covered the distance to Marsha’s office.

Marsha Bigalow was the matriarch of the family group, whatever she says, goes. She was an imposing figure even in her old age but Reginald was not easily intimidated.

Reginald opened the door to the office and frowned when he heard the sickly sweet voice of Lily’s brother.

“Lily” He sighed like he was speaking to a child. “We’ve been over this and honestly I would like it if we didn’t revisit this again.”

“Visit what exactly Andrew?” Lily’s voice was sharp. “I will not give up my position simply because you want me to, I refuse to do that.”

“You forget that the position was only given to you because of grandmother, if she chooses to replace you then why the sudden fuss?”

“I worked my ass off my place; unlike you I did not need grandmother’s ‘good word’ to make my way in the world and in my business-”

“No one cares about your trials or tribulations sister.” Andrew cut her off, “This is no longer up for discussion, you can either get on board or f**k right off.”

Reginald watched anger radiate off his wife like a shockwave, and when she spoke it sliced the air.

“I will not give up my hard earned position Andrew! I’d rather be buried six feet under than allow you to bully me into submission!”

The battle line had been drawn and Reginald knew whose side he was fighting on.