Chapter 1: You Never Mattered To Me.
1362 Words
“Done.”
Lucian exhaled deeply as he rubbed his hands on his dirty apron.
He had just finished washing off the last set of plates in the restaurant where he worked. The pay would be enough to settle this month’s paycheck and also get a beautiful surprise gift for his girlfriend, Harper, as today was her birthday.
Despite his facial appearance and handsome looks, a mere glance at his clothes and one could tell he was from a poor background. As a 23 yr old college student, Lucian juggled multiple part-time jobs in his spare time to pay off his student loans and to cater for his girlfriend.
“I can finally get her the shoes she's always wanted,” Lucian smiled to himself, a sense of anticipation and joy filling his heart.
Although Harper was a bit extravagant, always demanding for fancy stuff, it didn't deter the love he felt for her. She was the only person who truly cherished and understood him regardless of what other people thought.
His sweet angel, Harper.
His smile grew deeper as he remembered the first time they met.
On that day, a group of suckers were bullying him as usual when Harper stepped in and scolded them. She gave him one of her sweetest smiles while helping him to his feet.
After that day, he was swooned. He was even more swooned when she accepted his proposal to become his girlfriend.
“What are you doing standing like a fool when you should be attending to the customers? Have you lost a screw?!” A loud voice broke into his reverie and he turned with a shudder to face his cold hearted boss.
“I'm sorry, sir!” Lucian bowed. “I'll get back to work now,”
“If you keep this up, I'll s***h your pay into half,”
Lucian hurriedly shook his head. His paycheck was due, and if he didn’t get paid tonight, he'd be harassed by his creditors —not something he was looking forward to. “No sir, I promise it'd never happen again,”
Without waiting for his boss's reply, Lucian hurried to the table where the two new customers were sitting. He cleared his throat and adopted a professional smile. “Hello, welcome to our restaurant. What would you like to order…”
What the hell?!
The smile on his face dried up quickly as the occupants of the table turned to look at him. It was his girlfriend laughing flirtatiously at Adrian, one of the well known, wealthy millionaires in his school.
Lucian swallowed hard in dread, noting the way Adrian's hand rolled expertly beneath Harper's dress. She seemed to enjoy it because she giggled and kissed him on the lips.
“Babe…?” Lucian whispered, his heart pounding in his chest.
Harper frowned. She was dressed like a model with her red long hair, cascading in waves across her back. The flowered white gown she wore hugged her body in the right places and Lucian could see they were designers.
His brows furrowed. He didn't remember buying that particular dress for her.
“Harper, what are you doing here, and…with him?” Lucian stuttered in disbelief. “Wait…are you cheating on me?”
“What does it look like? Don't you have eyes?” Harper started, then her eyes rolled in disgust. “No way, this is the job you claimed you got? An ordinary errand boy?”
Lucian refused to believe his ears. “Babe…”
“Stop calling me your babe, you piece of trash!” Harper slammed a hand on the table and stood up. “Stop trying to act all cute. It makes me want to puke. I refuse to be the baby of a loser,”
“Shouldn't you be here to take our orders? What's with the useless questions? Are you a cop?” Adrian glared, his tone gruff.
Lucian made a choking sound at the back of his throat as the weight of the mockery rested on him. Returning the glare, he demanded. “She's my girlfriend, so stay away from our business,”
“And who the hell are you to speak to me in such a manner? Aren't you the poor scum of the school?” Adrian challenged.
Harper's gaze swept over Lucian, her expression hardening in pure contempt. She couldn't believe she dated this riffraff for four whole months. Gosh, how the f**k could she be so naive?
Flipping her hair, she placed a hand on Adrian's shoulder. “Well, I'm with my new boyfriend and we're here for a date. If you don't mind, we'd like to place an order. Can we see the menu?”
Lucian's blood roared in his ears and he clenched his fist so hard that the sharp tips of his nails pierced into his skin. Was he dreaming?
“Boyfriend…? How? But we're still—”
“Still dating?” Harper scoffed. “You must be as daft as they say you are,”
Lucian blinked rapidly, not knowing how else to express his shock. “What do you mean by that statement? You're my girlfriend, so don't you think I deserve an explanation on—”
“I never loved you!” She yelled.
“What? You never did what?” Lucian whispered, his head spinning so fast that he feared he might faint.
“You heard right! This stupid relationship was just a game of chess to me. You never mattered to me. Are you satisfied with my explanation now?”
Lucian's blood ran cold. He stood on the spot unable to move or even react. His vision blurred as the tears formed in his eyes. No, this couldn't be real… His sweet Harper wouldn't break up with him in such a humiliating manner. This had to be some prank.
“How long are you going to stand there like a fool instead of getting our orders? Whose fault is it that you're a poor scum?” Adrian chuckled.
“I'm warning you, stay away from this! Yes, I'm a poor scum and a waiter. You got a problem with that? You should be ashamed of yourself for stealing other people's girlfriends!” Lucian replied in a harsh tone.
“But I'm the one she loves, you piece of trash,” Adrian mocked and Harper covered her hand around her mouth to hide her laughter. “Poor people like you aren't worthy of love. Your parents should be ashamed,”
Lucian could feel his anger boiling over, and not able to control his emotions, he lurched forward and punched Adrian. “Don't call my parents into this, you spoiled brat! You have no idea what it means to work for money,”
Whispers rippled across the restaurant as gasps flew around.
“How dare you touch me with those poverty stricken hands of yours?!” Adrian retaliated, punching Lucian twice on the lips and drawing blood.
At the sight of blood, Harper laughed. “He looks more like a proper scum. With your present appearance, you should contest for the award of the poorest man in the country,”
Lucian hurriedly shook his head. “No, you can't be doing this to me. I love you, Harper,”
“You still don't understand?” Harper scoffed. Then swiftly, she reached out to grab a glass of cold water on the next table and dumped it on his face. “Face reality, dude. What can your love ever do for me? All I wanted was a comfortable life, but you gave me nothing but misery!”
“You have no money, no level, yet you choose to disrupt my moment with my new, rich boyfriend? How dare you?! Compared to you, Adrian's net worth is over $1M and he's better than you in all ramifications. You suck!”
She moved closer to trace a finger over Lucian's face, her perfectly manicured nails digging into his flesh. “If you hadn't willingly served me like a servant, I would never have agreed to date you. I said yes only because you were so pathetic and miserable!”
- Writer
