Revealing Fate Twist

Alan's POV: "Baby, I have a surprise for you!” My heart raced in happiness as I ascended the stairs, eager to share my latest find from the mall with Linda, my fiancée. I was sure she would be shocked that I was back from my business trip. I was supposed to arrive two days later, but I missed her too much to wait that long, so I rounded up everything I needed to do in time to fly back home. The excitement bubbled within me, and I couldn't wait to see her reaction to the surprise. Clutching the funny package in hand, I approached our room with a grin on my face. Linda was nowhere to be found. A strange unease settled in as I scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Determined, I headed towards the bathroom, the package still in my grasp. As I pushed open the bathroom door, my world shattered. There, in the confines of our once private space, I walked in on Linda and Nate, my best friend, entangled in an intimate embrace, completely oblivious to my presence. My head almost exploded seeing them so engrossed in each other, my mind struggling to process the betrayal unfolding before my eyes. For a few agonizing moments, I stood frozen, a spectator to a scene I never thought could occur. The sight of them lost in each other, sent waves of disgust and anger coursing through me. Gritting my teeth, I couldn't bear to witness the scene any longer. After watching them in disgust for a few seconds, I disregarded the consequences and entered the bedroom. They were both naked and taking a bath in the shower. Water from the still-running shower pooled around my feet when I stepped into the cubicle, but I paid it no mind. I switched off the shower and finally made my presence known. The shock registered on their faces as they turned to me, wide-eyed and guilty. Linda was trying to mumble some nonsense about it being a mistake while Nate was silent. My voice, normally warm and comforting, was now laced with a venomous rage. "Get the hell out of my house now!" I roared the words echoing in the now-tense space. The gravity of their betrayal fueled the fury within me, and I had no tolerance for their apologies or excuses."I never want to see your faces again, "I spat out, the pain and anger bubbling to the surface. The weight of the betrayal hung heavily in the air as they scrambled to cover themselves and make a hasty exit. The room, once filled with the promise of shared dreams, now reeked of betrayal and shattered trust. I couldn't bear to be in that space any longer. Picking up my keys, I found the way out to my car in the garage, dropped into the car seat, and thought about how unfortunate I was with love. There and then, I decided I needed a break from city life; I'd go find a small town to heal my broken heart and put trusted and reliable people in charge of my business till I returned. *** After a year of moving to North Wales, I still met the occasional welcome cake at my front door, as was the tradition of these amazing people to welcome new people to their town. For that, I checked the front porch well before stepping out. Wearing my exercise outfit, I stood up from the couch in preparation for my early morning jog. Again, at the door, I found a vanilla and chocolate cake. Picking it up, I smiled and went back inside to drop it. "Breakfast is ready," I said in my head with a grin, mentally dancing as I went back out for a jog. Mr and Mrs Stanford, an elderly couple that lived nearby waved at me as I jogged. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Stanford." "Could you stop by on your way back, Alan? "Mr. Stanford asked. Grudgingly, and shaking my head, I replied, without stopping, "I doubt it." The last thing I wanted was attention. These old folks wouldn't let me pass by in peace if I met all their demands and helped them out with chores. I wasn't ready for that yet. I came to North Wales for solitude. So, it was best that everyone saw me as a grumpy man. Nobody would want to associate with a grumpy person, so mission accomplished, I thought as I continued jogging. I would never get overly familiar with the environment. The breeze brought a scent along with it. It was one rich in culture and fortified by the leaves of the trees around it. Even the sun was not left out. These people did not know what they enjoyed. On getting home, I was dead famished and needed something to feed my stomach with. I slumped on the floor as my mind took a walk down to my days in the city. If any of my associates or even friends saw me in this state, they would rather believe it was a ghost and would run as fast as their legs could carry them in search of the real me, in shock. Who would have thought that a whole billionaire and heir to the largest business empire would one day live in such a small town while running away from pain? No. Who could have thought Linda and Nate would betray me that way and turn me into a walking shell of myself? I continued my thoughts, sighing heavily. Life away from the city hadn't been a walk in the park. It had its good side though. I'd been able to get handy around the house and live like a normal average man would before my overly comfortable life in the city. I chose to start up my company and find out what I was capable of before returning to take over our family's business. Thankfully, my new business was a success, but nobody knew my actual identity, not even Nate or Linda. Nate was from an influential family, though not even close to my family's level, but he didn't know that because I chose not to disclose who I was. I met him after I left home four years ago and our friendship grew fast. I came to trust him. I met Linda a year after and I fell head over heels in love with her. I never knew that she had her eyes on my best friend's wealth. If only she knew that she could have way more than that. I'd given Linda my all only to be rewarded with betrayal. She thought Nate was a lot richer than I was and chose to go for the better option. If only she knew Nate's possessions were like a dirty beggar’s compared to what I truly had. It was easier when I was still angry, but now, I was just hurt. My heart was pierced by thousands of tiny little needles at once. I sometimes felt this place had shaped me into being a man. Not like I wasn't before my arrival but I was much more grown now. Tilling the soil, heading to the market, and supplying goods, all of these were a relief to me in themselves. However, when my usual yearning for comfort and luxury kicked in, I was often tempted to go back but the anger and hurt beneath my bones would only find their way out here. My belly responded by rumbling as if on cue. "Alright, time to eat!" Lazily, I got up and walked into the kitchen to see what I could have. My kitchen was practically empty, reminding me that I hadn't made a trip to the market for a few weeks now. Resignedly, I had to make do with the cake I was gifted with this morning. Gulping down a glass of cold orange juice, I felt alive. After a handful of cake, I headed straight to the bathroom. What's better after a morning run than a cold bath? After twenty minutes of allowing the water from the shower to wash away all the dirt and sweat from both body and heart, I came out. I picked up faded blue jean shorts and a black shirt. Something easy and light for the day's work. Catching my reflection, I paused and watched as water dripped from my hair down to my nude lips, to my broad, well-built chest, and down to my belly.