Ethan Wayne's Unbelievable Rise To Power

The rain came down hard, soaking Ethan Brooks as he sped through the streets on his delivery bike. He grinned despite the wetness dripping from his helmet. Today was a special day—Samantha’s birthday. He had been saving for months, cutting back on lunches and working extra shifts to buy her the bracelet she’d been eyeing for a while. The thought of seeing her face light up when he gave it to her made the cold rain bearable. "Finally," Ethan sighed in relief when he arrived. Pulling up to their apartment building, Ethan hopped off the bike and hurried inside, shaking off the rain. “Samantha?” he called as he stepped inside, shaking off his wet shoes at the entryway. The small apartment was dark, save for the dim light coming from the bedroom. He smiled. “Perfect timing. She’s probably relaxing in there.” Ethan quietly stepped toward the bedroom door, already imagining how happy she’d be when he handed her the gift. But as he reached the door, a strange noise stopped him. Moans, intense moans were coming from their bedroom. He pushed the door open slowly, and his world came crashing down. Samantha. His Samantha. Naked. In bed with someone else. "Samantha," Ethan mumbled out in shock without knowing. He couldn't breathe, his eyes spun and he became dizzy momentarily. Just in the middle of that shock, still yet to recover, he was hit by recognition. He recognized the man on top of his girlfriend. It was no other than Daniel Carter, his wealthy boss at the delivery company. “W-what the hell?” Ethan stammered, unable to process what he was seeing. His hand trembled as he reached for the light switch, flicking it on. The sudden brightness revealed everything—Samantha tangled in the sheets, Daniel lounging next to her with a wide grin on his face. Samantha gasped and pulled the blanket up to cover herself, but her face didn’t show guilt for long. The shock disappeared, replaced by something else—indifference. “Ethan, w-what are you doing home by this time?” Samantha’s voice was cold, as if catching her in bed with another man was no big deal. In reality, she hadn't expected Ethan to be home by 8:00 pm, because he ran late deliveries which take him up to 10:00 before getting back home. “Is that all you can say to me, after seeing you naked in bed with my boss?!” Ethan growled, his eyes turning red in pain. His voice was shaky from the disbelief. “How could you do this Samantha?!” “Oh, spare me the speech,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes. “You thought what? That I was happy living in this pathetic little apartment with you? That I was satisfied dating a delivery guy who barely makes enough to pay the rent, feed us and provide for my needs?” Ethan stared at her, unable to believe the words coming out of her mouth. “I... I’ve been working so hard. Saving for us, for you. I even—” He reached into his jacket and pulled out the small box, the one that contained the bracelet he’d saved for months to buy. “I got this for you for your birthday, Samantha. I had plans for us!” But instead of the surprise and joy he had expected while riding home, she laughed, a harsh, biting sound that echoed in the small room. "Look at this i***t, can you just take a good look at yourself right now?" Samantha said coldly, walking out if bed with the sheets wrapped around her chest. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glanced at Ethan from head to toe. “Really, Ethan? A bracelet? You think that’s enough to keep me?” Samantha sneered, her eyes narrowing. “I’m tired of being with someone who can’t provide for me. I’m tired of being with a pathetic delivery guy who can barely make ends meet!” Ethan felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He struggled to find his voice, his heart racing with confusion and hurt. “You don’t mean that. You’ve always said you love me. You said we could make it work!” His boss, Daniel laughed, reclining casually against the headboard, clearly enjoying the drama. “Come on, Ethan. You really think someone like Samantha would settle for you? You’re just some poor guy I saved by giving a job, easily replaceable at the company and in her life.” "Samantha is beautiful, she needs a competent guy, like me, not a guy who dresses in rags and runs errands for 10-15 dollars a day," Daniel said. Ethan’s fists clenched at his sides. His focus was not on his boss now, his focus was on the love of his life. “Was that why you came to the delivery office three times this week? Because you had eyes on my boss?" Ethan said with eyes filled with pain. Samantha rolled her eyes again, clearly dismissive. “What’s real is your inability to give me the life I deserve. I can’t keep wasting my time with someone who’s never going to be more than a delivery boy.” Ethan’s heart sank, his dreams shattering like glass. The bracelet felt heavy in his pocket, a reminder of his hope that had now turned to ash. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he whispered, tears stinging his eyes. “Believe it,” Samantha snapped, her tone icy. “You never deserved me. You’re nothing but a loser in a tattered shirt, working for a paycheck that barely covers anything.” Daniel laughed, leaning forward, clearly enjoying the moment. “Honestly, Ethan, I don’t know how you thought you could keep her. It’s obvious she’s not going to settle for the likes of you. It’s about time you learned your place.” "Let Samantha move on with a real man, a man who can pay her bills and take care of her." Something snapped inside Ethan. Rage surged through him. “You think you can just mock me like this?” he shouted, his voice rising. “You think you can take her away from me and get away with it?” Before he knew it, his fist flew towards Daniel’s face. But Daniel was quick, sidestepping and delivering a sharp punch to Ethan’s jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. “Look at you,” Daniel huffed, standing over him. “You really thought you could take me on? You’re just a pathetic little delivery guy. You think anyone cares about your sob story?” Ethan struggled to get up, but Daniel kicked him hard in the ribs, knocking the breath out of him. Pain shot through his body, and he gasped for air, trying to crawl away. “Get up, loser,” Daniel taunted, enjoying the power he held over Ethan. “You think anyone will believe you? You think anyone will care if you report this? You’re nothing!” Samantha stood off to the side, her expression cold and unimpressed. “Just leave him, Daniel. He’s not worth it,” she said in a detached voice. “Let him wallow in his poverty.” "Right! Listen to me you rat, you're fired! Don't bother coming to work tomorrow, I don't have $10 to spare for losers anymore," Daniel said to Ethan. He kicked Ethan hard on his head... With that, Daniel and Samantha got dressed. Samantha packed up all her stuff, and they left Ethan’s wretched house, leaving him wallowing in pain- almost unconscious. - - - - - Thirty minutes later, Ethan picked himself up off the floor, broken both physically and emotionally. His heart felt bruised, more so than his battered face. In one night, he lost his girlfriend to his boss because he was poor, and he lost his job. He stumbled out of the apartment, aimlessly wandering the rain-soaked streets, memories of Samantha and Daniel in bed flashing in his mind and causing him more pain. Suddenly, a car sped in front of him from nowhere, screeching to a stop. It wasn’t just any car; it was a 2024 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, an extravagant vehicle worth over $200,000. Shocked, Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. Why would such a luxurious car stop in front of him? He was broken and alone, and fear gripped him. He thought it might be thugs sent by Daniel to finish him off. "Shit..." Ethan cursed underneath his breath. Without thinking, Ethan turned to run, but his broken leg gave way, and he tripped over a stone, falling face-first onto the pavement. A man dressed in an extravagant black suit approached him gently. Ethan couldn’t get back up, so he turned to the man, panic rising within him. “Please, please spare my life,” he begged, his voice trembling. The man raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised at Ethan's reaction. “What are you saying?” he asked, as he reached behind his back. Ethan’s heart raced, fearing the worst. “Please, don’t hurt me!” he cried, expecting the man to pull out a gun. Instead, the man produced a photograph. Ethan blinked, confused. It was a picture of him from two years ago. “Where— Where d-did you get this?” he exclaimed, scrambling to sit up on the wet ground. Before he could ask more, the old man in an expensive suit fell to one knee and bowed. “Young master,” he said reverently. “I’ve finally found you.”