Chapitre 3: Chapter Two

"Look at him, a complete failure," Mr. Reynard, Alex's father-in-law, mocked as he closed the distance between them. "Can't even provide for his wife." The words stabbed Alex like shards of glass, but he could only hang his head in silence.

He had failed to meet their expectations, failed to be the man they thought he should be.

"To my house now!" Mr. Reynard ordered, leaving no room for argument.

Alex gritted his teeth, swallowing his pride as he followed Mr. Reynard to his house. It was where he lived anyway since he was unable to afford an apartment of his own.

As they entered the house, Alex's eyes locked onto Lisa's, but she quickly looked away.

Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind—how she had managed to arrive home before him, whether his parents-in-law were aware of what had just happened.

At that moment, Alex knew he had lost his wife, lost himself.

"So," his father-in-law began, his voice dripping with disgust. "It has gotten to this. That you can't even provide for my daughter."

Alex felt a surge of defensiveness, he wanted to talk, say how he felt, but he bit his tongue.

"I'm doing my best," he stated.

His father-in-law laughed. "Your best? You're a failure. A disgrace to this family."

Alex's eyes tightened, his anger simmering."That's not fair," he said with a voice low.

Mr. Reynard's face burned with rage. "How dare you? How dare you open your stinking mouth when I'm talking?" he screamed, his voice echoing through the room.

He grabbed Lisa and pulled her close. "You think you have the right to say it's not fair? Look at my daughter. Look at what you've done to her, dragging her down into your poverty."

"I cursed the day we helped you. I cursed the day you stepped foot into this house. You are nothing but a cursed person. Do you realize that we only pitied you to have you marry our daughter? I should have known better." Mr. Reynard added.

Alex swallowed as much spit as he could before he gathered the courage to talk.

"I'm doing my best," Alex insisted, his voice rising slightly. "I've been trying to make things work."

Lisa remained silent.

"Does that justify Lisa cheating with my boss? Or you don't know about it?" Alex let out.

"How dare you!" his father-in-law thundered. "You dare to bring that up? You're the one who's been unable to provide for my daughter, and now you're trying to deflect attention from your failures by throwing around baseless accusations? Lisa would never do something like that if you had done your responsibilities. You're just trying to shift the blame away from your inadequacies!"

Alex's jaw tightened, his frustration boiling.

"I wish it weren't true, but I saw them together," Alex said firmly. "I caught them. Lisa didn't even deny it."

His father-in-law sneered. "You're just jealous because your pathetic attempts at being a husband and provider have failed miserably. Lisa deserves someone better, someone like Mr. Parker who can give her the life she deserves."

"You called me out this night after I caught them! You knew about it!" Alex fired before he knew the gravity of what he was saying.

His mother-in-law stepped forward with a document in her hand. "Enough, Alex. You're just making excuses for your failures as usual. Sign the divorce papers and leave. It's over. You and Lisa are finished. And yes we knew about Lisa and Mr. Parker. There's absolutely nothing you can do about it."

Alex's eyes dropped, his gaze falling to the floor. The word echoed in his mind: Divorce? His chest tightened, breath catching in his throat.

"No," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I won't sign it. We can work through this."

"There's nothing to work through," Margaret, Lisa's mother snapped. "My only daughter deserves better than a deadbeat, poor, disabled, and miserable man who can't keep a job or a wife. We'll handle the divorce proceedings. You just sign the papers and move on."

"You have no choice! You're finished in this family!"

Alex's eyes flashed. "I won't give up on my wife that easily. She's still my wife, and I love her."

Mr. Reynard leaned forward, and with a cold voice, he said. "Sign those papers now, or we'll have you thrown in jail."

"Exactly where he belongs." Lisa finally spoke, her voice sharp. "Now, Alex, sign and leave."

She met Alex's gaze with fierce will. "And you're not taking a single thing from this house you cripple. My parents bought everything for you anyway."

Alex's face twisted in pain, his eyes blinking rapidly as he fought to hold back his emotions.

With a shaking hand, he reached for the pen and signed his name on the dotted line. The sound of the pen scratching against the paper was like a death knell, signaling the end of his marriage and his dreams.

As he handed the paper back, it was over. He had lost everything that mattered to him. He was alone, broken, and defeated.

The room seemed to spin around him. He took a step, his legs trembling beneath him. His heart was heavy with pain.

"I'm sorry, Lisa," he whispered. "I'm so sorry I failed you."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Enjoy your miserable life, handicap!" She spat.

As he exited the mansion, the weight of his failures overtook him. He had lost his job, his wife, and his dignity.

The world appeared to be against him, mocking him at every opportunity. He roamed the streets aimlessly, immersed in a sea of sadness. He felt like a ghost: invisible and irrelevant.

The people passing by seemed to glimpse right through him, in recognition, empathy, or maybe even disgust.

At that moment, Alex hit rock bottom. He had never felt so alone, so lost. He had lost both Parents and had no one to turn to.

The world seemed to be moving on without him.

Alex's phone beeped, breaking the silence of his walk. He pulled it out of his pocket, his eyes scanning the screen.

A message from his boss at the delivery company glared back at him: "To the office."

***

Alex approached the reception desk, his heart still very heavy with his failed marriage and the loss of his huge job. The delivery was his minor job.

The receptionist, a petite woman with a fake smile, looked up at him.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. I Don't remember the company running a charity here," she said in mockery.

"Just give me my schedule for the day," Alex said, trying to keep his cool.

The receptionist rasped. "Schedule? Do you think you deserve a schedule? You're lucky we even let you work here."

Alex rolled his eyes in frustration. "Come on, just give me my schedule. Also, the manager texted me to be here. I presumed I have a task to do."

The receptionist leaned back in her chair. "Oh, I don't think so. You see, we've been getting some complaints about your work lately. People say you're lazy, that you don't deliver packages on time."

"That's not true." Alex's eyes narrowed. " I do my job to the best of my ability."

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, we'll see about that. Let me check with the manager."

She took up the phone and dialed a number, never looking away from Alex's face. Alex could feel his heart beating and his palms sweating.

"Hey, boss? It's the reception. We have a problem here...yeah, Alex is here...okay, got it."

She hung up the phone and looked at Alex with a smirk. "The manager wants to see you in his office. Now."

Alex's heart sank. Somehow, he knew he was in trouble.

Alex trudged towards the manager's office, his feet feeling like lead weights. His heart raced with tension, his mind filled with worst-case scenarios. He could feel the sweat dripping down his face, his palms growing clammy.

As he walked, he couldn't help but dwell on the terrible events of his day. Not only did he receive divorce papers, but the receptionist also ridiculed him. To top it off, he lost his job right after discovering that his wife was having an affair with his boss. It felt like his fate was sealed, and he was on his way to becoming his own worst enemy.

"Alex, you're fired! You're done! You'll never work here again!" His boss's voice vibrated off the walls.

Alex startled back, a sharp pain hitting him in the gut. The words crashed over —first the marriage, now this. How could it all happen so quickly? In one day?

He questioned, his voice trembling with emotion, "What did I do?"

"Mr. Reynard reached out and explained how you abused your wife," Mr. Washington said, his face furrowed with hate as he leaned forward. "You physically assault a woman? How dare you? to the extent that she lost her pregnancy? You're still weak and in extreme poverty?"

"I- I…." Alex stammered. It was all a lie. It was his wife who cheated on him. His life has been ruined successfully.

The manager smirked. "You're a failure, Alex. You're a disgrace to this company. We don't want you here anymore. You stink!"

Alex turned aside, his eyes locked on the ground, tears almost spilling out of them. The embarrassment, loss, and humiliation caused his shoulders to fall.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind. "Loading… Welcome, Alex Thompson, I am here to change your life."