Chapter 0001- A Shocking Betrayal

*****

"What's happening here?" Ares was incredibly bewildered, observing the bustling apartment of his girlfriend.

He couldn't understand how the place would be filled with people and noise after Sarah had just informed him that she wasn't at home, but instead, out with her friends to celebrate her birthday.

"Could it be that I'm at the wrong apartment?" He pondered, but he soon shook his head. 

'How can I mistake her apartment? This is her apartment. Although it's been a long time since I came here last, how can I fail to recognize the flat I rent?"

He couldn't help but furrow his brows deeply while pondering the situation.

Ares, who had worked himself tirelessly all day, gathering the remaining balance for his girlfriend's birthday gift had hurriedly made his way here right after securing the present, aiming to surprise her. However, just as he was about to reach her floor, he received a message from her, informing him that she was heading out with her friends to celebrate her birthday.

Ares had initially intended to turn back, but then he decided to wait for her outside her flat until any time she returned, as he did not have the keys despite being the one who had rented it for her.

He had never expected to encounter this scene. After a moment of confusion, a thought suddenly occurred to Ares. "Could it be that some people had broken into her apartment?" 

As soon as this notion entered his mind, Ares was frightened.

Without hesitation, he rushed toward the apartment, but the following moment, his soul trembled greatly and he became frozen in his tracks. 

Ares couldn't believe what he met.

...

"Say yes!"

"Say yes!!"

"Say yes!!!"

Without noticing the arrival of Ares, everybody in the apartment was presently chanting loudly with pure zeal and joy. 

This was the scene that Ares saw and right now, he was the only one who appeared as though he was seeing a ghost, with not even a trace of joy, like the others in him.

A second later, his face became pale significantly and he couldn't breathe again.

Currently, in the forefront of the crowd, within a vibrantly adorned apartment that was decorated with an extravagant money bouquet, oversized chocolate cakes, and various flashy items, a handsome gentleman, who was cladded in a stylish and costly Givenchy suit was knelt before a lovely, though not extraordinarily stunning woman and currently presenting her with a diamond-engraved ring.

Observing the lady, whose face was covered in makeup that had highlighted her beauty, she seemed dumbfounded at the ring, appearing as though she had never expected such a surprise.

'She would not accept it, right? This must certainly be her useless friend's handiwork.'

'She has no clue in all this.'

'She did not deceive me!'

'She must have genuinely intended to go out!'

Ares started convincing himself, thanks to the expression he saw on Sarah's face, and the more he did, the more his hope rose, and the more his hope rose, the more his fear and shock subsided. 

His heart also began to settle down.

Soon, Ares calmed down greatly, but then he soon became apprehensive, seeing how everybody was still screaming at the top of their lungs for his woman to accept the ring. 

Ares became certain that they were intentionally putting her in an awkward situation where she wouldn't be able to reject the ring.

He decided to go help her out of the awkward situation.

Just as Ares took a single step forward, however, he witnessed the scariest scene of his life. His dearest, the only woman he had ever loved in his life, and the reason behind his tireless efforts day in and day out was nodding her head and offering a wide smile that couldn't be feigned to the man who was kneeling before her.

Ares was stunned to the core, and he couldn't move again.

'I must have seen wrong,' he thought in his heart while subconsciously becoming agitated, but then he saw his treasure happily offering the man her finger, for the engagement ring to be put.

Ares's entire body went cold, and he felt as though his spirit was departing from his body.

He couldn't think, move, or do anything.

He just stood there, watching blankly.

Eventually, Ares, having no idea about how long he took, found himself walking toward the front of the hall, looking like a zombie.

Very soon, he was noticed, and then the wild noise of joy within the room began to quiet down.

"What's this sore loser doing here?"

"I thought sister Sarah had already phoned him not to come so that he wouldn't spoil her greatest day of joy for her?"

"What is this poverty-stricken church mouse doing here?"

Everybody began to murmur, gazing at Ares with nothing but pure condensation, but Ares failed to notice; his entire attention was solely on a coldly grinning Sarah, who had already spotted him.

"Failure, what are you doing here?" Without feeling the slightest trace of remorse, instead, even several times excited, as her dream of getting herself tied to a second-generation wealthy man was finally going to be fulfilled, Sarah confronted Ares.

"You…" Ares, failing to notice her behavior, pointed at her. "You... Did you not inform me that you were going out with your friends, that I shouldn't come?"

"Duh…" Sarah rolled her eyes disdainfully at him. "Of course, I did, and that was because I did not want you bastard pauper to ruin my great day for me, but since you've already witnessed everything yourself and the day was already successful, well, it saves me unnecessary explanations, then."

Ares was dumbstruck and taken aback. 

He couldn't believe his woman. 

He stood blankly for a while before he finally saw the undisguised scorn and revulsion on her face. Instantly, he felt as though this woman he was seeing wasn't the lovely Sarah he once knew again. 

She appeared entirely different, looking as though she was a completely foreign and unknown person to him.

Ares breathed deeply. "This was a prank, right? Well, as you can see, you've already fooled me. Let's end this already." 

He said with a cracked voice that was filled with plea, but then everybody in the room erupted into another loud laughter, finding him funny.

"Look at this fool!"

"Does this resemble a prank to him? As expected of a loser and fool. Looks like his lack of wealth has also affected his brain!"

Everybody mocked him while Sarah and her new fiancé smirked coldly at him before the guy abruptly gestured for Sarag to step back, and then he stepped forward.

"You must be that low-life Ares who shares the same name as the ancient god of war, no?" He inquired with sarcasm, giving Ares a full disdainful gaze.

"I already instructed my girl to cease communication with you, but since you are here, anyway, and had already witnessed her accepting my proposal, I might as well inform you myself, then…" The guy suddenly stepped closer to Ares, his condescending gaze on him intensifying.

"See, you don't deserve a beauty such as that, who could send me to paradise every time we are in bed since the day I deflowered her." He whispered in Ares's ear, with a voice that only he and Ares could hear.

Ares once again went blank again, but this time, with his spirit and soul included.

A second later, his blood turned completely cold, and his pallor intensified. He had never gone beyond kissing and embracing Rebecca before. 

Before Ares could return to his senses, however, the guy had continued. "Just get the hell as far away from her as possible for the time being. You can return when I'm finished satisfying my urge with her."

"This…" Ares's eyes narrowed greatly before they ended up gleaming with a fierce glare. "You despicable scoundrel!" He lunged at the man, but as if the guy had already anticipated his attack, the other party only sidestepped him while everybody else gasped with shock, wondering what Ares was doing, attacking the incredibly wealthy Michael.

"You bastard and son of a bitchl!!!" Sarah roared at the top of her lungs, appearing completely enraged.

"Snap out of it!!!" Ares yelled at her in return. "this scum is only trying to bed you to his heart's content before discarding you."

"This…" Everybody's mouths widened, and they were astonished. They hastily looked at Sarah, but she only smirked coldly at Ares. "I know you are only trying to sow discord between myself and my fiancé, but you are just so unlucky."

She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes again at Ares in a condescending manner.

"This…" Ares did not know how to react. But then suddenly; "Hey scoundrel, weren't you trying to attack me?"

"Huh?" Ares subconsciously turned his head backward, but then what greeted him was a fist to his face, directly sending him flying back. 

Everybody was silent after, witnessing this scene, but then they burst into laughter again, mocking Ares.

"Look at the fool! Hahaha! He couldn't even able to withstand a single punch from young master Michael!"

"Not only was he a penniless pauper, he is even incredibly weak!! Hahaha"

"What a joke! And he wants to marry sister Sarah!"

Ares, whose mouth was now bleeding profusely, watched as he was greatly ridiculed by everybody, while Sarah's cold smirk on himself only became colder. 

Everything felt like a nightmare for him.

After a while, Ares forced himself back to his feet, and then he gazed solemnly at Sarah, seeming not to feel the excruciating pain coursing from his face to all the other parts of his body.

"So, you would rather have him, a wealthy bastard, who is only after your body than me, who is striving hard to be rich so that I can marry you?" He questioned with pure incredulity, then not waiting for a response, Ares turned toward the exit and walked away, his back appearing desolate.

He had no idea that some people had already recorded everything that had occurred since he entered the room with their cell phones and had secretly uploaded them to their school's platform.

After Ares was gone, the room fell silent for a while, but then suddenly, a low growl resounded.

"Did that stupid loser just call my man a bastard?"

Sarah's eyes turned cruel, she then hastily glanced at Michael, who didn't seem offended, instead, appearing to be relishing everything.

"didn't you say that your bodyguards are downstairs? Let them teach that son of a bitch a lesson he will never forget for the rest of his life!"