"Hey, Nate, pay for these. It's due in a few days and I need those items in the cart." Aria's voice rang out as she tossed a black phone toward Nate who was seated on a washed-out couch.
On the other hand, he wasn't so surprised by her request. He had always been the one to pay her bills, but this time, his hands shook as he took up her phone.
"What do you need all these for, babe?" He asked as he looked up at her. The long list of items baffled him, as if she were about to open up a store.
"What? They are my daily necessities! I need to stay pretty and you have to pay for that." She replied, her nose in the air, not caring what Nate would think or feel. He loved her anyway, so he would do anything to keep her.
However, Nate hesitated, his eyes darting around while his chest heaved. He was always afraid of disappointing her, getting whatever she wanted however, he never thought her demands would be so heavy this day.
"I don't think I can pay for this, Aria." He let out after some time. But he couldn't even look up to her as he was ashamed of his words.
"Why? You can't pay this flimsy amount of money? Do you not love me anymore? Do you spend on other girls now?" Aria asked, her face turning red.
"It's not that. I just received my salary today and I need to pay for tuition. The amount in your cart will take up my salary and I can't afford to do that." Nate's voice was calm, he was pleading.
"So?" She chuckled, her eyes narrowed. "Is your tuition more important than me?"
"What…?" Nate felt a painful knot in his heart. After all, he expected to be cared for by his girlfriend. Maybe if he explained more, she would understand.
"I have to pay for tuition since I took a long time to do that. I was given an ultimatum. Please, understand."
"You expect me to understand, huh? You are just so mean!" Aria gasped, her eyes dimming. "You're aware that I need all these but you are just being wicked. You do not love me and you just want me to suffer, after promising heaven and earth?"
"Did you do all that to trap me?" She yelled, hot blood flooding her veins as her fists clenched.
"You have to choose between having me and paying your tuition." She declared and Nate's eyes widened.
"No…you can't say that…" He shot up from the couch, clutching Aria's buzzing phone.
He flashed the screen in his face, to get a glimpse of the message before facing Aria but he froze. His brows creased, and confusion set in. He saw it was a message from an unknown sender and the contents got him irked.
"What's that?" Aria asked and then tried to take her phone but Nate pulled away.
"I enjoyed our time together, baby. I'm waiting to see you again." Nate read the message aloud, his chest tightened and he felt his skin crawl. He tried to make sense of the message but he couldn't. He denied the reality.
"Who is this, Aria?" He asked, his voice shaky.
"It's none of your business!" She replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"You spent quality time with someone unknown? I deserve to know who it is!" Nate demanded, as his fingers clutched the phone more tightly. The force in his grip kept him afloat, away from the pain in his chest.
"What unknown sender? Do you know if the person is a female or not?" Her brows raised, and her shoulders were high as if she had done no wrong. "Why are you so jittery and paranoid over something that isn't worth thinking about, huh?"
"Give me that!" She dragged her phone from his hands and dashed out the door.
"Get back here, Aria! I hope this is not what I think it is." Nate followed after her, his heart sinking as the seconds passed. Reality was slowly dawning on him but he just needed her to deny it and he would believe her.
However, she didn't reply or bother to stop as she ran out of the little house Nate was staying in.
Aria ran directly to a luxurious car waiting outside. Nate stumbled in his steps, he was breathless as his fingers clutched his collar, trying to make sense of what was happening. The car wasn't unfamiliar to him as it belonged to his rich classmate, Rick.
Rick was standing beside his car, with a bouquet. However, the flowers turned out to be wads of cash. He wasn't alone either, as Rick's friends started to cheer Aria's name as she approached.
Aria was swooning, her cheeks flushed with a red hue as she embraced Rick.
Nate felt the knot in his chest tighten, and a sharp ache followed. His fingers quivered, and his steps hastened.
"What the fuck are you doing, Aria?" He dragged her away from Rick. His breath had turned heavy, with beads of sweat dripping down his head.
"Let me go, you stinky poor rat!" Her nose scrunched in disgust as if his touch had burned her. Nate froze, wondering if this was the woman who kissed and embraced him like her own.
How could he disgust her now?
"You—"
"Hey…" Rick cut in and then waved his hands to his friends. "Make him stay by the side. Don't let him intrude this moment."
"What are you doing?" Nate took two steps back as three men approached him, their eyes shone with a sinister light. They grabbed him before he could get away, holding him down to watch Aria and Rick.
"Look, poor rat…" Rick's lips curled, as he slithered his hand around Aria's waist. "This is how to treat a woman as beautiful as Aria. You don't give her love, you give her money."
"But what do you have?" He chuckled. "Why do you even dare to have her as yours? I will help you out here, alright?"
"Shut up, you bastard!" Nate seethed, finally letting his anger burst through. He was no fool to keep denying the truth before his very eyes.
"I never said I needed your help! If you were such a real man, you would get your own girl with your wits!"
"Wits?" Nate chuckled, as he passed the bouquet in his hands to her. "Nobody needs wits when there is money. Isn't that so, baby?"
"Yes, you are right." Aria squirmed, a sweet feeling settling in her chest when she smelled the fresh scent of cash.
"You are the best, Rick. I should have met you much earlier." She kissed his lips, her eyes closing to enjoy the moment.
Right before Nate, he saw Rick smack her butt and even knead it like soft bread. The corners of his eyes brimmed with tears, and all he wanted to do was tear them apart and let them know he couldn't be trifled with.
"Let me go! You fuckers!" He stomped on their feet, jabbing one of them in the stomach and he broke free hurriedly.
"You bastard…" He dashed toward Rick as his fist clenched.
Bang!
He landed his fist on Rick's face, and his head flung to the side. However, before he could land a second hit, he felt the three men grab him from behind. His body was thrown to the floor, and his head hit a solid building block by the roadside.
"Teach that bastard a lesson…" Rick ordered as he wiped the speck of blood on the corner of his lips. He then ushered Aria into the car. She didn't even take a second glance at Nate as the car engine revved to life.
Nate clutched the hard floor weakly, as he felt a warm metallic liquid drip down his head.
"You are fucking dead! You dare hit me!" One of the men bounced angrily, grabbing Nate by the collar.
Bang! Bang!!
Several blows hit Nate's face, but he was numbed to the pain. The aching knot in his heart, was much greater, numbing his whole body and he cried for his stupidity.
He spent every penny he had on her and even neglected himself. Yet, he was never enough. If he ever got the chance, he would live for himself alone, climb the rich ladder by all means, and make everyone bow.
These scoundrels will also answer to his wrath!
"You better kill me…" He whispered as he coughed up blood. "If not, I am going to come back and finish you fuckers up! I will make your death slow and agonizing…"
"You want to die, so bad, huh?" The men grinned, their hands itching for a more bloody show.
"Get him in the car." They dragged Nate to their car, forcing him into the trunk.
Three hours later…
The car swerved onto an abandoned warehouse and Nate's bloodied body was thrown out. He lay there, breathing his last breath while carrying the weight of his regret and mistakes.
A few seconds later, his head lulled to the side, taking his last breath.
____
The night sky had taken over and Nate opened his eyes to see a few animals perched close to his bloodied body. He felt his skin crawl, goosebumps lining his skin but he couldn't move a muscle. He was locked in his mind.
[Host is awake! System activation pending!]
[Nate Williams, do you welcome the Wealthy Harem System into your body! It will grant you a new life and grant all your last wishes!]
[You have ten seconds to accept the System, otherwise, you will be sent to the gates of the afterlife!]
"What the hell is going on?" Nate gasped.