The Perfect Gentleman ✔

8: Thieves and beggars

CAPPEL headquarters,
Victoria Island, Lagos.
Five years ago.

Lucas walked into the tenth floor of the CAPPEL building looking tired and haggard. It has been exactly one month since the scandal and he hadn't had the time of day in between. Things were going so wrong so fast. And last night, he had been faced with the harshest reality of it all. Even thinking about it right now brought tears to his eyes. He couldn't believe it, didn't want to accept it, and that was why he had welcomed this distraction this morning. If he buried himself in work, he could forget, forget that his life was crumbling down before his very eyes, he could even forget he was losing his family, the woman he loved and their one month old son.

His secretary was given strict instructions to not disturb him. Then later, was told to bring him all the back log of their ethylene processing products and its production. They didn't have much investors in that byproduct but he had been putting off improving its quality to attract construction companies to invest in it. CAPPEL would welcome the big break.

He didn't know how long he was at it, but suddenly Martin strode in looking pissed.

"Finally, you decided to show your face you bastard!" He grated out, holding a file in his hand.

Lucas barely spared him a glance. "Good morning to you too, Martin."

The other man scoffed in disbelief. "I'm not here for your cheeky remarks, alright. Things have happened. Bad things."

"Yes, you're right. Bad things have happened, so this is not the best time for company bid takeovers," he finished solemnly, shifting his attention back to the logs in front of him.

"Damn it! You're stubborn. Don't be a sissy and give up so easily. Be a man and take charge."

That tone struck a nerve deep within him, as he stood up instantly from his swivel chair, almost knocking it down.

"Take charge?" He gritted out between clenched teeth. "How else am I supposed to take charge if everything is going all to hell around me?"

"What do you mean everything is going to hell?"

"My wife is leaving me!"

Martin was stunned. "What?"

Lucas rolled his fists along the table, sending the logs flying off his desk. Enraged, he balled his fists and stuck them to his mouth to prevent it clattering from so much rage.

"Sara asked for a divorce last night. I went to see her at her mother's house because I thought I could work things out but she didn't want to. She said she couldn't and handed me the papers. And when I brought up our son, she said she wanted jointed custody. Because he reminded her of me and my betrayal, she didn't want me anymore and she didn't want to try to stay because of our son," he explained, watching Martin's brows lift at the shocking news.

It really was all going to hell around him, Martin thought looking at his best friend and cousin. They had known each other all their lives, had been there through everything, the money, the girls, hell they even roughly both slept with the same girls. But they had also met the love of their lives at roughly the same time. And while he had gone away to further his studies, Lucas had gotten married. Now as he was finally working out things between his girl Judy and her family, Lucas was ending things with Sara. But if Lucas didn't like the news about the divorce, which was kind of always there considering the scandal, then he sure as hell wasn't going to be thrilled with this news either.

"Lucas?" He called tentatively.

Lucas flipped. "Do you not get it, Martin? My wife is leaving me. The woman I love is leaving me!" He bellowed.