His Butterfly

Chapter 17: At the Bar

Attention:

This chapter contains a significant amount of strong language. I want to clarify that I do not intend to offend my audience. I am simply writing in a manner that accurately reflects the emotions and perspective of my male character. I apologize if my portrayal of the female lead character does not align with certain expectations. My intention was to demonstrate that not all women need to be portrayed as weak or reliant on men for security. They can be strong and independent individuals. With that being said, I kindly request you to read on and feel free to share your thoughts and ideas. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Additionally, I would be grateful if you could vote and comment. Until next time, take care and stay safe.

Reese's POV...

Exhaustion consumed me, weighing heavily on my shoulders, and the day seemed unending. Collapsing onto the edge of my bed, frustration surged through my veins, tempting me to yank at my own hair in a desperate attempt to distract myself from the chaos unfolding around me.

It felt as though an alien presence had taken residence within my own body. I had lost all semblance of control over the words that escaped my lips whenever I found myself in Avery's presence. In the three years I had known her, I had never displayed even a fraction of the behavior I had exhibited towards her in these past few days. If anyone could shed light on this bewildering transformation, I would genuinely appreciate their insight.

Well, this is just great. Now, I find myself having a full-blown conversation with nobody but myself. What's next? Am I going to start answering my own damn questions, too? It was at that moment that I realized I needed to get out of my room and have some fun. And what better way to do that than in the company of another woman? Maybe being with someone else would help me get Avery out of my system. At least, that's what I hoped for, because if not, tomorrow is going to be one hell of a long day.

Grabbing my phone, I quickly invited Kyane to join me downstairs at the bar. As I sat there, sipping on a dry martini, I could feel my spirits lifting just a little.

"Alright, dude, what's up with you? You're not exactly known for being a heavy drinker," Kyane remarked, taking a sip of his first drink. "And this is already your third one in the last hour."

"You mean besides dad trying to control our lives? Yeah, everything's just peachy," I replied, my tone dripping with a tad too much attitude.

"Nah, man. It takes more than just dad to push you to drink like this. So, what's really going on?" Kyane asked, his voice filled with skepticism.

"It's nothing that I can't handle," I replied, taking another sip of my martini and avoiding Kyane's inquisitive gaze. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the two people who were the embodiment of my worst nightmares appeared out of nowhere, instantly killing my buzz. "How can you be so damn calm about all of this?" I asked my brother, my irritation seeping into every word. I was frustrated with him and the entire world.

"Reese, for one, unlike you, I have a son to protect. I'll do anything and everything to ensure he's well taken care of," Kyane responded, his voice filled with determination. "And secondly, I don't want Dad to ever do to him what he did to us when we were growing up. I'll be damned if I let him subject my son to the same pain. Before that happens, I'll knock him out cold and deal with the damn consequences afterward." 

"So, what's going to happen between you and Destiny?" I asked, immediately feeling like a jerk for judging my brother.

"Destiny definitely won't take this lightly. If anything, she'll tear me apart and serve me my dick on a platter. I have no doubt she'll kick Sung-mi's ass, not that there's much of an ass for her to kick anyway," Kyane replied with a sigh. "I really do love her, and we've finally overcome one obstacle, only to be faced with another. I can't ask her to put her life on hold for me, especially knowing I'll be married to another woman."

"Hey, guys," Hye-jin greeted as she sat down beside me, attempting to kiss me once again. "What the fuck did I tell you about that shit earlier? Keep your stinking fish-ass lips to yourself, or I'll cut them off and hand them to you, bitch," I snapped, my anger bursting out of my mouth.

"Wow, Reese, you've really changed since the last time I saw you," Hye-jin remarked.

"If by 'changed' you mean since the last time you tried to seduce my best friend Tyler, then yes, I've changed a lot. Oh, that's right, you didn't think I knew about that, did you? News flash, Tyler and I tell each other everything," I retorted, taking a sip of my drink.

"Why are you treating me like this? I love you," Hye-jin mumbled in a sad voice.

"Didn't you tell him that you only slept with me to gain access to my money and my parents' company? I guess you finally realized that your pussy wasn't as powerful as you thought. Now, please get the fuck out of my face before I say something that will truly embarrass the hell out of you," I replied, tired of seeing her face.

"Hi, Reese," Sung-mi spoke up, her face filled with embarrassment.

"Why are you even speaking to me?" I retorted, not even sparing her a glance. "You two are the same, always on the prowl, trying to seduce unsuspecting wealthy men but you've met your match with me." I sneered, feeling my blood pressure rising. "Both of you should do Kyane and me a favor and disappear. You're polluting the air we're breathing." I said, my words dripping with disdain, as I noticed a whole new set of problems sitting at the end of the bar.

I narrowed my eyes, straining to see the man Avery was engaged in conversation with. I maintained my gaze, determined to identify the person until a sudden realization hit me like a bolt of lightning - it was that infuriating Chase punk.

"Is today some sort of National Fuck With Reese Day?" I grumbled under my breath, unable to tear my eyes away from Avery and Chase. However, my focus was disrupted by Hye-jin, who seemed to have a knack for getting in the way.

"What's so captivating over there?" she snapped at me, her frustration evident.

"Clearly, it's not you," I retorted hastily, gently nudging her aside.

"Don't tell me you're attracted to that type of woman."

"What on earth do you mean by 'that type of woman'?" I demanded, redirecting my gaze towards Hye-jin.

"That woman sitting at that table doesn't even come close to comparing to me, not even a fraction of my beauty and standards!" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with disdain.

"That's exactly your problem. You think too highly of yourself and too little of others. Avery possesses something that you will never understand - class. And she's more beautiful than you could ever hope to be," I sneered.

"Is she the reason you're suddenly treating me so coldly?" Hye-jin shot back, her voice filled with anger.

"No! You're the reason I'm no longer falling for your deceitful games," I responded sharply before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Please don't tell me you're choosing her over me, Reese?"

"I don't owe you an answer to that question. Now, move out of my damn way. You're blocking the person I actually want to see," I said, gently pushing Hye-jin aside when I noticed Chase getting a little too touchy with Avery.

"I'm the one you're supposed to marry, not that…" 

"Shut the hell up, Hye-jin," I snapped harshly. I stormed over to Avery and firmly grasped her arm, pulling her up from her seat. Chase seemed like he wanted to intervene, but thought better of it when he saw the intense glare I was giving him. I practically dragged Avery out of the bar and towards the private elevator. Once inside, I released her wrist, and the moment I did, I felt a sharp slap across my face. The impact was so strong that I momentarily saw two versions of her. As my vision returned to normal, I almost wished it hadn't, because I was now staring directly into a pair of furious eyes.

"Please, tell me what the fuck is wrong with you, manhandling me as if I belong to you? Actually, don't bother answering that. All I want is for you to leave me alone and go back to your new flavor of the week," Avery yelled at me before storming out of the elevator. As she reached the entrance of her suite, she turned to face me and warned, "Don't ever handle me like that again, unless you don't value your life!"