Chapter 17
The night in Airedale was bitterly cold, with few people braving the streets.
Evan’s villa was dimly lit, and the air was thick with the scent of alcohol. He sat on the floor beside the couch, gripping a bottle of whiskey in one hand. His eyes were hollow, as if all life had
drained from him.
For a month now, he’d done nothing but drink. His friends had taken turns trying to snap him out of it, but he refused to listen. His world had shrunk down to just two things–alcohol and the memory of the woman who was no longer there.
Not far away, a few of his friends gathered in hushed conversation as they watched Evan in his defeated state.
What the hell happened to Evan? I’ve never seen him like this before,” one of them muttered, frowning
“It’s got to be because of the plan. Three years of work, and then it all crumbled. It must be killing him. That’s why he’s drowning himself in alcohol to cope,” another guessed.
“Come on. It’s just one failed plan. Evan’s been through worse. He’s probably just in a bad mood and wants to drink it off,” someone else argued.
“A bad mood? What’s there to be upset about? Joselyn’s gone, the plan’s dead, and Jarrett isn’t making any moves. He should be relieved.”
One of them hesitantly asked, “Do you guys think it might be because of Joselyn?”
“Joselyn? No way! Evan always treated her like a tool. Why would he be this messed up over her?” Someone snorted.
“But don’t you think Evan’s been acting really off lately? No matter how much he drank before, he was never this completely out of it.”
One of them said, “Yeah, I think so too. Remember that night at the banquet hall? He smashed everything in sight. He looked completely unhinged.”
“I think Evan might have…” someone trailed off.
“What?” the others pressed.
“He might have fallen for Joselyn.” The man finally voiced his suspicion.
The words hung in the air. Everyone froze for a second, then burst into laughter. “No way! How could Evan fall for Joselyn? Come on. It’s Evan Lloyd we’re talking about!”
Just then, a cold female voice cut through the noise. “Quit guessing. He’s drowning his sorrows because he’s heartbroken.”
Everyone turned around and saw Megan had shown up behind them at some point. Her expression was cold, and there was a hint of mockery in her eyes.
“What the heck? Why are you here again?” someone asked nervously.
Megan chuckled. “Why shouldn’t I be? Didn’t you all say Joselyn and Evan broke up? That means he’s mine now. I came to check on him. Any problem with that?”
“My goodness. Don’t mess with him right now. He’s not in a good mood,” someone tried to reason with her.
“Mess with him?” Megan’s voice suddenly sharpened. “Do you guys even know what happened yesterday? He called my dad and said he wanted to call off the engagement. My dad refused and went to confront him, only to walk in on him fighting with his dad about it.
“Miloyd wouldn’t agree to call off the engagement, but Evan insisted. So, Mr. Lloyd took off his belt and struck him 99 times! Yet even after that, Evan still wouldn’t back down!”
Gasps rippled through the group. Someone rushed forward and yanked Evan’s jacket off. Sure enough, his back was covered in raw, crimson welts. The wounds hadn’t even been treated, so his shirt was soaked through with blood
“Evan, what the hell? This marriage was supposed to be a power move for both families. You never had a problem with it before. What changed? Why are you so dead set on calling it off now?
Megan ineered “I told you. It’s because he fell for someone else. He fell for Joselyn. He went in planning to use her, but it turns out, he played himself instead. Isn’t that hilarious?” Everyone exchanged uneasy looks, struggling to come up with a response. Someone muttered under their breath, “No way. How could Evan be in love with Joselyn?”
“And why the hell not?” Megan’s voice went sharp again. “Just look at him! if he didn’t love her, would he be doing all this? Would he take 99 lashes just to break off the engagement?” The gap fell silent. As they thought back on Evan’s unusual behavior over the past few weeks, doubt began to creep into their hearts.
“Evan, are you really in kave with Joselyn?” someone asked hesitantly.
All eyes turned to him. “Tell us, Evan is what she said true?”
Sven had been quiet this whole tipne, but when he heard that, he suddenly slammed the bottle in his hand against the floor. It shattered, sending shards and liquor flying everywhere. His eyes were bondson as he looked up. In a hoarse voice, he shouted, “Yeah, I love her! So what? You got a problem with that?”
