Axel's Revenge

Her laughter grew louder, keeping time with the waves that crashed into the pier. Axel stood there with bloodshot eyes, filled with desperation. The laughter he once admired would now forever haunt his dreams.

“Alicia, please don’t do this. I have done nothing but love you with my whole heart,” he begged, as he had done so many times before.

He was over the moon and stars when she gave him the good news. He, Axel Joaquin Finlayson, was going to be a father. His own blood, and flesh growing inside of her. They were still in high school. He knew this news would come as a shock to his parents. However, he wouldn’t change a thing, because he loved her.

But what followed had crushed his heart like no other. The few seconds of joy was ripped away from him. She has had an abortion.

“It’s already done, Axel. It’s over!” Her stoic face and voice belied no remorse. “I just thought you should know before we parted our ways.”

Parted ways? His throat went dry. She was breaking up with him? 

Axel blinked, wondering if this was actually happening. He never heard a reason to break up with him, did he?

What about their dreams of going to the same college? What happened to the promises of forever?

He couldn’t let her do that. Maybe this was her fear talking. Maybe he didn’t hear her right.

“Alicia, that was our child you are talking about,” Axel whispered when he finally found his voice. “We don’t have to break up over this.” His heart constricted. He would never see or hold his child. “At least you should’ve told me first. We could’ve figured out something.”

Alicia’s face contorted. “Child? I hate this thing, Axel, and I hate you for doing this to me. I told you over and over that I hated children.”

Okay. She had told him that.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. It must be an accident,” he argued. He was always careful when they got together. Never once had he forgot to wrap it up. It still didn’t sit well with him. They were seeing each other and couples discussed these things together, didn’t they?

Even now, she looked beautiful and serene as the setting sun’s rays cast a golden glow on her flawless skin. Her shiny, golden-blonde hair cascaded around her heart-shaped face, with a few tendrils dancing to the soft rhythm of the evening breeze.

On any other day, he would have considered this a romantic evening, and he would have made sweet love to her under the sky. But this was the worst day of his life. Alicia had served the news of her pregnancy and abortion to him on the same plate. She should have told him first. He would have understood if she didn’t want to become a mother. He would have supported her and her decision whatever it was.

“Let me get this straight one last time, Axel. You better listen carefully if you don’t want to lose anything else. I have met someone and I didn’t want this child to ruin that for me. So it had to be done.”

“What?” His voice was barely audible as he took a few staggering steps backward. He couldn’t believe his ears. Axel’s knees weakened, and he slumped to the wooden floor, unable to withstand the horror of her words.

What does she mean by she met someone?

Was she cheating on me all this time?

“How can you do this to me, to us? Was there an us?” he asked, unable to believe what he had just heard. At first, he’d thought she aborted the child because she didn’t want to become a mother, but this was too much to take in.

When did she turn horrendous?

Was I so naïve to notice it before?

How could she do that to me?

The corner of her lips curled upwards, and her deep green eyes turned to slits as she glared at him. A boat horn in the distance distracted him and Axel blinked away the tears. The longer he looked at her the more he regretted.

“We were never an item, Axel. You were nothing more than a fling. If it were not for that stupid bet, I wouldn’t have even looked at you twice. But I must agree—you were convenient, you did all my projects and all my chores. As for the sex, I won’t say it was bad, but it wasn’t good either. You may want to hone your skills in bed if you want to keep a lover.”

Her mockery cut him deeply, and his shoulders hunched just at the thought of even being close to her that way. His knees gave out.

Alicia continued the cruel barrage: “Oh, and you’re sloppy kisser, do you know that? And I have seen better dicks than yours.”

Her words cut deeper and deeper…

Axel had thought of her as his one and only, ever since their first kiss. “You said you loved me,” he whispered, heartbroken. Blood rushed to his head as his hands trembled. She had told him she loved him every time they made love. Was it love at all? Had he misjudged her character?

“People say things when they have sex.” She snickered. “It’s all in the heat of the moment. Nothing more. Who wouldn’t when a man uses his tongue on a girl like that? I have to give that to you, Axel. I’ve never had a man perform such tricks with his tongue.”

Disgusting.

What he thought was an intimate act was nothing more than a technical skill for her, Axel discovered. His breath heaved as he tried to suppress nausea that was threatening to empty his guts in front of her. He could only blame himself for being so blind about her love. His parents and friends tried to warn him. He’d even stopped talking to his friends just because they claimed that she cheated on him with a football jock. Hot tears rolled down his cheek, making him vulnerable to her as she continued to stab his heart with her venomous words.

“Get this through your thick skull, Axel. You are not a boyfriend material. I mean, look at you. You’re skinny, tall and lanky. You have nothing that attracts a woman, and you’re lucky that I even continued to keep you after I won the bet.”

Bet? She had mentioned it twice already.

“What bet?”

Axel stood up on his shaky legs, feeling so vulnerable before her.

“My girls said that I wouldn’t be able to play you like I did with the other boys. They claimed that you were different. But you were so easy to manipulate,” Alicia bragged, twirling the soft tendrils of her hair between her fingers. “I had you in less than a week, thereby winning the bet.”

Was that all he meant to her?

A fucking bet.

She continued, “Look, you don’t have money, and your poor excuse of a father works as a janitor in our school. As for André, his father is a millionaire. He is the quarterback, and has a bright future. It would be wise for you to keep your mouth shut and forget that this incident ever happened. You don’t want your father to lose his job now, do you?”

Was I even the father of this unborn child?

The threat was real, he knew by her facial expressions. She wouldn’t hesitate to follow through the threat. After all, her father was the principal of their school. His parents had suffered enough over the years, and losing a job would make them homeless.

“So, what’s it going to be—keep mum, or face the consequences?” Her harsh tone threatened again.

Axel met her gaze one last time with difficulty. His blue eyes searched to find even a hint of emotion somewhere in those sea-moss green depths he once treasured. When he saw none, he turned around, unable to hold her gaze any longer. His resolve shattered as realization dawned on him. The love of his life never loved him back and he’d lost his child.

“I will keep quiet,” he said without facing her. He couldn’t and didn’t want to look at her mocking eyes that once captivated his heart to see the disgust in there.

“We’re good then.”

No! We will never be good.

Her heels clicked away on the wooden pier, each click feeling as if it were digging into his heart. By the end of the encounter, Axel realized that she had, in fact, metaphorically taken his heart, crushed it, and gave it back to him.

He was a stupid to even think that a diva like her would even look at him in any romantic way. His friends tried to warn him about her when they started seeing each other. He shrugged it off at the time, thinking they were jealous. It didn’t help that he had a crush on her for longer than he knew. He even ignored his friends when she told him that she did not like them, and they were not good enough for him.

Six months. That was the time he had spent with her, and she had ruined everything that had been good in his life. She took away his love, his child, and his friends. She was his first everything.

Gone was the happy-go-lucky guy who wouldn’t stop smiling and cracking jokes. The one who remained was only a shell, which felt disgusted to think that he had even touched her. His skin crawled and he fought the urge to claw at it. The pain in his heart continued to grow, gripping it in a tight fist and squeezing it until he couldn’t breathe. He needed the pain to stop.

Axel stepped to the edge of the pier, then stepped one step farther. His body plummeted into the dark water, and he didn’t struggle as the salt water filled his lungs.

“Mr. Richards is here for the two p.m. appointment.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes,” Axel replied without taking his eyes off the report he was perusing. His assistant pivoted on her heels, ready to leave. “Samantha,” he called.

“Yes, Mr. Finlayson.”

“Keep my coffee ready after the meeting,” he ordered, getting up from his chair and locking his computer. He pulled his tailored blazer, buttoning it. “You don’t have to be there today. Complete the files I gave you this morning.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, opening the door for him to exit before following him to the conference room with the required files.

It was a usual afternoon at work, filled with back-to-back meetings and calls. Axel’s stomach growled, reminding him that he had once again forgot to eat his lunch. He exhaled as Samantha once again opened the conference room door for him to enter.

“Hello, Axel, it’s good to see you again,” Jenson Richards, Axel’s most trusted business partner and confidant for eight years, greeted him with a wide grin that reached his eyes and lit his face.

His contagious smile tugged at Axel’s lips. He greeted the man with a brief hug before taking his seat. Jenson was in his late fifties with a bald head and a brown beard. His company offered many profitable deals, and together they were stepping into another successful venture.

“It’s good to see you too, Jenson,” Axel reciprocated his grin and extended his hand.

Samantha set the files next to Axel and left the room with a nod towards Jenson.

“Hmm... You still have the girl, I see.”

He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? Samantha is the best at what she does.” Axel smiled, thinking about his secretary.

She was efficient and made his professional life easier. Samantha had a master’s degree in business administration and a sharp, strategic mind. Axel felt her abilities were being wasted away as his secretary. It was time to train her with a motive to delegate more of his works to her. He knew she was more than capable to handle some of his responsibilities.

“And the only one that has stayed in your company for over a year. She must have a lot of patience if she is putting up with you,” Jenson commented with an easy smile.

Axel chuckled. “Enough about me, Jenson. Why don’t we talk about business?”

“There he goes again, always about this boring charts and graphs,” Jenson grumbled under his breath before turning back to the screen, where he had his presentation ready.

It was always the same—new business ideas, new plans, market demographics etcetera. Once the meeting was over, he returned to his office, knowing Samantha would follow him with his usual coffee. She knocked on the door, and the calming aroma of coffee teased his nostrils even before she stepped into the office.

Samantha wore her usual work slacks with a white loose fitted blouse. The small smile she always sported was absent, and a worry-filled crease occupied her forehead, which Axel noticed right away. He wondered if something was bothering her.

“Do you need anything else, sir?”

“No.” She’d always addressed him as Mr. Finlayson or sir, and he never corrected her even after a year. He didn’t want to. That would mean he’d have to lower the walls he had built around himself.

She shifted on her feet, making him look at her with a raised eyebrow. A few strands of her chocolate-brown hair had escaped from the neat bun and had framed her round face.

“You have had nothing to eat since the morning,” she stated.

That’s none of your business. Axel bit back the cruel retort ready to escape his lips.

He closed his eyes, rubbing his temple instead. She was nothing but professional, he reminded himself. Never once crossed the limit with him.

He didn’t trust women. They were all the same. A pair of green orbs he tried to forget flashed in his mind. When he opened his eyes, the green faded and in its place was a pair of brown ones he’d become accustomed to.

It’s time you stop treating them with prejudice and open your heart, Axel. His mom’s voice echoed in his mind. It’s time to let go of your past, son. You need more friends.

His therapist said the same too. The elderly, kind woman even encouraged him to extend an olive branch to his secretary, who he was comfortable having around him. Maybe it was time to take that step.

He looked at her eyes and forgot that he ever wanted to snap at her. Her innocent honey-brown eyes held his cold blue ones. At the reminder of food, his stomach rumbled again.

“Get me something light.” He sighed.

There was nothing wrong in allowing some trivial things. It was just food. If they were going to work together for more years to come, he’d need to at least be friendlier.

A small smile stretched across her lips as she nodded before exiting his office. He shook his head, shaking away the small sense of relief he felt. She is not her. He shouldn’t snap at every woman he met.

Axel leaned back in his chair, stretching his neck from side to side to relax his sore muscles. Jenson’s words kept playing in his mind. None of his secretaries before Samantha made it past the six months’ probation period. He wasn’t comfortable with any of them.

They all tried to get close to him, impress him in one way or the other—overkill—while some left unable to put up with the pressure and responsibilities. Then in his life came Samantha. Samantha was different. She never dressed to impress him, she worked hard, and she merely gave a shy smile with a thank you on the rare times he appreciated her for her good work.

The solid mahogany door creaked as Samantha entered the room with a plate in one hand filled with two homemade sandwiches and chips, and a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice in the other.

Placing the plate and juice at his table, she looked at him expectantly before he got the hint and took a bite of his sandwich. The delicious flavor of turkey, cheese, and mustard exploded on his taste buds, just the way he liked it, no mayonnaise or tomatoes. He hated tomatoes in his sandwich.

His inhaled the food, finishing it in a few hungry bites. The cold juice added to his delight. He didn’t even realize how famished he was until he ate.

Samantha was still waiting for him, and her eyes twinkled when he emptied the contents of the plate. She flashed a broad smile as she took the empty plate and cup, and then left her boss without another word, leaving him to his devices.

Axel felt refreshed. He smiled before resuming his work, sipping the cold coffee that had grown bitter.

Samantha knocked at his door around five p.m. again. She handed him the files he gave her this morning. “It’s done, Mr. Finlayson. I’ve finished all of my reports for the day. Is there anything else you would like me to do today?”

“No. That’s all. Just email the reports before you leave.”

“Do you want another coffee?” asked Samantha, eyeing the empty cup that sat beside him.

“No, I’m calling it a day.”

“Okay,” she replied, taking the empty cup before turning to leave.

Axel rubbed the back of his neck as the pain burned down his spine, starting from his neck and ending in his tailbone. His doctor had advised him not to sit straight for hours and taught him some mild exercises, but the list of tasks he had to do in a day was making it harder for him to breathe, let alone get up from his seat.

He shut down his computer and noticed Samantha getting into the elevator just as he exited the office. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she stopped the elevator door from closing, waiting for him to get in.

His head pounded as the muscles in his back ached. He cracked his neck until he heard a satisfying pop.

“Back pain?” she asked.

Axel opened his eyes to see her giving him a concerned look. “Yes.”

“Do you want me to book an appointment with the spa?”

I don’t see why that’s your concern. Once again, Axel bit back the cruel retort that bubbled in his throat out of habit. She is considerate. He remembered no other woman cared for him after his mother. He considered her suggestion and decided that he needed it.

“That would be nice, thank you,” he replied with a tight-lipped smile. He then averted his gaze from her eyes that had a way to soften him every time he looked at them.

His response seemed to surprise her and she nodded before dialing the stored number on her phone.

He wasn’t the one to thank often. But he was learning. A little appreciation goes long way. He owed her that much. The new therapist he was seeing helped a lot in improving his social skills.

“Do you have any plans for this evening?” she asked. “They have a slot for seven p.m.”

“I’m free this evening.”

She nodded and continued to talk over the phone. She ended the call just as the elevator dinged, announcing their arrival at the ground floor.

“Have a good evening, Mr. Finlayson,” she said with a slight incline of her head and exited the elevator without waiting for his response.

Axel stared at her retreating form for a moment before closing the door and hit the button for the basement parking. He never gave her a response for trivial things such as this. Before, it wouldn’t have bothered him, but today it felt wrong. He should at least have a courtesy to respond.

That wasn’t the only thing though; he almost offered her a ride home and had to bite the inside of his cheeks to stop himself.

What was happening to him?

***

“Tough day, I presume.”

“Yeah,” Axel replied to his father as he plopped down on the couch in his three-bedroom home.

“Mom, can you make me some coffee, please?”

“You drink too much coffee these days, Axel. Do you know coffee can cause insomnia and restlessness?” His mother’s concerned tone brought a smile to his lips. He’d lost his sleep a long time ago, and he doubted he would have a peaceful sleep again. No matter what his therapist said, the shame and the memories from so long ago wouldn’t go away.

“I know, Mom, but it’s better than alcohol, isn’t it?” he asked and watched as his mom nodded and went to the kitchen to make his coffee.

“It hurts her so much to see you like this, Axel. You are our only son, and we wish you could move on.” His father sighed, placing the newspaper he was reading on the table.

“I have moved on, Dad. Our company is climbing the charts.”

“Axel, you know well what I am talking about. You haven’t dated in ten years. Hell, you are not even getting within a half-mile radius of any women.”

“Dad, that’s not true.” Axel shook his head in denial.

“Look, being around your female staff doesn’t count. You’ve fired an employee for telling you that you looked handsome!”

“They are all the same, Dad. They only want my money and not the heart that comes with it.”

“Not all the women are same, Axel. If the women you are seeing are all social climbers, then you are not looking in the right place.”

Axel let out a humorless chuckle. “Honestly, Dad, I don’t feel like looking at all.”

“Look at me and your mother. When she fell in love with me, her wealthy father was against our relationship. She left all the riches behind, just to be with me. There is a woman for you out there, and when you find her that will be the fourth happiest day of my life.”

“What are the first three?” Axel asked, knowing well what the answers might be.

“First is the day I met your mother. Second is the day of our wedding and the day she accepted my proposal, can’t choose between both.” Henry chuckled. “Both days are special for me. Then the third is when we found out she was pregnant with you and the day I held you for the first time. Again, both days are equally important.” His father had a lovely smile and a distant look on his face as he recalled his memory as if he were seeing it again.

“I agree with you, my love.” His mother smiled lovingly at his father as she placed the coffee mug in front of Axel and went to sit beside her husband.

Axel had no siblings; his mother had complications while she was pregnant with him, and after witnessing the eighteen-hour long labor she went through, his father decided against putting his wife through such pain again.

His mom, Sara, was born to a Spanish business tycoon, Rodriguez Del Campo. She fell in love with Axel’s father when they met in college, and they had been together ever since. When Axel’s grandfather found about their love, he gave her an ultimatum to choose between his father and family. She chose his father, and here they were happily married for thirty years.

Axel looked at his parents with a mixture of pride and envy filling his heart. There was too much love between them as they gazed at each other.

He always wanted the same for him and he even thought he had it all until she destroyed it. He didn’t know if there was another woman in this world who could mend his heart and make him trust in a relationship again.

“Axel, can you drive us to Manhattan this week? It’s been a while since we saw Naina,” Henry asked, changing the topic.

“Sure, Dad.” Axel smiled fondly at the thought of his adopted sister, who was pregnant. “Here, take my card, Mom. Buy her something she likes.”

“No need, my dear. Your dad already bought everything.”

“Okay. I am heading to the spa and will be in time for dinner,” Axel got up from the couch to leave.

“Axel, Grandpa Joaquin called. He wants to meet you,” his mother informed.

“Sure, Mom. I think I can wind up a few things and why don’t we all go there for a week, it’s been too long.” Axel also missed his cousins.

His mother’s grin widened as his father nodded in acknowledgment. He could tell she missed her home and family.

This should keep them busy for a while.

The thought of visiting his ninety-five-year-old great-grandfather—whom he was named after—excited him. Though his own grandfather gave him a cold shoulder, his great-grandfather has always been kind and loving. He always kept in touch with his parents, and once Axel graduated, there was a decent amount of money waiting for him in the bank.

Axel started a small business exporting seafood, and his business grew. His father resigned his job as a janitor and worked in his company. Within two years, he could pay their family loans and buy a decent home.

Jenson had contacted him with a profitable deal when he was still new to the business, and he had come a long way from there. His father retired five years back and now his parents can finally enjoy their time together. Though his great-grandfather had given him a few million, Axel made his first million in business four years ago, and since had been working hard towards his goal of becoming a billionaire.

His hands unlocked his car as he got in and drove towards the spa. There were so many things to wind up if he traveled to Spain.

Leaving for a week shouldn’t hurt.