September 06, 2013
The morning was splendid. They had just finished a work meeting that went excellently. The deal with the Chinese had been a success.
They decided to grab something to eat at a café near the company. Dominick felt proud to honor his father's memory. Though still young, he was proving that age was just a number when it came to running such a massive enterprise.
His eyes scanned the small place, until the voice of one of his friends and business partners caught his attention.
"Hey, Dominick, don't you think the friendship between your brother and Jazmín is a little… weird?" Nikolas had a frown on his face.
He smiled in the direction where his brother and the woman he loved were sitting. They were laughing and chatting.
"Not at all, Nik," he replied, returning his attention to him. Nikolas didn't look convinced and sighed.
"I don't know… something just doesn't sit right with me." He clasped his hands together.
"There's nothing to worry about. First of all, he's my brother," he took a sip of his coffee, "and second, he's gay."
Nikolas's eyes widened. Dom sipped from his coffee again, smiling.
"Gay?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Your brother is gay?"
He couldn't believe it.
"Yes. I'm still getting used to the idea," he confessed. "I won't lie, at one point I did think they were hiding a romance, but now I'm sure that wasn't the case."
"To that, then." Nikolas clinked his coffee cup with his, and they laughed.
September 07
"Dominick, I'm going out today," Jazmín announced.
"Where are you going?" he asked, stepping out of the bathroom.
"Shopping with some friends, you know," she walked up and wrapped her arms around his neck, "girl stuff."
He smiled against her lips.
"Have fun, Jazmín." He pulled her closer by the waist. "I love you."
"I love you too."
She pulled away.
She left the room and he finished getting ready for work. It was almost eight.
Once ready, he headed to the building's parking lot to get his car. He got in and drove off toward the company. Half an hour later, he was walking through the glass doors.
"Good morning, Sophia," he greeted the receptionist.
She smiled and returned the greeting.
In the elevator, he pressed the button to his floor. A minute later, he arrived. The first thing he saw was Agner, his secretary, speaking with Gideon, the Vice President.
"Good morning. What brings you here so early, Gideon?" he raised an eyebrow.
"I work here, remember?" Gideon smiled.
"I know, but your office is on the other side," Dominick crossed his arms.
"Stop bothering and let's go to your office. Agner, sweetheart, we have a pending conversation," he winked.
"Agner, when Mr. Lewis leaves, bring me the agenda in my office."
She nodded, and the two of them headed to his office.
Dominick sat behind the desk, and his friend took the seat in front of him.
"How can I help?" Gideon took off his jacket.
His face turned serious.
"You know you're my friend. Regardless of us being coworkers, you're my friend," he repeated. Dominick looked at him, confused.
"Could you explain that a little better?"
"I won't say anything. Just go to this address." He handed him a paper.
Dominick examined it closely, now even more confused.
"This is the address of the house I bought a few weeks ago. They're still finishing up some construction," he frowned. "Gideon, I don't understand anything."
"Just trust me, Dominick. Go at the time written there. You'll understand everything today."
He stood and left him alone.
Dominick stared at the paper and set it aside. He immersed himself in work.
He was organizing some documents when the piece of paper Gideon had left him fell into his line of sight. He picked it up and checked the time.
By instinct, he looked at his watch, twenty minutes left, but it would take him about thirty to get there.
Curiosity was eating him alive. He grabbed his jacket, stood up, and left the office.
"Agner, cancel my appointments."
He didn't give her time to answer; he was already in the elevator. The next two minutes dragged by slowly. When the metal doors finally opened, he rushed out toward his car.
He drove off at full speed, feeling his heartbeat rise as he sped down the road.
He reached for his phone but realized he had left it in the office. He cursed under his breath. His eyes went back to the road just in time to swerve violently to avoid crashing into a truck.
"Watch it, idiot!" someone yelled.
He ignored it and kept driving. A while later, he arrived at the entrance.
He stopped when he saw a car parked there. His brows furrowed as he recognized it, his brother's.
The front door was ajar, and he decided to go in.
Everything was silent.
His eyes were drawn to the staircase, where a pink scarf caught his attention. It looked vaguely familiar. He picked it up and began climbing… step by step.
The first room had its door open. He stopped, torn between the urge to look and a strange feeling telling him not to. A bad premonition settled in his chest.
He couldn't breathe.
It was a hard feeling to explain...
Against his better judgment, he moved closer and peeked inside the room. Shock gave way to devastation. A bitter, burning rage began to rise in him.
Jazmín was completely naked, in the arms of his brother… his damn brother. Both of them were sleeping soundly.
He stepped into the room and stared at them, unblinking.
All the warnings, the signs, the advice others had given him came flooding back.
He felt like vomiting. The sight made him sick.
The man he once called brother began to stir, a smile on his face, one that disappeared instantly when he opened his eyes and saw Dominick standing in the doorway.
His expression turned to horror.
"Jazmín," he tried to wake up the slut who was once his fiancée, "wake up, please."
Dominick still said nothing.
She stirred and finally opened her eyes.
"Dominick," she gasped, surprised, scared, and anxiously watching his reaction.
Still, no words from him.
Fury was coursing through his veins. He clenched the pink scarf tightly in his fists.
"Dominick, my love, it's not..."
He raised his right hand, cutting her off.
"Don't you dare say it's not what it looks like, or I swear I'll lose whatever control I have left."
"But..." she tried to speak.
"I said shut the hell up!" he roared.
She froze, shocked by his voice. He had never raised it before.
"Dominick, we can talk this out, we can..." Christian began, but Dominick looked at him with pure hatred.
"I didn't expect this from either of you," he said, staring at the floor. "My brother and my fiancée. Couldn't you find someone else to betray me with?" He looked up.
"I..."
"You what, Jazmín?"
She stood, wrapping herself in the bedsheet, and walked toward him. Christian pulled on a pair of pants.
"You what, damn it?!" he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
Tears flooded her eyes.
"Do you think your pathetic tears will change the hatred I feel for you right now?" he smiled bitterly.
"You're... hurting me," she whispered.
As soon as those words left her mouth, Christian pushed her away from Dominick.
In an unexpected move, Dominick punched him hard, knocking him to the floor.
"I want both of you out of my life and out of my house right now!" he bellowed. "I don't want to hear from you, I don't want to see you ever again..."
Christian looked up at him from the floor, touching his bleeding lip. Jazmín sobbed in the corner.
Dominick stormed out, furious.
Angry with himself for not realizing sooner, for being a damn fool.
Somehow, he made it home. His vision was clouded by rage, and the only thing he wanted was to let it all out.
He went straight for the whiskey. An hour later, he had nearly emptied every bottle. His reasoning was completely gone.
The bitter memory of betrayal fueled his every move.
He went to the kitchen and opened the gas tank. Then he gathered all the gasoline he could find… and poured it throughout the house, all the way to the entrance.
He pulled out a lighter and let the fire consume everything, his memories, his feelings.
Staggering, he made his way to the car. Everything began to blur. He collapsed to the ground.
The last thing he heard… was a loud sound.