1 Bad Luck

Lizzy: I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think it's time, you know. I don't think we can be together anymore. Let's end our relationship here. Don't meet or contact me again!

The guy fell silent. His mind was still trying to digest every word he had just read. It was hard to believe when the message came from the woman he loved the most. His chest felt tight as he reread the message to make sure he hadn't misread it.

In an instant, Theo felt like his world was shattered. The only source of happiness and encouragement in his life seemed to vanish, along with the short message he received from Lizzy, his girlfriend. After years of being in a relationship, everything ended abruptly just as he was about to take their relationship to a more serious level.

Theo: What do you mean? Why are you suddenly talking like this? You can't be serious, right? What did I do to make you want to end our relationship? Lizzy, I've saved enough money for our wedding. I want to meet you to discuss this!

Between anger and sadness, the two emotions seemed to blend into one. Theo truly didn't understand why all of this was happening. Their relationship had been fine all this time. Even in the last few weeks, he and Lizzy have been meeting and spending time together. There was no problem whatsoever between them. And now, without any apparent reason, Lizzy suddenly wanted to end the relationship they had built over the years. She even cruelly ended it with a short message.

Theo continued to stare at his phone screen with trembling hands. The woman didn't acknowledge the message he had just sent, and there were no signs that Lizzy would reply. This increased Theo's restlessness. With teary eyes, he quickly tried to call her, but unfortunately, only the operator's voice informed him that the number he was trying to reach was out of range. Theo attempted to contact her several times, with the same disappointing result.

Unconsciously, tears streamed down his cheeks. Luckily, it was raining, so no one noticed that he was crying.

Eventually, Theo could only tightly grip his phone as his efforts yielded no results. Lizzy seemed serious about ending their relationship, even going so far as to intentionally turn off her phone to prevent him from reaching out.

I have to meet her! I have to make sure she's not just playing with her words, Theo thought determinedly.

*

Attention immediately shifted to him as he arrived, drenched from the rain. Not only that, but due to running too fast, his appearance became even more disheveled. Nevertheless, Theo had no intention of caring about people's stares. He hurriedly ran towards the reception desk in the lobby, inquiring about Lizzy's presence in her apartment unit. Initially reluctant, the receptionist felt pressured by Theo's insistence and claim to be her boyfriend. With no other option, she attempted to contact Lizzy's unit, but there was no response.

Unable to wait, Theo swiftly ran toward the elevator upon learning that Lizzy was in her unit. Without further delay, as soon as he entered, he pressed the button for the floor where Lizzy's apartment was located. The elevator ascended to the designated floor, and as soon as the doors opened, Theo rushed out. Approaching the door at the end of the hallway, which was Lizzy's apartment, he knocked and called her several times. However, there was no response. Refusing to give up, Theo tried again, only now realizing that the door was unlocked. In fact, it was slightly ajar when he gently knocked on it.

Realizing the door was unlocked, Theo went inside and kept calling out to her. Again, no one answered his call. Theo was confused by what was going on in there because there were items scattered from the front door to the living room and rooms that were not too far apart.

Theo's body shook violently when his ears accidentally heard a moan coming from the door of the room where the last of the scattered clothes were lying. He approached the room whose door was not closed tightly, and with his own two eyes, he saw Lizzy lying on the bed, making love to a handsome man. They seemed to be enjoying each other's actions so much that even the sound of Lizzy's moans could be heard clearly.

Theo clenched both hands. His eyes were glazed over again, and his chest felt even tighter. Without thinking, he rushed in there and immediately threw a punch at Zach.

THWACK!

Zach, who was caught off guard, immediately fell in the other direction. He almost fell off the bed, but luckily his body reflexes were good, so he could still survive. Zach and Lizzy turned their heads in the direction of the sound. There they saw a fat man who stared at them with a gaze full of emotion. Lizzy, who noticed Theo's appearance, immediately pushed Zach to make the man's manhood escape from her.

"Damn it!" Zach moved from his position, looking at Theo with an unfriendly face. He became annoyed that Theo had suddenly come and interrupted their fun. Meanwhile, Lizzy immediately pulled the blanket to cover her body.

"THEO, HOW DID YOU GET IN?" Lizzy yelled, her face flushed. The mix of embarrassment and anger was unexpected; she couldn't fathom how he managed to break in.

"So, this is why you left me? Are you cheating on me with him?" Theo pointed at Zach, struggling to control his emotions out of sheer frustration.

"I ASKED HOW YOU GOT IN? AND WHY ARE YOU HERE? DIDN'T I MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE INVOLVED WITH YOU ANYMORE? I ALREADY ASKED YOU NOT TO CONTACT ME AGAIN. WASN'T MY EARLIER STATEMENT CLEAR ENOUGH?"

"I initially came here to ask why you suddenly ended things so abruptly. But seeing all of this, it's pretty clear that you're cheating on me with this guy."

THWACK! THWACK!

Zach had been trying to control himself and not be provoked by emotions. However, witnessing the woman he loved being scolded like that in front of him was something he couldn't tolerate. His powerful punch sent Theo tumbling to the floor.

"LISTEN TO ME, FATTY! LIZZY DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU BECAUSE SHE'S ASHAMED OF YOUR UGLY APPEARANCE. HAVE YOU NEVER LOOKED IN A MIRROR? OR IS THERE NO MIRROR IN YOUR HOUSE? A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN LIKE HER DESERVES A BETTER MAN THAN YOU. YOU'RE FAT, UGLY, AND POOR. NOW, YOU SHOULD REALIZE THAT YOUR ATTITUDE IS MAKING HER REASON TO BREAK UP WITH YOU EVEN CLEARER," Zach declared, staring at him with intense emotion.

Theo sat on the floor, his face marked by hurt. He locked eyes with Zach, who was still naked. It seemed like Zach felt no shame or concern about his current state.

Maybe he is more handsome, and his body is better than mine. But his manhood is not much bigger than mine, Theo thought, finding it hard to focus as Zach stood there in this state.

Theo refused to stay silent in the face of the insults. He immediately got up and struck the man, leading to a fierce fight between them. They exchanged blows in a chaotic struggle. Meanwhile, Lizzy, witnessing the chaos, ran away to save herself. The situation spiraled out of control as they inflicted bloody injuries on each other.

Watching the escalating violence, Lizzy urgently sought a way to stop them. She hurriedly ran out of her room, reached the landline in the living room, and promptly called the apartment security to come to her unit and intervene. Upon hearing that help was on the way, Lizzy tried to fix her appearance quickly, throwing on whatever clothes she could find to cover herself. But as she realized the situation, Lizzy saw Zach lying on the floor, his face smeared with blood from Theo's powerful punches.

Theo stood, panting heavily with clenched fists. Witnessing Zach's condition, Lizzy ran towards him. "Zach! Zach! Wake up."

Her eyes began to well up with tears, and panic settled in. Lizzy glared at Theo, furious. "YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HIM? NOW GET OUT! LEAVE, AND NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN!"

Lizzy pushed Theo and ushered him out. Slamming the door after successfully expelling him from the apartment.

With panic setting in, Lizzy frantically tried to call an ambulance to take Zach to the hospital. He briefly regained consciousness before fainting again. As he slipped back into unconsciousness, Lizzy attempted to help him get dressed before the ambulance, along with the summoned security, arrived at their location.

*

Theo still couldn't believe that all of this was happening to him. After feeling lonely since childhood and finding a bit of happiness with the person he loved, the woman betrayed him with another man.

"I've struggled to save money, worked hard for three years, and endured all this time. I did all of that because I just wanted to build a future with you. But I never expected you to leave me like this..." Theo murmured with tears streaming down his face. The rain had subsided since he left Lizzy's apartment, and now he wandered aimlessly, seeking fresh air to clear his mind. Currently standing on a bridge connecting two parts of Future City, Theo realized he was late getting home due to his visit to Lizzy.

"It seems like I'll never be able to live happily in this world, and maybe I should just stop here. Why should I continue living if I keep feeling this miserable? It's better to die and end all of this." Theo stared at the Neover River below the bridge where he stood. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps he should end his life by jumping from the bridge. Theo had already moved up to the railing, gazing despairingly towards the river connecting the two parts of the city.

"You're not thinking of jumping, are you?"

Startled, Theo almost fell as the baritone voice suddenly emerged from behind. He turned and found a man walking towards him, looking at the distant river.

"Who are you? Don't try to stop me!"

***