Chapter 4 The Familiar Package

Seeing the men lunge toward him, Alvaro flinched in fear. His instincts told him to run.

However, something strange happened.

He felt the men were running slowly.

Strangely slow for someone who wanted to attack him.

It looked like they were in a slow-motion film.

How could they injure a person if they ran in slow motion?

Alvaro hesitated for a moment and eventually gave up the idea of fleeing. He quickly tilted his shoulder and effortlessly dodged an attack. Then, he expertly swerved around, escaping the assault.

Alvaro raised his leg and kicked one of them.

The man screamed in pain and fell back, knocking down three men behind him.

Alvaro's eyes widened in horror.

The sudden skills he'd acquired left him astonished.

Then, he grew confident and knocked them all down in the blink of an eye. The men quickly dispersed and ran in fear.

"Damn it! What the hell was that? Jayden said the man was weak, and we could easily take him down."

"He lied to us. This guy is more powerful than all of us together. He is obviously a skillful fighter."

"Run! Run!"

The men fled in embarrassment.

Alvaro quickly darted after them, caught one of the men, and grabbed him by the collar. "Who sent you to assault me? Tell me!"

"It's your sister-in-law's boyfriend, Jayden," he croaked, trembling with fright. "He gave us money and asked us to teach you a lesson! He was the one who hired us!"

"The Douglas family again?"

Alvaro's jaw tightened.

His pupils shrank, and his eyes blazed with anger.

Jayden had bullied him a lot when he lived with the Douglas family.

He still remembered what happened to him on Carmela's birthday when they all went to a restaurant for dinner.

Jayden brought a group of friends halfway through the dinner and drove Alvaro away. He mocked him for sitting with them for dinner. Jayden made him stand and eat.

Nobody bothered to speak for him -- not even Carmela. They indirectly seemed to agree with Jayden.

Therefore, Alvaro had no choice but to stand in a corner and eat.

He would never forget the strange looks and comments of the diners and waiters around him.

Although Alvaro was Carmela's husband, he didn't deserve to sit down and eat with them. It was beyond humiliation.

Another time, when Alvaro was cleaning the house, he heard Aaliyah scream. Thinking something had happened, he rushed to rescue her, only to find her making love with Jayden.

Alvaro felt embarrassed and immediately apologized to them. However, Jayden grew furious. He rushed over and began kicking and punching Alvaro while Aaliyah cheered and asked her boyfriend to teach him a lesson.

Later, a bunch of strange men beat Alvaro for no reason.

Needless to say, it seemed like Jayden's vicious idea.

The pain and humiliation he endured in the past flooded his mind.

Alvaro felt a surge of anger.

Rage like he never felt before.

He didn't expect Jayden to come after him even after he left the Douglas family.

Alvaro decided to wait and see what Jayden would do. He was ready to fight back.

He took a deep breath and left the man who had passed out on the ground. Then, he glared at the rest of them. "Tell Jayden I won't tolerate him anymore!"

With that, he turned around and left.

*

Alvaro aimlessly walked to the Douglas family's residence. He looked at the gate and realized they had driven him out.

Alvaro smiled bitterly and patted his head.

This was no longer his home.

He thrust his hand into his pocket and felt the crumpled dollars. He regretted not asking Bella for money.

Although demanding money for saving someone's life was wrong, he had no other choice. Alvaro had money only to stay in a motel for one night and pay for two meals.

However, he gave up the idea.

"If worse came to worst, I'll get a job," he mumbled to himself.

He found a cheap motel and checked in.

Soon, he went to the bathroom to shower and saw himself in the foggy mirror. His eyes widened in surprise. He looked stronger with chiseled muscles.

Alvaro spent all his life doing the Douglas family's household chores. He seldom ate or slept. He was too thin and had no time to work out.

His now muscular body, pert pecs, and six-pack abs made him look strong. Alvaro was astonished to witness the transition. He looked like a bodybuilder.

His jaw dropped in disbelief.

For a moment, he wondered if all this was a strange dream.

Everything had been bizarre since the Douglas family drove him out and after he met with the accident.

First, he saw a strange black mist surrounding Fernando. After Alvaro got rid of it, the dying man woke up. Later, he effortlessly defeated a group of hooligans and was in perfect shape now.

Alvaro was sure something had happened after the car accident.

He wondered who the beautiful red-haired woman in his dream was. It was a strange dream, and so was she.

*

The next morning, Alvaro woke up to the blaring of his ringtone.

He picked up the phone and saw Carmela's number flashing on the screen.

"Alvaro, come to the court now. Let's get through the divorce procedure."

All traces of sleep vanished when he heard the familiar voice.

"Okay," Alvaro replied.

"You... Did you just agree?"

Carmela was taken aback.

She thought Alvaro would cry and beg her not to divorce him or find ways to get benefits before agreeing. However, she didn't expect him to consent without protesting.

Carmela was a little unhappy. "Don't you have anything else to say?"

"What do you want me to say? After all, you've never had feelings for me," he said nonchalantly.

"You... Fine!" Carmela angrily hung up the phone.

Alvaro sighed and stared at his phone in a daze.

Their marriage was finally going to end.

*

Alvaro arrived at the court and saw Carmela and Aaliyah from afar. Jayden was also present.

The three were surprised to see Alvaro without even a small scrape on his body.

Aaliyah frowned and whispered to her boyfriend, "Jayden, didn't you say you hired someone to beat him up yesterday? How come he looks fine -- as if nothing happened?"

Jayden was equally confused. "Yes, I did. Even if he isn't in the hospital, he should at least be covered in plaster and bandages. It's bizarre."

"Perhaps the men you hired didn't find him," Carmela speculated.

"Maybe."

Jayden nodded. That felt like the only possibility.

After all, the men he hired were all monsters. Alvaro wouldn't have managed to escape without any injuries.

Jayden walked up to Alvaro and growled, "I heard you tried molesting my girlfriend the other day. Is that true?"

Alvaro looked at him without saying a word.

Jayden assumed Alvaro was too scared to answer, so he sneered at him. "You better leave the Douglas family and Winterwyn. If I see you again, I'll break your bones. Do you understand?"

Alvaro nodded and turned around to look at Carmela. She had been a nominal wife in their five years of marriage. "Let's get a divorce," he said firmly.

Carmela bit her lower lip.

She was unhappy about the sudden change in Alvaro's attitude.

She thought he would be desperate. His nonchalance surprised her.

After all, Carmela believed divorcing a beautiful wife like her and leaving the wealthy Douglas family was a huge loss for her useless husband.

Carmela's face broke into an ecstatic smile after they finished the divorce procedure. "Congratulations, Carmela!" Aaliyah clapped her hands excitedly. "You finally got rid of that loser."

"It's my treat tonight. Let's go somewhere nice to celebrate." Jayden waved his hand, grinning.

Alvaro smiled wryly.

It was no surprise for him that Carmela would dump him like a piece of garbage one day.

Just as he was about to leave, a black Benz trundled to a halt before Carmela and the others.

The car door opened, and a handsome man in a crisp suit and leather shoes stepped out. He looked like he was in his thirties.

"Mr. Gilbert, what are you doing here?"

"Raul!"

Aaliyah's and Jayden's eyes lit up in awe as they hurried to welcome the man.

Carmela beamed with joy.

Alvaro's heart leaped to his throat when he saw that.

The young man greeted Jayden and Aaliyah with a smile. Then, he walked to Carmela and wrapped his hand around her waist. "Are you through with the divorce procedures?" he asked, smiling.

Carmela blushed and nodded. "Yes."

The man's eyes twinkled with delight. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Carmela's cheek.

Alvaro felt like lightning had struck him.

He just divorced her two minutes ago, but she already hooked up with some other man.

However, judging from their intimacy, it was obvious they knew each other for a long time.

Alvaro's jaw tightened, and his eyes turned bloodshot. He clenched his fist, ignoring his nails sinking into his flesh. After all, it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

In the past five years, he helped Carmela in every way he could. But he never got a chance to hold her hand -- she had never let him.

To his utter dismay, the strange man not only hugged Carmela but kissed her as well.

"Do you know who he is?"

"This is Raul Gilbert, the son of the Gallop Group's CEO. He is famous around the town."

Jayden walked up to Alvaro. He was thrilled to see the pain on his face, but it wasn't enough. "Let me share a secret with you. Your wife hooked up with Mr. Gilbert a long time ago." He smirked.

"What did you say?"

Alvaro's face turned pale when he heard that.

He and Carmela were no longer together. She could be with any man.

However, Jayden told him she had hooked up with the man long ago.

Alvaro wondered if they were together for a few months or years.

His face turned taut with rage.

He couldn't control himself anymore. Alvaro walked up to Carmela.

"What are you doing? Why haven't you left?" She frowned.

"Jayden said you have been with this guy for a long time. Is that true?" Alvaro roared.

"Well..."

Carmela's face turned gloomy.

However, she became confident when she saw Raul's expensive attire. "Yes, we have been together for a long time!"

"Since when?" Alvaro was seething with rage.

"Three years ago," Carmela said confidently.

Alvaro gasped in shock.

His mind went blank when he heard that.

It meant she had been cheating on him for three years.

"Alvaro, let's be honest. Do you really think you're good enough for me?"

Carmela crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "You neither have money nor good looks. You're useless. But Raul isn't like you. He is young, handsome, rich, and considerate. Every woman would want to be with an excellent man -- not a loser. Raul is the man of my dreams."

Carmela looked at Raul, her eyes gleaming with adoration.

Alvaro remained silent.

A range of emotions surged in his heart.

He was angry and disappointed.

He didn't regret divorcing Carmela. Since she didn't love him, he no longer had to try and win her heart.

Alvaro was upset because he had worked hard for the Douglas family all these years while his wife cheated on him the entire time.

"You will regret it, Carmela!" Alvaro scoffed at her.

"Regret?" Carmela laughed as if she had heard the funniest joke. "Yes, I do. If I had convinced Grandpa enough, he probably wouldn't have forced me to marry you."

"Carmela, don't waste your time talking to that loser. It's time to celebrate." Aaliyah smiled.

Alvaro no longer felt the need to talk to them.

He turned to leave.

Just then, a motorcycle stopped before Alvaro.

It was a young man in his twenties. He looked frail and wore an old coat.

"Alvaro Clifford, there's a package for you."

The man threw an envelope at Alvaro and sped off without looking back.

"What?"

A frown lined Alvaro's forehead as he looked at the package and back at the guy in the motorcycle, only to find he was already out of sight.

Alvaro scratched his head and was about to open the envelope. Just then, Jayden walked over and snatched it from him.

"Give it back to me!" Alvaro growled.

"Let me see what's in it!" Jayden smirked and looked at the envelope. "What the hell is this? It says: Happy birthday, King. What's that supposed to mean? There is no address either!"

"Come on, why are you asking him? Just open it and see what's inside!" Aaliyah shouted.

Carmela was also curious.

A shiver ran down Alvaro's spine as something occurred to him.

He remembered receiving the same package on his twentieth birthday with the same words. It didn't have any address either.

Alvaro found an ordinary ring when he opened it.

This package looked similar to what he got on his twentieth birthday.

Jayden opened the envelope and found a black bank card inside. Just as he was about to take it out and see what it was, Alvaro snatched the card from him.

"Fuck!" Jayden cursed.

Ignoring him, Alvaro slid the card into his pocket, turned around, and left.

"All right. Let's find a place to eat. I'm starving to death!" Aaliyah complained.

They all got on the Mercedes Benz.

However, Raul stood in a daze. No one could tell what he was thinking.

"Are you okay, Raul?" Carmela asked, gently patting his shoulder.

Raul returned to his senses and looked at her, frowning. "Carmela, are you sure Alvaro is a simple man?"

"What? Why do you ask?"

Carmela paused and said, "He is an orphan. I've told you that several times. If my grandfather didn't bring him home, he would have died long ago. I wouldn't even call him a simple man. He is below that -- a worthless loser."

"I see..." Raul breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Carmela felt he was acting a little strange.

"I'm fine."

Raul smiled, shaking his head. He thought about the card in Alvaro's hand and muttered, "I probably didn't see it properly. After all, there is only one hundred Blyken cards in the entire world. It's a symbol of authority. No one would give it to a loser."