CHAPTER TWO:leaked secrets… severed marriage.

Jake's POV.

“Jake!!” Matt called out, from the living room of his simple studio apartment.

Jake groaned painfully from the other end of the room.

Since the divorce process started Jake had spent his time drinking and sobering up on Matt's king-sized bed.

“Leave me alone” Jake muttered, his words muffled by the pillow case.

“Jake you really have to see this” Matt’s finger scrolled hurriedly through his phone screen.

“No…..” Before Jake could finish, Matt was already standing by his bed in the monochrome room.

“Watch this” Matt tossed his phone down to the pyjamas-clad bad-hair-day Jake.

Jake sat up…. picked up the phone.

His eyes lit up once a video started playing, the video of him in Ray's office.

“This can't be happening” he whimpered, letting his hands fall to his mouth to stop him from shouting.

“You really cheated on him?” Matt asked, his eyes narrowing with creased brows.

Those words pierced through Jake.

He shifted his gaze painfully to his cousin….” I would never do that, you of all people should know”

Matt let out a deep breath, shook his head, “Even a child won't believe what you just said”

“The number isn't even on my contacts list…I tried calling him back but my calls were blocked out” Jake continued.

His voice pitched with frustration.

“Someone is trying to ruin my marriage and my life”

Matt's gaze softened, and he sank next to Jake on the bed.

The sound of noisy cars and pedestrians filled the room…for what felt like forever nobody had anything to say.

“What if Ray is behind all this?” Matt finally blurted out.

Jake shook his head, “No, he's a victim here too”

“Think about it Jake” Matt pressed on, adjusting towards Jake more.

“Ray might be vicious but not to this extent, what does he stand to gain in all of these?”

“Why is he asking for all of your shares and power in the company… why is this video on the Internet”

Matt took the phone from Jake, “The comments are horrible, everyone is calling you a monster and for a split second just now, I thought you were”

His fingers scrolled through the comments.

“Stop” Jake almost yelled out.

“Please, stop” Jake's voice quivered.

Matt paused, searched Jake's eyes, and proceeded to let his hands rest on his shoulders.

“ok fine…I'll stop talking"

Ray's pov

“Who did this?” Ray's voice echoed across the conference room.

The females whimpered, scared to meet his gaze, The males shifted uncomfortably on their chairs.

“ I won't ask again…. You all have 3 minutes to provide whoever posted this online”

Rumbles, whispers, cold sweat, the room burned with tension.

And Ray stood right in the center of the flame,

His hair gelled to the side, his eye once turquoise was now tainted red with rage.

“I …did sir” Lucy’s body trembled as she confessed.

“I thought it would help with the case” her lips quivered as she spoke.

Ray's eyes pierced through her skin like lava.

He matched up to Lucy.

She lowered her head, almost wetting herself.

“I will make you suffer until death feels like peace” his teeth ground rough as he spoke.

Tears rolled down from Lucy's eyes, “I'm sorry, sir…I thought you no longer loved him, please forgive me”

She fell to her knees.

Ray turned his back to her, fist balled, “You have 30 minutes to leave this company”

With that, he stormed out.

The entire conference room fell quiet.

In 3 minutes phone beeps and notifications filled the conference room.

Hands began to reach for their phones, their creased foreheads and brows furrowing.

“Every trace of the video has disappeared online” someone finally announced.

The Internet was quiet the entire day.

Some influencers began to disable their accounts…

“Get in,” Ray and some men in a black-tinted car outside the company ordered.

As soon as Lucy stepped into the company's garage to find her car.

Jake's POV.

Jake had stayed indoors till today, with no tears left to spill, no strength to scream.

He wasn't even sure what to believe anymore.

“Are you ready?” Matt peeped into Jake's room.

Jake's hands fiddled with the edge of his tie.

Today is the final hearing” Jake answered.

“I have to get my peace back today” he muttered more to himself than his cousin.

Matt stepped into the room,” Don’t Break a sweat” he smiled” I'll go with you today bro…we are in this together”

“I have no case to plead,” Jake continued.

“Let the judge do his job brother…please let's go, we are running late” Matt responded.

At the court.

“All rise,” the clerk called out.

Everyone did.

The court process commenced, the legal counsel of both parties stepped forward…and.

Jake decided to speak for himself.

“Your honor, I will give Ray everything he has asked” Jake swallowed hard.

Flashes of light, gasps, whispers…Ray turned almost immediately.

“Does that mean you are pleading guilty?” The judge asked.

Jake paused.

“No your honor”, his eyes shut tight as he heaved in deep breaths.

“I'm tired of the drama, I'm tired of all this and if it takes surrendering all I've built to make it all disappear, then I will… ”

“Mr Leon, you plead guilty then?” The judge interjected.

Jake clenched his hands tighter around the counter he stood in.

Ray balled his fist.

His jaw tightened.

Silence followed.

“Your honor, let's end this here” Ray spoke, breaking the silence.

He looked straight at the judge, “No need beating about the bush”

The room fell quiet, the judge suddenly ran out of responses and a brief break was announced immediately.

“It has been decided that this Case remains unjudged, however…since the accused has decided to voluntarily surrender all that he has required of him…. Mr Raymond Lorenzo, shall now possess full ownership of the Elite Valley Tech Limited Company and every share belonging to the accused shall henceforth be transferred to Mr Raymond… This is my ruling for today, this court has been adjourned.

The judge announced as soon as he returned from the break.

Media houses tripped over themselves to speak directly to Ray and Jake but none of them was willing to say anything … Ray's lawyer however had so much to say.

“It's hard to find a lawyer as proficient as I am…Justice was served today and I believe there’s no way this case would surface again”

While his lawyer rendered eulogies to himself, Ray headed to the suburban area of Valley Field.

Ray's POV

“Sorry I'm late,” Ray blurted, apologizing drily.

The broad half-naked man, inked with tattoos around one of his arms.

Let a smirk play on his face “No need to apologize”

Ray sat on the other side of the table, his eyes darting around the empty warehouse.

The only light there was the faint lamp light on the table.

“The last time I was at your office, it was a bit chaotic” he pressed his lips into a tight smile.

“Noted”

Ray responded.

A pause followed.

“Your website is ready… Rick”