All Chapters of The Deceiver's Handbook: Chapter 71 - Chapter 76

Nelson had grown cold and the love we once shared was beginning to feel one-sided. His remarks whenever we hung out or saw each other became passive; whenever I would ask him a question, he would reply to me with monosyllabic words like ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘why,’ ‘of course,’ ‘okay,’ and the list goes on.Every conversation felt like a bother and his presence was beginning to send shivers down my spine. In the midst of this behavior, it only dawned on me that I might have been dating a ghost. I’d been previously concerned about his family and personal affairs as well as his business but the oblivion kicked in properly of recent. Everyone who ran a business had a specialization except for my boyfriend. Today he would agree that he dealt with home appliances, the next time, he would talk about importing factory materials, and the next time I caught him on one of his numerous secret phone calls, he would confess to co-running a firm with a partner who had just taken a short trip to Singapore

“Listen, babe, I’m really sorry for laying hands on you again. My anger always gets the best of me,” he apologized, caressing my swollen forehead. These were the words that proceeded from his mouth after the torture session. Today, as Nelson pounced on me, I felt my life flash before my eyes. For minutes, I begged that he would let go of me, but he didn’t stop.With each blow, my body felt weakened, and I felt like my breath was about to be taken away from me. If he hadn’t stopped at the moment that he did, I’d have been long gone in the land of the ghosts.When he saw that I was about to pass out, he quickly sent for a nurse who came in and administered painkillers and meds to me. When she walked in, I lay almost lifeless on the couch, stains of blood all over the armrest. “She looks so badly battered. Oh my God!” Came the voice of the lady whom I’d suspected to be the nurse, but my eyes were deeply sunken into their sockets that I couldn’t open them.“I found her by the roadside

I was scared to the core and the thought of Nelson walking in on me while I did my investigation and search made me detest the idea.He would literally skin me alive if he found out I was getting into his business, which he obviously didn't like. But this opportunity was the kind that presented itself once in a lifetime. He hardly ever stayed out for long hours and now that he admitted to wanting to do that, I couldn't let it slip off my fingers. I looked out through the window in the living room and I could see the sun gradually setting. The weather was dull and breezy and the grass swayed to the rhythm of the wind. I shut the windows and double-checked the door to be sure it had been shut by Nelson on his way out as he usually took the keys with him.But as I thought of my next move, I wondered what Nelson’s mission was, what boys he was hanging out with, and why he had to stay out for too long. “What if his leaving was a setup? What if he wanted to give me enough space to carry