The Cursed Proposal

Chapter 1: Sebastian Blackwood

Newsflash: Erica Baltimore Saved from the curse

Erica Baltimore (25) has ended her relationship with the rumored to be cursed multi-billionaire, Sebastian Blackwood. The breakup follows Sebastian's ill-fated proposal last night at Blue Gordon Restaurant. Despite their year-long relationship, Erica's decision was influenced by the tragic accident she suffered- thankfully, she only sustained minor injuries. Erica's scathing remark, " I knew this would happen sooner or later. Sebastian is cursed. Thank God, he stopped me from having a worse fate by being with him any longer. Sebastian, you can rot in hell alone for all I care," reflect her anger and the ongoing public scrutiny. Now the question remains: Will Sebastian find a new woman brave enough to face the so-called curse, or seek help from the paranormal to free himself from it? Should we call you Hades from now on?

Sebastian Blackwood slumped in his office chair, exhaustion etched on his handsome face. He hadn't gone home after last night's disastrous proposal at Blue Gordon Restaurant. His now ex-girlfriend, Erica, had been in a car accident right after the proposal, and while her injuries were minor, the incident left him with a scandal and a shattered heart.

His handsome face looked pale and tired, his clothes wrinkled and smelling like a hospital waiting room, his black hair was messy, his eyes red, and he sported a five o'clock shadow on his face. Nevertheless, his appearance was better than his life right now.

His office door suddenly opened with a bang. Sebastian knew who was coming early in the morning-his friend Ethan Smith. The paparazzi work wonders in spreading the rumor faster than the Usain Bolt.

"Sebastian Blackwood, are you not going to sue this rubbish they call news and that gold-sucking woman who overreacted to yesterday's events?" Ethan bolded the office with his polished appearance and authoritative aura that was a stark contrast to Sebastian's disheveled state.

"Hey, bro. Fine morning isn't it? Would you like some tea to cool down and enjoy this fine morning? I'll ask Margaret to bring some. Margaret, please bring tea to my office. Thank you." Sebastian replies while calling Margaret through the phone speaker. "Yes, sir. Right Away," Margaret replied.

Ethan takes one of the seats in front of Sebastian's desk and sighs loudly as if he is giving up. Ethan is an exceptionally talented lawyer who is often described as the personification of victory, akin to Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and Caerus, the god of luck. If they had a son, it would undoubtedly be Ethan.

"This is absurd. You are not cursed; They are," Ethan slammed the newspaper to Sebastian's desk, covering his face with both of his hands before placing them back in front of his nose and mouth. Sebastian gave a weak smile, set down his paper, and really focused his attention on his best friend.

"Stop worrying my friend. I don't care anymore about what they said about me. Nothing will change unless I can find a woman I can marry without complications," Sebastian responded. Ethan looked at his friend with sympathy, knowing that the rumors weren't entirely unfounded.

Ethan knew no matter how bad people talked about Sebastian, Sebastian would never pick a fight just because. They knew each other from Oxford along with the other three. People created an imaginary club called "Gods of Oxford" where the members were Ethan Smith the attentive rigid law student; Liam Hillary, the medical genius with golden hands like Apollo; Jackson Darer, the classic playboy who changed women as often as clothes, akin to the twin gods, Eros and Himeros; Alexander Carter, Hermes - both the protector and the trickster in the club; Last, Sebastian Blackwood as the center of their gravity - a Sun just like Helios the Greek God. Time flies away when you are enjoying life. Now they have graduated and living their own lives.

A knock enters the silent office. Margaret arrived with a tea set as Sebastian had ordered. Ethan continued arguing with Sebastian about suing Erica and the publishing company while Sebastian already lost his focus in the conversation and needed a break from his life. He thought maybe he needed to visit his uncle in Greece just to escape this hell.

Sebastian jolted back to reality when Ethan stood up from his seat, ready to leave. "As your lawyer, I will handle this matter, but please go take a rest. You look pale, I will sue that blood-sucking gold digger for every penny she has," Ethan said as he left Sebastian's office, reminding him to attend Alexander's company gala despite the circulating rumors.

Sebastian sighed and looked outside while resting his head on his chair. "Please God, am I beyond redemption for having someone love me just for me?"

Later that evening, Sebastian's house received a visit from his friend. The butler opened the door to reveal an ash-brown-haired man with a slick smile.

"Pennyone, my man. Still kicking?" Says the man. Entering the house while trying to make the butler break his character. "It's Arthur, young master Darer. The master is almost ready to go. Please wait in the living room," Arthur replied showing Jackson Darer to the living room.

Sebastian arrived a few minutes later, trying to straighten his right cufflink. "Darer, why are you here? Weren't we supposed to meet at the venue? And please, you are not going to wear that, are you?"

"There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing. Ladies love it. As for your other question, I'm here to pick you up," Jackson replied, his tone nonchalant. Sebastian frowned in confusion, knowing his friend was aware he had a driver and cars. "Ethan, our strict and rigid principal told me to never leave you alone tonight. To put it more clearly, I could bite, and snark at everyone who talks bad about you tonight," Jackson continued with a smirk.

"Ethan will never let you babysit me or anyone, ever. What's your game?" Sebastian asked probing for Jackson's ulterior motive. "Nothing! I am as innocent as a newborn baby," Jack defended.

Before Sebastian could respond, another man entered the living room dressed in an Armani tuxedo and golden-rose brooch on the left breast. The real babysitter had arrived.

"Liam, are you here to babysit me, too?" Sebastian asked, folding his hand to his chest with a smug smirk. Liam looked confused, realizing they weren't alone. "Jackson, what are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" Jackson raises his hands in exasperation.

"If it isn't Mr. Vice Principal. Always on time," Jackson mocked Liam, leading Sebastian to understand Jackson's true intent is taking him clubbing instead of to Alexander's gala. Sebastian asked Arthur to bring one of his other tuxedos for Jackson to change into. After a stern complaint from Arthur that Jackson will ruin the tux, Arthur abides by Sebastian's request. Once Jackson finished changing they were ready to go.

They arrived at the party late. The venue was a bit chaotic, but everything came back normal with the arrival of the three gods. Whenever they gather, all attention is focused on them as if they were the center of gravity. Women wanted their attention, and men just aspired to be like them. Even with the bad rumors surrounding Sebastian, women still desired his attention. Like a pied piper.

As they searched for their friends, Jackson commented, "Man gotta go," prompting Liam to chuckle when they noticed a stunning lady in a tight black long dress with a very provocative slit looking their way.

"Can he stop making trouble?" Liam asked as they walked towards Ethan. "He wouldn't be our god of love and lust if he didn't do what he did," Sebastian replied, eyeing Ethan. As they drew closer, Sebastian stopped, captivated for a moment by a woman's big smile that took his breath away.

To be Continued.

Hey, This is GlassesNerdy. I'm back. I apologize for the delay in revisiting this story that I wrote back in 2016. I've experienced many ups and downs in life, and despite all my attempts to rewrite this story, I never managed to do so. However, now I'm older and trying to rediscover myself, and my findings always lead me to this story over and over again. So, I hope I can finish this story while rewriting the previous chapter which has quite a few bad grammatical errors.

As a disclaimer, English is not my first language, and according to some psychology tests, Language and Literature are not my forte. Unfortunately, my heart and mind refuse to accept these results urging me to prove the test is wrong. So, please bear with me and I hope you enjoy my stories. 

GlassesNerdy