After a few minutes of casual conversation with everyone at the table, an envelope slides across the table toward me. Out of curiosity, I take a look inside and to my surprise, it's an employment contract. As I read it over, Don Lucas begins to explain that I will work under him for the rest of my life and the list of my duties and responsibilities. "As we agreed at the meeting yesterday." Don Lucas said "You will be working in the company to pay the four billion dollars. I am not the worst employer, so I came up with a forty years contract. Working hours start at seven and end at seven. This time, you are going to work with me." My initial reaction was shock and confusion. I had always dreamed of a career that would allow me to someday be my own boss, but here I was being offered a lifetime of servitude to someone else. However, I knew that saying no was not an option. "Part of your job is to keep the company's financial statements updated," he added. "I don't wa
Later in the night, while lying on the bed, I could not help but think about what to do with my three days before my life gets ruined by the Andersons. Even if I already have everything in the world, money, businesses, properties, and connections, my heart still feels the emptiness of my soul. I promised myself that once I could have everything in the world, revenge comes next. Now that the truth reached my knowledge, getting everything to disappear is the least of my worries as long as I could get the justice I truly deserved. But before getting myself into trouble, I came up with better things to do tomorrow. The next day, as Uncle Romnick and I made our way to my parent's house, my nerves began to set in. It had been five long years since I'd last seen them, and the last time we saw each other was plagued with accusations of a crime I did not commit. "Just relax, John." Uncle Romnick breaks the deafening silence between us in the car. "Your parents may
As soon as she saw me, tears streamed down her face and she ran towards me, hugging me tightly as if she'd never let go. I could feel her tremble as she whispered in my ear and apologized for what happened, saying that she knew it wasn't right. I pulled away and looked into her eyes, feeling my own emotions start to surface. "Malia, it's alright," I said, my voice soft and gentle. "I love you, and I'll always be here for you, no matter what your grandfather does." Malia nodded, her eyes still moist. "I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just can't bear the thought of losing you, especially after all we've been through." Uncle Romnick cleared his throat, bringing our attention to him. "Well," he said, a smile spreading across his face, "I think I'll leave you two lovebirds to it. I have some business to attend to, but I'll be back in time for dinner, okay?" Malia and I nodded, still wrapped in each other's arms, as Uncle Romnick went to the house.
The next morning, I was forced to wake up by Uncle Romnick’s voice, “Wake up! Wake up! Did you switch on your phone last night?” I groggily rub my eyes and look at my uncle. It’s still early in the morning, and I am struggling to shake off the grogginess induced by last night's beer party. “Who’s calling?” I asked. “Nobody’s calling,” Uncle Romnick replied, looking a little worried. “Didn’t you turn on your phone? It's already 9 am. You should check it. Maybe someone from your family members tried to contact you.” My mind is still foggy, but I rise from the bed. I have a headache and a dry mouth, and I feel like crap. I try to remember what happened last night, but everything is hazy. I vaguely recall drinking with Uncle Romnick on the rooftop and getting completely drunk. My uncle repeats his question, “Did you switch on your phone last night?” I shake my head, “I don’t remember. Did something happen?” Uncle Romnick looks at me and I could sense that he
"Actually, we're not, old woman!" Chris exclaimed on my behalf. "Your idiot son, as always, tried to prank me calling the Human Resource Officer of the company I was working. I believed he was jealous of me that his life turned shit since he went to jail." Mom and dad parents looked me in the eye, trying to read what was running through my mind. Chris and his friends were also looking at them from head to toe, considering their looks diverted from them. "I'm fine, mom, dad. Really." I said. "You guys can go back to the car." then I nodded to Uncle Romnick to assist my family out of the mall. As soon as my entire family evacuated the mall, I dragged my blazing eyes back to Chris and his friends. "Give me my phone, Chris," I added. "What are you going to do if I am not going to give it back to you?" Chris scoffed before he tossed my phone to his friends, one by one. And they were enjoying it. "I said give me my phone back before I change my mind," I begged them.
Malia glanced at me but I simply ignored her. Seeing her was not the reason that I was invited to come over. But I can see the sadness in her eyes dropping her gaze to the table. Then the room falls silent when the recording starts playing. At first, I can't make out what Uncle Robin is saying, as it's just a muffled noise. But suddenly, his voice becomes clear, and I hear him say, "I'm going to transfer the funds to Jerry's account. He's been a loyal employee for years, and I trust him to handle the money properly." Everyone in the room is stunned. As far as I could remember, Jerry is a junior associate at the company, and the idea that he would be given control of the company's funds seems implausible. Uncle Robin shakes his head. "There must be some mistake. I never said anything like that." But Don Lucas is relentless in his pursuit of the truth. "This is a serious accusation, Robin. Are you trying to steal from the company?" Uncle Robin's face turns r
Chris and I sat across from each other at the table in my condo unit as we sipped hot coffee. It had been a while since we last spoke without involving our past, and I could sense the tension between us. But I knew I had to be blunt and straightforward if I wanted to get what I came for. "Look, Chris," I said, setting my coffee cup down on the table. "You lost your job, and your only chance to get it back is to give me what I need. I need your help with something." Chris looked up at me, his expression guarded. "What do you mean?" "There's some information I need, and I think you're the only one who can get it for me," I explained. "But it's risky, and it could get both of us in trouble if we're caught." Chris raised an eyebrow. "What kind of information?" I hesitated, wondering if I should reveal my plan. But something in Chris's eyes told me he was genuinely interested, despite his reservations. "Well, I need you to hack into someone's email address," I s
When I looked upon the happy couple, my heart began to race with anticipation, but the scene quickly shifted, and terror replaced my joy. The sky turned red, the flowers wilted, and the sun was blocked by dark, ominous clouds. As Malia and Roland exchanged their vows, I saw something move behind them, something sinister. A shadowy figure crept towards them, their presence sending shivers down my spine. I wanted to scream a warning, but my voice was gone, and I could only watch as the figure wrapped its arms around the bride and groom. As I watched the figure's face become clear, I saw myself, a twisted version of myself. It began to whisper dark promises in their ears, and suddenly, the happy couple kissed, and that was when I woke up, drenched in sweat. Immediately, I jumped out of bed, feeling like I had been hit by a ton of bricks. I was gasping for air, my heart still beating at a rapid pace. I stumbled over to my bedside table, knocking over a glass of water