~At a Cafe~Ashley and her friends were hanging out in a cozy cafe, surrounded by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft hum of conversation. Her friends were busy discussing different topics, their hands gesturing animatedly as they chatted.Ashley, though present with them, had her mind somewhere else. She sat with her elbows on the table, her cup of tea in front of her, and her spoon spinning lazily in the liquid.As she stared off into space, her friends' voices became a distant hum, and her thoughts drifted back to the dinner party and the surprise meeting with John. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes squeezed shut, remembering the painful words she had said to him in the past.One of her friends, Milla, noticed her distant gaze and reached out to touch her hand.“Hey, Ashley, earth to Ashley!What's going on?” she asked, concern evident on her face. Milla's dark hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders as she leaned in, her brown eyes filled with compassion.Ashley's
--------"You...mean...John...the same John we all called pathetic?" Milla stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief.Ashley nodded slowly, her expression solemn. "I was shocked myself, guys. I mean, you should have seen him. He was all so different...""I can't believe this...John a tech genius," Kyla said, her voice filled with skepticism."Are you really sure it was John? Maybe he looked like John, but it wasn't John, but someone else?" Emma asked, her brow furrowed.Ashley pulled out her phone, her hands shaking slightly as she swiped through her photos. She found the pictures of John and hesitated for a moment before showing them to her friends.As they leaned in to see the images, their eyes widened in shock, and they gasped in unison.Milla's jaw dropped, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. Kyla's eyes bulged, her brow furrowed in astonishment.Emma's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes fixed on the screen with a shock expression."No way..." Milla breathed, her voice barely audib
----------John stared out the window, his mind far away in his fancy office. He thought back to the dinner party and Ashley's beautiful eyes and smile. Memories came rushing back, like a floodgate opening. He remembered her laughter, her hair falling down her back, and her sparkling eyes in the soft light.He stood still, lost in thought, as memories of the past overwhelmed him. The pain and heartache returned, and he felt like he was being swept away by a strong current. He was trapped in his emotions, unable to break free.Just as he was getting lost in the depths of his mind, Rachel's voice broke the spell."Sir, sorry to interrupt, but you have a meeting with your new team in 15 minutes," she reminded him, her voice soft and professional.John turned, his eyes focusing on his PA. He nodded, his mind still distracted by the memories of the past."Thanks, Rachel. I'll be right there."He took a deep breath and let go of the past. He had a new life, a new company, and a new team. He
----------John’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the message. Who was this? How did they know his name? And how did they get his contact? He tried to brush it off as a prank, but the words kept coming to his mind.He couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone was out there watching him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His hand went to his chest, as if to calm his beating heart.Someone was obviously out there, and they wanted to hurt him. But who could it be?It could be anyone. It was possible that someone involved in the incident five years ago was still out to get him, and they might haveI mean it could be anyone. It could mean someone was indeed involved with what happened to him 5 years ago and the person might have been at the dinner part last night.The thought of it filled John with fear. The person could be working at Eon Innovation, watching his every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.Just then the sound of knocking on his door shook John out
—---John O'Connor woke up with a sense of dread, his old bed creaking in protest as he sat up. The sound of heavy rain pounding against the roof was a stark reminder of the miserable day ahead. He grumbled to himself, noticing raindrops leaking through the roof, and lay back down, thinking about the long day of work ahead. Three jobs, all in this terrible weather."Ugh, why me?" John muttered to himself, throwing off the covers.As the rain finally began to clear, John got out of bed and prepared for the day. On his way out the door, his eyes landed on a picture frame - the last photo of him and his ex-girlfriend. He kicked it to the floor, feeling a surge of annoyance."Stupid memories," John growled, shaking his head. "Why do I still have this? She's gone, and I'm still stuck in this miserable life."He took a deep breath and tried to shake off the lingering emotions. He couldn't afford to be late for his first job, working as a waiter at a popular restaurant.As he arrived at the
------The message confirmed his fear. The landlord had sent him an ultimatum text that if he doesn’t pay his rent soon, he would be kicked out. He was given just one week to make the payment.John stood in silence, thinking desperately of what to do. His salary wasn't due to be paid till next two weeks and he was currently broke.There was no savings left as he had spent the little bonuses he got on groceries. What was he going to do?As he thought about this, he suddenly reasoned perhaps he could borrow some money. But he wasn't on good terms with his neighbors as they all despise him for his miserable state.“I need to think of something or I will be thrown out. But what?” he thought as he paced back and forth in his run down apartment. “If I don’t pay my rent, that heartless landlord of mine wouldn’t hesitate to kick me out. And I’ll be out on the street.”The thought of being out on the street gave John shivers. He knew that he had to come up with a way to pay up his rent.The fa
------John was overwhelmed and thanked Mrs. Nora with a nod before heading back to his apartment. "Thank you, Mrs. Nora...I don't know what I would do without your help," he whispered, his voice barely audible.He ignored the other neighbors' accusing gazes and rushed back into his apartment, his eyes cast down. As he entered, he quickly typed a message to his landlord on his phone: "I'll send your payment tomorrow."The landlord replied with a sarcastic tone, and John's face burned with humiliation as he read the words on his screen. "Did you borrow money again? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Well, I actually don't care as long as you pay my rent."John felt a surge of anger and frustration, but he knew there was nothing he could do. "Why can't they just leave me alone?" he muttered, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He slammed his phone on the table, making the dishes rattle, and stormed into the kitchen, grabbing the first thing he could find to eat - a stale cookie
------John hailed a cab and gave the driver the address, his eyes fixed on the piece of paper in his hand. The cab finally pulled up to the address, and John got out, his hands shaking slightly as he paid the fare.He looked up at the building, his eyes widening in awe. It was massive, easily three stories tall, with a high ceiling and tall windows. John had never seen anything like it before. "Who could possibly live in such a big, fancy house?" he thought, his mind racing with questions. "Was Mrs. Nora wealthy? I certainly had no idea."He walked towards the door, his footsteps slow and deliberate, and knocked. Bang! Bang!! The sound echoed through the silence. After a few seconds, the door was opened by a tall and apparently well-fed man, who burst into a wide smile when he saw John."Hi, John. I'm so glad you could make it. Please, come in," the man exclaimed, his voice warm and welcoming. He gestured for John to enter the magnificent villa, his arm sweeping wide like a host ushe