"I'm a bit busy right now, Mrs. Lincoln. We already talked the other day. So I believed we have nothing to talk about anymore." Jennie replied, her voice sounding uncomfortable. Considering her relationship with them, Jennie remained professional as she addressed them formally. She was about to slide to the mouth of the door when Mrs. Lincoln stood in the middle, forbidding her daughter to get out of the office. "It's either you come with us peacefully or I'll make sure that ungrateful bastard gets humiliated in front of the employees," she said. "better take your pick, huh, Jennie?" Jennie turned half of her face in my direction, her eyes were worried as if she was seeking refuge from me. I don't know what they discussed the other day when Jennie never mentioned anything about it, so I nodded at her. "Good, because I hate not getting what I want." Mrs. Lincoln scoffed at me. Then she dragged Jennie to the meeting room along with Mr. Lincoln. For the first fi
In the middle of my journey to my parent's place, I kept reaching out to Jennie's phone when I could barely think of one reason to answer her sudden walk out. "Please, answer the call, Jennie. Even if you are simply my secretary, I'm still worried about you, you know? So, please, for once in your life, get your phone and pick up the call." Unfortunately, even after a few attempts of reaching out to her digits, my calls kept pushing through her mailbox. Until everything on my phone screen turned dark as I ran out of battery. I didn't want to think something bad could have happened to Jennie, so I focused on the matter at hand. She had her problems, I know, but I have mine too - meeting my parents. They just got back from their out-of-the-country business trip. Mom has been sending me messages non-stop, but I was too busy to give her at least one. Not showing my face to them was like asking for a death wish, especially when Dad and I still had unfinished business t
"My son's right, guys." Dad agreed, not because he wanted to, but because he was left with no other choice unless he was willing to tell them the truth. But that would be the last thing he wanted to hear. So he added, "Talking to them won't give us any benefits. Even if the Lincolns managed to find someone naive to invest in their dying corporation, they won't last long, right, son?" "Of course, Dad!" the same thing happened to Dad, he was also putting me in a tough spot. "But we better get started now. It's getting dark already." In the middle of the game, Dad and Mom kept on cheering for me, especially when I impressed everyone with how good I was at hitting golf balls. The game lasted three hours and everyone was enjoying it as far as I could see from their faces. It has been a tiring day so we decided to have meals together when they all want to know more about me. We are dining in one of Dad's five-star restaurants a few meters away from the golf course.
"Thank you for the proposal, Mr. Cedrick, but I think that won't be necessary. I can find a decent job on my own without seeking someone's back." After letting out those upfront words, I returned his business car and evacuated the toilet room at the speed of light. Clark shouted at me, asking about my contact numbers and address but I never returned. Even a fool would not give his or her information from a bastard. All my friends in college, apart from John Dave are alike. However, instead of running away, I hid myself behind the large ceramic jar with a living plant in it, not far away from our table. Dad and his business partners are still busy talking about business. Then I reached out to Mom. She scanned everyone's faces before she adjusted her body, turned away from Dad, and answered the call. She even lowered her head to make sure Dad couldn't notice. "Where are you right now, Zach? Aren't you coming back?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper from
Twenty minutes ago. My heart raced as I stepped through the doors of the nightclub, the thumping bass of the music reverberating through my chest. The neon lights and swirling dance floor created a mesmerizing, almost surreal environment. It was my first time stepping foot into a nightclub, and I couldn't lie to myself that I was still too ignorant and innocent in these kinds of places. Seeing the neon lights excites me. And the feeling was intertwined with excitement and apprehension. So I quickly scanned the crowded room, searching for Jennie's familiar figure amongst the sea of dancing bodies. Drunk men and women swayed and stumbled around me, their laughter and conversations blending with the pulsing music. The pungent smell of alcohol and sweat hung heavy in the air, making it difficult for me to catch my breath. So I covered my nose and mouth with my hands to at least minimize inhaling the pungent smell - so I could breathe properly. Then I pushed throu
Before Jennie could see me in this ridiculous situation, I flushed back to the bathroom to look for something to cover my naked body. And of course, to put an end to my hard d*ck. Gladly, I found a bathrobe in one of the closets. I'm not that comfortable wearing it as it was only intended for wealthy people, but I was left with no other choice if I didn't want to get naked for the rest of the evening. I didn't want Jennie to get the wrong idea about me - a pervert, which was certainly not my forte. Then I stayed there for a few minutes and waited for my hard d*ck to subside. Ten minutes later, I went to the living room and plummeted to the couch. Even forced myself to close my eyes without even thinking about what happened. "God damn it, Zachary! What were you thinking, huh?" I could not help but utter profanity as I looked at my overripe tomato face in the mirror. "Do you think I started to have feelings for Ms. Jennie now?" I replied to my question. "I mean, I
"I'm not that fool enough not to apprehend the situation, John Dave," I replied, my sharp and profound stares fixed on his father-in-law. "And I heard everything. So for your daughter's sake, get up on your knees before I change my mind." His father-in-law scoffed and pouted in disbelief. Then he crossed his arms around his chest as if he was contesting and provoking me even further. John Dave, on the other hand, was having a hard time deciding which side he was going to follow, I can tell. He did not stand up as I told him. Neither did stop his father-in-law now that I showed up. "Perhaps your parents did not teach you good manners and right conduct, did they? Mind your own business if I were you, young man," he replied. His sharp remarks penetrated the deepest part of my bones like a stage cancer, crawling every fiber of my muscles. And I could not help but ask myself why there were people born heartless and ruthless. Parents and in-laws were supposed to b
Twenty minutes later, everyone evacuated the meeting room. I felt at ease when the temperature of the room began to get cold again. The outcome of the meeting wasn't the way I expected it to happen but I need to make an excuse for them not to ask me further questions. "Is everything alright, Mr. Fisher?" Jennie asked the second she stepped foot into the meeting room. "Did something happen earlier?" "My guess is..." I heaved an abrupt sigh of dismay as I tried to compose the right words to her inquiry. "Everything happened so fast at the meeting. It turned out that I have learned to forgive and move on." "You let them go after everything they did to you?" Jennie debated before she slid a piece of paper which I assumed was the result of John Dave's interview. I looked into it but I couldn't make at least one comment because my undivided attention was still fixed on the case. Jennie was right. I was supposed not to forgive them for saying bad words to me, let alone,
"At the count of five, you'd better leave the mansion if you dont want to see me in my beast mode!" Dad added before he slammed the surface of the table, which resulted in some of the plates and glasses nearby falling and breaking into pieces after dropping to the tiled floor. Before he could start the counting, everyone, including Mom and my cousins, evacuated the room in the blink of an eye. Their worries and fears have left marks in the air. I was about to follow them outside when Dad growled at me to stay on my spot. Dad was known for being calm and profound. Every time he gets mad about something, he prefers to address the situation in silence instead of threatening or yelling at us. Today was probably the first time that he let everyone see his wrath. "Bring that woman in an instant, Zachary!" Dad growled. "If you don't want me to kill that woman, you better bring that woman in front of me. Don't you dare trick me this time? I'm giving you ten minutes!" The ten-minute alloca
"Well, I mean..." he added, his voice calm but sharp. However, this time, his curious eyes were fixed on us in the backseat since the car had already stopped moving in the middle of the road. "Rumors in the office have it that the two of you were dating. Everything I heard was just rumors, wasn't it?" Jennie and I exchanged glances, both waiting for someone to speak up and tell the truth or lie to Mr. Randolph. "What you heard was not just rumors, Mr. Randolph. Jennie and I..." I paused for a few seconds to muster the courage to speak up. "We're married already. And we haven't told anyone about it apart from you." Mr. Randolph lowered his eyes to my hand as I reached Jennie's and rested them on my chest, showing off to him our wedding rings on our fingers. He will know about it eventually, so there's no point in hiding it. "God damn it, Zachary! What were you thinking, huh? Do you think marrying someone will solve something here?" Mr. Randolph yelled at us for the fi
The two followed and kept their distance behind me, similar to lost puppies. But I know their sharp eyes were fixed on me as if they were going to stab me with a knife. "Didn't she tell you she's going to cook dinner for all of us? Julian and Jelian will be joining, too. We hope you dont mind." Divina asked. "Not unless you two already told them about my identity, didn't you? I hope that won't be the case." I said sharply. "Because that would only fuel the rage and hatred I had for this disgusting family." "O-of co-course not, Young Master!" Roger obviously stuttered. "We may be the worst in-laws, but we already learned our lesson. Rest assured that your secret is safe with us, right, honey?" Divina nodded her head without asking further questions, making me feel at ease. As soon as we reached the kitchen, I was taken aback when someone I barely expected was helping Celestine. "Zachary, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in your class right now?
And undeniably, a part of me wanted her to stay as long as she wanted. I'm not stopping her. Needless to say, I missed her so badly even if none of us could turn back time. I wanted to hug her in my arms tightly until she felt suffocated and play my lips with her just like the old days. But I was controlling every fiber of my muscle that wanted to do all that. A lot of things changed between us. I have already vowed to spend the rest of my life with Jennie, making her the happiest woman in the world. Above all that, we promised to be the best version of being parents for our son. "I dont know what the hell is going on inside your head, Celestine, but I believe your parents could have told you that we are no longer a couple, aren't they?" I replied sharply while pretending to be busy at my desk to avoid making eye-to-eye contact with her. She nodded. "Indeed, Mom and Dad told me that we were no longer a couple before I lost my memories. They were the ones who told me y
"That's enough, gentlemen!" Mom spoke up. "Someone died and yet you are blaming each other. Aren't we supposed to blame the one who killed them and find justice? Let go of him!" "We're so sorry, Mrs. Fisher." one of Dad's bodyguards replied, his voice barely audible. Without asking further questions, they let go of their clasp from me and strode to the corner. "Zachary, we are here to pay respect to Mom and Dad." Mom uttered, her eyes swelling up. "Your dad even canceled his appointments just to visit them." Right. Mom loves Grams and Gramps as far as I can remember. She was once a devoted daughter to them before she married Dad. She barely spoke every time Dad was taking over the floor. But her life turned into a living hell since they got me. There was this one night when she attempted to run away from the mansion - away from Dad, but she failed drastically. She was locked up for a few months in the dungeon similar to a prisoner. That's how wicked Dad really wa
Our uncertain journey began when Jennie and I nervously sat on the couch in front of Dad's desk while waiting for him to get back from his meeting. "There's still time for a change of heart, Mr. Fisher." Jennie broke the deafening silence and towering wall that divided us. "I'll be giving you ten seconds to evacuate the room before the chairman arrives. And before you would regret it for the rest of your life." Regret. Did she think I might regret something for the rest of my life if I tied the knot with her? Perhaps she already noticed or heard the sound of my racing heartbeats. "One." she began counting. "Two." I joined her counting inside my brain. "Three." "Four." "Five." Reaching this far, my heart skipped a beat for a few seconds, attempting to consider her proposal. I still have five more to be able to run away. If and only Noah could talk and understand the situation his confused father is going through, I could have called him and sought his
None of them even considered the fact that the statement was also applicable to me. "Someone like me, that's completely ridiculous!" I could not help but scoff inwardly in disbelief. Well. What else could I say? All my cousins were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Lucas managed to achieve his dream at a young age. He became the CEO of his own company, and his parents could be proud of his achievement. His achievements also helped his sister, Layne, to achieve her dreams. She got all kinds of support from her brother and parents, either love, financial, or even connections. My other cousins, Mark and Chris, have grown well as well. Their parents supported all their dreams. None of them experienced being in my shoes. To get humiliated, mocked, degraded, and kicked out of the family. It's easier for them to say "Someone like her" because they know nothing about Jennie. I was about to defend Jennie when one of the housemaids of the mansion approached me and whispe
I slightly crouched closer to her with the hope of having a better look at her face but to my surprise, she cracked her eyes open. Startled, with no way of escape, I closed my eyes and kissed her on the lips. "What are you doing?" she whispered to make sure Noah would not wake up. "Go-good night kiss?" I defensively uttered right after I removed my face from her face. Then I cleared my throat to avoid the stuttering of my voice when I was about to add, "Good night, Jennie. Thanks for keeping an eye on my son. You can now get back to your room." Gladly, Jennie didn't ask for further questions about the kiss even if I knew she had all the right to confront me. What I did could have startled her too. She could have bombarded me with questions but she chose to shut her mouth and evacuated the room. I guess we're even now. She kissed me before, so I was simply returning the favor. The next day, I woke up alone on the bed. Worries and fears sent shivers down my spine when
Startled, Jennie hurried to my spot and helped me up. "Zach, are you alright?" she asked before she yelled at her brother, "Julian, do you have any idea what you just do, huh? Are you out of your mind?" "Come on, sister Jennie. That bastard deserved to get beaten, not just a single punch." Jelian hissed back. "Do you even have the slightest idea what that moron did to our family? You should stay away from that monster before your life gets ruined as well." "You should leave this place in an instant, Zachary," Julian ordered. "You, of all people, should know better that most, if not all of us, hated and disagreed about you being part of the outing." "As much as it pains you, Julian, but you can't just shoo Zachary out of this place." Jennie defended me, her voice sharp and sounded scary for the first time. "To begin with, he was not here to join your class outing. We also had our company outing in the same place and time as yours. In fact, we are in the middle of playin