TALK OF THE TOWN

Nicholas and Lindsay walked in looking stunning. When Nicholas had first seen Lindsay, he had nearly dropped his tongue.

She wore a knee length silver dress that left her fair skin exposed and made her glow bright like an angel. Her hair was made into an updo style, and little makeup was applied to enhance her look.

They walked into the entrance together, taking the crowd's attention.

“Wow. This is your ex husband, Nicholas!” Shawn exclaimed.

Even Maya was stunned to see Lindsay looking so pretty, and Nicholas so elegant and a lot more mature. She was older than Nicholas by just over a few months, and teased him that she was his older sister.

Now, Nicholas looked so handsome and bold. He had changed!

“Who let you guys in, huh!” Bob rushed to meet them.

“Nice to see you too. Congratulations on your wedding.” Nicholas said.

“Engagement.” Maya corrected. She saw the necklace on Lindsay's neck flashed brilliantly.

“You came too. You seem to be all over Nicholas lately.” Maya said with detest.

“What can I say, I love attractive men.” Alara giggled. "And single men for that matter."

Nicholas knew she was just acting, but he loved when Lindsay joked like that.

“Wow Nicholas. This is the latest design made by the great stylist, Jon Thomason! How did you get your hand on this fabric!” Shawn exclaimed.

Nicholas only smiled.

“It must be a fake! Or he rented these clothes. People with fake lives do so.” Bob said immediately.

“Yes you're right. Must be so.” Shawn nodded his head in agreement. “Hey sister, what about that money I asked for?” he whispered to his sister.

“Just take my bag.” Maya said. She was too stunned to even argue and she handed her purse to Shawn.

“You know, I don't understand why you would follow Nicholas around. You are the vice president of the biggest company here.” Maya said out of curiosity.

“Yea, and you're too pretty to be with him too! Such a gorgeous young lady,” Bob said, almost drooling.

Lindsay ignored Bob and said to Maya. “Aren't you a little too rich to be following someone like Bob?”

Bob choked on his drink and coughed out. “W–what do you mean? I'm rich!” he spat out.

“Nicholas here, he's so caring and handsome. Unlike the arrogant man with you pretending he had everything in the whole world.” Lindsay added again to infuriate Maya more.

Maya still supported Bob. She didn't want to believe them, though she was starting to doubt Bob.

“Nicholas is my trash. I'll gladly leave him for you.” She said,

“Your loss.” replied Alara. "I mean, look at him. And you believe he's at a loss? Ha!"

Nicholas blushed a little at that remark.

There was an announcement. “There's a Chevrolet latest version parked outside. Please if you're the owner, quickly head out and park your car well, it's disturbing another car. Please huh?” The man said carefully, not wanting to offend the owner since he must be very rich!

Nicholas didn't even know it was his, until Lindsay whispered in his ears.

“Oh, I'm not used to the fact that I own that car yet, silly me.” He said and was about to leave when Maya stopped him.

Shawn happened to be there too and he roared out in laughter.

“What? You? Ha! That car is worth millions! Maybe 200 million!” Shawn said, still laughing.

“He wants to pretend he's the owner! Ha!” Bob laughed too. He had never had a car worth that much before. Maybe some worth only about 5-10 million dollars.

Nicholas only stared at them in disbelief.

“What's so funny?” He asked at last.

“You don't know? It's because you can't be the owner of that car. You're just faking it!” Shawn said.

Maya rolled her eyes. “Nicholas? Did you plot with that man making the announcement, to make us believe that you're some rich lord?”

“I don't know what you're saying, Maya. All I know is that I bought that car here, and it's mine. So what's you guys business?” Nicholas replied to her.

“Okay okay, let's just walk over to that man and ask him to show us the car so you can move the car. Ha!” Bob said.

“Yea good idea. We'll go with you to confirm.” Shawn said.

Nicholas raised a brow. He turned to Lindsay and she shrugged.

“Okay then. Maybe you'll be able to confess to Maya and everyone that you don't have any money again, Bob.” He said.

Maya and Shawn turned to meet his gaze.

“What? It's not true! I'm still rich!” Bob said. "Don't listen to him, baby."

“Tsk!Tsk!Tsk! Are you sure Mr. Bob?” Alara asked.

“Don't distract us. Let's just go and see if you're the owner of the car or not!” Bob said.

“Bob, why are they saying you don't have any money???” Maya pulled him to one side and whispered.

“They're just lying, honey! Once I rectify my account, everything will be fine!” Bob lied.

Meanwhile, he was still thinking of what to do! He would go and meet the CEO on Monday and beg him to give him the contract.

He had to! He'll beg all the staff if he had to. He didn't even put his mind that Nicholas could have anything to do with his misfortune.

Finally, they approached the man making the announcement.

“Hello, what's the problem with my car?” Nicholas said to him.

The man looked at him with detest. He knew he would be someone rich, but he never believed he would be the owner of the car.

“Hey I know you. You work with Cynthia and Zac? (Zac used to be a colleague of Nicholas but resigned after he claimed to have gotten a better offer job).” he remembered how they used to speak bad of him, that he was poor and all.

“Yes, you know him!” Shawn said.

“Yes of course I do," said the man."Listen I don't have time to play so leave me alone.” He said and continued his announcement again.

Everyone was starting to laugh at Nicholas now.

“Ha! He's pretending to be the owner of the car.” said someone.

“Isn't he the one that works as a delivery guy?" asked someone.

“Yes he's the one! How can he have that beautiful, expensive car!” the other one replied.

Nicholas ignored them and asked that Lindsay walk with him. This made everyone follow him.

“Hey, don't go outside. Leave that car alone! Don't spoil the car!” The man making the announcement said and followed Nicholas outside too.

Now, Nicholas was outside. He saw what the man was saying and knew he needed to slightly adjust the car in a more vertical position.

All he had to do was just hit the remote and just like that, the car opened.

There was a loud gasp from everyone.

“So he is the owner of the car! Wow.” someone said.

Others began to agree and everyone was shocked. Especially Maya!

Lindsay walked to meet that man who gave the announcement. “Don't you owe him an apology?” she said.

He was hesitant at first, but he quickly recognized her to be Lindsay, the vice president of Graham Enterprise.

“I'm sorry ma'am.” He said immediately, then began to wonder who Nicholas could be!

“Sir, forgive me. I'm so sorry. I made a huge mistake!” he said quickly. He must never offend influential people like that. He never knew who his helper could be.

Nicholas ignored him and faced Lindsay and Bob. “You know what, Lindsay? It's getting boring here. These people have been mean to us since we arrived. We should leave.”

Lindsay nodded. “That I agree on.”

“We can go somewhere else, maybe Diner O. You look too beautiful in that dress.” Nicholas said, holding her hands. That was a signal for Lindsay to upload a well constructed headline news to a reporter.

She hit the send button and the news was everywhere now.

Maya felt a shock in her heart seeing Nicholas get physical with another woman.

“Oh and Maya, check the news.” Nicholas said, then got into the car and drove away.

Maya frowned but did as he had said. The headline news was devastating to read.

“What!??” she screamed out.

“Can you see the headline news?” said someone. She worked at Maya's company.

Her friend giggled. “The so-called Bob Fisher has been kicked out of the Grahams Enterprise!”

People began to talk about the news.

Maya had to read it over and over again. “Bob, is this true!? Is it!!” She yelled out to him.

Bob felt like crying but he kept his cool again. Shawn was there and his mother too.

“That news is fake. It's not true! And even if it is, I– I still have money!” He said.

“Huh? You have nothing, Bob! How can you help me when you couldn't even help yourself! You promised me you would get my proposal to the CEO directly!” She yelled again.

“Don't worry, babe. I will help you. You need to give me a chance, baby.” Bob said pathetically.

Next thing he knew, Maya slapped him hard on the face. He was a nobody now so no need to respect him again.

“I gave you my body, just for you to disappoint me?? And my family?? Get out Bob. And you still owe me. Don't forget!” she said and walked away despite his begging.

She was embarrassed so she just left the venue and went home.

Bob didn't know what to do. Why was his life like this! How could it suddenly come to an end! He has nothing again!

But something came to his mind now. He remembered the deal he made with Nicholas. Could it really be that this was Nicholas's involvement??

Did Nicholas know who the CEO was, and that's why he cut him out from the company? Could Nicholas really be someone important?.

He called Lindsay again about ten times before she lazily said, “what do you want Bob Fisher?”

“Please, tell me the truth. Who chased me out of the company? Was it Nicholas? Or the CEO? Did I do something wrong?” He said.

“I've told you, you offended some big dogs in the industry. You are reaping what you've sowed.” Lindsay replied.

“Yea but who is this person so I can apologize to them! I need my life back!” Bob cried out.

“I can't say more than that. Good night.” she said and hung up.

“Wait wait, don't hang up! What am I going to do now!!” Bob cried out.

As if his day wasn't already the worst, on his way out, he bumped into a man. It was the man he owed the most money to!

“Oh my goodness sir! I'm so sorry I didn't see you there!” Bob said.

The man hit him and slapped him. “Where is my money! Weren't you lying that you would pay me? Now you're kicked out of Graham Enterprise! How will you pay me!”

“I will pay you sir. I will pay you!” Bob cried out.

“Liar! Everyone knows of your debt issue! How will you pay me now when you owe many others! And the bank owns your properties now because you took a loan! Yea, we know everything going on!”

Bob could not be crying. His family had already called him and said he should no longer do business with them for bringing shame to their household. He had no friends again, no lover, no nothing!

“I will pay you sir. I will!” he continued to plead but the man was not patient enough. He called his boys and asked them to beat the hell out of Bob.

***

On a Saturday, Nicholas went out to shop and was on his way to his car when he saw Bob limping towards him.

“Wow. It's really you! I've been looking everywhere for you!” Bob said with swollen lips and eyes.

“Wow. You look very handsome, Bob Fisher.” Nicholas said sarcastically.

“Thank you very much!” Bob said smiling.

Nicholas wondered why he wasn't angry already and insulting him.

“Please! What have I ever done to offend you, huh? Can't you forgive me!” Bob said.

“I don't understand you. Why would you think you've offended me? You've been very friendly to me all this while!” Nicholas said.

“I mean, you slept with my wife and ruined our marriage. You sacked me from my old job, you've done so many good things to me. Why would you think you've offended me?” He added.

Bob stared to the ground, biting his lower lips. A teardrop escaped from his eyes.

“Whoa man, you're an adult. Are you crying?” Nicholas asked.

Bob heaved in a heavy sigh. “My life is ruined. I don't have anything again. Please, just make the company give me the contract again! I'll leave your wife. I'll give you your old job back!”

Nicholas laughed. “Why would you think I want any of that anymore?”

“I–I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Forgive me!” bob said.

“I'm sorry, but I must leave now.” Nicholas said, walking away when Bob cried out.

“Nicholas! Wait,”

He turned back and saw Bob slowly get on his knees. More tears fell from his eyes. He was really ruined. He had nothing left! He had no shame left too.

People had gathered around and were even recording. Nicholas didn't like that he was kneeling and people were looking at him as if he was a god!

“I'm leaving. I don't know what you mean.” He said and walked away as quickly as he could.

“You didn't do anything wrong. He brought it upon himself.” Nicholas said.