Harlan almost choked on his food. He grabbed a cup of water and drank from it. She made a tsk tsk sound. "You are just like your father. Your face is flushed.""I am eating mo… Mrs Smith!" He almost called her 'Mom'."Does that mean you are studying law?" She asked."Yes. I am in my final year.""Wow! I can't wait to wear your graduation cap."Harlan found himself laughing in between eating. Throughout the rest of the day, he and Mrs Smith were discussing. She told him about her perfume company about how much she loved what she was doing. Harlan found out that she was a very easy going person. He had missed having her in his life all these years and he found himself wondering how great life would have been if she had been part of his childhood days.Later in the evening, Mr Smith came back home and the first thing he did was to turn on the television. The case had been a really fast one. Harlan would bet that everything was possible only by Mr Smith's influence. All the people that
Harlan dropped the envelope containing all the cards on the table. On the same table was his car key, his ATM card and a note which read: goodbye. Thank you.He remembered the exciting feeling that he felt on the day Mr Smith gave him those cards. He shook his head quickly to get rid of the thought. This isn't time to be emotional. He just cannot forgive his parents for what they did. He had always hoped that his father would never have peace, just look what happened. All these while, he had been Harlan Smith without knowing it.He opened the door and went outside. He only took four clothes and a extra pants. He would start from scratch and go back to living the life he used to live before Mr Smith came into his life.The light in the compound made it a very beautiful sight to behold. The first time he had come here, he had almost thought he was imagining things. Funny how those days had passed really quickly."Sir, where are you going early in the morning?" Jack asked as Harlan was
"The award of the best student in this graduating set goes to… before I call his name, I would like to add that he is the most handsome guy I have ever seen on earth —because I see a lot of things in my imagination. Combine his handsomeness with his being a genius and you have…" "Harlan Smith!" The audience and the graduating students shouted, completing the MC's sentence for him. Harlan came on to the stage, dressed in an academic gown. "Hey, Harlan, where is your cap?" Mr Healy asked in a whisper as he was about to hand over the prize to him. "Mrs Smith is wearing it," he said. "Now, you have to snap this picture without the cap," Mr Healy pretended to sulk. "Even with that, I still stand out," Harlan said and smiled. Mr Healy smiled and handed him the prize as camera light flashed on him. The MC called on Mr Healy to give his speech after prizes had been handed over to students that merits it. Mr Healy was given a standing ovation as he stood up from his seat in t
Harlan took another deep breath. He had often heard that one shouldn't be afraid of taking risks more than being miserable, and that was what he was doing right now— taking a risk."What do you want to tell me?" Cecilia asked impatiently."You were not in the last class, and the lecture is very important. I took some notes, I will be willing to give them to you," Harlan said, stretching the notepad in his hand to Cecilia. It had taken him almost three days to get everything he had written there.Cecilia stared at the note before staring at Harlan."Why are you giving me this?" She asked suspiciously."Nothing… or maybe it's because I care about you," Harlan said with a shrug.Cecilia looked around quickly to be sure no one was near to hear what Harlan just said."What did you just say?" She snapped.Harlan's heart missed a beat. That sounded like a rejection. He glanced at Cecilia. She was As beautiful as she has been since their first day in law school."I like you," Harlan repeated i
Harlan stood up and stared blankly at the other people who washed the plates in the kitchen. He stared at the woman who had suggested that it was him who broke the plate, she shrugged and looked away. Harlan clenched his fist."Sir, I wasn't the one who broke the plate, I can swear on anything that none of the plates slipped from my hands," Harlan said, still surprised at the turn of events."What are you trying to say? That those of us who have been working here all these while are the ones who broke the plate?" One of the dish-washer countered.Harlan shook his head, no way he would be accused of what he didn't do, "are you also trying to tell me that I don't know how to wash plates?""Isn't it logical? The minute you started washing was the day a plate broke," another dish-washer chipped in."It's okay, all of you. Harlan come with me, the rest of you can go back to your duty post right now." The manager said and went out of the hall. Harlan stared at the dish-washers angrily, "who
"Sir?" Harlan asked in confusion, he stopped walking and held the phone closer to his ear."Ever since I adopted you, you have brought nothing but failures and misfortunes on me. So, I am ending all those failures and misfortunes now. If you go near my house, you will be arrested because there are policemen there." "Dad… what… what are you telling me, dad?" Harlan stuttered."Don't call me your father again. I am only the father of my Myzska and Justin. I adopted you, you know that much, and I have disowned you. Don't call me again. I am sick of you already!" "Dad…?""Even your father disowned you. Your rich father sold you to me because you were an unfortunate child, I don't want you again. What I want now is the refund of the money I have used in feeding you all these years. You have grown up to be a fool, I don't want you infecting my children with that foolishness of yours; the earlier the better." "Is that Harlan?" A background voice asked at the other end. Harlan's Mom."We ha
Harlan wiped the blood that came out from his mouth with the back of his hand as the two men stepped away from him to look at the person who had dared to stop them.They trembled in fear when they realized who the man was. No one messes with Jack, and a lot of times he had been billionaire's protector. No ordinary person can afford to make Jack his or her personal bodyguard."Sir, are you here to see us?" One of the men asked Jack in a trembling voice.Without saying anything, Jack strolled to them and held the two men at once, he glanced at Harlan."What do you want me to do to them, young master?" Jack asked Harlan.Harlan stared at Jack in surprise. Did Jack just call him 'young master'? One of the men whose collar Harlan was holding burst into laughter."You must have made a mistake, Mr Jack. This scumbag here cannot be any young master, he isn't even fit to be my servant at home…" Jack angrily released the two men, kicked them with his foot and sent them sprawling on the floor.
More people threw more money at Harlan and the crowd was starting to become too much for a law firm like Keith and Mint. The gatekeepers continue giving scornful and snippy remarks. Harlan knew he would leave the place in shame. He glanced at the gateman, they were having a nice time capping on him."I think our boy is greedy too, if not, why is he still waiting here after all the not thrown at him?" Robinson asked the other gateman who in turn laughed."Don't be shy… don't be shy, Mr beggar, just pick your money and go away."Harlan sighed. He wondered where Jack was. He could have rescued him in a situation like this. Just when he was about to take a step toward the gate, silence descended on the place.People who had been together before, made space for someone to pass. Smith stopped walking and stared at Harlan. They maintained eyes contact. Smith felt weak in the knee as he stared at Harlan. He had grown really well."What is going on, son?" He asked quietly, still not taking his