"I will go take a shower now that I have remembered it. After dinner, we could try having a drink together," Mr Smith said, standing up and feeling some weakness in his knees. He felt bad having heard that Harlan hates his father but he couldn't make the conversation longer than that, less Harlan becomes suspicious and that was the last thing he wanted at the moment.Harlan wondered if he had made Mr Smith angry because he mentioned his father. He watched him ho inside."Damn it. I shouldn't have mentioned that," he muttered to himself and ran his hand in his hair.Later in the night after they had both had dinner, they sat on the rooftop with a few bottles of vodka and two glass cups."The night looks great," Mr Smith muttered.He had always imagined how it felt to come back home at the weekend to his family and just do nothing but watch the shooting stars and anything that caught his interest."Yes
Jason shrugged, "I don't know where he is."The grandfather chuckled. Jason had always been his favorite of all the rest of his grandchildren, although he tries not to make it obvious, at times like this, he couldn't hide it by thinking that Jason was trying to be funny."You are really a funny one, grandson. I should have put the question in the correct way. "Where is Harlan Smith living?""I don't know, grandfather," Jason said without any apology. He could feel his father's stares on him.The grandfather frowned, "what do you mean you don't know where he lives?""I don't even know Harlan Smith," Jason added."That's rubbish! Do you think we are all fools?" One of Jason's uncles bust out."Hey, Jason, stop kidding and answer the question correctly," Jason's father said, trying to intervene and when he could make eye contact with Jason, he gave him a warning look.
"How have things been going for you these days? I am sorry for not coming to your house to check on you," Kelvin said apologetically as he and Harlan went inside a small compound."I don't blame you man, we are all busy with life," Harlan said with a shrug."It is weird the way I can't stop thinking about Harlan Smith. Do you think about him at all?" Kelvin asked."Why would I think about myself? Their are pretty much thinking to do more than that," Harlan said as a matter of fact.Kelvin gave him a side eye look, suggesting that he thought Harlan was joking."That doesn't sound funny, man. These days you suck at telling jokes. Just don't make jokes like these to someone else, otherwise you might have to explain how you got a swollen face in the hospital."Harlan gave Kelvin a playful punch, "I have hands to defend myself."Kelvin chuckled, "don't you think it's weird the way I thi
Kelvin's lips curved in a smile, "you could tell me you are bored and needed a break instead of saying my friend looks like Harlan Smith."Jessica shook her head, sure of what she was saying. The pictures of Harlan Smith she had been able to garner on her phone looked like the guy sitting a few meters from her."I am sure of what I am saying. Take a look at the picture and you will see for yourself what I am talking about," she passed her phone to Kelvin who looked at the pictures on her phone.Kelvins glanced at Harlan and shrugged, "you could say they look alike somehow." He returned the phone back to Jessica."He is even putting on the same cloth as Harlan Smith's," Jessica added, looking at Harlan who had refused to say anything. He decided to just watch the turn of events. Maybe Kelvin would finally believe he is Harlan Smith if someone else points his attention to it."Girl, I must not deceive you. This Harl
Harlan hurried out of the restroom to meet Kelvin, unable to continue the chat with Madame A."I have been waiting for you for the past few minutes. What were you doing there?" Kelvin asked when Harlan got to where they had been doing the tutorial. Jessica was not in the room any longer."Nothing," Harlan dismissed quickly, not willing to share the fact that his mother might still be alive with Kelvin.Although Kelvin doesn't believe Harlan is Harlan Smith, he would definitely believe Harlan if he tells him about someone sending him messages and telling him that she is his mother's sister, but Harlan wasn't ready to tell that yet.Kelvin narrowed his eyes on Harlan, "you have a girlfriend already?"Shocked and surprised at the same time, Harlan opened his mouth, but was unable to say anything for some moment."Just be reasonable. If I have a girlfriend, what money do I have to give her when she start
"Do you say it's important?" Harlan asked Jack, not wanting to leave Kelvin without explaining how he got about his new identity to him."Yes Sir. I have been trying to call you but you haven't been answering. It would be better if started coming with me right away," the note of urgency wasn't hidden from Jack's voice.Kelvin went from surprise to shock. He could never have imagined anyone talking to Jack casually like that. Talking less of someone like Jack talking to Harlan with such respect."Kelvin, let's talk some other time, I have to attend to this," Harlan patted his friend who was just too shocked to say anything. He stared at Harlan as Jack opened the door for him to get inside the car."Where are we going?" Harlan asked as Jack drove along the highway at a rather high speed."Boss informed me that you are to take over the post of the chairman for one hotel, we would soon be there," Jack said as he overt
"Sir, did she do something wrong?" The vice chairman asked Harlan."Well, yes.""You are fired, miss. Don't bother taking any of your things before going. Get out of here before the count of three!" The vice chairman growled. The last thing he wanted was to see the new chairman angry on his first day in the hotel. "Sir, I am really sorry. You didn't look like someone who should be the new chairman," the receptionist pleased profusely."I am aware that I am not dressed like a chairman of a place like this and I am also aware that some people are rude. If I am not dressed richly, does that mean I don't amount to anything? I might as well be a customer here!""Sir, I am—""Shut up, idiot. Close that smelling mouth of yours before I slap it!" The vice chairman yelled at the receptionist.Trembling, the receptionist anticipated her fate. She dread hearing what the chairman would tell h
"Yes. I am Harlan. What are you doing here? I mean... Are you the pool attendant?" Harlan asked in surprise."You are too stupid to use your brain. You just open your stinking mouth and say any nonsense that comes to it. 'Are you the pool attendant?' Nonsense!" Tracy spat.He was dumbstruck when he saw Harlan because he had never imagined that Harlan could be somewhere as expensive as this. Harlan, Tracy thought, would either be here because he is employed here as one lowly paid worker or he could be here because he had come to beg. He concluded on the latter. He knew how much his father had to plead before he could be employed here, so, it would never be possible for Harlan to get a job in a place like this.Now, Tracy's father had been unable to get him a job at the supermarket he had intended to, but after much pleading, he had been able to get him a job at the hotel in which Harlan is now the chairman. But, Tracy would rather die than ad
"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 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
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
"I just wanted to check on you to see if you are getting it, Sir," the Cctv footage officer said. He could not help thinking the CEO had come to check on his girlfriend who had come here with another man.Harlan stood up and left. The footage officer stared at his back. The CEO doesn't seem to be in the same mood he had been when he came in. He shrugged.****Harlan found himself at the large field where he already went whenever he was overwhelmed. He had had a lot of surprises in the past six months but none of them has even been as shocking as this. He rolled on the field and faced the sky. He heard the sounds of birds nearby and wondered if he would have any problem if he were a bird.He replayed all he heard from some hours ago in his head. The conversation between Mr Smith and Mrs Smith. His father and mother… he closed his eyes. So all these while, he had those two people's blood flowing in his veins and he wasn't aware of it.He took his phone from where it was lying beside him
Harlan crossed over to where he had parked his car. He got inside and looked out through the window. In the next seventy two hours, he would be buying up all what the Alberts had. Through the help of Mr Smith, he had been able to refile the cases that the Alberts had been guilty of but had won. Mr Smith had told him how difficult that was, but he had not taken no for an answer.He took a deep breath and silently prayed that all these would be over. He had been able to get the victims of the Alberts and had convinced them that they would be duly compensated if they came back for their cases again.As he was about to turn on the car. He saw someone familiar pass him by. Mrs Smith? The fact that she was alone, with no bodyguard, made him more curious to know why she was at the hotel. He waited for some seconds before coming down from the car. He walked in the direction she had passed and saw her enter the hotel.When got inside, he could see the receptionist go pale as he walked toward
Harlan's phone beeped. It was his personal assistant from the 'where talent glows' calling. He answered it."Hello?""Is there any problem?" Harlan asked."Not really. Mr Richard Albert has been meaning to see you all these while. He asked for your number but I didn't want to give him until I asked for your permission first.""Tell him to meet me at the Jay Team lounge," Harlan said and hung up."Drive to Jay Team," Harlan told Jack."I checked into the company where you made your friend the manager, things have gone really wrong there. Lot of workers have quit," Jack said as he turned the car in another direction."So?""He has done worse things than you are aware of," Jack said."Whatever he has done to me is none of your business," Harlan said.Harlan searched for his personal assistant's number of the company where he made Kelvin the manager and sent him a message to call in the evening.Harlan had informed his personal assistant at the Jay Team hotel to make sure no one other tha
The Alberts were in a pensive mood as everyone of them sat in the family hall. Unlike the other meetings where there would be chatters before the meeting started, today, everyone was focused on the phone, reading the various posts on social media that had managed to circulate around in the last three days. "Richard, how many companies don't want to partner with us anymore?" Grandfather asked."Seventeen."Grandfather sighed. "Let them go." "What are the updates about those riffraffs?" Grandfather asked."The TV station where they went refused to disclose anything about their identity. I have met with the owner of the station but he isn't saying anything," someone said."I have a friend there but he is more clueless than we are about the matter," someone else added."I have checked into it but there is really no one I suspect to have done this among our business rivals," another person said.Richard felt a feeling that he had missed something out... Funny how he seemed not to have th
Another movie had begun on the television and they both watched it as they ate the pizza Elizabeth had ordered. She kept stealing glances at Harlan. She had a lot of questions to ask him but she didn't know which one to ask first. "Stop staring at me," Harlan said without taking his eyes off the television."Huh?" She blushed and looked away.She looked back at the television and reached out to take a slice of pizza. At that same time was when Harlan was going to take one too. Because he was looking at the television too, he grabbed Elizabeth's hand. He glanced at her and for some unexplainable reasons, her face flushed."Hmm, I need to get something inside," she stood up and almost ran to her room. She locked the door behind her and held her fast beating chest. "Darn!"Harlan is in the sitting room… Why the heck is she over-thinking it? She shook her head and turned on the light in her room. She glanced at her face in the mirror. It was flushed. "No. This can't be happening!" She
Elizabeth didn't know how long she had been staring at Harlan's picture on the poster that had been placed in different places all over the campus. In the poster, the pictures of the six of them that had won the competition were there. When Harlan and Roger wouldn't show up, herself, Jason, Cecilia and Adrian had taken the picture. Roger had sent his picture and she had given Harlan's picture from the ones posted on the group chat when the gossip about their dates first started. Some skillful graphic designer had managed to put the pictures of the six of them together. In the picture, Harlan was the only person that stood out to Elizabeth.She looked around to be sure no one had been looking at her. There was no one. She sighed.Her phone beeped. It was a message from Harlan... No, a message from Jack because he is the one with Harlan's phone now. She checked it and saw a picture of some guy in a suit and tattoo on his neck. Under the picture, it read : would you recognize me if you s