Drake stepped out of the crowded bus, straightening his jacket as he made his way towards the towering building of the logistics company where he worked.
Entering into the lobby, he forced a smile at the security guard and made his way to the elevator. The door slid shut and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to exhale.
After a couple of climbs, the elevator stopped on the fifth floor. He stepped out, his footsteps echoing on the polished floor.
Heads turned and conversations hushed momentarily as he walked past. Drake kept his gaze forward, trying to ignore the skeptical eyes that seemed to be staring at him.
“Look who decided to show up?” One of his colleagues began. “Heard your wife and daughter are in the hospital. All these for the wealth of the Willmounts, isn't it?”
Drake's brow furrowed, puzzled by the implication of the statement. He was still processing it, When another colleague chimed in. “Aren't you one hell of a gold digger? I believe you're happy seeing your wife in the hospital, huh?”
“Yeah, yeah,” another colleague smirked. “Trying to get rid of his wife for the money.”
Drake's jaw tightened but he forced himself to remain calm. “It was an accident,” he said, his voice wavering slightly.
“Accident? Really?” The first colleague asked, her voice laced with mock sympathy. “It's quite the coincidence isn't it? Your wife gets into an accident, then you play the grieving husband and then what else?” She paused, her face seemingly looking like she was about to let out a wild laughter.
Drake's eyes met with her's, waiting for her to complete her statement. “And then you potentially inherit everything she owns.”
The insinuations were really cutting deep, hitting Drake like a ton of bricks. “You guys have no idea what you're talking about,” he said, clenching his fist, his knuckles turning white but refrained himself from overreacting.
“Don't we, Drake?” The second colleague mocked. “People are talking about it because to be honest with you, this accident sounds like a plot from a bad thriller.”
Drake could begin to see for himself that his colleagues were deliberately picking on him and it'll be the wisest thing to do if he refuses to engage any further.
He could see that responding would only continue to fuel their cruelty towards him. Instead, he walked straight to the locker room quickly, to get changed into his delivery uniform.
The familiar routine of buttoning his shirt and lacing his shoes provided a small comfort, a gentle reminder that not everything in his life was spiraling out of control.
As he closed the door, he paused, taking a deep breath. His thoughts went back to his wife and daughter. He whispered a silent prayer for their recovery, that nothing bad will happen to them and that they'll soon be back with him.
Reaching the dispatch area, Drake grabbed the packages assigned to him for delivery. He loaded the boxes into his trucks double checking the addresses and routes.
The mundane task of sorting and arranging parcels had become so routinely that he wished there was more to his job.
“Have you loaded everything?” His supervisor, a semi bald headed man asked him.
“Yes sir,” Drake replied, checking one more time just to be sure he hadn't left anything out.
“Make sure not to leave anything out. These packages are very important and nothing must be left out.” The supervisor instructed.
“Definitely sir,” Drake assured him, as the man turned to attend to other delivery agents.
Turning to what he was doing, “Summer…, Michelle,” he sighed. “Get well soon,” he whispered to himself, convincing himself that everything will be back to normal again. He couldn't afford to lose them. In fact, he wouldn't!
As Drake was about to pull out, the semi bald headed man asked him to wait as there were still a few more packages left to be loaded in the truck.Donald, a distant relative of Summer who was incharge of all deliveries, walked in. He was a stern looking man who had never really liked Drake and was never in support of the marriage between Drake and Summer.Hearing about the accident, he couldn't help but put the blame on Drake even if he knew quite alright that Drake had nothing to do with the accident. He so much loathed Drake that he wished it was in his power to have him fired from the company.Walking up to Drake, he eyed him with an open hostility. “So here comes the mastermind,” he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.Drake wasn't surprised. He wasn't expecting Donald to be nicer to him than the other colleagues who had earlier picked on him but he knew he had to defend himself all the same.“Sir, it was an accident. I'll never….”Donald raised a hand, silencing him. “Save
The other delivery guy had pulled away already in the truck leaving him to grapple with the terror before him - Woodruff. The name alone sent shivers down his spine.Woodruff was a home for the underdogs, not to be trespassed by just anyone. It was well known for its faded storefronts and worn out buildings, the hub for criminal activities.Everything, from illegal weapons to counterfeit exchanges took place in Woodruff. He had come to know of the place through his grandfather, during those times when he was still with him.Right from that day, he had sworn never to visit that place again nor have anything to do with it. Now seeing Donald asking him to go over there to deliver a package made him wonder what exactly he was up to.“Sir, the address says Woodruff street,” Drake's eyes narrowed, as he looked back at Donald.“I know,” Donald replied. “You're a delivery guy and your job is to deliver parcels to those who need them irrespective of the location.”“But sir…” Drake tried to pro
“This is all your fault,” Rachel spat angrily, turning to face Drake who suddenly looked stunned, wondering how her being stopped by the police was his fault. “My daughter is lying in the hospital bed because of you,” she added.Drake found it hard to connect the dots between Summer being in the hospital and she driving recklessly but all attempts seemed to appear futile.“Mom, please..” Drake begged, his voice calm while trying to reason with the police officers to let Rachel go.“Don't you dare call me mom,” she interrupted, her voice rising. “You are nothing but a coward and a gold digger. You never deserved my daughter. Summer's greatest mistake was marrying you. Now see where it landed her - in the hospital bed battling for her life.”Drake's brows furrowed, confusion mounting up within him, almost making him want to regret having to stopped by to salvage the situation.“Mother…, not here, please.” He begged.“Then where?” Rachel snarled.The officers exchanged puzzled glances wo
The confrontation between Drake, Rachel and the police officers was still going on when suddenly a sleek black car pulled up at the scene.Stepping out of the car was Captain Morgan, a senior police officer, his presence immediately commanding attention.Captain Morgan was known throughout the city, not just for his rank but also for his influence. He was a tall man in his late forties with a greying hair and a stern expression.“Good afternoon sir,” the two officers saluted, throwing their hands in the air.“Good afternoon officers, what's going on here?” Captain Morgan inquired.“This woman here,” one of the officers began pointing at Rachel. “She was driving at a speed that exceeded the speed limit for minor street routes,” the first officer replied.“Yes sir, she was driving wrongly,” the other officer chimed in.They also went further to explain the situation regarding Summer being in the hospital and Rachel's claims that Drake was the one responsible for the accident and how the
Regret washed over Drake as Captain Morgan shunned him, telling him to save his explanations, “I never asked you to defend yourself, did I?” Captain Morgan snarled.Drake blamed himself for deciding to stop and try to reason with the police officers over his mother in-law. He should have known better than to think that she'd appreciate him trying to intervene. It was at that point that it really dawned on him that Rachel would never accept him as her son in-law. Her hatred for him was just too deeply rooted.Captain Morgan was still scolding him as though he was a three year old kid and it was already getting him infuriated.“Sir, are you saying that I have no right to defend myself?” Drake finally asked, his frustration evident in the tone from which he spoke.Captain Morgan's eyes opened wide in disbelief. He wasn't expecting a low life peasant like Drake to question him. He felt insulted and for that reason, decided to teach Drake a lesson.Seeing that there was no explanation he'
The officers exchanged surprised glances but quickly uncuffed Drake, their faces reflecting a mixture of regret and respect.Drake rubbed his sore wrists, his mind reeling from the rapid turn of events. Just a few seconds ago, he was being ordered to be arrested and just before he knew it, the decision had been overruled by someone who seemed to be more powerful than Captain Morgan.“We're very sorry, Mr. Sullivan,” the first officer apologized, his voice earnest. "This was a misunderstanding.”Captain Morgan sensing the potential fallout, quietly took his leave, feeling defeated. He had no idea who Drake was until the call came in. He couldn't afford to make an enemy of someone who had such powerful backing.The risk to his career was far too great. He thanked his stars that he hadn't done more than he had done before the call came in. It would have been the biggest mistake of his life.Rachel's face contoured with confusion and anger as she watched the officers take off the cuffs f
The first officer walked up to his colleague and asked him not to go ahead to issue the citation against Rachel for reckless driving.“Let her go,” he said, his voice firm.“Really?” The second officer asked, looking surprised. He couldn't understand what was actually happening. “Yes, her son in-law had pleaded on her behalf.” The first officer replied, trying to make his colleague understand the reason why the had changed his mind.“What about the citation against her for reckless driving?” The other officer asked.“That won't be needed anymore,” the first officer replied, dismissing any attempt to continue with issuing the citation against Rose.Turning to Drake who was about to leave, “We apologize again for the misunderstanding, Mr. Sullivan.” The second officer said, his tone sincere.He couldn't help but admire him. Even though Rachel had been rude to him all along, he still begged for her and that alone had made Drake earn his respect.Drake nodded, accepting the apology also
As Drake approached the entrance of the delivery location in Woodruff, a feeling of unease gnawed within him. It was just like the last time he saw it, even worse.There were more dilapidated buildings lined up along the street, their windows falling apart, doors out of place and roofs almost completely off the buildings, yet groups of people met in these buildings.Dark alleyways seemed to stretch endlessly, shadows moving within them, emanating a constant threat of violence causing a wave of fear to course through Drake. Moving forward, his eyes caught sight of a group of men who looked like sentries keeping watch for any signs of trouble or unwelcome intruders. The occasional flare of a lighter and the glow of cigarettes illuminated their faces, revealing expressions hardened by years of survival in the underworld.Drake tightened his grip on the handlers of his bike, his heart pounding. He managed to navigate through the narrow streets and menacing stares until he finally arrive