Chapter One

“I didn’t tell that puppet I’ll be here.” 

“I only wondered what he’s feeling like. Like he already has you. He isn’t worth a pair of your shoes.”

“He’s such a loser.”

The voices echoed from a room at the club. Ryan could identify the voices, it was Jessica, his two-year-old girlfriend, and her friends, Emily and Rashy.”

“You should enjoy your life, Jessica. That man definitely isn't worth you and that’s the gospel truth.”

Ryan could recognize who owned that voice, that particular voice was from Emily. 

The cell phone in his hand vibrated. He checked and saw another message from their friend group chats

“We’re in the closet room to the club room, in case anyone is coming again! It’s a blast here! Jessica is flexing and enjoying her life.”

Jessica had left the phone with Ryan in the evening. He was able to trace her location from the messages sent to the phone. 

It was Jessica's birthday, and she had told Ryan she wasn’t celebrating it but now, the contrary is the case. 

Ryan had taken out a loan early that day to make his girlfriend happy. She was apparently ashamed of him and did not want to relate with him in public because that only explains why she lied to him about not celebrating her birthday. 

With a deep sigh, he opened the door. 

Surprise flashed at Jessica’s face and instantly faded to hatred. 

“Why’s the fool here?” Emily asked 

“Probably to steal,” Jessica said not looking away from Ryan who stood still at the door.  

“How long have you been eavesdropping? What did you hear?” Rashy asked 

Jessica rolled her eyes, “not like I care.”

She moved closer to him and tapped his chest with her fingertip. 

“Why are you here?” 

“Hi, we had an agreement that you would never do this again. Jess! Never lie to me again.” Anger was evident in his voice. 

It was not her first time deceiving him. 

“What was our agreement?” he screamed. 

“Does a poor man complain about a lady's movements?” Jessica laughed, exchanging eye contact with his friends who joined her in laughing. 

“Even if you guys were going to hang out, why… Why would you lie that you were going to sleep at your place?”

He managed a weak smile, holding out the envelope containing the $500 loan he took, “ Anyway, I came to give you this for your birthday.”

She collected the envelope and opened it. A mocking smile curved her lips, “Oh, how thoughtful” her voice dripping with sarcasm. “$500,  just what I wanted.”

Laughter reverberated in the room. 

“Oh, Jessica, don’t be like that.” Emily's voice sounded mocky “he probably might have sold his kitchen called an apartment to get you the $500”

“Yes. Aw, poor boy.” Rashy added. 

His cheek burned from embarrassment. He felt the ground shaking. He had hoped that it would make her happy, but instead, he had become the butt of their joke. 

“Jessy, isn’t that your second cell phone?” Rashy pointed at the phone Ryan was holding. 

“Oh my! Do you steal phones now? Has it gotten that worse?” She snatched the phone from his hand. 

“You-yo-you- left the phone at my place.” He managed to say. 

“You should be thankful he didn’t sell it to get you a gift or get you the beggar money he gave you,” Emily commented and laughed harder. 

“Alright. Now! Leave! I feel embarrassed when people see us together.” She scanned through his body, disgust evident in her look “especially with that outdated old big wristwatch you never stop wearing. Eww! You disgust me.” 

“Oh my gosh! Jessy, you’ve tried. I can’t imagine being with someone who can’t change their watch”

“Jessica, two years,” Ryan said. 

“What is it with two years? Two years of extorting you, uhn? Kindly leave. Leaving would be the best thing you'd ever do in your life. Don't let me lose it.”

Jessica walked past him followed by his friends eyeing him out of the room to the club room. 

He followed them, he wanted to know what was going on. 

Just then, he saw a figure approaching Jessica, that figure looked familiar and his steps carried wealth. 

He got closer and instantly he knew who the figure was. It was one of Jessica’s friends who slapped him in public while he ordered from the delivery company Ryan worked for. His name is Walter. 

Walter leaned in and kissed Jessica, possessively wrapping his arm around her waist. 

Ryan felt a sharp pang of jealousy and betrayal. 

He found his legs closing the gap between them. 

Just as Jessica sighted him, he turned for an introduction. 

"Ryan, meet Walter," Jessica said, her voice sweet as honey. "My boyfriend. My love, you know Ryan, the delivery guy.”

Ryan’s world seemed to pause. The word hit him like a physical blow. Boyfriend. It was a word he had never expected to hear from her. 

Walter scanned through his body in disgust. “I know him. Your ex-boyfriend. The delivery guy. I hate him.”

Ryan’s voice trembled with hurt and anger as he turned to Jessica. His eyes bore into hers. “ I put in a lot of effort to make you happy. And all I get is to be humiliated by you and your friends?”

“That is the problem. This right here is the problem, Ryan.” Jessica sighed. “I don’t want someone that puts in too much effort. I want someone that would effortlessly make me happy.” 

“I’m trying Jess. I’m trying to meet up with the extravagant lifestyle you desire. I’ll do everything to please you, Jess.” Ryan’s response quivered with earnestness, his eyes pleading for understanding.

Jessica wasn’t even from a wealthy background, however, she was fortunate enough to have wealthy friends and She’s skilled at using her charm to her advantage, especially in social situations.

“You try too hard, and this right here is another problem. Don’t try at all.” She added. 

Rashy chimed in, her tone mischievous. “Aww, Jessy, let him keep trying, who knows, maybe we can use him as our money-making machine. Who knows?” She chuckled, her words laced with a sense of playful manipulation.

“Phew! How much does his puppet have to give us? His yearly income couldn’t even buy our pair of shoes.”

Laughter enveloped between the friends.

“Now, leave!” Jessica commanded. 

“I’ll accept being the second guy Jess. If that means being with you.” Ryan’s voice quivered with desperation as he pleaded.

Jessica scoffed, “Oh!” Her eyes rolled with arrogance. “He’s so obsessed with me.” 

Walter’s voice cut through the tension. “Hey mister man.” he sneered, his eyes fixed on Ryan. “Do you have self-respect at all? You barged in here wanting to take over my woman. And You accept being a second choice? Comon, get yourself some life.”

“Now, get out, else, I’ll call my bouncers to take you out.” He added. 

Jessica’s frustration boiled over, and she screamed at him, her words laced with anger. “Is it too hard for you to understand? What part of I'm done do you not understand?”

Ryan closed the distance between them, his eyes heavy with the weight of their history. “We’ve come a long way. Giving up should never be an option, Jess.” he pleaded, his voice trembling, “we loved each other.”

She pushed him from herself. “Hang on right there”, she snapped.  “I never loved you. I thought I did, but I realized I only needed you. I stayed because you met some needs in my life. And that is not love.”

Ryan’s heart ached at her words. He could feel his heart tightening, but he refused to give up. He reached out and touched her, hoping to break through her defenses. 

In a sudden burst of anger, Jessica lashed out, her hand landing on Ryan’s face in a resounding slap. 

The club’s music seemed to pause briefly as some patrons turned to witness the scene.

“Owwww, poor Ryan. You should focus more on making money than women.” Rashy said. 

“Maybe, only maybe if he puts the same energy of chasing women into chasing money, he probably would be able to change his clothes.” Emily mocked. 

Turner, Emily’s father, approaches them. 

“My father who will strangulate you alive is coming.” She whispered, “You better leave.”

Turner was a figure of wealth and authority, his presence commanding respect.

“Father, this guy is a beggar.” Emily falsely claimed, a wicked gleam in her eye. “He wants to steal our properties.” Her words were calculated to further humiliate Ryan. 

"Oh, I see," he murmured. He retrieved his phone and began to dial a number, his eyes still trained on Ryan, his face displaying clear disdain at Ryan's unkempt appearance.

However, something caught Turner's attention, and his focus shifted abruptly. His eyes locked onto Ryan's old wristwatch, and he blinked rapidly. 

 Slowly, he lowered the phone from his ear and slipped it into his pocket.

“Father, is everything okay?” Emily’s eyes traced to Ryan’s old wristwatch but she found nothing special about it. 

“Your father hates the watch. See the look on his face.” Rashy teased. 

 His brows furrowed, and his gaze remained riveted on Ryan’s old wristwatch.

He went closer to Ryan and looked well to the old wristwatch. There was an inscribed logo on it, symbolizing a position. 

Turner’s voice held a hint of urgency as he made his request. “Let’s see in private.”