Ashley and Darrell were still in the reception waiting. Darrell was growing impatient and had started to pace back and forth, stealing occasional glances at his rolex. Ahsley was seated with her eyes glued on him. “Darrell, you’re making me dizzy with all your moving around.”He took that as a cue to stop. Just then, the secretary was seen by the corner walking up to them with several security guards behind her. Ashley was quickly alerted by this and rose to her feet but Darrell was so worried about his meeting that he was oblivious to the circumstances around them. “Hi please, we’ve been here for over thirty minutes, can you just tell her that Mr Darrell Feerguson is here? We have a meeting scheduled,” he explained. The receptionist averted his gaze and cleared her throat, “that’s exactly what I came here to tell you, the meeting has been canceled.”His eyes widened, “Why? We confirmed this with you weeks ago. FIne, when can we reschedule it to?”“Never.”He blinked twice. “What?”
From the office window, Matthew watched as Darrell and Ashley were kicked out of the building, a satisfactory smug formed in the corner of his lips. Elena cleared her throat. “If you don't mind my asking, what did Mr Darrell Ferguson do to you?”“Let's just say he likes to trample upon people and humiliate them. And I can't work with somebody who belittles others just because he's above them.”Elena nodded, appreciating his philosophy. She'spun around and grabbed a file from her table, retrieving the document that was inside it. “It would be criminal for me not to mention this, the company is currently planning on embarking on a new project, you can call it an investment if you will. It's supposed to be worth about 500 million dollars and we're planning to open a series of tenders so we could get the best competitive pricing.”He didn't know much about what she was talking about, but his rudimentary knowledge in business told him all that he needed to know. “That sounds great.” If
Anderson was growing irritated by the way his friend was getting humiliated. “That’s enough Vito,” he warned. Incessant whispers broke out as people began gossiping about Matthew. He darted his eyes from left to right, observing his environment. Vito folded her arms against her chest and shifted her weight on her feet. “You know, there is a thin line between being optimistic and being delusional, and right now Matthew, you’re using that line like a jump rope.”Her taunts caused most of the people around to burst out laughing once again, now Matthew was starting to get irritated by her presence and he clenched his jaw, nostrils flaring slightly as he took a gentle sip of his drink. “Arguing with small minded people like you is like talking to a brick wall, I won’t waste my effort. One of us is working at the Houston family company, and it’s not you,” he said with his lips curled in a satisfactory smirk. Vito felt insulted and her face turned red, she unfolded her arms and scoffed. “
As soon as the bartender spoke, silence fell upon the crowd as everyone turned their heads to face him, expectancy etched into their faces. Vito, who was already irritated, spoke. “Yes? What do you want?” she spat viciously. He lowered his gaze, sensing that he had just walked into a tense moment. “My apologies for bothering all of you but there is a white ferrari outside and the car is blocking the way, other cars can’t get out. I’m looking for the owner so I can repark it properly,” he said, raising his head to scan the crowd. They all began to share looks with each other, none of them owned a ferrari or even a car half as expensive. “Oh, I’m sorry, it’s mine, I must have been in a hurry to meet my friend while I was parking,” He said and then stood up. The bartender nodded understandingly.Vito was the first to burst out laughing before the rest joined. They laughed so hard that it hurt their stomachs, especially Vito and Sophie who almost lost their balance and had to lean on t
Matthew was about to speak but the he wondered how his friend would take the news, and moreover Lola was standing right there, even though she defended him in the bar, she was still a stranger and he wasn’t sure if sh was a trustworthy person yet so instead he came up with a different explanation. “I actually borrowed the car from the Houston company,” he said, scratching the back of his head. Anderson didn’t know what to say in response, everyone in the city knew how reputable and successful the Houston family company was. “How on earth did you manage to land a job there so quickly?” he pressed on, eager for details. “I’ll tell you all about it later because it’s actually a long story, but right now I need to go home and get some rest,” he replied, deflecting the topic. The wing-like doors of the car opened slowly and Matthew turned to face Lola. “Since I invited you as my plus one to the banquet, I think it’s only fair that I get you a gift, a diamond necklace would be perfect, I
Under the bright afternoon sun of New York City, Matthew Donovan scooped a bowel full of water and splashed it on top of the dull sedan he was scrubbing down at the car wash. His phone suddenly buzzed loudly, vibrating inside the pocket of his jeans. Calmly, Matthew wiped his damp hands before fishing out the phone. Glancing at the screen, a smile lit up his weary face. It was his girlfriend, Ashley, and she was just what he needed to brighten up his day.He accepted the call. “Hey Ashley, what's up?”“Matty, I need $300, like right away!” Ashley had a sweet voice, but as usual, she was very direct. “I just found this gorgeous necklace, and I want to buy it before someone snatches it away.”The earlier smile on Matthew’s face quickly disappeared. He knew how much Ashley loved her jewelry, but he also didn't have that kind of money with him. “Uh… Ashley?”He could sense her frown through the call. “What is it!?”“I only have $200 on me right now. Can't it wait until—”“No, Matt! It ca
Matthew was numb, his eyes were locked on Ashley but he just stood there, not knowing what to say or what to do. Flashes of a dozen memories attacked his mind; memories of Ashley, the girl who had once filled his life with warmth and joy.Now, she felt like a stranger. But a stranger's betrayal wouldn't cut this deep.“Ashley,” he finally managed to say, his voice was low and trembling with emotions that were barely restrained. “Why? How could you do this to me?”Ashley’s mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words. Not that Matthew would believe a word out of her mouth.“Matthew, I—” she stammered, taking a hesitant step back. “It’s not what you think, I—”“Then what is it?!” Matthew found himself almost yelling. “How can you do this to me?! I’ve given you everything I could! All these years, all the sacrifices I made... was it not enough? Was I not enough?”“Well, isn't this interesting,” Darrell leaned against his car, arms crossed as he watched the scene unfol
Matthew sat on the cold, hard bench in the police station, his head still throbbing, his ribs aching and his entire body weary from the earlier ordeal.Out of nowhere, three men in black suits had arrived and picked him up from the car wash, forcefully taking him to the police station. So there he was, handcuffed with his face low as he regretted his life.He regretted ever meeting Ashley! He regretted falling in love with her!Policemen walked about in the station, there were low voices and the clattering of keys. It was a busy day, and no one cared to listen to his pleas of innocence. “Look at you,” Darrell Ferguson, who was standing just a few feet away, sneered. He was flanked by two officers who seemed more like his personal guards than upholders of the law. “Pathetic, useless thing. You thought you could stand up to me? You, a mere car washer against the man who runs this city? You're as stupid as you're poor! You’re nothing, Matthew. Nothing but a worthless piece of trash.”E