Adrian pulled the janitor's uniform over his head; the plainness of the clothes felt strange to his skin. Javier had gotten him the cleaning job at Sinclair Industries. He would finally have the opportunity to once again see the woman who betrayed him. He walked down the halls of Sinclair Industries with a broom in his hand, almost invisible, a shadow moving through the building, unseen. People went on with their business and nobody gave him as much as a second glance, which was precisely what he wanted. He was just another cleaner going about his work. But Adrian had something else on his mind, he wanted to get into Evelyn's office. He needed to find something-anything-that could help bring her down. As he reached out to her office door, Adrian reached for his keycard. It was a standard issue for employees like him, a pass to the areas he needed to clean-including the executive offices. Slipping the card through the lock, the door unlocked with a soft click. He slipped in
The slap was heavier than Adrian had anticipated, and his head whipped sideways as Evelyn's hand connected with his cheek. The shock hit him first, followed by a wave of shame. She glared angrily at him, satisfied with the force she'd used. “Pathetic," Evelyn spat, her eyes cold and full of disgust. Her sharp features contorted into a sneer as she stood only feet away. The designer heels clicked with each movement she made closer, her presence looming over him. "Do you even know how long my car's been sitting there, filthy? What kind of useless man can't even wash a car? Adrian kept his head down, his fists curling at the sides. His gaze briefly moved to the sleek black car-the one he hadn't had time to clean. He'd been busy, taking care of his mother, making sure she had everything she needed. But he knew Evelyn didn't care about that. Never did. "I was going to clean it, Evelyn," he said in a low voice, trying to keep himself from lashing out. "I just-” "Shut up!"
He could never have envisioned this life five years ago. He had been a regular guy then, holding a simple job, trying to make ends meet for his mother. His life was not glamorous, but it was honest. Everything changed that night at the charity gala. It had been a hot summer evening, and Adrian had been working at a charity gala hosted by the prestigious Sinclair family, one of the richest families in the city of NewOak. He was there to serve drinks, clear tables, and fade into the background as every other hired hand did. Rich and wealthy people like the Sinclairs never noticed people like him, and it was quite all right with Adrian. He just wanted to do his job and leave. Everything was going fine. people clinked their glasses together accompanied with laughter. That was until Gregory Sinclair, Jane's father collapsed. The whole moment seemed unreal to him. Just a moment earlier, Gregory was merrily entertaining a bunch of posh guests, and the very next minute, he lay on the
Adrian!" Ethan, his brother-in law, called loudly again.He quickly made his way to Ethan's room and he could hear the clinking glasses and low chatter. Ethan would always do this. He would spend his days partying and ulping down alcohol. His father Gregory had grown tired of his carefree behaviour and wished he had been gifted with a more sensible son, not this buffoon. Adrian took a deep breath before stepping into the room. There was a high chance he could get an undeserved beating. He found Ethan sitting on a leather sofa with his friend Dave, both of them half-drunk The smell of alcohol hung in the air, and a whiskey bottle could be seen on the table, almost empty. "There you are," Ethan said with a lazy grin. "We need you to drive us somewhere." Adrian frowned. "I can't, Ethan. I have to drive Mr. Gregory somewhere later today. It's important." Ethan's grin was gone in an instant, replaced by a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What did you just say?" Adrian took a pr
Adrian nodded, still in shock of what had just happened. “Now get out of the car.” Ethan ordered, leaving Adrian on the side of the road before him and Dave drove off.By the time Adrian returned to the mansion, he was still shaking, his hands quivering.The image of that man's body—inside his head—wouldn't go away, and Ethan's cold command echoed in his ears. He had to say something—to someone—but who would believe him? A nobody in this family, a lowly pawn used whenever it suited them? How could Ethan just walk away from what he had done? The thought chilled him to the bone. Adrian pushed the heavy oak door of the Sinclair mansion open and was immediately met by Evelyn. She stood in the foyer, arms crossed across her chest, her foot tapping impatiently upon the marble floor. "Where's Ethan? Why didn't you bring him back with the car? "I—he took the car," Adrian said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I…I don't know where he went after that." You could hear the
"They are saying Ethan ran someone over and never stopped," Evelyn turned to her father. "What?!” Gregory was in disbelief. His foolish son had finally gotten himself into serious trouble. “Make sure you don't say anything until the lawyer arrives” Evelyn said firmly to Ethan as he was taken away. Immediately he was out of the house, she turned her attention to Adrian. “Didn’t you drive them, Adrian?” an accusatory look was drawn all over her face. “Yes I did but--” Adrian was interrupted by a phone call. It was Dr. Harris, the doctor in-charge of his mother’s case. "Hello?” he answered anxiously. He had recently taken his mother for some more tests and was waiting for the results. "I am calling about your mother's condition. We need to talk, immediately." The doctor’s tone implied that it was something serious. "I-I'll be right there," Adrian stuttered, hanging up the phone. He glanced at Evelyn’s piercing stare, sensing no room for explanations now. “I have to
“What?.....how do you know my mother needs surgery?” the shock was evident on his face. Evelyn took a step towards him. “How I know doesn't matter. What matters is that I can help you….that is if you do what I say” “I'll be back in an hour. I want your answer by then” she said coldly before leaving his room. Adrian paced back and forth. What was he to do? if he agreed to do what Evelyn asked, he could save his mother. But at what cost? If he admitted to the crime, he would be punished dearly. The thought of having to spend years behind bars made him shiver. If he chose not do it, there was no guarantee that Evelyn wouldn’t still try to pin it on him. The air suddenly felt thick and choking as Adrian tried to make a decision. An hour later, Evelyn returned. Her face was cold and confident, her eyes locking onto his as if she knew exactly what he was going to say. Adrian's heart sank realizing what he had to do. She'd already won, and they both knew it. "Well?"
Adrian sat in the courtroom, his hands cuffed and his body tense. Today was the day that he would know his fate. Everyone’s gaze was focused on him. He hardly heard the murmurs of the people around him or the rustling of paper from the legal teams. All he could concentrate on was the gnawing feeling in his chest. Evelyn didn’t even bother to get him a lawyer, and he had to make do with a public defender. The judge, an older man with a stoic face sat on the high table in front of the room and read over the case details. “Mr. Adrian, you stand accused of vehicular assault and obstruction of justice. How do you plead?” Adrian swallowed hard. His eyes glanced to the back of the courtroom where Evelyn sat, her face looking cold and detached. She had done this to him, yet she sat there not looking affected at all. "I. I plead guilty," Adrian managed to speak. There was a collective shift in the room, a low murmur of voices as the judge nodded and scribbled down something. Guilty. It