Entering the eatery, ex-Ranger Jackson observed that the interior boasted lavish decor, with intricately designed chandeliers casting a warm glow over the marble floors below. Plush velvet curtains adorned the windows, framing views of the bustling city outside. Similarly, mahogany tables were meticulously set with fine china and sparkling silverware, while elegant artwork adorned the walls. He noticed the waitstaff moving gracefully between tables, clad in crisp uniforms.At the far end of the interior, ex-Ranger Jackson spotted Mark seated with Jessica, along with Emily, Alexander, and Olivia. Mark sat in the middle of Emily and Jessica, with Olivia and Alexander on the other side of Emily. Jessica held hands with Mark, and they smiled buoyantly, as did Olivia and Alexander, leaving only Emily to place both of her hands on the table.“Nice arrangement,” ex-Ranger Jackson muttered to himself as he walked to the far end of the interior, distancing himself from Mark and the others.Aft
Even though she asked the same question for the third time, Mark did not answer directly. The only thing he was bold enough to do was look down at his feet and shake his head negatively.However, it didn't matter if he lost his voice due to his cowardice to admit he did or if he was bold enough to tell Jessica to her face. Ex-Ranger Jessica saw how she rose up in anger, her eyes still watery.She looked at Mark at that moment and said, “I hate you. I hate all of you!” she yelled, then walked away from the table and out of the eatery in wild anger, like a kid who grudgingly walked into her room since she was grounded. Her plate of food remained untouched.“What?” Emily shouted, like a bully who would not admit her mistake.“Did I say anything wrong? I only spoke the truth!”“Mark, I only have one question to ask you,” Olivia said, ignoring Emily's nonchalant behavior. Alexander only sunk his fork into his piece of steak and cut a small piece of meat into his mouth, followed by a glass
Following him outside of the eatery and at the front of the establishment, right before the greeter, Emily was able to catch up with Mark by pulling his coat.Immediately as Mark turned to her, “Mark, please. What happened in there was just...“Are you happy now?” Mark suddenly interrupted.At this moment, Ex-Ranger Jackson gently turned the direction of the phone to film the front of the eatery. The entrance door was a glass door, which made it possible for him to film the events happening outside. He also adjusted the position of the pen voice enhancer to point in the direction leading outside of the eatery. Then he relaxed more in his chair and continued to sip his juice slowly.“I don’t understand,” Emily said, looking confused by what Mark just said.“What don’t you f**king understand, Emily, huh?” Mark's voice rose in frustration.“Didn’t you want me to break up with Jessica because of your own selfish reasons?” he yelled.“Selfish? Did you just say selfish?” Emily sounded incre
"The last time we were here, we interviewed one of the students of Augustine University, and according to him, one particular student who used to be poor is now very rich, and he mentioned his name to be one Mr. Julius Sabbath. According to the source, this particular Julius Sabbath was either involved in cybercrime or drug dealing.""So, we took measures to investigate this matter, even as the police were on to it from their end. We went to Augustine University and confirmed what our source told us, and some of the students we asked either categorically stated they didn't know if he was involved in cybercrime or drug dealing, or they were just supporting the notion because it was fun. Others told us they did not want to be part of it if it involved legal matters.""We didn't get discouraged from there. We met with some more students, some of whom said it was true that Julius Sabbath was involved in cybercrime, while others said it was mere banter and shouldn't be taken seriously.""H
As the news ended, and while the people were cheering the name of Julius, ex-ranger Jackson kept his eyes fixed on Emily like a hawk stalking its prey. This way, he was able to quickly tell when she said nothing further to Olivia and angrily walked outside of the eatery like a storm was brewing on the horizon.When she walked out of the eatery, he quickly rose to his feet, having left a few dollar notes on the table. He walked out of the eatery evenly.On the footpath by the side of the road, he stood and watched how Emily, at the rip of the road, furiously raised her hand in the air, waving it like trembling leaves, until a taxi parked before her. Immediately as the taxi parked right in front of her, she leaned her head into the taxi window like a hooker at the roadside, negotiating a fair price with a client who was in his car.About a second later, as she leaned into the taxi window, she pulled out her neck again and took just one step while closing it with the other step. She slid
Just as she fixed her eyes directly on her phone, she went on Twitter and launched her Space again. With this, she could see people trooping in as they always did. In less than a minute, over two thousand people had already joined the space. Nevertheless, if her space were the only one being live at the moment, it was a lie.Similarly, as he fixed her eyes on her phone, ex-ranger Jackson already guessed what she was up to. Then he smirked again and swiped his finger on his phone screen, launching his Twitter app.He launched the app, and just as he saw each Twitter feed on the screen, he noticed at the top of the screen the ongoing space titled "The Punk Poorest Guy on Campus." However, he also observed that this was not the only thing happening at the moment."The Punk Bitter Girl on Campus," he read to himself, and as such, he was curious about what the Space was all about.Instantly, he gently fixed his earpiece in the phone's right hole at the bottom, then connected the earpiece t
Hearing what Emily said, ex-ranger Jackson swiftly switched to Jessica’s space like a hawk diving for its prey. And as he entered Jessica's space, he glanced at the number of participants she had managed to gather at this moment. “Fifty-two participants?” He smirked. However, if that was all he saw, it would be a lie. “Jess, Emily is really angry at you. Why would you do something like that to her? Why call her names just because Mark left you?” Ex-ranger Jackson saw comments flying on his screen instantly. “Jess, you are a bad friend. I hope my friends are not like you.” “How can you be so bitter just because Mark left you?” “Is Mark the only person you have dated in your life? When you left your ex did his friends treated him the same way?” “Life is not all about you, Jess. You should learn how to move on.” However, no matter how much the comments were daggers flying at Jessica, all she kept saying was, “Remember, there are always three sides to a story: Emily’s side, my si
“I kept my cool; I still maintained my focus on Mark. I demanded a reason why he wouldn’t have a plan for his girlfriend. I mean, can’t he hear Olivia just told us Alexander was taking her on a trip to Paris?”“Then he began to mumble words out of his mouth like he did not want to explain the situation to me, just forcing words out so that it wouldn’t seem like he didn't say anything.”“Right in that moment, suddenly, even when I least expected it, Emily’s voice broke out behind me again. Her voice sounded colder, like daggers of ice that split my heart into pieces. ‘Mark doesn’t want you anymore, Jess. He has wanted to tell you this forever, and you just won’t listen.’”“How can she even say that to me? What’s her own if Mark had wanted to say that forever and he couldn’t muster the courage to tell me? I just focused my eyes on Mark, and rightly as she said, Mark looked at me with eyes lurking with reluctance. ‘I’m sorry, Jess, but this thing happening between us is no longer working
“Thank you, Ms. Benedicta, for the opportunity to speak in this interview session about the recent happenings in our society. And yes, a prenup is a short prenuptial agreement. This is a legal contract entered into by a couple before they get married. It outlines the division of assets and financial responsibilities in the event of divorce or separation. This is the case with Rebecca, according to her agreement in the prenup; she won’t get anything from the assets after divorce.“Now, regarding whether she is right to be happy as her husband has been sentenced to life imprisonment, I want us to understand that, first of all, it is a person’s right to be happy. A person who is not happy deserves to be happy. However, the cause of being happy can vary. To some, money makes them happy; to others, their husbands or wives make them happy; and to other people, the aroma of food and the sound of sexual talks make them happy.In the case of Rebecca, I can relate to her when she says she was ha
Answering that question, the screen boldly showed reporter Alfred, who then said, “Our dear viewers, you have heard from Rebecca herself. She has filed for divorce with Mr. Thornton, and she is the happiest that justice has been served. Right now, we will be transitioning to the studio, where Ms. Benedicta will take over this discussion. But before that, don’t go anywhere.”As reporter Alfred said this on TV and smiled, the screen transitioned into a commercial break. A renowned soccer player was seen on TV kicking his ball and finally kicking it hard into the sky. Suddenly, the ball speedily changed into the Pepsi logo, and then a bottle of Pepsi was shown on the screen.After the commercial, the TV transitioned back into the studio, where a woman was shown wearing a short-length suit. Her hair was somewhat red and very short. She held a pen and a notepad and smiled boldly into the camera.Beside her were five men in different colored suits. One wore blue, another black, another grey
The news of this soon spread across every blog, every news station, and on social media, with the caption, “Mr. Richard Thornton, the same man who set out to compete with Master Julius Sabbath's luxurious hotel, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term.” As for this, the news broadcasters have it on their TV screens, like:“Hello, dear viewers, We are back again to give you the latest news in real-time. As always, you are our priority, and we make sure to keep you updated.Just a few minutes ago, Mr. Thornton, who wanted to compete with Master Julius Sabbath of the great Sabbath family, was sentenced to a lengthy prison term. We heard this from the judge himself when he pronounced the sentence in court.Among the testifiers in court who shared their experiences with Mr. Thornton were his neighbor, Master Julius Sabbath himself, his two daughters, his wife, his ex-wife, and three of his employees.While they shared their experiences with the court, each of their testimonies aligned
The courtroom was tense with anticipation as Master Julius Sabbath stepped down from the stand. The judge, his face a mask of solemn contemplation, turned to address the room. The weight of the testimonies and evidence presented against Mr. Thornton hung heavy in the air."Mr. Thornton, please rise," the judge commanded. Thornton stood, his face pale, his eyes darting around the room as if seeking an escape from the walls closing in around him.The judge began, "After hearing the testimonies of multiple witnesses and reviewing the substantial evidence presented, this court must now deliberate on the charges brought against you. The accusations are grave and numerous, encompassing wage theft, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and corruption."He turned to the jury, ensuring their attention. "First, let us address the charge of wage theft. We have heard from multiple witnesses, including former employees, who testified to your consistent failure to pay wages on time. These delays an
As Michael Harrison left the stand, the judge turned to the bailiff. "Please call Master Julius Sabbath to the stand."Julius walked to the stand, was sworn in, and took a seat, facing the courtroom with a calm yet determined expression."Please introduce yourself to the court," the judge prompted."My name is Master Julius Sabbath," he began. "I am the heir of the great Sabbath Family who was once in poverty training when I met Mr. Thornton."The judge nodded. "Master Sabbath, can you tell us about your experiences with Mr. Thornton?"Julius took a deep breath and began. "When I first met Mr. Thornton, I was still struggling to make a name for myself and was undergoing training to improve my skills. Mr. Thornton hired me despite my circumstances, which I appreciated at the time."He paused, his expression growing more serious. "However, it soon became clear that Mr. Thornton had a very abrasive personality. He was always verbally abusive to his employees, especially the male ones who
A young girl, slightly nervous but determined, approached the witness stand. She was sworn in, and after taking a deep breath, she began her testimony."Please introduce yourself to the court," the judge prompted gently."My name is Emily Thornton," she said, her voice soft but clear. "I'm 12 years old, and I'm Rebecca's first daughter."The judge nodded. "Emily, can you tell us about your experiences with Mr. Thornton?"Emily took another deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Mr. Thornton is my dad. At first, he seemed nice, but it didn't take long before he started changing. He would get really angry at my mom for little things. He would yell at her a lot, calling her names and saying really mean things."Her voice wavered slightly, but she pressed on. "One time, I heard them fighting, and I went to see what was happening. I saw him push my mom against the wall and hit her. She was crying and begging him to stop, but he wouldn't. I was really scared, and I didn't know what to do."E
As the court resumed after the recess, the judge called for order. The courtroom immediately quieted, and the judge addressed the court.“Thank you for your patience,” the judge said. “We will now call Mrs. Laura Thornton to the stand.”Laura Thornton, a composed woman in her late forties, walked to the witness stand. She was sworn in and took her seat, glancing briefly at her ex-husband before looking resolutely ahead.“Please introduce yourself to the court,” the judge prompted.“My name is Laura Thornton,” she began, her voice steady. “I was married to Mr. Thornton for three years. We have no children together.”The judge nodded. “Mrs. Thornton, please tell the court why you divorced Mr. Thornton.”Laura took a deep breath, her gaze unwavering. “I divorced Mr. Thornton because of domestic violence. For years, I endured physical and emotional abuse. Contrary to what Mr. Thornton has told everyone, that I extorted him and sex-starved him, the reality is that I lived in constant fear
---Emily, at this instance, took a deep breath, her eyes hardening as she looked at Mr. Thornton, and continued talking. “I worked for Mr. Thornton for two years. Like many others, I was drawn in by the promise of fair wages. But those wages were never paid on time. Sometimes they weren't paid at all. When we confronted him, he would dismiss our concerns, make excuses, and even threaten us with termination if we kept asking.”Her voice grew more intense. “But it wasn’t just the financial exploitation. Mr. Thornton created a hostile work environment through his constant verbal abuse. He would belittle us, call us names, and make us feel worthless. He thrived on our fear and desperation.”She paused, her expression growing darker. “And there was something even more sinister. Mr. Thornton sexually harassed me and other female employees. One day, while I was working late, he came up behind me and tried to touch my breast. I pushed him away and told him to stop, but he just laughed it off
In the early hours of the morning, this was the day every citizen had waited for, both young and old, men and women. The courtroom was filled with an air of anticipation and a sense of justice long overdue. The seats were packed with spectators, some standing in the aisles, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the proceedings.In the same manner, reporters jostled for space, their cameras clicking and flashes popping, eager to capture every moment of this high-profile trial.Reporters were both inside and outside the court. On this day, “Today is the day we have all waited for, the day Mr. Thornton stands trial for his fate, whether he will be sentenced to prison or become a free man. Do not forget that Mr. Thornton has been charged with wage theft and domestic violence against his wife, Rebecca. Will he be able to secure his freedom? We can only wait and see,” reporter Jasmine said on TV while she smiled, and the TV screen transitioned to the court proceedings.As the TV screen