In the late hours of the day when the sky was clothed with dark clouds. It was about to rain heavily like a sudden downpour catching everyone off guard. Even at a time like this, Julius did not mind stepping out of the lecture theater. His life was like a storm brewing on the horizon as he took a deep sigh and stared at the road ahead of him.
Every day, he had to resume work after lectures as he could not afford to miss his hourly pay, coupled with the fact that he had a strict boss who did not condone lateness.
Checking his broken watch like a groom who could not afford to be late for his own wedding, Julius hurried to his bicycle and jumped on it like a racer ready to take the first position. Hence, he began to aggressively pressure the pedal for the bicycle to go faster.
As the bicycle was going very fast and he could feel the air singing melodies into his ear like he was listening to a church choir singing in harmony, Julius widened his cheeks like a happy kid who was holding his best toy. “It’s her birthday today, and I will give her the Rolex wristwatch she has always asked for,” he said to himself happily.
Every day for the past six months, Julius had been saving up ten dollars from his twenty-dollar hourly wages for the gift he would give to his girlfriend on her birthday. He decided to make her the happiest lady on this day.
“She would love it so much. I can’t wait to see the smile on her face,” he thought to himself again as he expressed another smile, like a friend receiving an unexpected compliment.
Julius loved Olivia so much, and he was always doing everything that she wanted for her. It did not matter if he never bought anything for himself and all his savings was being spent on her. He took satisfaction in her smile and happiness and would do anything for her again and again.
Arriving at the store where he worked, before stepping in, Julius decided to launch the company’s app to check if any orders were waiting for him to deliver. And indeed, as he launched the app, he saw that an order was already waiting for him to deliver.
“Look, it's a pack of condoms this guy ordered," he said in shock. “What on earth does this guy need a pack of condom for?” he thought as he hurried into the store and picked the pack of condom, dressed it into a nice package, and hurried back to his bicycle outside the store.
Launching the app once again to verify the address the order came from and also to approve the order, “it's the five-star hotel near my school. Is it some student who ordered this pack of condoms?”
“Are they having a kind of sex party?” Julius' mind ran through his thoughts as if he were a detective piecing together a mysterious case.
However, according to the rules and regulations of his job, he did not own the right to judge any order, he must only deliver the order to the client who had ordered it. So, he quickly snapped out of his thoughts and climbed on his bicycle again.
Almost arriving at the hotel building, Julius decided to use the opportunity to branch at the low-budget store where all kinds of cheap items were sold, as it was boldly written in their logo, which he read at the front of the store: "Every original product you know has cheap similar ones that everybody can afford."
Entering the store, "Hey man, what can I do for you today?" asked the man behind the counter, dressed in a polo top with the same logo Julius had seen on the store wall and the store board outside.
"I want a Rolex wristwatch, sir. It is my girlfriend's birthday today, and I want to make her happy," Julius replied.
"Birthdays are my favorite day, man. I'm glad you want to give your girlfriend this beautiful piece. Did she ask for it herself?" the man asked.
"She had been asking me for a Rolex wristwatch for six months, man. I'm just happy I am able to save up to give it to her on her birthday," Julius answered excitedly.
"Great. What's your budget?" The man asked, stepping out from behind the counter to get closer to Julius. He then began to lead him to the showcases, where various types of Rolex wristwatches were displayed for buyers.
"I have $1800 here. Is there any Rolex here for that price?" said Julius, moving closer to the showcases and staring right through the glass, admiring each watch.
"For a Rolex? No, man! The least expensive Rolex here is $3650," the man said.
"But this is a budget store, and all products here are not original. How is this fake Rolex so expensive?" Julius blurted.
"My dear friend, we sell similar products to the originals. But look at this Rolex; it is as close to the original as possible. No one will be able to tell this is fake if you don't tell them," the man clarified.
"But I really do want to buy this for my girlfriend. What can you do for me, sir? You really have to help me. Today is her 18th birthday, and she deserves everything, most especially what she has always asked for."
"No problem, man. I am a man who believes in love. Pay in installments. Pay the $1800 today and pay the rest later," the man said.
***
Julius could not believe that the man really sold the Rolex watch to him on a part-payment plan, and he smiled to himself like a man who received his first salary from his first-ever job. His wishes had really come true, and all that was left for him was to give the Rolex to Olivia immediately after work.
Arriving at the hotel building was fast. At this moment, his eyes peered at the female receptionist in a suit, pressing a desktop like a computer-savvy on a hacking mission. "Hi, I am Julius, a delivery vendor. I am here to deliver a package to Mr. Alexander Reed."
As if the receptionist had already been informed about his arrival, she pointed towards the elevator in her far left corner. "Yes, Mr. Julius, Mr. Alexander has been waiting for you all along," she said with a gentle smile.
Making his way to the elevator and ascending a grand, beautiful corridor on the third floor, Julius began to hear a familiar, tiny female voice and that of a strange man's deep voice laughing and teasing each other.
"Oh! You are so naughty, Alexander. Stop staring at me with those sexy eyes of yours."
"Forgive me, queen, beautiful. I can't wait to finally let you feel me inside of you. hahaha. Should I lick your toes now?"
"This tiny voice sounds like the voice of Olivia. I guess the rumor about everyone having someone else who sounds like them is true," Julius thought to himself as he walked on gently and slowly. Hence, he continued to express that little smile on his cheek like a simple, unexpected joy.
Getting to the front of room 306, as it had been written on the address, Julius placed his hands gently on the doorbell and rang it like a friend. "Mr. Alexander Reed, it's Julius. I am here to deliver your order," Julius announced.
"Oh, Julius!" Alexander sounded from the room, and almost immediately, he opened the door.
Standing right before Julius was a half-naked man, his hair damp and his chest broad, like a mountain range rising from a misty valley.
Also right behind him on his bed, and only in a towel, was a lady with a slender frame and her dark hair, which flowed down to her shoulder.
"Olivia?" Julius expressed shock.
Julius could not believe his eyes, and it was as if he were having some kind of nightmare. However, as much as he wanted to wake up, he did not. “Is this a dream? Is this real?" he said suddenly, even more confusingly. “Of course not; this is not a dream, you moron." said Olivia as she crafted her face into an irritating stare because the presence of Julius in the hotel room already disgusted her. Immediately, his heart jumped out of his body as it began to pound heavily like African drums in the jungle. At this moment, his composure was all messed up, like a device infested with a virus. He opened his mouth for words, but nothing came out other than his jaws dropping in more shock. Again, he looked at Alexander standing before him. Seeing his naked chest again and his obvious six-packs spoke volumes, like he had been working out for this day to come, and he was ready to f**k Olivia aggressively like they were in some kind of sex competition. In the same way Julius looked at Alex
Shamelessly, Julius placed the pack of condoms on the floor as they wanted and closed the door behind him as he left the room. There was nothing he could do. He was the guy with the cute face but no strong arm like Alexander Reed. Moreover, everybody knew Alexander Reed to be the spoiled brat on campus. He easily got any lady he wanted because of his riches and also because of his broad chest and muscled arm. Even if Julius had not thought about how influential Alexander’s family was and had not blindly raised his arm into a punch on his face, he knew it was certain for him to be beaten into a pulp by Alexander while Olivia would mock him even further. “Olivia, why?” Julius unconsciously said her name again, letting out a heavy sigh as he continued to walk through the hotel grand corridor. After that, he began to reflect on how Olivia had treated him like trash. Thus, he muttered, “How can she do this to me?” Being broken like a jar that fell from a skyscraper was an understatement
The next morning, the city felt like a breath of fresh air. Puddles reflected the city lights, and the air was cool and crisp. It was indeed a welcome relief from the previous night’s heavy downpour. Hence, the streets, now washed clean, shimmered under the morning sun, creating a familiar yet rejuvenated cityscape.Julius rose from his poor mattress and got ready to visit the rightful place his father had told him to go. His father, a wealthy tycoon, had sent him to poverty training since he was ten years of age, as it was according to their family tradition. Their belief in this training was that a wealthy heir without poverty training might someday lead the family’s companies and resources into bankruptcy. For this reason, if the heir trained in poverty and embraced street orientation and smartness, he would be able to overcome all challenges, and the companies would thrive even further under his leadership.For ten years, Julius had been in poverty training without any resources f
“C’mon, Alexander, let him be. He is probably here to ask for a janitor's role at this prestigious bank. He needs to work his butt off to be able to afford this original Rolex wristwatch you bought for me. Hahaha. So, let's leave him. We have a party to attend, remember?” Olivia said as she placed her hands on Alexander’s chest and kissed his cheek after her words.Though it still hurt to see a woman he loves kissing another guy and being all lovey-dovey with him in his presence, Julius only looked aside as he made his entry into the Fortuna Elite Bank.The interior of Fortuna Elite Bank welcomed visitors with a blend of opulence and modern comfort. The polished marble floors echoed each footstep, leading to plush leather chairs arranged like islands in a sea of prestige. Soft ambient lighting created a warm atmosphere, while the air hummed with the quiet efficiency of transactions.The teller counters, gleaming like polished mahogany, stood as bastions of financial service, inviting
Hearing what the man said, Julius quickly intervened. He knew that, though Mrs. Mona was rude to him, all she did was try to protect the bank by sending out a dirty-looking scumbag like him.“No, that’s okay, Mr. Noah. Let her keep her job. She is pardoned this time,” Julius said calmly, like a master disallowing his senior student from punishing the younger one.“Oh! If that’s what you want, sir, she is pardoned, of course." The man stammered and bowed once again, like a student acknowledging his master’s wishes.“What?” Mrs. Mona thought as her eyes expressed maximum shock, like someone who had just witnessed an unexpected plot twist in a gripping movie.“This dirty-looking guy has the power to make me not lose my job? He can actually control everything here. And my boss respects him very highly. Who is this guy, actually? Who are the Sabbath family?” Multiple thoughts conquered her mind at this moment, as she remained perplexed by what she just experienced.Cutting the silence that
Serving the cup of coffee, the lady quietly walked out of the office with her heels clicking softly once again. As the lady's presence vanished from the office, Julius took his hand to the cup holder and lifted the cup toward his mouth, sipping the coffee like the perfect gentleman he was.As he was gently sipping the coffee, Mr. Noah, who had quietly left the office before, made his entrance once again, grabbing a seat on the other side of the office where Julius was perfectly seated.With his glasses perched at the tip of his nose, Mr. Noah opened a blue-binded document in his hands and, with a pen held at the tip of his finger, said, “Master Sabbath, please sign here, here, and here,” pointing at the customer’s signature inbox left blanked on the document.Seeing where he was to sign on the document, Julius accepted the document, which was stretched to him politely, and glanced through it in a few seconds. “I should sign here, right?” he asked softly, placing his finger on the docu
9 p.m. came early, like a surprise visitor showing up before Julius had a chance to get ready for its arrival. He was on his way to work when he began to receive several notifications on Twitter, like a pilot getting urgent alarms as his plane was crashing down to the ground from the highest point in the sky. Yet, it did not mean Julius opened the notification to see why he was being tagged too many times in a bit of a second.In this vein, he only saw the screen of his phone and exclaimed the total number of notifications he had in just half a second. “100 tags?” “What are they saying about me on that Twitter space?”As much as Julius wanted to open the notification and hear what and why he was being tagged, he could not. He had to get to work, if not for anything else, to show gratitude to the boss for allowing him to work for him during a quarter of the time he was in poverty training.Suddenly, Julius's phone began to buzz like bees singing at their honeycomb. Checking who the c
Finally stepping out of his building, Julius' phone began to ring again. Retrieving the phone from his pants pocket, he accepted the call immediately.“Hello, Dad." His voice sounded calm and familiar, as he knew exactly who he was speaking to.“Hello, son, I am glad you have claimed your assets. It’s time to meet me at the hotel. Mr. Turner is already on his way to pick you up,” Julius heard, and the call ended immediately.Hearing the call end, Julius smiled. “He never changed,” he muttered as he returned the phone back into his pocket and walked gently to his bicycle.Standing right next to his bicycle like a faithful companion, Julius heard the notification alert from his phone again, buzzing in like a persistent hummingbird seeking attention.At this moment, Julius peaked at the height of his curiosity, like a mountaineer reaching the summit of a long-anticipated climb. He was more than ready to launch his eyes at his phone and read every tag of his name on that Twitter space.“P