"I think you look just perfect!" Sil tugged Jim's plain suit for the very last time, with an awkward smile, greasing his face.
"You don't have to lie to me in the face!" Jim snapped back in a low tune. He lets out a nervous exhale, he wishes he could believe those words... However... He peaked at the clothes and sighed again. He had spent all his savings from his numerous jobs on this, even borrowing money from his closest friends, Sil and Dale. Yet, it could never match up to those that were worn but those rich suitors. "Karen is going to accept you. We all know that she ain't a materialistic person. Or she wouldn't be with you in the first instance." Dale shoved Sil aside and tugged his shoulders presenting the ring. "Here you go. Make us proud." Jim was about to let out another nervous nod when the sound of his rumbling stomach echoing in their ears suddenly interrupted him. He had not eaten for three days, saving up for this moment when he was going to propose to the love of his life Katherine. "Just make sure to eat when you get there! But at least leave some for the lady!" Sil yelled after Jim as he walked away, to finally get this done. He was pretty nervous. In the cab, Jim could not let out the thoughts of his beautiful Karen from his head. A sheepish smile greased his lips. Back then, when Karen still played in dust, his grandfather before his death would always call her in and feed her. They had fallen deeply in love with each other and this love had kept them going. Even at the advent of his grandfather's death, she finds her real middle-class parents and his scholarship into the same school as hers. The hate that he got from the rich and privileged of Raver's varsity was enough to pull him down but he never gave up, I mean, Karen was there and that was all that mattered Soon he would be a graduate, offered a standard, high-paying job by the school's stakeholders after successful completion of his scholarship program, get to settle down with Karen, and build that perfect family that he had always dreamt of. So lost Jim was in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that they were already there. "We are here already!" The driver scowled angrily, hissing like a deadly snake at Jim. "If you can't offer a tip as small as a dollar! Then you shouldn't be using my cab as an excuse to seek a roof over your head!" He scowled. "I was just coming down!" Replied Jim with a trace of disgust on his face. Drivers like that never liked poor-looking people like Jim who could not offer them a good tip. Jim soon forgot all about him as he stared at the magnificent building of the two-star restaurant that he was able to afford. But the high structure and perfectly glazed building still laughed at his ordinary-looking self. However, the seaside reservation that he had made was going to make up for the second-class hotel that he had gotten. The students that stormed by, mostly members of the high-class community shot mocking gazes at Jim. "What's Jim the trash can collector doing in a badly tailored wedding suit!" "Just maybe he is going to propose to a lady!" "Propose?" Another lady scoffed with spite at such words like she was going to punk. "Even a dog isn't going to accept his hand in marriage!" Being one of the places where Jim worked part-time, he was able to take a path to avoid the scrutinizing glares and reducing remarks that he was getting from the crowd of students, finally having his seat at the beautiful, crowd-free, and peaceful seaside reservation that he had made. Jim's heart raced in his ears, and so did the loud beep of the clock that seemed to grow louder. Sweat trickled down his face like a body of water. 'After almost seven years together, there should be no reason for her to say no right?' Jim thought. One minute, thirty minutes, two hours. Jim waited patiently for Katherine but she didn't seem to be forthcoming. His heart raced and ripples formed all over his skin as possibilities raced in his head. "Maybe she's just caught up with something!" Jim thought with his breath coming heavy bricks as he filed excuses for her, two hours after the time that had been agreed. The beeping of Jim's phone forced his pulse into a sudden jolt, his heart dropping to the bottom of his feet as he quickly reached out to it, with the thought that it was Karen. His eyes however fell with disappointment when it turned out to be Miss. Red, his boss, and in the wake of this disappointment, Jim snoozed his cell phone, falling asleep on his seat after another hour of waiting. Until. "Bang!" A sudden bang on the table snapped him back into the reality before him and Jim's heart froze, one thought clouding his mind that he could not even see the person before him. "Did Karen come already and meet me sleeping? Forgiving myself would be a word that would be scratched off from my dictionary forever." Jim's heartbeat raced after at the moment. Until his eyes interlocked with the blazing glare of his boss, Miss Red. Her lips tightened into a hateful glare. "So you have been wasting away here while I took out my time to call you. And without my tracker, I would never have found out that you were. Where did you brew such audacity?" Her face was as red as a tomato, filled with fury and disgust. While Jim tried to stay calm, his words broke into a sudden stammer. "I'm off work, Miss Red. And I have dinner with someone very important!" Jim tried explaining, but her face only maddened more with rage. "Someone?" Her eyes glazed around. "If it's you and your stink you are referring to, I couldn't help but agree more with you!" Her nose twisted, trying hard to control the hot angry air that hused out of her lungs. "And what do you think that I even care about a piece of garbage! We have an emergency and you are needed at work right this instant! Don't make me repeat my words! You shouldn't need someone to remind you of the consequences!" Miss Red hissed, stomping off from the place in an instant. She expected Jim to be crawling right behind her as always. But when she didn't hear any footsteps, she paused, turned, and froze, seeing Jim still sitting. He hesitated a little, his body quivering over with fright. This was the first time that he was disobeying his boss, no matter how badly she had treated him, he always obeyed her without a second thought. In the city, it wasn't so easy to get a job, especially a lot of students from other poor universities looking for part-time jobs. And throwing the one that he used to keep his body and soul together wasn't going to be such a wise decision. Jim and Miss Red's eyes interlocked. Her eyes widened with shock as the rage boiled through her skin. Jim on the other hand shivered even more. Torn between his job and his girlfriend. He couldn't leave, not when Karen was yet to arrive. "Tell me that you have gone deaf!" Her brows arched in disgust. Jim's heart ached. It was like someone was squeezing into it with a metallic hand. "I very much registered everything that you said, Miss Red. But unfortunately, I can't leave here!" Replied Jim.Mrs. Red's hands tightened into a blow and her blood was clotted with the rage that coursed throughout her body."Is this another way of telling me that you are tired of your job?You know how much you need this job! I'm going to turn around for the last time and if I don't see you, then I never want to see you again!" She glared.However before she could even get to turn, Jim re-sorted."I'm afraid I can't come regardless!" Jim held on firmly to his stance.Miss Red's face burned red with fury. Her jaws tightened as her eyes blazed into that of Jim and with hushed breaths, she cursed"Good luck getting a new job you pig!" She scowled, stomping her foot away.Jim sat, his face running over with sweat watching her walk away. He wanted to run towards her and beg her to take him back.However, that wasn't a possibility. He also had to be there for his Karen. Jim inhaled deeply."I can always find another job, but opportunities to propose to the love of my life don't come every day!" He s
With the pain still stalk up in his heart, and his eyes almost clouded by his emotions, Jim could barely register the words that were just spoken. What he couldn't believe more was the fact that Karen stood there and watched these people humiliate him. "Kneel you piece of scum! And I might just be grateful enough to let you walk on one foot!" Jaden's words came once again. This time, more furiously. Jim's eyes interlocked into theirs, his hands clutched tightly as he spat right on Jaden's face. "Kneel? Guess you are the one who's more delusional here!" Jim re-sorted, attempting to walk away. Shockwave ran through the crowd, finding Jim's action unbelievable, their lips far apart with shocks, and their hands high over their lips. Beforehand, Jim was ready to do anything for Karen. Do all her dirty work or even kneel before her even though he didn't know his offenses. But right now, it was all over. All he could do was think of how much of a fool he has been all these years.
The bright light that shunned jolted Jim back into consciousness. His face dropped at the moment with confusion."Am I supposed to be in heaven already?" His eyes rolled down from the perfectly designed high ceilings to the exquisitely tiled floors.A hologram before him. His eyes met with a man on a white apron, beaming a bright smile at him and touching his chest with a strange tool that his cloudy vision could barely make out."This wasn't exactly what I envisioned heaven to look like!" Jim spun his head around, as his vision gradually sipped back, taking note of the high ceilings and a perfectly glazed floor that he only got to see in movies."You're awake already!" The doctor's spine ran over with shock."This is... Rather incredible I must say! I guess the observants didn't see well or you are another explanation of a miracle!" The doctor shot a warm smile at him.Who could only stare at him? Blankly, without an idea of what exactly was going on around him."I wasn't also told t
"Who do you think he is?" "How do you expect me to know! But we all know who he is going against! The trafficker! Is he out of his mind?" A young man whispered to his pregnant wife right beside him.There was someone who was standing in the crowd. Clinton is one of the highest ranking people in Ravers University by wealth from the southern campus.Though Jim was from the east campus, news about the garbage collector had already spread all over. Giving him a reputation that he didn't even realize existed."Maybe that's his wretched sister of course! I won't be surprised!"The crowd shifted their attention to this new voice. He was extravagantly dressed in his designer's suit and the excessive amount of Jews laced his body in a failed attempt to make up for his not-so-handsome look."And who are you?" A member of the crowd was forced to inquire, disgusted by the growing amount of Clinton's pride and intimidating voice."Clinton Clave! I'm sure that I don't have to tell you much about t
"Mr. C Clave! Is there a problem? Your cough doesn't sound too right?" Said Mr. Jail with his voice pitching to a mocking tune.Clinton wouldn't dare to respond to these words. He stared at the crowd that was still praising him and back at Linda who was still smiling.at him.Multiple possibilities raced through his head. The amount in his account was way less than that. But he could not tell the crowd that he didn't have such an amount of money. Not after everything. The large lump that he had swallowed was stuck down his throat.But quickly, he braised himself up, cleaning off the sweat before anyone in the crowd or the beautiful damsel would notice anything."Fifty thousand dollars! That was what you think is too much for me to afford?" Clinton scoffed.His shirt was all sweaty for no reason once again no matter the control he tried to pull. The only thing that he could do now was use his family account and face the wrath of his father when he got home.With a large lump going down
They were still stunned, thinking that they had been stuck in some sort of dream world.It was beyond what they could dare to imagine. The best candidate, Clinton, wasn't able to pay the Jailer. Not even Miss Linda.But it turned out to be him? Jim?Mr. Jail kept on refreshing the machine, not wanting to believe his eyes.He had never had anyone taking away a potential client in the past and it was not going to start happening now.Not especially from this sort of worthless person."If you aim to break the machine, you can by all means continue. Cause I have already been debited!" These words from Jim together with the screen of his debit receipt finally made him stop his acts.He sneered at them, his hands clenched with the raging effect that caused his blood to boil as he stared at the young girl who was still on the floor.He felt hopeless with nothing he could do about this situation."How's this even possible? I think that this is some sort of scam! It should be investigated pro
The feud between KK co-operation, the company that controlled almost ten percent of the city's wealth, and Linda's company, widely known as the Heretics to most people in the city, was known to most people in the city.The KK has always hated the Heretics, fighting with them since anyone could remember the city was even built.But their fight has always been business wars until recently. The current head of the KK was known for his ruthless nature, pulling anyone from his path to achieve his aims, no matter who and how many persons got hurt in the process.And with Linda now the heiress of the Heretics family, his hatred has only grown into full-blown rage.One that even Linda was having failed attempts trying to escape from. Unless there was a heavenly intervention for her, her end was going to be tragic."The highest bidder gets the land and the contract company construction too!" Jim who was already browsing through the web noted.With the information that he had gotten about the d
"Don't worry sir. We will get him off from the way even before you realize that he was there" The people who had once treated him like he was some sort of trash now revered him, showering him with so much respect at the sight of the cash."You know what Mr. Lawson is going to do if he finds out about what's happening here right?" Jude continued to shrink backward his steps and the earth shuddered right under his feet from his fright.However, his words compared to the amount of money that they were going to get from this were going to do nothing to stop them.They launched at him, some by his arms and others by his legs, beating him up thoroughly.He yelled but no one was going to help him now.He stared at Jim with the fright of a little child causing him to tremble. So weak that he could not even bear too little pain."Please forgive me! I promise that I'm not going to tell you! Or do anything stupid. You can see him now!" The guard easily checked out while Jim still kept his face h