《A TRAIN RIDE HOME》 Prologue I yawn aloud, looking at the space between the door and panel; mulling over the assignment I must face in the day ahead. Meanwhile, everyone on the train is staring at their phones. There is some yawning back too. Fresh like a doughnut out of the oven this summer morning, Eden walks in. As the sunlight pierces the clouds like a spear and gently lands on the train floor, a plethora of people start to fill the space. Walking in with earphones on, a lady steps in. With shades, a brand hand-carry and a bubble tea takeaway, she glances around quickly. I try to figure out which bubble tea brewery she is a customer of. The takeaway bag has a zebra logo on it. She notices me as soon as I glimpse at her bubble tea. I straighten up, look forward and pretend to use my smartphone. I was boiling before stepping into the cooled air of the transport, it is really an engineering marvel. Looking up, it is an unfamiliar train. The public transport company must have upgraded their technology, I grin silently to myself. As cool as a flamingo, Eden glances away. Noticing the other passengers and the beautiful scenery of the dark tunnel we are passing through. Within the darkness, there is no abyss. only dim lights. Countable, what seemed like went on forever, adorned the walls and ceilings. This artificial living environment exists in a universe of its own. Commuters use the system without much thought or financial pain. It is a seamlessly interwoven organism in its very own right. Carefully calibrated blinking lights illuminate the pathway towards the world. There, lights are abundant, and the air is even crispier than inside these cosy cabins. Squinting at the new board on the train, I suddenly come to realise this is for tourists. I could not help but pout, this is a necessary "evil" after all. While pretending to browse my phone, I stumble upon a new short film announcement by my favourite director. From the app, it is slated to release roughly five weeks from now. I cannot wait! Ken shook with excitement, temporarily forgetting about the upcoming assignment. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Eden leans on the side door handle, takes a deep breath and exhales, creating an uneven shape of condensation on the train door. He feels his neatly pressed maroon shirt and straightens his collar. Eden knew deep within; the time has come. He stretches into his pocket and fishes out a black smartphone, his trusty spare. Checking the order of events is in order, he looks at his calendar for the fifth time today. Eden reloads to the homepage and taps on the email icon. The draft is ready. I tiptoe to clench the overhanging handlebar as I take a glimpse at my smartwatch. Breakfast is close. Staring at her reflection in the glass, I notice Ken once again. He is letting out the brightest smile I have seen from anyone this week. I could not help but smile back. Meanwhile, Ken is engrossed in his app. A techno-ripple chime rings the cabin awake. Ken looks over to Eden, who swiftly silences his phone. Beads of sweat drip down from his forehead as he taps accept. "Mr Eden, your bouquet is ready at the venue, Sir. As a gentle reminder, the location can only be held for eight hours from the allocated time. Thank you for trusting our service and we wish you a wonderful day ahead." With his laptop briefcase on the other hand and his trusty black smartphone; Eden nods yes. He ends the call on the spot. Later, he stares at the call record blankly. "Next stop Pineberry station." The soothing voice reverberates throughout the cabins. Eden looks at the email to check everything is in place. It is ready. With gusto, he presses down hard on send. Ken perks up from the overhead announcement. It is his stop. He gradually recalibrates to the present moment and sterns himself for the important day ahead. He massages his collar and flattens his tie. The train doors flush open and a wave of searing heat flows through. Ken strides into a familiar station and briskly makes his way towards an unknown destination. Tapping around my watch, I send a message with an emoji to my closest male friend, who also happens to be my crush. It seems finicky from the outside. Despite that, it handled the task with ease. The crisp cool air meets the summer breeze; bringing it rapidly towards room temperature. From my point-of-view, opposite the train is a basil Korean social app being advertised. Eden observes the scenery afar. It is a beautiful sight today. The train doors close off the sweltering heat wave. I see Ken''s silhouette grow smaller with each second. Without even a glimpse of the signboards, Ken saunters forward towards his office. He wanted to be early. Checking his smartphone, Eden starts to estimate the timings. Chapter 1: The Incident "We are sorry to interrupt our regular service. One of our engineers is discovering an anomaly on the train tracks. Please be patient and remain calm, we are investigating." The digital signboard in the station immediately turns a deep red for our line. The people around me are unperturbed. A baby starts to cry towards the left beyond our cabins. "We interrupt this broadcast; our engineers are discovering an anomaly on the train tracks. Please be patient and remain calm, we are investigating." A team of engineers marches on towards the tracks. "We have discovered a fault in the upcoming stations." From my view, I cannot see what is going on. But I knew we were in good hands. Charlotte locates the closest physical train map. Taking a while, she scours the map meticulously. Then she fishes out her smartphone to check social media for official announcements. Connecting the information, she triangulates to find out where the fault lies. With her wit and knowledge, she is able to pinpoint almost the exact point with ease. "I think Green Bank is where the fault lies" she said her thoughts aloud, pointing at the map. Murmurs could be heard from around. Eden looks over at Charlotte; tilting his head quizzically. Brushing his hair along his fingers, Eden taps on YouTube and starts watching a finance video. One of the many in his subscription list. "The 50-30-20 rule is the most important rule you must take note of when saving for retirement¡­" The soft sound leaks out from his smartphone. Eden hurriedly taps pause and rummages through his pockets for his Bluetooth earphones. Click! The earphones glide across the floor. Charlotte cranes her neck. A shiny indigo case with flashing lights is tucked beneath a passenger that is fast asleep. Half the size of a wallet, the case fidgets from left to right, and right to left; following the rhythms of the transport. I sheepishly glance around. The other passengers notice too. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Ahem excuse me!" Charlotte lets off a huge sigh before proceeding to tap on the shoulder of the tired gentleman. "Is it my stop?" he answers groggily. "Yes, it is!" Charlotte uttered as she hastily bends down to pick up the device. The gentleman, still half awake, dashes for the exit. Coming to his senses only when the doors have close behind him. "Wha? I totally did not mean to do that." I am stunned as the gentleman makes his way out of the doors. I hesitate for a while with trembling hands before returning the earphones to their rightful owner. "Thank you¡­" Eden furrows his eyebrows as he struggles to find words. The gentleman whips out his phone and promptly sent a text. Charlotte is glued to the transparent doors. "Hey, did you see that?" "Yeah, I did. I thought my eyes fooled me" "Next station-," the overhead announcement silences the whispers temporarily. My hands turn a dull blue as I glance between my phone and the train board. "I really hope he is fine" confessing silently in my heart. The exits open with a roar and a gust of icy cold wind. My legs are shaking as they step into an unfamiliar station. "I can fix this." Charlotte convinces herself. I almost wanted to take a sip of my bubble tea. From my periphery, there is not a single soul waiting on the chairs or going up the escalators. The screen flashed a bright eleven minutes to the next arrival. Stamping back and forth, I started coming up with good apologies for the gentleman. "Hopefully I did not affect his day¡­,", biting my lips. My words echo in the station. The silence is deafening, as I stare into the distance in the station. Eden inspects his case closely. "Eden?" a voice emerges from behind me. I was caught aback. It turns out to be my university friend. "It really is you! What''s up!" "A bit, what about yourself?" "Things are going quite smoothly, I''m on my second assignment since joining the company. There are prospects of an overseas project soon even. It''s exciting times." "That''s really cool! Congratulations!" I extend my hand out. "So I''m guessing India or Australia?" "Wa? How did you know?" "Just a random guess. I heard some news from people in the industry." "Hmm¡­" "So this project will likely take a few years." "Yes, but I''ll be back once or more every year." "That''s great, I hope you enjoy the journey. I''ll miss seeing you around friend. By the way, I have a new music playlist to share." The doors open, and I step out into the humid summer, heading towards my next destination. "3 minutes.", the overhead announcement signals. Charlotte stares down at her smartphone once more. About to miss both breakfast and work, I steel my resolve and bit the bullet. I am not moving one centimeter from this point until I meet the gentleman. The slick shiny train thunders down the tracks as the signboard turns to arrive. I am rooted to the ground, the silhouettes on the train passing faster than a maglev. The transparent doors tower over me, as I still try my best to make out where the gentleman is. As the train crawls to a standstill, I start to inspect the cabins more closely. As a precaution, I even planned to step into the cabin for a brief moment to check, in case the gentleman did not get out of the transport. Numerous passengers stream out from every door. I am taken aback as this is not a popular stop. I brush my way onto the train and peer closely at the lone escalator at the station. Whilst taking charge of the people in the cabins. Making sure that I do not mis-account for even a single human. I slow down and take my time to observe. My heart is on fire. Chapter 2: Flashback "As you can see here, we use this formula to calculate the centre of gravity and ensure the building''s integrity." my superior, Penny informed me. "We also account for heat expansion and weight theory using complex numbers," added Sheryl. "Yes, I will do up the 3D designs and submit them for approval after running through the calculations," Eden replies confidently. Deep into my fourth year at DEC Architects (Den''s Engineering Construction Architects), I am finally seeing the fruits of my labour. "With these plans, the town will be transformed and people''s lives will get better." Eden hopes silently in his heart. "Let''s go to the new Japanese ramen restaurant in town! It''s my treat." "Someone has grown up." "I will order everything that they have on the menu" "And I''ll order lobster with mine, hehe." Bright smiles and laughter fills the usually cold and silent room. Everyone has worked extremely hard to get to this point. Now only the construction stands between us and our dream. Clutching my pocket notebook, I pen down my thoughts using a pencil I took from a store. My shoelaces seemingly became untied. I flashed a look of disgust to my closest colleague before bending down to tie them. "I''ll be over in a second" I shouted across the road. My brown faux leather dress shoes are new and glossy. They exude a sharp confidence and a slight tint. I hastily adjust my black socks at the same time. As I was bending down to tie my shoes, I could see a cobbler in the corner of my eye. The elderly gentleman is about fifty. And he seems down from what I can tell. With the sails on my shoes, I promptly walk up to him and strike up a conversation. "Hope you''re having a good day, Sir! I would like to have my shoes shined please." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The gentleman took one look at my shoes and stares blankly. Pointing to the pristine condition the shoes were in, the gentleman tried to speak but no words came out. After pausing for a second, the gentleman repeated his practice lines: "Welcome and no problem, Sir, I will have your shoes shining like the sun in no time at all.". "Since these are expensive shoes, I do expect the bill to be higher." "Yes Sir, for your shoes, about seventy-five dollars seem appropriate" "Okay that seems a bit rough, can you do better?" "How about sixty-five?" "Lower before I walk away." "OK, fifty-five is my final price" I furrow my eyebrows and hand over the money anyway. The gentleman never noticed my smile as he kept the money. He took out his tools and got to work. I sit down on the elevated chair and glance into the sea of people around me. A school of conformed compatriots strolled by, and raucous laughter and poking ensues from within. Another group passed by, discussing technical and challenging work issues. In between them all were lone warriors who were bent on getting the best seats for their precious mealtime. I shifted the shoe stand to the admittedly handsome customer and readied my shoe polish and cloth. I was not exactly sure why he chose to come to me but I cannot say no to easy money. Maybe I can find out his motivations later on, I thought to myself; all this while wearing a poker face. Eden continues the conversation and went on about what he was doing and accomplishing for the next thirty minutes. He was completely oblivious to the lunchtime limit. The snaking queues at the cafeteria were lining all the way to the entrances of the eatery. Being the tallest one in the group, I have a bird''s eye view of the entire topography. In this maze of people, I crane my neck and look ahead. I manage to spot two distinct seats which are apart. It''s the usual lunchtime crowd in a city center after all. I grimace and bit my lips but to no avail. Crows from afar croak at the dawn of midday, it is but a sobering reminder of the overflowing cities that we find ourselves in. In many cases, it is no one''s fault while the situation remains precarious and fragile. After all, resources are limited. And the competition is intense. After all that is said and done, we built upwards, towards ever-high skyscrapers that scrap the edge of the atmosphere. In other cities, we build on artificial land, towards ever-increasing levels of prosperity and progress. Eden rejoins the group. "In the midst of all this rapid change is the average joe like you and me, ", I turned to a colleague and explained. "it is a privilege to see such rapid changes for the better. But at the same time the cost-of-living skyrockets as a result of a much better quality of life. A trade off that is. But money does not grow on trees. Therefore, tough sacrifices have to be made." "I would say it is harder for people starting right at the bottom. After all, you cannot get around higher numbers. Unless¡­" "Unless?" "Oh, I don''t know..." I cut my sentence short and turn my face to dodge his glance. "Oh! There are empty seats there, let''s go." I pointed as I usher my colleague towards the north. Chapter 3: First job It is Ken''s first day. The adrenaline from my heart sends a shiver down my spine. I felt excited and scared at the same time. I knew this is going to be good for me. I alight at my new home station; one I am going to spend most mornings for the next three years and counting. The station is lightly lit, with elaborate paintings spread across the walls. An isolated art installation hangs in the middle of the station. The escalators produce a familiar and comforting whirring sound as it speeds up commuters towards the upper floors. The seats are sparse yet empty. Perhaps because it is the early morning and this is an office area. The floor is a granite pink and shining, and squared turquoise boxes decorate them. Various signs gave crucial directions. A few doors near the ends are reserved for staff. Meanwhile, the doors at both ends leading to the tracks are locked shut. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The station is frozen over. The air conditioners are as noisy as construction going on. As we enter the station we become foodstuff in a freezer, but as we exit them, we are under a glaring relentless sun. I straighten my jacket and pulled my clothes sleeves. I want to ensure that I give off a good first impression. My shoelaces are neatly tucked and my hair is combed back. I tap my train card on the perennial terminal with routine swiftness; feeling cool and graceful. I want to maintain this mindset going into my first job in years so that I can get good reviews for fast promotions. I smile to myself; my happiness is infectious. Chapter 4: Lunch Eden munches on the morsels of noodles from his favourite food stall. The business is brisk, with many returning customers whose stomachs are all growling from half a day''s work. His slurping can even be considered alluring to some, as his good appetite is infectious. Edward his closest and tallest colleague has already finished his meal and is browsing social media. Meanwhile, the oncoming crowds of people continued well into two o''clock. There is no jostling but a peaceful and efficient system of queuing. Everyone at the cafeteria exercises their patience and courtesy, but all is fair in the war when it comes to seating. It is first-come first-serve. I wolf down the noodles in my bowl and polish off the remaining soup. I was famished just fifteen minutes ago but now I was as bloated as a balloon. Eden gazes at Edward''s screen curiously. But Edward wanted to know more and continues the topic from before. "So, Eden, what is the big solution? How do we get around the higher cost of living? As you know, everyone around me, my friends, relatives, even my richer acquaintances are all struggling somewhat." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Eden glances at Edward for a moment and pauses. He then unhurriedly addresses the topic skilfully. "Well, there are a lot of things we can do about the cost-of-living crisis. For one, we can reduce our consumption of products and services and limit ourselves to a modest lifestyle. Second, we can switch jobs and demand higher income from our next employer. Third, we can upgrade our skills and qualifications to be more valuable to employers. And lastly, we can choose to work smarter to accomplish more and get more done while at work." Eden lists the solutions off the top of his head as if they are common sense. After a long pause, before Edward has a chance to reply, I added: "Oh and we can also leverage technology to increase our productivity too!" "That is music to my ears! That is one of the key reasons the panel decided to hire you among the hundreds of other qualified candidates years ago. Great job." Edward praises me unassumingly while slapping my back. Satisfied with my answer and deciding to probe no further, Edward carefully cleans up the area around him and takes his tray to the nearby receptacles. "I''ll be in the toilet," he states while standing up. "Meet you at the usual place after my smoke break." "Sure, have a good one!" I beamed back. Chapter 5: The Meeting Ken enters a meeting room drained of colour. He pulls out the rickety swivel chair and replaces it with one from the neatly stacked rows at the corner. Then he gently puts down his leather sling bag on the carpeted floor. Taking a few moments to run through the details of the project in his head; he closes his eyes and ''meditates'' for a few seconds. Then he removes his work laptop from his bag and takes out his earphones. The pair of items make a satisfying ruffle as they are being pulled out. The earphones are cheap, but ironically with a good mic and sound quality. Ken feels the earpiece slot on his laptop and proceeds to plug in the jack comfortably. As he starts to feel cosy, Ken stands up and reaches for the remote control at the centre of the giant meeting table. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. After adjusting the temperature until the room feels like the artic, Ken fishes out his charger from the same bag. There are two rows of outlets sitting in front of him, albeit beneath similar rows of flaps. He sits alone in a meeting room meant for fifteen. Ken takes the time to make sure the background is clear before booting up the virtual meeting software. He pulls out his smartphone to check his work calendar. Oddly enough, the participants are only himself and the potential new intern. The major project is not due until two and a half weeks from now. He heaves a sigh of relief and puts his hands in his pockets; readying himself for the meeting ahead. Chapter 6: Documents Edward slips a document on my desk. Now there is trouble, I thought. "I need you to review this financier by the end of the day. If impossible, by the end of this week," he instructs. It was Thursday at six-thirty pm. And most desks are already vacant. I groaned in protest but I knew there is no way around it. I might have to burn my weekends to get this assignment completed. I stand up from my desk to stretch and picked up my phone from the desk to order coffee. I figured in order to not burn my weekends; I will just work through tonight and tomorrow. Luckily there are beanbags in the leisure room just one-floor downstairs. This can work, I thought optimistically. Edward pushes the glass doors and heads home without an inch of guilt. He has already done his part after all. He is unusually cold about work matters and particularly strict when it comes to performance. He knew we needed to earn our keep in order to keep the air-conditioners running. Once Edward is out of sight, I swiftly rest my face on the cold wooden desk. The office is an open-concept workspace with no privacy whatsoever. Anyone can and do look at what we are up to just by standing up and walking around. There is no one in my immediate periphery, when suddenly- Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Hey, you''re enjoying yourself, huh!" the high-pitched voice of my manager emerges from beside me. I got jolted awake from my brief slumber and almost fell out of my chair. When I turn my face to face him, it just turns out to be Ashley. She was mimicking his voice. Despite being the director of communications, Ashley is so very friendly to all of the workers regardless of their position. It is a great breath of fresh air in a usually quiet and orthodox office. Still, I will not want to overstep her kindness. I instantly apologise for my lack of attention and promise to resume my work without delay. "I will take half of that assignment," she states honestly. "we will finish it together before the weekends arrive." This is just one out of a list of reasons why Ashley is so popular among our rank-and-file. She is considerate of our individual workload and well-being. Voicing out against the unfair treatment we receive in the boardroom is a common routine for her. She is our knight in armour. I pretended to decline her generous offer by saying no, while knowing she will insist on taking on the assignment. I glance up to look at her, she is all smiles. Sure enough, Ashley argues for taking on the assignment in addition to the workload that she faces. I handed her the second half of the stack of documents. They are harder to complete. Ashley thanks me and skips away. I massage my temple and adjust my round glasses. The remaining week will be hell. Chapter 7: The Result Ken closes his laptop after waving goodbye. It was a great meeting. However, he is not sure if the potential new hire would fit the role of a intern. I gradually remove my spectacles and twist my head to the left and right. Then I took off my earpieces and stand up to stretch. The meeting overshot by at least fifteen minutes. And after the fact that I have carefully budgeted forty-five minutes for it. It is a careless slip up that I must not repeat. After all, time is money and money equals opportunity. I close the door gently behind me and head off to the coffee machine at the pantry. I am having trouble keeping my eyes open after that intense meeting. It was not suppose to be so but it took a direction that I did not quite expect. The interviewee is quite skilled to say the least. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He is very adept at justifying why he is suitable for our internship position. Meanwhile, I thought that his skills will be much better suited elsewhere. But who knows, maybe having a talented recruit that is bubbly and cheerful will do wonders for this office. I step into a colourful room. The pantry is well-furnished, with exotic snacks from every continent. The usually popular items like bananas and bags of nuts are already refilled. I look at my watch, it is half past ten. Wasting no time, I grab the coffee from the free dispenser and make my way to the standing desk. There, my colleagues are eagerly awaiting me. Chapter 8: Midnight I roll flat onto the ground when I was lying on the beanbags before. I snuggle my head on the beanbags, trying to make myself comfortable. The room has monotone turquoise stripes flowing through it. A cheap ''chandelier'' hangs from the ceiling. Besides the beanbags, there are also whiteboards and a movie projector. In the corner are also tables that can be set up for pizza or to play board games on. Alast, I am the only camper out here tonight. The other people, whom I also consider my colleagues, have already left the building. Leaving it deserted and quiet. I turn to look at the painting on the right. It is a Victorian-era depiction of class battles. It is fantastic. Now if only my assignment can be the same. I sit upright and twiddle my pen. The stack of documents sit alone beside the beanbags. Struggling to keep my eyes open, i groggily grabbed a piece from the pile and studied it. Apparently we are suppose to research on this financier who is going to support the construction project. Normally this task will be left to the finance departments in big companies. But because we are a small outlet right of out downtown, I guess we have to do administrative duties like these ourselves too. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I look at the crinkly face on the document. A old maybe late sixties man stared back at me. The man''s profile is stated clearly in the following paragraphs, along with his company and their industry. All of the rest of the miscellaneous information follows. "Man, this is such a burden to complete. What is one department''s job should stay as such!" I grimace, throwing a pillow to the other side of the room. "If only I can split the assignment down to a quarter of the original length! I will be done by the end of this week." My complaining echoes in the cosy room while it dies after traveling a distance. What''s more there is the traveling distance that is the problem here. I have to get ready to travel down to their offices early tomorrow morning in order to audit some of their operations. There is so little time left yet so much to do. I spread out the papers on the floor and analyse each one with intense focus. Besides the first page, the rest are just text strewn across pages. It read like a court document written by a lawyer. I flip the documents around as I read them as they are double-sided. The ink from the documents do not smudge despite being fresh out of press, because they are printed from a laser printer. Another of the paper fly away due to the high wind from the air conditioners. I groan as it flys away but to no avail. I was too cosy in my current position to move. I decide to leave the paper alone until I needed it later on. Chapter 9: Unravelling I found myself drooling on the morning of Friday. The beanbags have decompressed to half its original size. My papers are messily strewn across the floor now. With some on top of others, they are no longer in order. The door exiting the leisure room remains tightly shut. There is no clock in the room so I check my smartphone for the time. It is six-thirty am. My appointment is at eight. I roll open up the grey curtains and look out into the greenery filled backdrop of the cityscape. There the opaque and reflective buildings are dark before the sun rises. A few cars are seen on the roads. The traffic lights churn on as usual. A group of early risers crosses the road across my building. A garbage truck sweeps through and cleans the streets of litter. Most if not all the stores on the ground floor is shut. The stars still twinkle at this time of the day; with the moon nowhere to be found. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! I let out a huge yawn before getting up to stretch my legs which are still asleep. The air conditioner whirring noisily can be heard concentrating in the room. Just on time, I thought. My phone alarm rings just ten minutes later. The alleyway is as cold as the leisure room. Long and unlit, it leads to cubicles that are unblocked. The floor is a carpeted bright yellow. And the walls are made of a durable plastic mould made from 3D printing. The file cabinets that line the walls contains important documentations on previous clients and projects. The desks are filled up to the brim with paperwork; indicating the company has a long backlog of work to be completed and is in good financial shape. Some desks have mini lamps, cartoon dehumidifiers and even mini bars filled with snacks and drinks. My favourite one is the Final Fantasy XIII mini bar that belongs to a avid colleague situated at the rightmost of the office. Since the fridges are not locked, I sneakily grabbed a cold cola from the nearest one. Hopefully, they will not notice. Chapter 11: The Road Creak! Eden closes the car door shut with force. Alright, now I need to get this over and done with. I check my mirrors and ensure my water bottle is filled before moving off. My trusty pair of blue sunglasses sit pretty atop piles of insurance letters in the storage unit. My rugged yet portable golden phone charger is right inside below the knobs compartment. My pen and tie are stuffed in the drink holders next to the handbrake. At the side door compartment holds my important health documents and my tickets to the theme park this weekend. Where are my work documents? Well, they are inside a yellow envelope folder in the passenger seats. I put my hands together and pray silently that my day will go according to plan. It is of utmost priority that nothing goes wrong today. And if it did, there is no plan B. I readily start the engine and confidently pull down the handbrake. But before I drive off, I have to ensure that my windows are clean. And after that was done, I check my key indicators on the car dashboard. My sequence may be wrong to most car drivers but they work well for me. As I turn onto the main road, I pass by Charlotte at the sidewalk. She is early, walking comfortably nimbly towards her office. The traffic lights is good today as I pass by five traffic junctions without a second of waiting. There is no gridlock on the roads either. I drive smoothly and turn into the major highway. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. There, I enable my autopilot mode on my touchscreen and sit back to rest and relax. I knew the dangers and cost of doing such a experimental thing. But I have done it many times over without issues and there are no reasons today will not be the same, I thought presumptively to myself. I switch off the music and put on a Audiobook to listen on this long commute. After all, I have over an hour to burn and there is nothing else to do; less I did something risky that would put me in danger like playing a game on the touchscreen or use my phone. "The Habit Wheel Chapter 2: Beginning a habit is easy but sustaining it is not. Some tips scientific studies have proven are..." I listen intentively to the audio while monitoring the traffic in front of me. While on autopilot, I also check the mirrors occasionally but they are not a priority to me. I like to live dangerously. The traffic on the highways is light and easygoing. The electronic road signages on the board all flash a green normal. I drive into a undersea tunnel that stretches for five kilometres. I did that to partly get away from the sun. I breath deeply and fill my lungs with artificially generated air. It is ice cold and I am reinvigorated by it. A cloud of condensation form in front of my face and blurs my vision. Screech!!! The amazon green car on my left derails from the first lane and wonders the roads aimlessly. The car then crashes hard into the centre divider. The driver haphazardly walks out of the car unscath. Boom! The car immediately went up in flames and the vehicle right behind it did not anticipate it in time and cannot dodge it. The driver turns a hard right and blocks off the rest of the three lane road. The asphalt melts in the heat of the flames as the first driver regains consciousness and tries to get the second driver out of harm''s way. The smell of metal burning and dull petroleum leaks into the air. Chapter 11: The Road Creak! Eden closes the car door shut with force. Alright, now I need to get this over and done with. I check my mirrors and ensure my water bottle is filled before moving off. My trusty pair of blue sunglasses sit pretty atop piles of insurance letters in the storage unit. My rugged yet portable golden phone charger is right inside below the knobs compartment. My pen and tie are stuffed in the drink holders next to the handbrake. At the side door compartment holds my important health documents and my tickets to the theme park this weekend. Where are my work documents? Well, they are inside a yellow envelope folder in the passenger seats. I put my hands together and pray silently that my day will go according to plan. It is of utmost priority that nothing goes wrong today. And if it did, there is no plan B. I readily start the engine and confidently pull down the handbrake. But before I drive off, I have to ensure that my windows are clean. And after that was done, I check my key indicators on the car dashboard. My sequence may be wrong to most car drivers but they work well for me. As I turn onto the main road, I pass by Charlotte at the sidewalk. She is early, walking comfortably nimbly towards her office. The traffic lights is good today as I pass by five traffic junctions without a second of waiting. There is no gridlock on the roads either. I drive smoothly and turn into the major highway. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. There, I enable my autopilot mode on my touchscreen and sit back to rest and relax. I knew the dangers and cost of doing such a experimental thing. But I have done it many times over without issues and there are no reasons today will not be the same, I thought presumptively to myself. I switch off the music and put on a Audiobook to listen on this long commute. After all, I have over an hour to burn and there is nothing else to do; less I did something risky that would put me in danger like playing a game on the touchscreen or use my phone. "The Habit Wheel Chapter 2: Beginning a habit is easy but sustaining it is not. Some tips scientific studies have proven are..." I listen intentively to the audio while monitoring the traffic in front of me. While on autopilot, I also check the mirrors occasionally but they are not a priority to me. I like to live dangerously. The traffic on the highways is light and easygoing. The electronic road signages on the board all flash a green normal. I drive into a undersea tunnel that stretches for five kilometres. I did that to partly get away from the sun. I breath deeply and fill my lungs with artificially generated air. It is ice cold and I am reinvigorated by it. A cloud of condensation form in front of my face and blurs my vision. Screech!!! The amazon green car on my left derails from the first lane and wonders the roads aimlessly. The car then crashes hard into the centre divider. The driver haphazardly walks out of the car unscath. Boom! The car immediately went up in flames and the vehicle right behind it did not anticipate it in time and cannot dodge it. The driver turns a hard right and blocks off the rest of the three lane road. The asphalt melts in the heat of the flames as the first driver regains consciousness and tries to get the second driver out of harm''s way. The smell of metal burning and dull petroleum leaks into the air. Chapter 12: Aftermath I witness all this while on the edge of my seat. My mouth is hanging wide agape now. The accident leads to a buildup of traffic that once just blocks off one lane, to causing one of the biggest traffic jams of the week. From my periphery at least, the two drivers are relatively unscathed. But I cannot be sure of the safety of the other drivers and passengers, who might collide with the accident. The ruthless burning flames spread to the second car but it does not explode immediately. Then someone hits the front car with force from far behind. Drivers of all sorts come out of their cars to argue and horn. It is utter chaos. Had I been on the left lane, I will not be alive now. It is a miracle and a blessing in disguise that I turn on autopilot because I normally drive on the leftmost lane due to my slow speed. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I turn back to face the incident scene, it is growing smaller and smaller by the second. Yet the flames and smoke fills the sky around it. Autopilot huh, I thought. It actually saved my life. My mundane early morning turned into being straight out of a movie scene. I am not pleased, as I hated surprises with a passion. I take the wheel manually now as I was shaken by the accident. I reach the second last exit of the highway, where my destination is. But first I have to address my growling tummy. I went into the nearest fast food chain, which happens to be a Burger King. In this world, Burger King is pleasantly good and surprisingly delicious. I drive into a long queue of early breakfast patrons and eagerly wait for my turn. The sumptuous smell of Burger King breakfast bagels and pancakes fills the air. I almost drool in anticipation of the food. It smells absolutely fantastic. The signboards on the front of the chain is brightly lit and colourfully displayed. Chapter 13: Crown The drive-through of the Burger King is windowless and tight. There is no bright lights flashing and just a small ash black speaker separating me and my server. A small camera the size of an orange sits atop of it. Then, a distorted voice sounds through that gradually turns pleasant. ¡°Good morning Sir! Welcome to Burger King! We have our breakfast promotions this morning, which includes hash browns and spicy bacon. May I have your order please?¡± the voice spoke. The lady on the other side of the speaker spoke highly of their services and even tries to up-sell me on their meals. Even when I insisted on just ordering ala-carte. I wanted to have a small bite as I cannot eat much in the morning. My acid reflex acts up sometimes and I feel full in the very early mornings. Nevertheless, I eventually manage to get what I came for. A regular cheeseburger without ketchup. I had gotten a lot of flak for not including ketchup in my burgers as a special order over the years. And usually I will just succumb to peer pressure and order it the way it is anyway. But today I am alone and therefore I can have it my way. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The lady beckons me to wait for my turn patiently as several of the orders in front are large orders. I appreciate her honesty and tell her that I am fine with waiting. But truly I may be late for my appointment at eight am. I look down at my smartphone, it is seven-thirty. Cutting it close once again. I never change, I thought to myself. I open the storage unit where my wallet is sitting nearly empty. I grab the remaining one dollar notes and empty out the coins. It is just barely enough for the small tiny pathetic burger. But I am delighted. It is just what I needed. After waiting in line for about fifteen minutes I grew tired of the wait. Then, my smartphone rings unexpectedly- ¡°Is this Eden? Have you reach the location? We are eagerly awaiting your results. You know this will likely make or break the project. Be very careful when auditing the financier.¡± I answer with calm assurance that I will do my job properly. It is Ashley on the other end of the call. Unlike her usual jovial character, she has an extremely serious tone. This must go through no matter what without a hitch, I thought. The car in front of me makes his way off and I turn to the counter. There, my server hands me the bag with my cheeseburger in it alongside packets of ketchup. Chapter 14: Arrival I feel a chill in my heart as I step out into the cool spring breeze. The sky is an azure blue. The dandelions on the side of the roads are in the air. The sunflowers are in full bloom as the sunlight touches them gently. Once a space devoid of light is now replaced with a sunshine of brightness. The sun consumes everything in its sight and connects with the clouds. Nearby, a woodpecker is busy chipping away at the trees. Seagulls are flying low. This time they are silent. The asphalt below my feet feels refreshing and solid. Just like my assignment today will be. The audit will go as smoothly as a mango milkshake. I grab my documents from the side-door and do one final check on their validity. It is perfect. With the winds on my stride, I lock my car and made my way to the front door. Along the way, I pass by a carpark that is nothing to sneeze about and a massive building the size of a large multinational corporation. Hundreds of people stroll by me as I cross the road into the area. This is it, I thought. This is everything we have worked for the past four years. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The culmination of all our late nights, sweat, tears, joy, happiness, sadness, celebration and fulfilment. This is it. I walk by the carpark where several of the owners are putting up parking coupons and a traffic attendant was attending to the meters. The trees in between the parked spaces are swaying from left to right, they are in full bloom. Cherry red flowers sit pretty atop of them, looking down at us mere mortals with delight. The ground is clear of any rubbish whatsoever. It is as clean as a typical street in Japan, which is atypical of the area here. I quicken my pace and pass by another few dozen of people along the way. I look out into the distance. My destination is right ahead of me. Chapter 15: The Audit I come face to face with a door that towers over me. It is at least three metres tall. I look up at its majestic size in awe. The door is the entrance that leads to the financier for our company. It is a massive building with eighteen stories and with an renowned architect that designed its jaggered box shape. The office boxes are stacked on top of each other like building blocks. Colliding towards the middle as the pinnacle of the building. To say it is anything short of amazing would be lying. I take three steps back and admire at this huge behemoth that houses one of the top financiers in the city. Strangely enough, there is not a single person nearby. I squint and look into the buildings, there is not a single soul in the lobby too. The front desk has giant computer screens and the large digital directories are all switched off. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The lights too are off and I notice some organic plants withering in the corner of the front desk. The brochures on the desk are untouched. The landline phone sits silent atop the counter. It is a ghost town. I stare at the ceilings with a faint feeling of despair in my heart. I turn and look around me to check again. Sure enough, there is not a single person moving up the escalators or anywhere close to the lobby. It is completely empty. "Hey is anyone in here! Hello?" I shout at the top of my lungs as my voice reverberates on the fragile glass doors. There is no reply. Only silence. I fish out my smartphone and call Ashley to check back. The line does not go through. I am stuck here. "There''s no telling what is going on I tell you. This is one of the biggest financier in all of our city!" I grimace angrily into the voicemail. A cold bleep follows the resigned line. Chapter 16: Pieces Picking up after the ¡®Audit¡¯ is a frightening proposition to even think about. The years of financing that would come undone. The multitude and layers of processes that would come as a result of this delay will shatter the project to pieces. And this will be tiny pieces we cannot even pick up. This incident might just have doom the entire future of our company. That is the dire straits Eden finds himself in. Days and nights upon nights of tireless work threatens to come undone. There is no way around it. It is do or die. Eden looks at his smartphone: the voicemail is sitting unperturbed. The smartphone clock turns to eight forty-six. Time is ticking. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I storm back to my car when I really wanted to do the same to the building. There is this eerily silent peace now. The surroundings are calm with exceptional greenery and wildlife. The mood can be said to be even cheerful and optimistic. But inside I am anything but. And so will my colleagues once they learn about this. I spit on the floor and kick the nearby trash can. The can rolls a few feet away, into the distance while spreading the rubbish. The germs and viruses that came out made me regret that a bit. The path back to my car fills with flames. As they incinerate every last bit of greenery in their sight, so do I of this financier. I will get to the bottom of this. Chapter 17: Fallout I trudge back into the office building with a heavy heart. The sun is glaring down at me now. Even it is unforgiving. I am not sure what kind of music I will face, but nonetheless, it is going to be bad music. Surprisingly enough, although the office should be up in chaos now as it is half past twelve. It is lunch time yet you can hear a pin drop. My emotions overwhelm me like a wave. I break down crying like a baby as I realise the gravity of the situation we are in. "I guess this is Game Over." a voice appeared from beside me. I turn around to look but there is no one around in the near vicinity. Must have been a hallucination I thought. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I walk back with my head down into my cubicle in defeat. The well-researched and detailed documents in my grasp. I cannot fathom what is happening. I am still in denial. Lunch ends with chattering coming in from the entrance. I skipped lunch since I had no appetite. However, the voices growing louder and louder seem to sound nonchalant. What is happening? I wonder. One by one my colleagues said hi to me and ask how was my lunch. I lie in my replies. Then, Ashley steps in with a happier-than-usual face. It is absolutely out of the ordinary. She is definitely putting on an act. Sure enough, she gestures me to come into her office. The office is spacious and wide, with a long wooden felt wood desk on the right side. She calls for me to sit down. Her face immediately turns grim. That is when I knew, there is no going back now. "We might have to close down operations in the worst case scenario." she prepares me. Chapter 18: A hell of a ride I instantly flipped at the sight of another document sliding across me. My colleagues are wondering what is going on and happening to me. But only the both of us are in the know while the rest are in the dark. I bit my lips and tried to voice out, but my voice never came through. Ashley and I sit at the desk wondering about our next moves. Of course, we knew deep down what is the right course of action and what is our next actions but it is going to be a hell of a ride. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I try to negotiate the financing terms and conditions with Ashley again. This time, I wanted a clear overview of the entire situation at hand. It is crucial we get the details down to the very minutiae. Nonetheless, it is what it is. The gravity of the situation is locked and step. I did not know what to do next. And neither did Ashley. The piles of paperwork sit atop glaring. Arc 2 - Chapter 19: The Test Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Why am I here you ask? Well, I am here for my driving test. Specifically the basic theory test for driving where we are tested on road signs and general road rules and conditions. It is a written test that we cannot get around and must complete if we wanted our provisional driving license. Thus I¡¯m here today. As Charlotte looks up, the door opens ajar and out came the driving instructor. He waves for everyone to go in while checking each identification carefully. There has been instances of cheating by impersonation in the recent times. Therefore the mood is sour and the security tight. Chapter 20: Ghosted The kind faced instructor beckons the whole group forward. I ready my identification card while clutching my smartphone on the other hand. I hurriedly stuff my phone in my backpack. Cheating is a very real offence and there is no mercy given to them. I shake at the thought of being accidentally caught with my phone in my pockets. I send a last minute message to my latest date. I was intending to ghost him after finding out my crush have similar feelings for me. I knew he would be crushed by the silence but I proceeded to do so anyway without guilt. The instructor invigilator checks my identification card and found no issues. He nods and signals me to go inside the room. There are at least forty monitors cramped inside this tiny room. Much of which are all black windows monitors with custom software. We have seats already assigned to us. The monitor at the front showcasing the exam information clearly. This is it. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Since when I was young, I had always wanted my driver¡¯s license. It is something of a pre-requisite in my mind to becoming a true adult. Without which one would be handicapped and cannot travel to wherever they want to. Still, the anxiety of driving and as the experience of a total beginner makes me feel small and tiny. I was in a world where I was not in control of. At least that was my thoughts. I sat down in front of the dimly lit computer screen at the furthest back row. It is seat thirty four. I roll up my sleeves and stashed my backpack below the seat. My identification card goes on the front of the desk and I sit patiently awaiting my highly consequential test. The outcome was unknown but I knew the future ahead is a dimly lit tunnel light at the end of it. I could see it. Chapter 21: Done The dimly lit screen is flashing before me. There I am seated with at least forty other classmates who are all taking the same test. We are however strangers because you usually take the test alone and study for it alone. As I lean back, the chair I am sitting in creaks a bit under the pressure. To my left is a guy with messy brown hair, he seems like the smart type of guy. He has big round glasses and looks like a nerd who spends most of his waking hours in the library. To my right is a women who is fiddling with her phone. The monitor screen at the front of the classroom clearly cautioned against it. However the atmosphere seems relaxed and stuffy. Sure enough, one of the invigilators authoritatively asks all of us to keep our mobile phones in our pockets or behind the seats. The No-Cheating rule is heavily emphasised. After all there is four person who got caught with impersonation cheating a week before. What more a cheating by device. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I feel my phone resting in my pockets and sit upright again. I shift my identification card to the front of the desk and look around. The air is dead silent while there is an almost cheerful yet serious tone. Everyone knew that this test is consequential, yet you can always opt to retake it however many times you¡¯d like. Only that you have to pay the small entrance fee in order to take the test once again. The invigilator gives a small briefing talk and the clock strikes the start time. The screen in front of me immediately turns to the login screen. I gracefully tap my credentials into the black box. As Charlotte sits in the midst of a classroom who are all tapping away at a screen, the invigilator looks out into the driveway. There, the driving circuit is full once again. Despite it costing very much to get a driving license and buy a car in this city, most do it anyway for the prestige. Chapter 22: End I slam the table as I become the first one to finish the harrowing test. It was difficult and tricky, with the answers closely mimicking each other. I fill with a great sense of relief as a warm feeling comes over me. I cannot contain my grin as I walk out from my seat and towards the invigilators. I am victorious today. Spamming over two hundred test questions before the actual test itself worked wonders. I will certainly do the same for the next final theory test as well. And this time I will obtain not just my provisional driving license but the full qualified driving license. The whole class stares at me as I finished in such a short period of time. I proceed to take photos of the piece of paper on the steps to take after passing the test. Everyone knew I had passed by now. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I skip out of the classroom with the sails in my feet. I hurriedly dash down the stairs full of happiness and hope for the future. It seems bright at the time. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot keep mum about the good news and I told my sister and grandmother first when I got home. ¡°Charlotte so how was the test?¡± My sister queries ¡°Well let¡¯s just say it was challenging but doable. And let¡¯s leave it at that! I passed! And that¡¯s all that matters.¡± I chime back. My sister and I are as close as two chipmunks huddling together in a brutal winter. We often share food and stories with each other about our daily lives. I will not replace her with anyone else. She is the closest person I am with in this whole world. My grandmother grin as she overheard the news. This calls for a celebration tonight. Chapter 23: Discussion Ken walks into the room where all his colleagues are standing and waiting on him. ¡°The interviewee was great, but¡­¡± I start to raise doubts. ¡±I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s the right fit for the role, perhaps he will be much better suited elsewhere¡± I argue. My colleagues nodded their heads in unison. They trust me completely after all, despite not holding a senior position in the company. I was an ever-reliable and highly competent employee who is worth every penny that they paid me. In essence, most of my opinions held water and my thoughts hold real weight in every conversation. I felt highly valued by my company and so did I of them. Therefore I never faltered to sound off my true thoughts and feelings on every matter regardless of how politically incorrect it may come across. I had the respect and admiration of many within the organisation. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Great, then let¡¯s move forward with today¡¯s agenda. We have three pressing issues at the moment¡­¡± my manager begins to speak. The rest of the meeting is the same routine that has been repeated hundreds of times. I would spare even my worst enemy from listening in. After the meeting, I took a sip of my now room temperature coffee. It is still fantastic. I check my emails thoroughly and promptly replied to about ten of the most urgent ones with grace. Then, I needed a break so I went to the Yahoo! News website to catch up on the latest happenings. It is still considered working. I guess I can count myself to be very lucky to have the flexibility to zone out during moments like these. ¡±Athereal Corporation goes into liquidity crisis after the bankruptcy of the second major real estate firm in the city.¡± The top headlines flashed on the website. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Ken gasped and accidentally topples his coffee. Something is brewing. Chapter 24: Ongoing I click into the article in alarm. This is the biggest news this week. Athereal Corporation is one of our biggest clients and central to our company¡¯s success. There is no way that they are facing troubles! Especially not from the second most major real estate firm in the city. I continue to be in denial as the page loads the harrowing news. ¡±Athereal Corporation today find themselves in hot water - a real liquidity crunch after the bankruptcy of the second biggest real estate firm in the city. The company has declined to respond to interviews but we have managed to gather quite substantial intel based on anonymous sources.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡±One source puts the company chance of surviving at a mere 3%. There is panic across every department of the company as they rush to restructure their financing for their major construction project. Years upon years of hard work and late nights are proving worthless. Is this the end for Athereal Corporation?¡± The rest of the article is as negative if not more negative. I scan the rest of the page for more clues but cannot find any. Our major client! What are the chances. As I look at the dried patch from my spilled coffee. I was reminded of the fact that I am in a major corporation who have very diversified sources of income and assets. Therefore we will likely be stable even if Athereal Corporation is to collapse tomorrow. In fact we will hardly notice the impact to our bottom line and future despite them being a major client. If any, a one percent exposure is the most likely outcome. I close the webpage as soon as my manager comes up behind me. That is too close for comfort. Chapter 25: Hiding I try to hide the news from my manager and divert his attention to other less pressing topics instead. And he responds to my questions in a straightforward way before being interrupted by a junior member of the staff on the news. He took it as calm as a potato. Nothing can shake the resolve of my manager. That¡¯s the person I can trust and have faith in. My manager takes me aside and discusses the topic at length in detail. He wants to keep the project viable after all the effort we have put into it. My manager tasks me to go down to Athereal Corporation and talk to a guy called Eden. There he mentions, we will be able to have more clarity on the situation at present. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I adjust my tie with nerves, it has been some time since I have been in a meeting with folks outside our company. Without much choice, I nodded and agreed to his plans. Besides seniority, I knew that this is also the right course of action for us to take as a company. Therefore I am willing to go along with his program in order to solve the mystery of the liquidity crisis. My manager subsequently also tasks me with the investigation of the second biggest real estate firm that went bust. He said it is important that we know about how such a huge company with links to some of the biggest companies in the country can suddenly disappear without even as much as a word. Under the nose of everyone, including their closest partners, they have ceased operations and is uncontactable. I ready the documents at my desk and collect the necessary information from the internal company intranet through my desktop. I need to be prepared. Chapter 26: The Task The task at hand is nothing new. Yet the thought of it sends trepidation down my spine as I struggle to reconcile the dramatic effects it¡¯s going to have on the project that we are currently working on. ¡±I have the documents and information ready, we can go at anytime.¡± Ken acknowledges to his manager. My manager nodded back. Here goes nothing. We trudge down the hallway unwillingly, passing by the administration department which is now in commotion because of the big news. ¡°Alright everybody, please get back to work. This news should not affect everyone.¡± My manager hollers from in front of me. The atmosphere is tense yet carefree because of the less than consequential client. Athereal Corporation is one of our key partners but as a much much larger corporation that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, we have no fear. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. At a moment instance we can activate a hundred billion dollars worth of credit and loans just through a couple of phone calls. And we have contacts everywhere in the city. The government would collapse sooner than we. The work that we did in our company is quintessential to the city¡¯s survival. And we are reminded of that everyday through our daily lives living in this city. A city where technology progresses faster than its citizens can keep up with. I press the elevator button with ease and the screen flickers to our floor number as quickly as I press on it. It is a new fangled lift that has gone through a technology upgrade that previous weekend. Not that it was slow to begin with. My manager and I step into the sparse space in the lift. The uplifting motivational posters at the corners are inviting and gracious. I am so fortunate to work in such a company. Chapter 27: Investigation begins I open the car door at the opposite end of the driver¡¯s seat and I let my manager in. Closing the door behind him, I can feel the cold sweat drip off my hands. I vigorously shake them off in disgust. The road to Athereal Corporation is smooth as butter but the journey is anything but. ¡°So whose fault do you think it is that landed us in this hot mess?¡± My manager tries to shift the blame. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the second largest real estate company in the city should not have went bankrupt?¡± I replied back. ¡±No! It is solely the fault of Athereal Corporation for failing to do their due diligence for the lack of transparency into the current operations of the real estate firm.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡±They need more oversight on the business of their main financier. If not, a situation like this will come up. And sure enough it did.¡± ¡±This is not the first time that this happened. And neither will it be their last if they don¡¯t pull their socks up.¡± My manager huffs while catching his breath. ¡±Hmm, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong. But there was not much they could do isn¡¯t it.¡± I chime back rightfully to cheer up the atmosphere ¡±Well all we know for sure is we got a huge mess on our hands, and it isn¡¯t our fault in the slightest.¡± My manager said with gusto and brimming with confidence. I nearly beat a few red lights on the way to the company. It is a long journey that takes over two hours. One which we would normally have a driver but because we are in a hurry today, we skipped that. I turn on the air conditioner to full blast. The air remains as hot as it is chilly. Chapter 28: Trouble I check the blind spots at both ends of the vehicle before parking swiftly with ease. My manager who has now seen my parking for the thousandth time still remains impressed. After all, my parking skills can be attributed to either my high IQ or my brilliant parking skills, Ken thought highly to himself. The car reverses in an elegant way and neatly places itself in between two cars which are narrowly parked. As I open the door, I have trouble getting out of the car. Great, the drama has started before we even step into Athereal Corporation. My manager is already waiting by the front of the car. He is a very skinny and tall person, therefore he had no trouble coming out of the car. Meanwhile I am of an average built and need some space in order to get out of the small gap. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I tidy up the documents which are in the file and ready up my smartphone to take down notes for the investigation. My battery is at a full eighty percent healthy. I somehow squeeze my way out of the small gap that my car door has created. With my hands full and a heavy heart, I walk in step with my manager towards the offices of Athereal Corporation. Along the way, we pass by the bustling major road that is now jammed up because of the heavy traffic. There is a red political advertisement banner stretching across the empty lot. We are in the middle of the desert two hours away from the city. But we knew why exactly we are here. I push open the door to Athereal Corporation, one of our biggest clients in the business in real estate. Despite its swanky office vibes and posh architecture lies an unnerving tension in the air. There is trouble. Chapter 29: Meeting You can almost hear a pin drop within the confines of these vast offices. Athereal Corporation is well-known for its hard working employees who are of the cream of the crop in their industry. With the trust and loyalty of thousands of employees on their backs, it is no wonder that the office today has murmuring going on that makes whispers look like total silence. Ken points to the direction of the corporate office and strings his manager along. They are in for the ride of a lifetime. Eden sits at his desk ajar, waiting patiently for Ken and company. He has given up on the current situation and is currently in a war of words with his colleagues. They are shifting blame around for this failure and the project might ultimately end in cancellation. Nothing they can do about it. Simply none. Ken and the Manager walks into the meeting room where a secretary ushers them to their seats and told them to wait. It is a really nice meeting room with a larger than usual wood finishing table and state of the art comfy chairs. A line of water bottles await to quench their guests thirst at the front while a giant monitor screen the size of a mini-cinema stood on top of it. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I peer out into the scenery outside. It is a desert after all but the view is really spectacular. The town has been utterly transformed by the arrival of Athereal Corporation. One could even say it was revived by its very existence. The industry of old like mining and oil is replaced by the lightning fast nature of high tech construction buildings that are triple-AAA rated credit and environmentally friendly. Athereal Corporation has seemingly become one of the most elusive yet powerful corporations in the upper-east. It carried with it awards upon awards at annual real estate competitions. And the construction is always on time and under budget. Yet the quality speaks for itself and their customers are among the most satisfied if not the most in the city. It is with terrible luck that their main financier who is going to finance this upcoming project is hit by tough times and end up in bankruptcy. Only time will tell if Athereal Corporation gets over the crisis that it currently finds itself in. Chapter 30: Lost Eden pushes the door with a heavy sigh, he knew that he has some explaining to do. Never before in the history of the company did he find himself in such a dire pinch. It is exceptional circumstances that he finds himself sitting across one of their closest partners and trying to explain their company will not shut down. When in reality, there is a very high percentage chance that Athereal Corporation will go under. Ken rises from his seat to give Eden a firm handshake. ¡°Nice to meet you Sir. I believe this is the first time we are meeting. Sorry it has to be under such circumstances. I apologise for the situation you find yourselves in. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I begin. ¡±Nice to meet you and thank you for your kind words! Unfortunately these are tough times and I do blame myself at least partially for the crisis that we find ourselves in this time. I should have done better and further research into the financier to ensure the robustness of the project. Nonetheless what is done is done. We can only look forward now.¡± Eden exasperates. Ken and Manager nodded their heads like well disciplined children in a classroom. They knew that this matter is entirely out of their hands. Yet they are here today for an agenda that involves their company. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Despite the trying times Sir, I would like to tell you that our company has your back no matter what happens. In fact we will be interested in hiring some of your top talent if your company does go under.¡± My manager whispers. ¡±Oh we can certainly look into that. However at present I will like to focus on the liquidity crisis. It is a matter of utmost importance and crucial that we get the details right.¡± Eden mutters as he slides over a pile of documents over to our side of the table. ¡±In here contains the details of the liquidity crisis and our financier intimate details. I know that both of you and by extension your company will find them very useful in understanding the situation that we find ourselves in.¡± Eden explains elaborately. ¡±Now if you will excuse me, I have to do some firefighting in other departments. Thank you for showing concern dear Sirs and I wish you a nice day ahead.¡± Eden said as he prepares to leave the room. ¡±Wait, what about yourself? What are you going to do now that the project is likely through?¡± Ken inquires. ¡±Well we will have to see. But let¡¯s keep in contact and we can have a more in depth discussion later on. Now saving my company is my top priority. If you will excuse me gentlemen.¡± is Eden¡¯s parting words as he gracefully leaves the meeting room. Chapter 31: Chosen One Ken exits the office building with a slight tinge of regret. Slamming the door behind his manager accidentally, he regrets not stepping out of his comfort zone to ¡®save¡¯ Eden. He seems like a really nice guy after all. ¡°You know what? I am actually going to ask if we can extend a job offer to Eden if Athereal Corporation is to go under. What do you think?¡± I elbow my manager playfully. ¡°Yes, I think that will work out. I can tell he is an invaluable talent in the company. We will grow tremendously under his leadership.¡± My manager chime in agreement. ¡°This is a blessing in disguise actually. I get to stop my current work and we potentially gain a new employee!¡± I excitedly exclaim. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The rest of the day is a blur as we seek out the details on stopping our current projects with Athereal Corporation and ceasing our partnership. It is a tough pill to swallow as they have been our loyal and reliable client all these years. It really is a pity we are closing down our relationship with them. If at least we can get Eden on our side. Maybe that¡¯s a saving grace. Athereal Corporation did nothing but cooperate and did their best to leave a minimal impact on our company. The company closing down is a messy affair however, with fallouts happening in the financing terms and conditions. In their attempts to sue the financier even though the company is ultimately empty, that left them with no choice but to walk away empty handed at the end of the day. Whose fault it is we will never know for sure, but what we do know for sure is that someone named Eden is heading straight to our company. Chapter 32: Director Do you still remember the gentleman whom I accidentally woken and he left at the wrong stop? Well, I met him again today. The gentleman hands over his name card with a scoff. He had instantly recognised me as soon as I walked into the room. I grin sheepishly and extend out my right hand for a firm handshake but the gentleman waves it away nonchalantly. We immediately skip the formalities and went straight into business. On his name card is a familiar name - Athereal Coporation. The gentleman had been a director at the company before their imminent collapse because of the liquidity crisis a month ago. The full effects of the fallout is still being felt as the months go on, much akin to the aftershocks of an earthquake. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Despite the ruined state of the former business, there is still an air of mystique and class surrounding their employees. They are still the cream of the crop regardless of their failed status. I welcome the gentleman warmly to our company - Everblue Corp. He states that he is applying for the executive director position as it commensurate with the pay and position that he previously held. I nod politely with the most courtesy I have shown to any person. I knew he is one we have to get. Employees of Athereal Corporation did not all immediately went on a job hunt. In fact most decided to take the rest of the year off. They are already paid handsomely in severance and regular salaries after all. There is simply no rush for them to continue on their employment. Hence most have decided to take it easy or ¡°lie flat¡± for the remainder of the year; they opt instead to look for employment the following year. This gentleman is the exception rather than the rule. Chapter 33: Decision The interview with the gentleman went better than I expected. Towards the end, he was polite and kind as he got to know me and the company better. It is such a relief we let bygones be bygones by the end of that meeting. I part ways with the gentleman this time with a firm handshake and well wishes. Unbeknownst to him, our decision is already decided the moment he walked in that door. I spent the rest of the evening completing the troublesome administrative duties and chatting with colleagues. Our office is a forward thinking one, with wide open spaces and open collaboration hubs. There is free seating available with large adjustable desks. The seats are all recliner and back-friendly. You can guess how difficult it was for anyone to join such a prestige company. The pantry is always filled to the brim and overflowing with snacks and drinks. There is also free lunch and dinner provided by the company in the main cafeteria like Google. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The interview with the gentleman was really the only main thing on my agenda today. So I slip into the massage rooms to get my once a month privilege and enjoy myself. It is mandatory that we take good care of ourselves as adults after all. Spoiling ourselves once in a while will bring good mental health and physical health too. After the professional massage, I feel re-energised and well-rested for the rest of the day. I grab a banana from the pantry and a chocolate chip cookie before heading back to my desk. It is the end of the week and I have a dinner and drinks with close friends. I munch on my snacks greedily before closing my laptop and ending work. Strolling out of the office while saying goodbyes, I can feel myself smiling brighter than ever with my guilt gone. Chapter 34: Let Go I hang up my lanyard for the very last time and give up my keys. This is it. My last day at Athereal Corporation. And funnily enough, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought it is the last day for the company as well. As I left my office door wide open, my colleagues who has already dwindled in numbers said their final goodbyes to me. I said my goodbyes to Ashley, who is now teary eyed. She cannot bear to see me go. Years ago, this would have been unfathomable as my loyalty to the company is rock solid. We hug each other and promise we will see each other outside these four walls again. Throughout these years, I had a great time working at Athereal Corporation. Despite the rather lacklustre staff benefits, it provided a healthy working environment and fulfilling work. It had a good work life balance and a great compensation plan. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As I walk through the door, I am filled with rage. I knew this cannot be it. All those nights of hard work and potential gone down the drain because of a single point of failure. They said no one is to blame, but I knew deep down that is not the case. Not even close. The owner of that real estate company? That is my number one target from now on. Nothing will stand in my way for my revenge. It is they or I. I will drag them down with me to hell if it comes to shove. As I exit those giant comforting doors for the last time into the wild open corporate wilderness, I leave my cosy nest behind and forge a new path forward into the unknown. There, I can sense the darkness at the end of the tunnel. And I am walking bravely towards it with each second. Chapter 35: Break I wake up to the incessant iPhone alarm ringing on my bedside table. It is playing the same techno-ripple chime as my ringtone. I groggily push my blankets aside and sit down on my bed. It is my week¡¯s break before joining Ken¡¯s company after all. They had actively seek to recruit me without any qualms or hesitation. I knew that they wanted me from the meeting that we have had. I peek open the curtains of my apartment and bathe in the warm sun rays of the summer morning. Life is good. I turn on the television to my favourite finance channel, CNBC. There, I carefully watch the stock news and watch analysts make a fool of themselves. It is pure cathartic entertainment, well sort of. While letting the TV play in the background, I get up to make my usual cup of morning joe. I had enough savings to retire by now. But I am still deeply unsatisfied with the unfinished project that will never see the light of the day. I want more. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. And the only way I am going to get my way is by joining Ken¡¯s company and utilising their connections in the industry. After all, Ken¡¯s company is also one of the best in their field and I am highly interested in the relationships that they have with various partners across the wide spectrum. From investors to CEOs to owners, they have no lack of connections with the insiders and the powerful in this city. Since I have successfully joined their company without much suspicion and with such ease. I must take full advantage of my privilege and position to achieve my desired outcome. Revenge. The drip coffee finish its making and I take a big gulp of that smooth Arabian coffee that goes down well in my throat. We have a lot to look forward to. The world will. Let¡¯s see who is on top by the end of it. Chapter 36: Hawaii (Special Fan Service Chapter!) Eden''s Hawaiian Adventure: A Memorable Cruise to Paradise Eden is filled with anticipation as he steps onto the magnificent cruise ship, awestruck by its grandeur. The vessel stands tall, with gleaming white decks and elegant architecture that hints at the luxurious experience he is about to embark on. Settling into his comfortable cabin, he eagerly anticipates the journey ahead. On the first day of the cruise, Eden strolls along the deck, relishing the sea breeze as he takes in the panoramic views of the vast ocean. The ship is a floating paradise in itself, offering a multitude of amenities to keep guests entertained during the journey. From world-class restaurants serving delectable cuisine to lively bars, theaters, and even a spa, Eden knows he is in for an unforgettable experience. As the ship sails closer to Hawaii, Eden''s excitement grows. The next day, the ship arrives at the first port of call¡ªan enchanting Hawaiian island. Eden disembarks, eager to explore the wonders that await him. He decides to visit the island''s lush rainforest, home to an incredible array of flora and fauna. Guided by a knowledgeable local, Eden treks through the dense vegetation, marveling at the vibrant colors and unique sounds of nature. The following day, Eden ventures to a magnificent volcanic crater, a sight that leaves him in awe. Standing at the rim, he gazes into the vast expanse, captivated by the raw power and beauty of nature. The island''s volcanic history is evident in the striking landscapes, with black sand beaches and rugged cliffs that contrast against the azure ocean. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Throughout his journey, Eden immerses himself in the local culture. He attends a traditional Hawaiian luau, witnessing mesmerizing hula dances and indulging in a sumptuous feast of local delicacies. He also explores local markets, eager to discover handmade crafts and vibrant artwork that showcase the island''s rich heritage. As the cruise ship sails to its final destination, Eden can''t help but reflect on the incredible experiences he has encountered. The last island on his itinerary is known for its pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters¡ªideal for swimming, snorkeling, and simply unwinding. Eden spends his days basking in the golden sunshine, cooling off in the turquoise waves, and building sandcastles on the soft sand. One evening, the ship organizes a magical sunset cruise along the coast, providing a breathtaking view of the sun melting into the horizon. Eden stands on the deck, the warm breeze caressing his face as he witnesses the kaleidoscope of colors painting the sky. It is a moment of serenity and gratitude¡ªa memory he will cherish forever. As the cruise ship journey nears its end, Eden realizes that his Hawaiian adventure has exceeded his wildest dreams. He has discovered a paradise where natural beauty merges seamlessly with rich culture, offering an experience that touches his soul. The memories of exploring rainforests, witnessing volcanic wonders, and immersing himself in the island''s vibrant spirit will forever hold a special place in his heart. On the final day of the cruise, Eden bids farewell to the ship and the newfound friends he has made along the way. He carries with him a sense of rejuvenation and a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the world. Hawaii has given him more than just a holiday; it has gifted him with an escape into a realm of tranquility and wonder. Chapter 37: Wrath As Eden comes back from his holiday from Hawaii on a plane, he sketches out the plans he has for revenge. Plan: Target these key personnel who most likely caused the collapse of the second largest real estate company in the city. They are: 1. Jeff 2. Owen 3. Martel 4. Sabrina 5. Matthew 6. Esmeralda 7. Leonard 8. Gabriel Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. 9. Hasley 10. Javier Plan of Action: 1. Find out where they are working at/for now 2. Find a way to sabotage their business operations 3. Make sure that they have no way of going back to their glory days 4. Do not compromise your identity 5. Do not let the other party find out before they get to know they are in trouble That is the simple plan that Eden hastily put together while on a 8 hr plan flight back home. He knew he needs to get the details right, yet the execution is what actually matters. The goal remains the same but the way to get to it is flexible. Once he lands and goes to Ken¡¯s company to work? It¡¯s game time. Eden puts the paper into his shirt pocket and stuffs it in there. Then he is served what seems to be like a delicious main dish as part of the airplane meal plan - a beautiful fried fish and chips. He takes one bite of it and shudders. ¡°This is why airplane food is worse than prison. How can something that looks this good taste the exact opposite.¡± he grimace while shaking his head. The half eaten fish stares back at him. The time to execute is getting closer every second as we spend on this flight. Destiny is calling. Eden will spare no effort to make sure his enemies down to the very last will face his wrath. Chapter 38: Project A1 On Eden''s first day of work, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation and excitement. As he enters the premises, the room erupts in raucous applause, a heartwarming display of appreciation and respect for his arrival. It is a remarkable sight, showcasing the profound impact Eden has already made within the organization. The applause gradually subsides, giving way to a hushed silence as Eden stands at the center of attention. His demeanour exudes confidence and humility, embodying the qualities that had earned him such admiration. Colleagues and superiors alike were captivated by his remarkable achievements and exceptional skills. Having built a stellar reputation prior to joining the company, Eden''s arrival was eagerly anticipated by all. His groundbreaking contributions and innovative ideas had garnered him widespread recognition in the industry. Colleagues view him as a beacon of inspiration, an embodiment of excellence, and a catalyst for positive change. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As Eden settles into his new role, the respect and reverence continued to grow. His expertise and visionary approach quickly proved invaluable, enabling the organization to reach new heights of success. Eden''s passion for collaboration and mentorship foster a supportive environment, encouraging others to excel alongside him. Throughout his first day and beyond, Eden''s impact resonated deeply within the company. His dedication, expertise, and genuine care for the well-being of his colleagues established him as a respected leader. The applause on that first day was not just a mere gesture; it was a reflection of the profound respect and admiration everyone held for Eden, setting the stage for a transformative era within the organization. Ken smiles as he hands Eden his very first important project - Project A1. It is the company¡¯s most sought after prize for a newcomer. And since their company specialises in all industries, this project in particular centred around investments. And that is right up Eden¡¯s forte. He cannot be more excited and delighted as he receives the file. Chapter 39: The Start Project A1 - Craft a compelling and well-thought out investment proposal for one of the largest companies in central London - MainLabs. They are an extremely high growth company specialising in cutting edge technology in software applications and development. Your task is to contact their team and make a business investment proposal for their retained earnings that they are willing to invest. The amount is a hundred million pounds. Having done well as a trader himself on his personal portfolio, Eden is deftly confident of achieving the maximum returns for their new client. He is knowledgeable in all things finance, from exchange traded funds to real estate investment trusts to futures. His friends come to him for investment advice and he often gives them the right tips that make them a ton of money. Not everyone can be like Eden of course. Successful in his career and in his personal life and in wealth building. He is a rare breed amongst the crowds of people today. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Where the regular person is struggling against the ever skyrocketing cost of living and housing, Eden is cool on his head and feet. He has all the credentials and the skills to back them up. He knows that starting from nothing is tough and that the tough gets going when the going gets tough. He never gives up in the face of tenacious competition or obstacles. In fact it motivates him to strive even harder for a brighter tomorrow. Such a person is surely on the way to success even if they did not know it themselves. Because others can see it from far away. Meanwhile normal ambitious folks like Ken who are mildly competent had no chance against someone with a work ethic like Eden. He is outcompeted as hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. Eden immediately gets the project under way. It is crucial that he gets the timing right in this instance. You can never be too early when showing an investment proposal. Especially one of this size and scale. He gets to work immediately on the fundamental research and starts opening up the PowerPoint slide decks. Chapter 40: Investment For an amount north of ten million pounds requires significant due diligence on the part of the investor. After all it is an extremely consequential amount that can lead to great success or failure that can have impacts down the road for the company at hand. Therefore Eden is under a lot of pressure to perform under such circumstances. He knew he cannot perform any less than his best. And even at his best, results must be shown. The client is aiming for a twelve percent return on investment per annum. A twenty percent premium over the traditional ten percent average returns given by a broad market index fund. An index fund is just a basket of stocks that track the stock market¡¯s overall performance. Hence it is not an easy task to ask for an over performance of the stock market as, as much as ninety percent of professional stock managers fail to beat the index over a long period of time of at least five years. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The client wishes to invest with us for a period of twenty years at least. And while it is a tall order to want to outperform the market indices, Eden is hopeful that it can be done. On his personal portfolio, he has already beaten the USA Nasdaq by over two hundred percent since he was 22. This sort of thing should be a cakewalk for him. However the world of investments is anything but. Past performance is never an indicator of future performance because anything can happen. From pandemics to recessions to economic melt-ups, any number of external factors and events can and will disrupt the stock markets returns over the long run. That is why it is so important to have a good system in place to research the best companies that will provide optimal returns to shareholders. Chapter 41: Due Diligence Conducting a high level of due diligence is required for a project of this size and scope. Eden joins the first meeting for Project A1, one of the most substantial meetings to come for the future of the project. There, Ken is already presenting. ¡°What MainLabs is doing is phenomenal. Their growth rates are incredible and they are changing the world as we speak. This hundred million pounds is just the start of a potential billions of pounds of retained earnings that they will likely invest with us over the next ten years. I hope everyone of you will treat this job seriously and do your proper due diligence at work and outside work in order to get this job done proper.¡± Ken states. Eden has already knew the insane work ethic that this company requires. Therefore, he opened his eyes wide when he first came into this company. He did not need to work for the rest of his life if he wanted to. He had enough savings. But he still decided to pursue this path as it is what he needs to pursue his agenda. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Eden is sitting comfortably on the premium office chair now. Twiddling his pen and raising great questions along the way. ¡±Great question.¡± ¡°Brilliant like what I expected of you.¡± ¡°We did not hire the wrong person for the job.¡± Were just some of the complements that Eden receives when he¡¯s in the meeting. It is contributing significantly to his confidence. His mood becomes much brighter and he carries himself with a air of dignity and respect. Eden ends the meeting by presenting his part of the project to raucous applause from the staff members sitting in the meeting room. He knew that this time it will work out. No matter how tough the future looks. Chapter 42: Settling in Eden pulls up a list of the top hundred companies in the country. Then he narrows down the top executives that will be useful to his mission. Among the many names on the list is one Jeff. His eyes glow up as he sees that name. The twinkle in his eyes are unmistakable. He is closing in on his target. Rather than blowing his cover, Eden decides to distribute his attention over all hundred candidates equally. He knew that they needed him more than he needed them. The ball is in his court. Thus he goes down the list of the top executives within each company. Carefully deciphering the usefulness of each company and its future success. What he needs is just one company that will hit it out of the park. And he knows that when he gets that target, he will be successful. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Eden puts together the details of the deal into a PowerPoint. There is many minute details that needs to be addressed before he can finally pitch the deal to the corporate CEOs and their top executives. Some of them are valuation, total addressable market, technology potential, target audience, capital required to start and acquire new business lines and many more. In the meantime, Ken is cleaning up the meeting room. He cannot keep a straight face and burst into smiles. He cannot believe his luck that he has landed such a superstar in the company that will bring it to its next level. Never in his wildest dreams will anything derail his vision of becoming a director now. Nothing will. Charlotte gets a nice cup of cappuccino from the nearby Starbucks in the coffee shop. There, she sees an advertisement for the basil green app again. She decides to download it to see what happens. Chapter 43: Pilates Charlotte glances over the app as she sips her coffee. There¡¯s a few matches that she is getting just because she is a cute girl. However she wanted more - genuine connections with people that can broaden her lifestyle and introduce new things in life to her. As she is strolling through the app, she stumbles upon a noticeable profile that is different from the rest - Sheryl. Her profile: Loves self-improvement and hustling Currently into pilates and cycling if you¡¯re interested in any of the above, do PM me Few people are motivated in life from what she has come across so far in her twenty five years of living on this planet. However the profile shows a wide age gap of at least ten years. She hesitates to take the leap of faith but promptly clicks on connect anyway. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Charlotte loves self-improvement and up-skilling herself. She knows that the best investment one can make is in themselves. By constantly improving and reinventing our skills, we will remain fresh and ready for the challenges that lie ahead of our lives. No matter how tough they are, we can face them with confidence if we ourselves become capable. In particular, what intrigues her interest is Pilates. She has been wanting to join a pilates class for the longest time now. As her work schedule clears up in the coming month, this can be the best opportunity to get some exercise and perhaps even make a new friend. Charlotte breaks into a smile as she texts Sheryl first. ¡°Hey what¡¯s up! Want to go for pilates sometime?¡± as the start of their chat conversation. In all this time, Charlotte remain hopeful and cheerful for the future. She never, and I mean never saw what is coming her way. Not in a million years. Chapter 44: Stillness The message from Sheryl comes about a day later. ¡±Hi! Pleased to know you. I know a very good Pilates class that I go to once every week. Would you like to find out more?¡± ¡±That sounds great! Is the price affordable or is it more on the premium end? I have a limited budget.¡± ¡±Oh don¡¯t worry about it. It is one of the most affordable options available in the city because it wants to be that way. Come on in next Monday evening at this address and I¡¯ll see you there!¡± ¡±Great! See you!¡± And just like that the appointment is set in stone. Charlotte waits in anticipation eagerly, she can¡¯t wait to join Sheryl and others in her first ever Pilates class. It is definitely a break of departure from her usual routine. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Charlotte eagerly packs her bag for the weekend. It will be a long weekend this week. Ken looks over to the horizon and drinks his unsweetened tea. He likes it just the way it is. His career is going smoothly and his job is a breeze with the new superstar on the team. He decides to head to the gym to work out after the day is over. ¡°Hi Ken, can I disturb you for a moment? This is important.¡± a colleague whispers. ¡°Sure, yes I will be right over.¡± He tidies his desk before heading off to see the colleague. Meanwhile, Eden is fully in his zone at his desk. Completing a ton of PowerPoint slides and paperwork at the same time. He is a machine. ¡°So what¡¯s going on? Anything important for me?¡± ¡°Yes, we are in a bit of a pinch regarding this CEO named Jeff. I will need your help to contact him as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Sure leave it to me. I¡¯ll see it done.¡± Chapter 45: Jeff Jeff sits atop the premium office chair and grouches. He massages his thick moustache, his broad shoulders extending beyond the width of the chair. He puts his legs up on the table and rests, while he plans for his day ahead. Following the collapse of Athereal Corporation, he was quickly scouted by one of the top companies in the world to become their CEO. One of the Fortune 5000 that is. Jeff¡¯s annual compensation now sits north of seventy million dollars. He has recently bought a new yacht and a beachfront house to boot. His modest four cars that are all top tier brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini sits in his garage pretty and untouched. He breathes in deeply and takes a moment to appreciate his surroundings. The past three months have been a whirlwind. It has not been easy seeing the company you worked for your whole life crumble to not even a mere shadow of its past but to nothingness. It is a tough pill to swallow. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nevertheless, the fact that everyone exited the company relatively unscathed was a miracle in and of itself. Jeff always remembered to have gratitude for the life he has had and the life he has now. He is a very friendly guy but his ego is big. Hence the people that work for him usually like him for his confidence. And those that don¡¯t like him? Usually do not bother him at all. Jeff is a titan in the real estate industry, having corroborated deals of massive sizes and mergers and acquisitions of various real estate companies. His depth of knowledge is deep and enduring. He sets his sights on acquiring another company in the meantime for his current company. But he needs capital. Money, the essential ingredient for success in today¡¯s world. Chapter 46: Friends or Foe Jeff scrolls down his email mundanely, there is a heap of noise and sprinkles of smoke in the email inbox. He struggles against the myriad of messages that flow through on a daily basis. ¡°Ping! Ping! Ping!¡± Every second brings with it new news from somewhere. Important or not is not the problem here. He remains ever so calm and stoic in the face of such relentless stream of information. Jeff is good at this stuff. He sorts through information like no one. Narrowing it down to the real crucial questions to ask and answer is the pinnacle of his abilities. That is why he was hired in the first place. Because of his excellent abilities to distinguish between noise and signal. He quickly combs through the rest of the jumbled mess and pieces together a coherent story that informs his next steps. The first priority is to get funding from another large company. It frankly did not really matter where it comes from because he just needed it to do his job better. As a new CEO, he needs to present to the board and investors that he is capable of his new job. And capable he shall prove them. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Jeff spent the rest of the evenings answering emails and various phone calls from the usual high flying clients. He loves his new job, perhaps even more than his personal life. He is really getting into the grove now and he feels like he can make a real difference in the company. A lasting difference that will set his legacy in stone for the rest of the century. Just then, an email from Ken¡¯s company pops up. They want a meeting immediately to discuss about the terms and conditions for the upcoming funding round. Jeff undoubtedly breaks into a wide smile, he knew that his time has come. Chapter 47: Connection Jeff¡¯s assistant ushers him into his black Mercedes. The smart vehicle has bullet proof glass and is armed by guards. This is because Jeff is considered a high priority target who are susceptible to kidnappers and murderers. Many people want to be in his position and many others hate him for being in it. Notwithstanding, Jeff takes on his role nonchalantly, paying little to no attention at the people that are jealous of him. He has already made it. There is little that they can do now. The motor engine roar to life with a burst of energy, the vehicle jerks forward and they begin on their destination. A neutral meeting place at a posh partner¡¯s building where the discussions will take place. There, he will likely close the deal on the funding round. That is if everything goes according to plan. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Ken and Eden meet halfway at their office building again. They exchange some pleasantries before getting down to official business. They knew that they had a prime target at hand. But each one of them had a different agenda. Ken just wants to close the funding round so that the company can move forward. Meanwhile Eden has more insidious plans. He has already drafted up a small minor but extremely consequential detail in the terms and conditions of the funding. He knew that the lawyers nor Jeff will ever spot this. This will ruin their company and cause Jeff to lose his position as the CEO. Eden silently smiles in his heart as he keeps his secret close to his heart. But completely unbeknownst to Eden, Ken has spotted the rather obscure detail. And he chooses to keep mum for now. Only time will tell what comes out of this eventual funding round and meeting. Chapter 48: Party It takes everything for Ken to keep his mouth shut. Yet the fact that the detail did not have adverse effects on their company itself makes it viable for him to continue working on as per normal. He did not want any other colleague or higher-up to question Eden on his credibility. He trusts deeply in him. And he knows Eden will not fail him. Therefore he decides to go along with the plan despite clearly having an understanding of the consequences of that single minute attribute. They exit the company and enter a white Lexus, one of the more premium models that they can afford. As they cannot afford to lose face in front of a big client after all. A good vehicle means that they have earned the respect of the people around them and they can afford the nice things in life. At least that¡¯s what the company believes. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The ride to the partner company is neither eventful nor stagnant. Ken and Eden spoke about the crucial details about the funding round and wanted to be absolutely sure to close it this time. And luckily so is the other party. They arrive at the bottom of a lofty sky rise building, one of the tallest in the city. There, the windows of the building reflected the afternoon sun strongly and the modern design that etched the flowing glass down to the very bottom makes the building spectacular. It stands out among the already unique skyline of the overall cityscape. Eden prepares his funding documents with him and slots it neatly into his shirt jacket. Ken gets out of the car while still sipping on his milk tea that he got from the convenience store in their office building. One of them is taking this more seriously than the other. Chapter 49: Introspection Eden and Ken march into the room brimming with hope. Jeff meanwhile is escorted by his assistants and already waiting at the desk. ¡±Hope we weren¡¯t late, Sir! We are ready to hear your funding request.¡± ¡±Please, do call me Jeff. We should be relaxed as this is a good event. I hope this deal with go smoothly.¡± ¡°Oh of course! We have everything prepared already and I do expect you to have your proposals ready as well. Please continue with the presentation. By the way, here are the terms and conditions of the agreement.¡± Jeff sits upright and stands up to begin his monumental presentation. He spoke with confidence and charisma, effectively bringing his point across to us, the investors. Eden looks as the assistants and lawyers goes through the documentation carefully. There is a very small sliver of a chance that they spot that detail. It is nested and expressed in a particularly obscure way that will likely elude most of the population. Ken unwittingly goes along with it as well, eyeing the inspectors as sweat drips from his forehead. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. As Jeff concludes his presentation, his assistants and lawyers gives him the okay. He is very pleased that they have gone through the details of the proposal. Jeff gives his acknowledgment for the deal to go through. Eden and Ken heaves a sigh of relief. It is a miracle that never noticed that fine print. Jeff thank Eden and Ken for their valuable time and promise them he would follow up with us regularly and that he will make the investment count. And that he will make them rich. At least that is his intention. As Jeff exits the room with his assistants and lawyers, Eden and Ken high fives each other. Eden knew he has succeeded, while Ken knew not only of the success but the looming future. Chapter 50: Pay off Jeff who has finally gotten the investment amount of ten million pounds out of a possible hundred million is overjoyed. He skips and claps around his desk. He tells his assistant to cancel the rest of the appointments for that day. He is going out for a drink with his best friends to celebrate the occasion. He is so full of himself he never noticed the glaring minute detail that even his lawyers missed. Jeff hangs up his jacket and loosen his sleeves. He is ready to party. He puts the documents in a drawer underneath his desk, metaphorically sweeping away the responsibilities that come with the investment amount. Tomorrow can worry about the future, today it is time to celebrate for real. He calls up the best club in town and orders for the whole table. Then he makes a few phone calls to his closest friends to have a good time. The day is still young. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Eden is much more relieved than happy. While the lawyers and assistants were carefully scanning the documents, he can hardly hold his breath. Now he is victorious. At least on concept. Ken puts his hand over Eden shoulder and congratulate him, failing to mention the detail he noticed. Ken decides to keep it to himself, he even start to think that Eden might have not purposely put in that detail at all. Potentially absolving him of all responsibility, Eden gets away with it once again. And he is confident this is truly repeatable. No matter how many times it takes, those ten targets will go down with him if it comes to it. Ken bids Eden goodbye as he heads home while Eden continues his grind into the night. He is a hard worker and does not want to leave any trace of his involvement behind. He starts to delete his edit version history and put the assignment under the authority of the colleague that went up to Ken to ask him about Jeff. Chapter 51: Before Ring! Ring! The incessant pressing of the doorbell at Jeff¡¯s residence jolts him awake. He hurriedly jumps out of bed and changes into his day clothes. As the ringing continues, he combs his hair while shouting in reply. ¡°Coming!¡± ¡°So sorry about the delay. What is this about?¡± ¡°Hi good morning Sir, your delivery package of three business books have arrived. Can you please sign on my device to acknowledge please?¡± ¡±Certainly, thank you!¡± Jeff hugs the package in his hands as he struggles to close the door at the same time. He is an avid reader and will always order the latest business books to work on his self improvement. He knows that the best asset that we can invest in are ourselves. Therefore he spares no expense in ensuring that his mind and body are in tip-top condition. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Jeff tears open the package with visible excitement. He has a passion for reading and this extends to non-fiction titles as well. His favourite books are The Power of Habit and The Midnight Library. The three books that he uncovers are Winning in Business, the twenty secrets, How to excel in your boardroom and Agile management philosophy. These are all essential reads for any top executives who want to perform at their very best. As it is a weekend, Jeff takes his time to pour a hot cup of joe. His wife is still asleep. He flips on the reading lamp. Its warmth glow provides the necessary light to brighten up a tiny corner of his room. But it is just enough for a top executive to read his precious books. The next upcoming week will be somewhat torturous. He has back to back meetings all planned out. He can¡¯t wait to get back to the office. After all his job is his calling. Chapter 52: Spotted Jeff¡¯s newly hired lawyer rushes into the lifts, he presses on the doorbell aggressively. Time is running out. He dashes into Jeff¡¯s offices out of breath. He had just completed the revision of the funding documents that Eden had prepared and spotted the consequential detail. ¡±Sir, you have no idea what you just signed. This clause in the document means that the investment needs to be repaid back twofold.¡± ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± ¡°Respectfully Sir, you have been tricked!¡± ¡°Are you serious? No way¡­¡± Jeff¡¯s eyes scan to the point of the document where his new lawyer is pointing at. A deep sense of dread and regret creeps up. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I am going to phone those tricksters and make them pay!¡± Jeff phones up Ken¡¯s company on the office telephone, but deep inside he already knew that little can be done. He may have to accept the eventual consequences of their initial agreement. He slams his hand down angrily on his desk. ¡°Unbelievable!¡± ¡°And from a company of their reputation, no less!¡± Jeff cannot believe his bad luck. The agreement has already been signed and set in stone. Now he has to perform and keep up his end of the agreement. It is really a bad deal that he has to repay one hundred percent over the initial investment. He might have signed the worst deal in corporate history. The latest board meeting is coming up, and Jeff is sweating bullets over it. He knows that if he is to reveal this crucial detail, his position will be gone. Therefore he tasks every one of his closest confidants to keep mum. Unbeknownst to him, his rival is already standing at the doorstep. He has heard his every word. And he is determined to get the very position Jeff has worked so hard for. Chapter 53: Doom Jeff stands up nervously to present in the board meeting. His hands are obviously shaking and he trembles as he got up to prepare his slides. He did not know how to answer the shareholders and board members on the terrible deal he had signed. Much less tolerate such a crucial mistake. He knew his position is in trouble if the truth gets out. Therefore he decides to keep it a secret throughout the entire presentation. By the end of his great speech, he is met with applause and congratulations on the new funding round. Jeff heaves a sigh of relief, no one has figured it out. Just then, his rival raises his hand before standing up. ¡°Ladies and gentleman, I have some unfortunate news regarding this project. Jeff had unwittingly signed a contract that requires us to pay back double the investment amount. This is unacceptable.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. A collective gasp escapes the mouths around the table. The group breaks into separate discussions. Then they collectively decided, with many agreeing that Jeff needs to be held accountable. Jeff quivers and tries his best to calm down the room but to no avail. The board members are angry now and the shareholders livid. They want answers. And they will get them. Jeff returns back to his desk despondently. He knew his days are over. He grabs the telephone line and phone Ken¡¯s company again but the line went dead. He smashes the phone in annoyance. This is not how it is suppose to be. It can¡¯t be over just like that. No way his entire career is jeopardised due to a single mistake. Jeff grabs his cup of ice cold water and tells his assistant to get out of the room. He peers into the city skyline as the evening sun starts to set over the horizon. He is in denial. Chapter 54: Denial Jeff puts his hand on his head and measure his temperature. He is heating up. He collects all the documents from the funding round and runs through the details again. Scanning the documents, sure enough, he finds the overt detail that said their company needs to repay back double the principal investment amount. Jeff slumps back into his chair and shakes his head. He cannot believe it. Such a tiny obscure detail is likely to ruin the entire investment. He is full of rage by now. His blood boiling up till his forehead. He reconciles the past with the present and tries to make sense of it all. But it just does not make sense to him. Why does Ken¡¯s company want to do this? Why would they risk their reputation? Meanwhile back at Ken¡¯s company, Eden grins as he estimates the timing and knows the detail has been found. He lays back comfortably on his swivel chair, opening up a drink in celebration. One target down, he thought in his mind. Just nine more to go. Success is always in Eden¡¯s DNA, wherever he went he has had success. And this time is no different. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He covers up the last of his tracks before completely pushing the responsibility to the other colleague. They can¡¯t trace him now. He grins as he presses enter on his desktop screen. Ken looks at Eden from afar. He is observing his every move. He knows that Eden was responsible for the detail in the funding document. But was he a friend or a foe? He shakes his head as he is unable to determine the conclusion. Only time will tell if Eden is their greatest strength or weakness. He turns and walks away into the corridor. Neither knew of the future that holds. Chapter 55: Owen Eden flips through the list of targets he needs to eliminate. Owen is one of them. He carefully studies over his profile and scrutinise every last detail. What matters to him is that he is able to get ahold of someone¡¯s weakness and utilise that situation. It is no use if he cannot take advantage of the situation to his greatest advantage. He must make use of every ounce of his intelligence to take down his enemies. Owen strolls into the office knowingly late. He is six foot tall and has to duck a bit in order to get in through the door. He wears a dark purple button up shirt and a brown pants, which is your typical office attire. Similar to Jeff, he was parachuted into the company after the collapse of Athereal Corporation. He is hired under the title of their CFO for the new company. And he is just getting started. Owen had since then put in place multiple financial reforms and restructuring for the company. He knows that it is important for him to make a lasting impact and have his presence felt the moment he stepped into the company. He dusts off the rain on his shirt and proceeds to his desk. As the second most important person in charge of the company, Owen has a large office. It displays his achievements over the years with various glass plaques and gold trophies. There are even multiple certificate awards adorning the walls of his office. The office room has a waiting area for guests and even a TV. He switches on the TV to CNBC to get the latest news. One of the headlines is that Jeff is being let go by his company this week. Owen puts up his guard and instructs his assistants to check every detail of his projects. Nothing should go wrong. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chapter 56: Girlfriend Eden begins to investigate Owen¡¯s closest relationships. There are many. From childhood friends to parents to even their neighbours. However one stands above them all - his girlfriend. Owen¡¯s girlfriend is a really pretty and tall girl, standing at 1.78m. She has the face of a model yet cute at the same time. She wears flowery dresses at times and carries branded handbags. She is what people would normally brand a gold digger yet that does not phase her one bit. Owen¡¯s girlfriend happens to like big projects to work on so maybe he can target that instead to break their trust among each other. Eden carefully maps out his plan in his mind and on paper, he knows he cannot slip up this time as he only has one chance. Eden plans out his big project for Owen and his girlfriend. Their project is to renovate this failing theme park in the north. The theme park has been desolate and in shambles since the beginning of the year. Not much has been done for the theme park as its facilities are ailing and old. Visitors number just a few tens a day whereas in the heydays it would be a few hundreds to thousands. Hence this project is perfect for them as it not only allows them to have a shared purpose and goal but also satisfy their desire to help the broader community. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The theme park is owned under Eden¡¯s company so all was good. He can successfully borrow it from his department under some excuse as use it for his nefarious purposes. He knows the time is right for such a major project undertaking. He will spare no cost in order to get rid of his closest enemies. The theme park stands in stark contrast as compared to its heydays, silent and quiet. It does not know what lies ahead. Chapter 57: Group The project presents itself to Owen¡¯s girlfriend as her next big corporate project in collaboration with Eden¡¯s company. Now the theme park needs massive renovations and costs can easily run up to the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions. A lot of the facilities are out of order, like one toilet within the perimeter of the rollercoasters and some entry bars at the entrance. There are a lot of fixing that needs to be done in order to get this theme park up and running again. Owen¡¯s girlfriend takes up her phone and dials for Owen. She needs his help for such a big project after all, she cannot expect to do it alone. Such an undertaking requires a mathematical mind and a financial inquisitive attitude towards such painstaking undertaking. It is not a everyday task that one gets to renovate a theme park and Owen gets excited about the prospect. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°So this theme park in the north is in need of much renovations you say? I¡¯m on it!¡± ¡°Great! I really look forward to your help on it as finance is not my forte.¡± The phone call ended as quickly as it started. And thus the project begins. Owen and his girlfriend takes a day off and begin their long bus ride to the north. It is only accessible by tourist buses as it is in a restricted area. You would think that this will reduce traffic to the theme park but no, there is going to be a major train station being built to supplement the existing inflows of people. And this renovation will lead up to that, so they need to be quick. The bus ride stops at various points along the way for toilet breaks and the scenery. But when they arrive at the theme park, it is dead quiet and you can hear a pin drop in this abandoned place. Chapter 58: Theme Park As Owen and his girlfriend alights from the bus, the fewer than ten passengers follows them into the theme park. It is filthy and old. There are litter littering the perimeter of the theme park. Frankly a few people even turned away after seeing the sight of the condition the theme park is in. Owen and his girlfriend marches on regardless. They know that this theme park can be much better than its state now. With a heart full of faith and mind full of hope, they trudge into the theme park by going through the rusted metal bars of the entrance. Creek! Creek! Creek! One of them gets stuck on the way in and Owen¡¯s girlfriend is forced to use another gantry. It is literally that bad that the condition of the gantry of the theme park, which is the entrance of it is in such a dismal state. It is appalling. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Nonetheless, they walk into the theme park and observe the area. It is deserted and quiet, with the sound of rollercoasters and a few people screaming from far away. There are literally no queues in this vast facility. The trash cans are empty. And the shopkeepers selling food look bored and uninterested. Something needs to change, Owen and his girlfriend thought. They walk around the exhibits and found a haunted house. There are only two people queuing and waiting for their turn in this thousand square feet attraction. No wonder business is bad, it is horrible to think that such a huge attraction is so desolate. Coming up with ideas while queuing up, Owen¡¯s girlfriend suggests that they refurbish and renovate the entrance of the haunted house. In this way, it will make it more attractive to customers while saving money on renovating the entire facility. Owen nodded in agreement. The line is getting closer. Chapter 59: Haunted House The haunted house was dilapidated. It was full of old props that didn¡¯t work and was dusty and dirty. Needless to say Owen and his girlfriend had much to criticise while they were there. Even the jumpscares did not feel as authentic as they should be. They are miserly painful and fell short of their standards. Likewise the actors are all unmotivated as they are paid the minimum wage to do a difficult job. What was supposed to be a scary haunted house ultimately turned out to be a horror show in terms of quality instead. After going through the whole debacle, Owen came up with ten items to change about the insides of the haunted house. He would narrow it down based on the budget that they had on hand. Meanwhile Owen¡¯s girlfriend have a different idea in mind. She wanted to tear down the entire building and refurnish it from the ground up. Already the seeds of disagreement have been planted. Eden sits back to enjoy the show. He was at the theme park that day too. Carefully eyeing his precious targets. Of course it was dangerous for him to be there but he was there nonetheless. He wanted to see the outcome of their breaking up. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Owen and his girlfriend argued over lunch on how best to handle the matter. They would raise their voices and argued through the whole thing. Only when a third party stopped to interrupt them that they broke up the fight. It was an embarrassment. Yet there was no one there to witness it. No one except for Eden that is. Who is already recording the whole scene on his smartphone in four K resolution. This will serve as good evidence in the future he thought sinisterly. The climax has yet to come. Chapter 60: Dream However they needed to make the dream work. The problem is the disagreements with how to get there and not the actual goal itself. So Owen and his girlfriend sat down and trash things out. They know that the worst enemies to make is in each other, and they can¡¯t afford that for this project or their relationship either. Thus they try to make things work. They try to compromise with each other, to make the dream work when the dream isn¡¯t working. They went through the renovation plans for the haunted house again. They went through what items to buy for the refurbishment. They went through what wallpaper to put on the walls. They went through what people they need to hire in order to make it a success. All the necessary ingredients to make things work. This is what it took. Hard work and grit. If they do not succeed in this project, then people will look at them differently. How could they not succeed in such a simple task? It is truly unfathomable why someone cannot refurbish a basic mom and pop entertainment center that is this theme park. Nothing is stopping them. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Not the budget, not the time required. They had all the budget and all the time in the world. All that is really needed for them is to get together and make it work. Is that really that difficult of a task? No. That¡¯s why they sit down to make it work. They went through all the details again from the very beginning. It is intense and unusual to spend so much time on a single facility but it is much needed. They finally came to a compromise after about five hours of back and forth arguments. They did it. A completed plan for a new haunted house. Chapter 61: In time The plans for the haunted house was finished. Now all that is left is to carry out the renovation works. Owen would be in charge of the exterior while the interior, the more important part would be left to Owen''s girlfriend. Whom happened to be more skilled at things like this. It was a fair distribution of labour and they shook hands on it, as awkward as it may have been after five hours of straight discussion on the topic as business partners for once and not lovers. The work on the haunted house began immediately. In the weeks following the start of the renovation, visible changes can be seen in the exterior and interior of the haunted house. In particular the props that make up the interior of the haunted house were mostly changed into higher quality props and the roof of the haunted house was painted again. Signboards were put up and the overall ambience of the haunted house became darker and scarier to an outsider. The carpet leading up to the start of the haunted trail was changed into a maroon red and the costumes of the actors were all much more detailed and higher in quality, that even the audience will notice even if they were scared at the moment. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The lighting of the haunted house was turned into a warm yellow, with dimly lit light bulbs illuminating the way to the exit. It was spooky and quite unlike the original, the overall standard of the haunted house has improved substantially. Even the tickets to the haunted house was given a nice overhaul, with a ghostly picture to accompany every ticket that came with it to the haunted house. It was definitely a success. Yet for some reason, Owen''s girlfriend was displeased because of one reason. Chapter 62: The dotted line Owen¡¯s girlfriend refused to sign the final papers to mark the finishing of the haunted house renovations. Her hand hovers in the air with stiff joints as she struggles to hold the pen. She was definitely reluctant to sign off the papers. Her nose twitched and she turned away, her eyes staring into the distance at nothing and yet something slowly dawned on her mind. It was disgust. Absolute disgust at the state of affairs. Owen walked up to his girlfriend, tapping her on the shoulder. He shielded his hands and whispered a few words to his girlfriend. However he was unfortunately unable to change her mind. Her decision was resolute. She was determined to see it through at all costs. Owen¡¯s girlfriend flips through the papers, feeling through the rough edges of the pages. Then in a single swift motion, she pulled and tore the paper straight in half. Owen saw the scene with blind shock, he recoiled backwards, stumbling into the wall behind him. His head touched the gently rough surface, he bleeds blood red as it trickles down from his head. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Owen¡¯s girlfriend was caught off guard. She was shocked. She immediately got up to rush to get the first aid kit. There, there were band aids of every size. Owen¡¯s girlfriend apologised profusely and kept her head low while she taped the band aid on his head and blew a kiss. Owen ran his hand through the fibres of his hair. He felt the blood on his fingers, as they dripped through and dropped onto the ground drip by drip. Owen¡¯s face turned into that of a demon. His face never looked as scary, but he just looked fiercely at his girlfriend. He clenched his fists tightly, chest pumping, it was going to be hard to slap her. Chapter 63: Make up or Break Up Owen stands at the entrance of the haunted house, he looks crestfallen and defeated. His girlfriend is polishing her finger nails. She wants to look pretty for the Instagram photos of the before and after of the renovation of the haunted house. She fishes out her trusty smartphone from her pocket, taps on Tiktok and starts filming a Tiktok on the special promotion for the haunted house this coming weekend. Owen stares into the distance in the abyss of the darkness. Deep within, monsters of all imagination come alive and haunt your very soul. Owen''s girlfriend cannot care less about his depression. She tosses over the final checklist of the things needed to be completed to Owen and strides away. Owen catches the paper just barely, and looks over the information on the document. They cannot come to a consensus together. Owen''s girlfriend seems like she only cares for her own well-being while Owen is deep in his own thoughts on how to move forward. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Owen''s girlfriend stamps her feet on the ground and demands that Owen follows her lead or else. Owen disagree vehemently and refuses to budge. They argue over the tiniest of details which should not matter while the big picture is being disregarded. Owen slaps her girlfriend across the face. She was completely taken aback. Owen leaves for greener pastures while her girlfriend walks away crying. They will break up the following day over text and no voice messages or even video calling that they did so often back while they were in their honeymoon phase. Owen''s girlfriend ghosts him after sending a all the best to you message. Owen revenge texts back a couple few lines to try to win her back but it was to no avail. Owen tosses and turns while sleeping. The messages and his actions haunts him more than the haunted house ever could. He was in tears. The clock on the wall tick as time slowly seeps into the gears of life and the events surrounding Owen start to turn. His fortune is changing. He just did not know it yet.