August 17th, 2019

There was paperwork piled high on top of my desk. One held the dreaded words of the date I had feared before—the 19th another the date of my meeting with the Mayor. The AC was cold despite the suit that I wore. The glass door initialed with my name in gold, gave a fitting touch.
It also made it easy for me to see all the other workers within the area. Their eager heads were down, busy at work.

I drank my black coffee, it was hot to the taste, I inhaled its rich aroma as I took in the view of all the surrounding buildings. Some old, some new, they all were smaller. Almost like looking down as a hunter focused on its prey.

To imagine I would own the very place three years ago, that I had once been fired from. Some people might say that it was fate, luck, or maybe even destiny. I don't believe it was nothing of the sort it was by my own hands that it happened. It was through my suffering and perseverance that it did. Despite the money my mother left for me, I was the one to turn it into far more than what it originally was, me. All I needed was the opportunity.

I watched the smoke rising to the sky. This city looked the same at the top as when I was at the bottom. Corruption, desperation, and disparity persisted. It was mind-blowing at times, seeing things from another pair of lenses. How much the rich could get away with by greasing political figures pockets. The charade was all revealed to me when I made my way upon its stage. That's what it was all about to be at the top. One must be a superb actor and know what faces to wear for the occasion. A glorious puppet show: one face for the politicians, one for business meetings when either dominant or weak, one for workers, one for at home and another for the media. So many faces and promises kept and unkept that a man might forget who he truly was in the end.

In the years that passed, nothing had really changed for the poor in that regard. These fools could not see that they were merely dealing with a ticking bomb, or maybe it was that they were unaware because they had never experienced it. Although, once I started the unconventional approach to help others, I got rid of that stupid job cut reforms. Sometimes I wondered what the actual role of Hernando Cortes was? To be the United Association of Capitalist (U.A.C) lap dog. He really was a man that did absolutely nothing.

Most Pelgarians saw me as a hero, a white knight that saved them from a form of despair. Why I did it? I still couldn't quite grasp it. A loose set of ideas came to my mind, still, it did me well publicly. I figured it boiled down to the fact of the experience I had with it, even though I used it one last time to get rid of my former boss, Mr. Vanderbrook serving him his papers of redundancy two years ago brought the sweetest joy to my face. Thinking back on his facial expression made a smile come to my lips that bastard had it coming. Hearing the office cheered as the villain had been slain. How long had that bastard made my life hell in that office? It was now his time to struggle and see what it feels like to live at the bottom.

Now, instead of mandatory firing workers each month, this company was geared towards not only job protection but helping the common man. Almost like a reminder or a gift to my former self.

Charities, the more I supported and the more I gave only reinforced the dominant position I had on making change. It was nothing hard to give that which you already had so much of.

Praise was high from both the common man and those at the upper-class level. Did I become a celebrity almost overnight and was that a good thing or bad? My face does look good graced upon the buildings in the city, something I can't deny I enjoyed seeing it.

Money always seems to attract more money, without it, nothing was possible. It wasn't long before all the rest of the competition and businessmen alike started to do the same. Fools, of course, this was only a patch on a bursting dam. That had long since reached its point of no return. At least one thing when it all went to hell the people would know who was true to them.

I gazed around the walls of my executive office at the awards for the most trivial of things, it made me chuckle. It seemed as if I gave two dollars towards a man on the road, I would be in the paper the next day as the greatest.

I sighed to myself as I took my seat in the black chair behind the desk. Despite my improved situation and what I had achieved, there were still many things that either bothered my mind or that I was still trying to figure out. How do I escape that realm and why was I no longer aging? At first, I didn't notice it, but more and more people have been asking me what I use. I can only assume it is what Samael had told me long ago, but does that mean I will live forever?

I tapped my fingers on the desk. I still remained clueless about how my mother had come to claim all of this wealth that I had been given. My initial private investigations were also empty-handed. Eric was also not able to help me here as well.

Sometimes it felt as though, some of my decisions had been whispered in my ear or already played out. Steering me into this lane, this direction, and I was just a passenger going along with the ride. Whatever it was, in the end it was my decisions, right? That got these results.

I placed my coffee down on the table scanning through the piles of work waiting for my approval to sign. Nothing here really interested me either. It wasn't like I had to do the work just to approve, whichever seemed best; after listening to the various sides and perspective to take all the credit.

I felt the ringing sensation in my pocket as I pulled out my phone. I could see from the name, today was going to be another one of those days.

"Hello," I answered.

"Mr. Domenic, I think you should come down to the apartment. She has locked herself in there for two days and has not come out. I grow concerned not only for her safety, but for her physical state."

I gripped my hands tightly as I responded. "Okay, I will be there soon."

I scratched my neck and ended the call.

"Susie, I am leaving I should be back before the end of the day. If not, just go through the order of stuff on my desk and stamp the ones that you are sure I would approve, give me to look at tomorrow."

"Understood Mr. Foster," she acknowledged, while she entered the office.

I got up, motioned myself out of my office as she sat in the chair facing mine. She began to work as I left.

"Sigh. What now?" I asked as I press the number on the elevator to bring me to my car downstairs.

The workers and people seem to separate as I walked, making way for me with pleasant faces, or so it always seemed to me.

My car was brought to greet me by the entrance to the office. There was an exchange of greetings. I took my keys and stared down at my beast of a car. It reminded me of Goliath. From the time I got behind the wheel, the beast within roared as it was directed onto the main road. It was not long before I found myself back at the apartment where I had left three years ago. I parked my car in the carpark, but it looked so out of place with what stood beside it, almost like a dragon hiding among sheep.

Within moments of stepping out of the car the man I placed to protect her greeted me. I saw a very concerned look in his eyes. I hoped what he had to tell me was not bad news. Besides my mother, she was the only person I considered close to me.

"Mr. Domenic, my apologies for calling you here, but you are the only one who can enter without arousing any suspicions especially since we are supposed to be monitoring her discreetly."

"I understand," I said as I gazed around the apartment building. This place was a testament to my struggle—old Betty, I still kept her close in my garage like a keepsake. "Well, I will be back if I am with her, just follow us discreetly."

With that, I headed towards the stairs, counting them as I walked, seventeen. I was now at the top. I passed my old apartment, the door was wide open, and I couldn't help but peep in as I passed. A new family had taken up residence there.

Now I was in front of the old man's apartment. I guess she was paying for both her house and here, since the owners hadn't removed his property.

I took a deep breath and tried to look as cheerful as I could before knocking on the door. However, as my hand came down, I noticed the door was already open. I slowly pushed the door to find it looking exactly the same way as when I had first entered. And after passing through the kitchen, there sprawled on the floor was Zora. The empty bottle on the floor told me all I need to know about the likely tale of what had happened here.

I sat down beside her. If I couldn't see her body moving up and down every now then. I would have believed she was dead. Her breath was brimming with the scent of alcohol. I remember when it was sweeter things.

My eyes gazed around the unchanged room—it was well maintained, was she doing all of this? It was almost like the old bastard was still alive, taunting me, laughing at me and this predicament. I sighed as I ran my hand through her hair. It seems we are all just broken pieces in the end.

"Zora," I called to her, but she just gave a half-hearted nod for a reply.

I wasn't letting her stay here to wash away her sorrows.

I lifted her up in my arms to carry her to the bed, even though I would have rather preferred to have taken her to my home. I knew she would leave and come back here.

"Daddy, is that you?" she muttered.

I ignored her as I reached the old man's bed, slowly resting her upon it.

"I will send a doctor for you soon, okay?"

She turned her body on the bed as she curled into a ball. I could only think that she understood.

I got up and walked to the door, looking back one last time towards the bed. I walked outside, called the doctor and just waited out the time.

He came, went through the simplest basic tests with her. She on the other hand was being as uncooperative as she could be. Once he had gotten enough done, he gave me the thumbs up to let me know she would be fine.

I guess I would just have to wait until she's sobered, but time was against me and I couldn't linger here any longer. I gave her my goodbyes as it fell on deaf ears. I left and headed to the carpark. I nodded to the man waiting for me outside as he approached me.

"Continue watching her for me and let me know if anything changes."

"No problem, sir," the man replied.

With that, I got into my car and drove home as the darkness was slowly creeping up on me. It was almost like a game of cat and mouse. Before I knew it, I was home again.

I made my way through the front of the house to the kitchen. There was an opened bottle of red wine on the counter. I poured myself a glass before heading to the study. Ralph and the other night staff knew not to disturb me when the door was locked.

The room greeted me, it was quaintly styled in a fashion that my mother had loved to see. Hidden away in this room was the gift my mother bequeathed me.

I sat in the nearby mahogany chair next to the chess table. The glass steady in my hand as I brought this wine to my lips, I watched my house peel away almost like a movie with the flames until it was pure nothingness and despair. I chuckled to myself. I was back here again.