August 18th, 2019

Heat rose from my body as the number inscribed on my back burned. Soft rays of light had penetrated the study through the blinds. It revealed my perturbed face as I contemplated my next move.

I looked at the chest table in front of me. In this game, this wager, I was black. The first move had been made, and I had to find the counter. I pushed the pawn in front of the white king, two spaces forward. The game seemed balanced as I mirrored with the pawn in front of the black king. I kept matching moves until white had black in check. This was the current position I was in, and I needed a response. Of course, like any game, there were sacrifices on both sides to get this far.

A loud knock came upon the door, breaking my chain of thoughts.

"Mr. Foster?" a meek voice called, " breakfast is ready."

"I will be there soon, Rose," I said, as I recognized the voice. I sniffed myself, detecting that I carried an odour.

Hearing the footsteps slowly walking away, I got up, opened the door, and headed through the hall. This hall was spacious and filled with glamour. The red and gold colours brought it to life. It gives the impression that a king lived here rather than a normal person. A combination of regal paintings and small hanging lights made it impossible to pass without noticing anything left or right.

I opened the door to my bedroom despite having five bathrooms in this house, I only used this one to bathe was it a habit? Maybe, or the fact that I preferred the company.

It wasn't long before I was at the dining table. I ate a very simple breakfast and read through the news on my tablet. Our fearless leader, I laughed to myself. The genuine power in this city was not the politicians but the rich elites at the top. Everything from basic salaries, wages, and police were determined by these elites. One man in particular that carried the name of Cassis stood above all. I met the man once, and all I could tell is that he exuded the very presence of the word greed. He hoarded money, wealth, knowledge, and culture. Anything that seemed to have value or rarity he desired. With that attitude, it was obvious why no one liked him.

I turned to see Ralph behind me. "Mr. Foster, a guest has arrived for you. It is the lady from yesterday, Mallory."

You can let her in. I got up from my chair as a servant cleared the table behind me while I made my way to the living room. Our arrivals were in synced and we both stared down the other.

I held a long look of surprise to see her. She was still willing to go through with this?

"You really want to hurt that little girl's feelings? I am not her dad! You just want my money or some sort of payout. You won't get it from me, especially when the truth of the matter is revealed. Go back to the hole you were hiding in for all I care."

"That's all you have to say to me, Domenic? You really have changed so much from the man I knew."

"The man you knew died when you betrayed him. When you left him to himself. When you belittled him. I am not the man you know. I want nothing to do with you when this bluff is called."

"Well, we will see when I prove you wrong. I wonder what you will say then?"

"Whatever, let us get this over with," I walked towards the door. "Ralph, I am leaving."

"Should we go to the general hospital and get it done there?"

I merely glanced at her as she walked towards my car. "I have my own doctor," I replied, before seeing the little girl seated in the backseat of an old beaten down car that had long passed its days.

"How did you even manage to get past security in the first place?" I asked, as I got in my car.

A smile came upon her face, "I told him that we are married."

I chuckled, picturing the man's face I couldn't expect much from that old guard.

"Follow me to get there and let's get this foolish matter settled," I said, while I shut the door, not waiting for a response.

I pulled out the driveway and merely waited for her to follow. Damn, she drives slow. Who knew this would have been my experience straight through until we got there.

***

Driving into the car park of the private hospital in the rearview mirror, I saw Mallory was following. She parked in the empty space to the left of me as I got out of the car.

The first words that greeted me were: "Daddy."

A little girl got out and placed her hands around my waist. It was so sudden I didn't know how to respond and I stood there frozen for a while, not uttering a single word. Mallory came by my side of the car and took the child from off me despite her whining.

"Not now," she said, "soon, I promise you, you just have to wait."

Was I some sort of prized or did she have this child programmed in an attempt to move my heart? My eyes fell upon the whiskey eyed fox. It was the first time I really looked at Mallory outside my own rage. She looked extremely exhausted, her hair was a mess, and she resembled a zombie as she moved step by step. Not like it was any of my concerns. I had called forward when we were on the road in advance. This shouldn't take long. 

We walked towards the building. When we entered my phone rang, I checked the number, it was Susie. What could she want now? Oh, shoot, I forgot I was supposed to go over the sorted, yes, or no proposals on my desk. I quickly sent her a message to let her know I would be there soon.

I noticed Mallory was also quietly on her phone. We didn't even have to wait as soon as I mentioned my name. We were placed ahead of those that were there before. There were some disgruntled complaints as we went into the office and the doctor did what he had to do and we were sent on our way. In two days we would know, he had said.

There was silence between Mallory and me as we left the building, heading to our respective cars. When I heard two familiar voices approaching—the vein in my head had never worked so hard as it was clearly visible. I had been set up and the wrath from which it caused made a spinning sensation in my head.

"Get in, sweetie," Mallory said as the car door shut.

"It didn't take long for you to reveal your true colours."

"Domenic, I want you to know the truth."

"What truth? You think I am a fool?"

The two figures were right next to me—my aunt and the man who used to be my best friend.

I chuckled. "What a fucking reunion."

"Domenic, there is no need for that kind of language," Mallory spoke.

"Yes, it is my nephew. You're now rich I see your face almost everywhere sometimes. Yet you don't know your family anymore. I assumed that money came from that of your disgusting mother. The bitch was never any good to begin with. Did you even once think of how your family suffered Domenic? Or even where you truly inherited that money from?"

"Shut up!"

I opened my car door. I wasn't about to hear any of this nonsense. I was about to slide myself in. The force that greeted me closed the door as I found myself pinned on to my car. I looked back to see Andrew gripping my arms tightly over the car.

"What are you doing!?" I shouted, drawing the attention of onlookers.

"What do you think? Stopping you from leaving until you hear everything that we have to say."

"You know I could have you charged for assault. Maybe even kidnap since I am being held against my will. How would that look for a puny bank manager? Front page of the paper, you think?"

His eyes glared at me while he gripped me tighter." When did you become such a bitch Domenic?"

"I learned from the best, you were always looking down at me. Pretending to be my friend? I am past that it doesn't matter anymore, you're beneath me."

His hands squeezed tighter on me.

"Enough Andrew, please just let him go. I just want him to hear out the full story."

"What do you want to say?"

"I want you to understand my side."

"And you thought ambushing me like this would get you the best results?"

"With you, there is no other way."

"Look," Kim interjected as her hands adjusted her glasses and a frown took her face." I want to get paid for dealing with your brat for the last two years. Think it's easy with all the shit that's going on in this economy? I spent all my hard earn money while you are rich and just living in luxury neglecting your own responsibility."

Andrew eased up on me as I turned to face the trio of clowns. They must think I am an idiot as I zoned out. Her mouth was moving the words however fell on death ears. I already knew what everyone wanted here—money.

Strangely, my calm was only ever broken when it had matters to do with my pride. It was almost like I could see into the darkness surrounding their black hearts. Excuses, excuses are all I heard as I moved my eyes from her to him. To them, I was the bad guy in their perfect fantasy story. It was my fault for not trying hard enough.

What a complete joke.

"Do you understand my side now, Domenic? Why I did what I did?"

"Yeah, whatever it still does not matter to me. You just want someone to blame for your entire life falling apart. You're not grown enough to take responsibility for your own actions." I said as I pointed my finger towards her.

My brash, sudden words caught her off guard. She was clearly not expecting that response. A smile came to my face.

I turned my head towards my aunt Kim. "Honestly, I never liked you. All you do is talk bad about my mother."

"Whatever you choose to do is at you. My child?"

"Yeah right, for all I know it is yours, Andrew, or maybe some other guy. I noticed you are not as smooth and clean as you always are. What's the matter you fell on some hard times?"

He reacted by trying to pin me to the car again, this time, however, I was quicker. Too fast, almost for a moment as if I was still in the next world. Then I felt it, the feeling as though a monster was close. I sensed it, but I couldn't tell from where. Andrew found himself pinned on the car instead. He made a strange sound before pleading with me to release him. Instead, my hands gripped on him even tighter, having this upper hand over him, and seeing his facial expression felt good for once.

Now he finally knew who was on top of whom.

I heard the women startled expression as my aunt barraged me in battering name-calling, but I paid it all no mind at all.

There was still something that I wanted to know.

I looked him in the eye. "What I can't understand is what do you really want Andrew. Money too? Pity? Or perhaps some form of renewal of friendship where you can talk down to me from on top and I look at you from the bottom?"

Andrew said nothing as he looked away.

The strange feeling I got earlier still lingered in my body, but I no longer sensed it. I wondered what it meant for a moment. Were they monsters here too? That seemed impossible from what I saw in that place. Unlike Rainbow, they don't have any restraint, and even she lacks that as well. A city filled with monsters. The actuality disgusted me. No, they couldn't come back.

I pushed Andrew away from the car. There was a lengthy silence as no one said anything. I could see that things didn't go the way they had expected. I was no longer a submissive, yes man. They faced a lion and lions do not run before the sheep.

"Well then. I will be going, "I said, as I got into my car. Giving them all one last glance, each with a different expression upon their faces. The little girl, however, held long locking eyes with me.

"She couldn't be mine, impossible!" I said out loud in my car as I drove out the car parking lot.

In two days, this foolish charade will be over.