“Oh my gosh, Alex, I’ve told you I’m not a fan of physical touch!” Emily spat out in an irritated tone as she pushed her boyfriend’s arms away.“I’m sorry, babe.” Alex withdrew his arms and pursed his lips in resignation. If he’d tried to hug Emily a thousand times since their relationship began two months ago, she’d refused a thousand and one times.It was one of the many quirks she exhibited since they started dating and even though he didn’t like it, he would keep on going with it as long as she was happy. He loved her and he was extremely lucky that she’d even agreed to date him.Sometimes the things she said and did made him wonder if she really cared about him, but he refused to let himself think about it. She was the most beautiful girl in their department and every guy in their department—even other departments—wanted her. But she’d chosen him, the poor, bullied orphan. He didn’t understand it, but he would never question it. As far as he was concerned, he was the luckiest guy

The stares followed Alex from the moment he stepped onto the marble steps of Heritage Finance Bank, his ridiculous clown costume drawing more than a few snickers from the few people littered around. He’d gone back into school to get his clothes but on getting to the classroom where he'd changed, his clothes were gone. He figured anything could happen in the twenty minutes it would take him to go back to his apartment and change so he quickly hurried to the bank, deciding that as long as he was there for legitimate business, his attire shouldn't matter.Now here he was—bright red wig, painted grin, and balloon-patterned jumpsuit—trying to look like a man with serious business.The two security guards at the entrance exchanged a look before blocking his path.“And what exactly do you want, clown boy?” the taller one asked, his voice laced with mockery.“I’m here to see the bank president,” Alex replied flatly, as if it were the most normal request in the world, urgency in his tone.The

There were gasps all over as Sandra fell.After a second, just as she was scrambling to get up, they all burst into laughter. It was such an embarrassing situation for her and extremely funny to those watching.“What, Sandra, did you see a ghost on the computer?” Someone jabbed.Everyone laughed harder.Alex remained composed as he watched everything unfold—even though he too wanted to laugh.Of course it was funny to him. He knew what had just happened:Sandra had just confirmed exactly how much he was worth and realized she was in hot water.He watched silently as she finally got up, tried to straighten the embarrassment out of her attire, and then moved towards her computer with shame and defeat etched very visibly on her face.Sandra's heart was beating fast; she couldn't hear herself think.God, what have I done?She tried to keep her raging thoughts out of her expression as she refreshed the computer again, but Alex could see that she was trembling slightly.Sandra prayed that s

Down at the reception, Sandra was a woman on a mission. She had just returned from the restroom, where she'd caked on a fresh layer of makeup—foundation, highlighter, and a lipstick so glossy it could blind an unsuspecting victim. She’d adjusted her dress higher and tighter, the neckline a little lower now, the curves more pronounced. Every step she took was a calculated swing of hips.She positioned herself right by the elevator, her perfume cloud thick enough to announce her presence before her words ever could. A few colleagues threw her mocking glances. One of them, Babara, rolled her eyes and muttered just loud enough, “And the parade begins.”Sandra scoffed, tossing her freshly ironed curls. “Y’all can hate all you want. But I wasn’t born to suffer,” she said, popping her gum as she spoke. “I’m too fine to be struggling. I don’t want to work hard—I want to be spoiled. Period.”The girls behind the counter burst into quiet laughter. “And what now? You want to trap another man l

The chancellor’s residence was aglow with opulence. Hidden beneath the pretense of celebration, the party was less about champagne and music and more about silent power plays and whispered alliances. As Dustin had warned, this wasn’t just a party—it was a decoy. A gathering of power brokers masked as a social event. Politics in pearls. Deals in tuxedos.Alex stood by the grand entrance, eyes scanning the crowd. Dressed in a deep navy three-piece suit tailored to perfection, he looked nothing like the boy who woke up that morning being called “Errand Boy.” His hair was slicked back, his posture confident, and his aura undeniable. He wasn’t just attending this event. He was owning it.He tugged slightly at his lapel and exhaled.This morning, he was invisible.This afternoon, he was humiliated.By night, he was a multimillionaire, the largest shareholder of one of the most powerful banks in the city, and the proud owner of a suit most people in this room couldn’t afford without selling