Now, Edward found another reason to work harder than before.

He vowed to pull out all the stops and go the extra mile. He told himself that he needed to make more moolah, not just for his mother's sake, but also for his lady love Rebecca.

He yearned to present her with a token of his affection, maybe a dazzling diamond ring, a lavish designer bag, or something along those lines. It was his way of professing his undying love for her.

Before long, fate smiled upon Edward.

With the help of the mysterious middle-aged widow, he had a shot at securing a big contract - but only if he could knock it out of the park in his presentation.

"Work hard, Edward, and you'll be promoted. Besides, If you seal the deal, we might just make you a partner with a 1% stake in the company.”

The boss’s words echoed in his mind like a prophecy.

It was the golden ticket he'd been waiting for and a chance that he had to jump at. If he could become the partner of the company, he knew he would soon pay back the money the enigmatic widow had lent him for his mother’s medical expenses. Of course, he would also be able to afford an expensive gift for his girlfriend Rebecca.

As he strode out of the hospital, Edward felt reborn just like a phoenix rising from the ashes. A new turn would come soon in his life. His mother’s wealth would be improving, and his relationship with Rebeccas was about to hit new heights.

‘Everything seems to get better,’ thought Edward, a smile playing on his lips, ‘I’ll be my own hero. Come on, Edward, keep up the good work.’

With a spring in his step, he let his eyes drift over the crowd in the street. Suddenly, he wondered where his girlfriend Rebecca was now. He couldn’t wait to see her at the time.

Without hesitation, Edward whipped out his trusty phone and punched in a message on Wetalk, the popular app that all the young folks in Orinda used.

[I miss you, honey! What are you up to right now? I can’t wait to see you.]

He typed it feverishly, pouring all his longing into the words.

As he waited for her reply, he couldn't resist the temptation to check her Moments on Wetalk. It was where she often shared her innermost thoughts and feelings with the world.

And there, right in front of him, was a picture of Rebecca that took his breath away.

"Wow!" he gasped, marveling at her beauty. "You're stunning, Rebecca. Simply stunning."

The picture was an absolute stunner - Rebecca looked radiant and carefree, living it up at a swanky party hosted in a five-star hotel that Edward could only dream of attending.

As he gazed at his girlfriend's wide grin, a pang of joy shot through his heart.

"She's so happy," he thought, beaming with pride. "And I'm glad she's having a good time."

But then, something in the photo quickly sent a chill down his spine.

He saw another person he had known there in the picture—his colleague James. He was standing behind Rebecca like a shadow in the night.

Edward’s mood soon turned sour in an instant.

‘What is he doing there?’ Edward thought, feeling like thousands of ants creeping into his heart.

He had to take a deep breath to calm himself down.

“There’s nothing wrong,” he muttered, “they’re just friends, and that’s all.”

Yet, James’s hands placed on her girlfriend Rebeca’s waist were simply a terrible eyesore. Edward’s face went deathly pale and his heart was about to give out. The sight was so unbearable that he couldn’t even breathe.

“Well, Edward, you have to trust them,” he muttered to himself, “forget about it!”

Yet, no matter how hard he tried, those hands kept coming back and barking at him like mad dogs. They were now a thorn in his mind.

“Damn it!” grumbled Edward, his voice lacking its usual gusto, “I guess I’ve got to buckle down and focus on my presentation this afternoon.”

With a sigh, he pocketed his phone and trudged toward his office building. Normally, he’d take in the sights and sounds of the bustling city streets, maybe even steal a glance at some eye candy with his eyes finally falling on those long, alluring legs.

But today, he just wasn’t feeling it.

Images of James’ meaty paws wrapped around his girlfriend’s waist kept creeping into Edward’s mind, taunting him like hell.

He sucked in a deep breath and broke into a jog. Thankfully, Eddie was a fitness buff and knew a quick sprint might help shake off the unease churning in his gut.

He was right. When reaching the entrance of the towering, spectacular building where his company was located, he was huffing and panting like a racehorse. Fatigue had crept over him, and though his mind was all over the place, he finally pushed those annoying hands out of it.

As he finally stepped into his office on the thirteenth floor, his boss was waiting for him. It looked like the biggest brother of his company had a great expectation of him.

“Are you ready to knock their socks off, Edward?” asked his boss, gazing at his extremely handsome face.

“I hope so, boss,” replied Edward, with a hint of nerves in his voice.

“Come on, don’t be a chicken. You’ve got this,” said his boss, slapping him on the back,

“you’ve got to trust yourself, Eddie. You know, I believe you’ll do an excellent job. I promise you’ll be rolling in if you land the contract.”

Edward took a deep breath again. His boss was right. He had to trust himself and give it his all. After all, he had a lot riding on this presentation.

“Thank you, boss. I’ll do my best,” replied Edward.

“Good. Speak it out loud, I can do it!” encouraged his boss.

“I can do it!” Edward repeated.

“Louder, Eddie!”

“I can do it!” Edward shouted.

“Great! Good luck to you!” said his boss with a smile.

He then turned around and went away, leaving Edward alone in his office. After wiping off the beads of perspiration on his forehead, Edward heaved a deep sigh and sank deep into his cushioned chair.

He closed his eyes for a while in hopes of recharging his own battery for the upcoming presentation. When he felt better, he started to mentally rehearse his pitch. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t shoot himself in the foot during the presentation.

And he knew he had to be on the ball and present his ideas with enthusiasm.

As the clock was ticking, the moment arrived at last. Edward walked into the conference room quickly.

Nearly all his colleagues were there except his girlfriend and James. The images of those damned plump hands were in his mind again.

‘Where are they now?’ thought Edward, his heart racing faster.

He got a hunch that there was something wrong with Rebecca and James.

But he had to put that out of his mind for now. At the time, since all the eyes were on him, he had to show them what he was made of. He had to hit it out of the park if he wanted to land the contract.

Before he kicked off the pitch, there were a few moments left. Everyone in the room was expecting the game-changing client.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, and in walked a dashing gentleman with a distinguished grey mustache. Edward shot him a quick nod and flashed a warm smile, eager to make a good impression.

"Hello there, Mr. Peterson! We've been on the edge of our seats waiting for you," he said, oozing with charm.

"Good to hear, young man. I'm putting a lot on the line here, so don't let me down, you hear?"

Mr. Peterson warned with a sharp edge to his voice.

"No worries, sir. I've got this," Edward replied confidently.

As soon as Mr. Peterson took his seat, Edward strode up to the podium and got the ball rolling. Despite his nerves creeping in, he fought to stay calm and collected.

"Greetings, one and all! I’m Edward, and today I am thrilled to present to you the most sizzling products our company has to offer."

The slideshow flashed some dope pictures of the products, and everyone seemed pretty stoked about them. Even Mr. Peterson was nodding with approval.

Edward was a total knockout. His magnetic voice and dashing good looks were working wonders for his presentation, leaving the room spellbound.

"And now, folks, get ready to have your minds blown because I'm about to drop a bomb video that'll take you on a wild ride behind the scenes of our in-house production process," Edward announced, grinning ear to ear.

But as soon as the video began to play, everyone's jaws hit the floor. It was like a bolt from the blue, a total curveball. What they saw on the screen was nothing short of scandalous.

The room was suddenly filled with the sounds of women moaning and a naked dude who bore a striking resemblance to Edward appeared on screen, sending shockwaves through the crowd.

Edward was just as stunned as everyone else. He felt like a deer caught in the headlights, completely paralyzed by the situation.

He didn't even think to hit pause. The moment slipped away from him, like sand through his fingers, and before he knew it, it was too late.

Mr. Peterson's face darkened, and he rose from his chair like a thundercloud, his anger palpable.

"Hold up, my foot," he barked, striding toward the door.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Peterson. It was a total accident,” Edward stammered, his voice shaking with fear. And his heart was pounding in his chest like a drumbeat.

But Mr. Peterson wasn’t having any of it.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it, Edward. You’re not the kind of person I want to work with,” he snapped, his voice like ice and his face livid with anger.

With a pang so loud as a gunshot, Mr. Peterson slammed the door shut, storming out of the conference room without a second glance.

Edward knew that he had made a huge mistake, one that would have far-reaching consequences. The weight of it was just too much to bear.

He collapsed like a sack of potatoes, his body hitting the floor with a thud that echoed in the room. The chill of the tiled floor seeped into his bones, but he hardly felt it. The others in the room sneered and snickered as they sauntered out, leaving him to wallow in his misery.

Edward’s world spun around him as he buried his face in his hands, fingers tangling in his hair as he whispered words of despair.

“It’s all over,” he moaned, “how could this happen to me?”

He had poured his heart and soul into the presentation, but it was all for naught. Someone had stabbed him in the back, and he wondered who it was that had set him up so mercilessly.

Lost in his thoughts, Edward was oblivious to his boss’s quiet entrance, his mind consumed with the events that had led to his downfall.

Yet, his thoughts were soon interrupted by the voice of his boss.

“You’re fired, Edward!” said his boss furiously. His words were like a whip cracking through the silence.

“Sorry, boss, I blew it,” Edward looked up and said in a trembling voice, “but it wasn’t me, I swear. I must have been framed.”

“It’s too late,” said his boss icily, “Get out of here in a minute!”

Edward’s heart sank like a stone as he realized that he was truly and completely screwed. He quickly got up from the floor and then knelt down before his boss, his voice breaking as he pleaded for mercy,

“No, please, boss, give me one more chance!”

He was so desperate that he even started to kowtow. Yet, his boss was having none of it. Edward quickly grabbed one of his legs and begged again, “please!”

“No way! Now get lost!”