MASON WILLIAMS AND THE CELESTIAL SYSTEM

A STOLEN $500

Mason exited the hospital in despair; the last couple of hours had taken a toll on him. He was consumed with thoughts. The pain of betrayal still lay in his heart. He tried not to think about it and focused his energy on raising the money for Helen's treatments.

Dismissing the idea of going home, Mason wandered the street to look for jobs to raise money. After numerous rejections, he found a night job with extra shifts that ran through the night till the next day. Though the pay was small, it was an encouraging start for Mason.

The next day, it was 10 am. Mason exited the restaurant kitchen; he was done with the dishes and cleaning the entire kitchen, which was busy the previous night due to the large number of customers patronizing the local restaurants.

He sat on the chair outside the manager's office, waiting for her arrival.

"Good morning," Mason greeted the Lady who had entered the hallway. She reciprocated his greeting with a nod before opening the door to her office.

"You can come in," the woman said, leaving the door ajar. Mason follows her into her office, taking the chair opposite her. She handed Mason an envelope containing his pay for last night. Mason's pay was 100 dollars for the night, but the envelope contained 2000 dollars. Mason raised his gaze to the Lady who was typing at her computer.

"Is there a problem?" She asked, noticing his gaze.

"No, ma'am, you were supposed to give me 100 dollars for working, but instead, the envelope contains 2000 dollars," Mason replied, and the Lady responded with a nod.

"Consider it as a bonus for doing a perfect job," the Lady said, glancing at Mason's expression. "It's hard to see an older brother that would sacrifice everything for his sister."

Mason didn't believe his ear. He stared at the Lady in surprise; he stared at the envelope. "T…Thank you very much, ma'am," Mason bowed, tears pricking the corner of his eyes. Her deed touched him. It was rare to see a boss who would give his employees that huge amount of bonus for their first day. "I will continue to do my job very well," Mason bowed again.

"Of course you will," the Lady smiled.

Mason bowed again before exiting the building. Though Mason was exhausted, his smile was still visible. He hailed a taxi and went home.

When Mason got to his apartment, he freshened up and had a change of clothes. Though his body and eyes yawned for sleep, he couldn't bring himself to do so on the same bed where Natalia had cheated on him, as the pain was still fresh in his heart.

Painfully, Mason shook off the thought. He retrieved his bag where he kept his salary and went downstairs. He sat on the couch and emptied the bag to retrieve the envelope, which contained 500 dollars, his salary from Skyhigh Hotel.

"It was right here," Mason muttered with a frown when he couldn't find the envelope. He opened the other zipper, but then it was gone.

Mason's body heated with fear, making him sweat. He had left the money in his bag last night. The thought of who could have gone through his bag hit him. Natalia was the only person he had suspected to go through his things since it wasn't the first time she had done it.

Uncertainty and anger surge through Mason. The thought of Natalia betraying him and stealing his money made his blood run cold, so Mason decided to go to the only place he was sure he could find her.

It was a fifteen-minute drive to Aleric University. The campus atmosphere was warm and filled with students excited for the new semester and reuniting with colleagues, but Mason didn't feel that way, and all he felt was rage.

Mason arrived at the classroom, occupied by a few early students, including Natalia Hallow, who was chatting with her friends at the back of the classroom. Natalia saw Mason from a distance and averted her gaze, pretending not to notice him.

"We need to talk, Natalia," Mason said, stopping in front of her desk. Her friends turned to stare at Mason, not hiding their stunned expression.

Natalia frowned at Mason, rolling her eyes. "I have nothing to say to you," she hissed, adjusting in her seat. The eyes around her glance at the two of them

"Why does Mason Williams want to talk to you, Natalia?" May, one of Natalia's friends, asked, puzzled at her. "Did you send him on an errand so he could beg for little money?"

Though Mason was poor, he had never once asked his classmate for financial assistance. He knew how easy it was for them to ridicule just like May was doing.

"I wasn't talking to you, so shut your mouth!" Mason deadpan.

May, who was taken aback by Mason's reply, was quick to overcome her shock. "Then what business do you have with someone like him," she asked Natalia, sizing Mason with her eyes before returning it to her friend.

Mason glanced at the girl who was wearing long lashes, and for a moment, he thought if she had blinked faster, she might have levitated from the ground.

"Are you friends with him?" another girl who Mason didn't know asked.

"We need to talk now!" Mason's words were harsh, making Natalia frown at his demand.

"With that tone of yours, I have nothing to discuss with you," Natalia hissed, irritated by Mason's presence.

Mason's patience was running out. "Give me back the stuff you took from my bag, Natalia," he growled, his patience getting thinner.

Staring at her, he didn't see the woman he had once loved, but all he could see was a woman who betrayed him when a rich man approached her.

"What money?" Natalia puzzled at Mason. She kept a straight face even when she was lying, which only made Mason's blood run cold.

"I never said money, but you know it was money because you took it!" Mason replied, confirming his suspicion.

"Are you out of your mind or something!" Natalia spat, pretending to be pissed. "Are you calling me a thief?"

The presence of Mason arguing with one of the prettiest girls in school was already drawing more attention as passersby stopped to glimpse what was happening.

"Isn't that Mason Williams? The poor boy who works at Skyhigh Hotel as a cleaner, Why is he yelling at Natalia?" the group who joined the gathering whispered.

"I heard from Lola that he got fired for his inability to do his job. Maybe he's still worked up about it," one of them said.

Mason wanted to turn and glance at the person who said that, but he stopped himself as his priority was to retrieve his money and leave.

"What is going on here?" a familiar voice speaks, and Mason turns to see Jacob Higs behind him, deepening his frown.