CHAPTER 1

“You’re firing me?” Rylan Daystar asked, baffled.

Frederick McCullough, his father-in-law was backing him now, facing the glass wall with his hands behind him. Rylan was in total disbelief. It made no sense.

“Did I stutter?” Frederick asked, turning to him.

As the morning sun shone through the windows, it illuminated the entire office, casting a warm glow on everything it touched. In the midst of it all stood Federick McCullough dressed in a sleek black suit that seemed to glisten in the light. His hair, once a bright white, was still impeccably groomed, falling in soft waves around his sharp features. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, were cold and stony as they locked onto Rylan, seeming to bore into his very soul.

“But sir?” Rylan tried talking but was halted by Fredrick.

“No, buts. It’s time you leave,” Frederick said.

Rylan couldn’t believe his ears. He was being fired from his job. That was the most random thing to happen to him this morning. When Frederick had requested to see him, he had thought they were going to discuss some major business or major changes in the company. He never thought he would get sacked. And nothing warranted him getting fired. It was out of the blue. And worst of all, it was done to him by his father-in-law, Frederick McCullough who was the president of the company. Rylan had always done his job. He always showed up to work early. He was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. He was hardworking and diligent when it came to the company.

Fredrick was looking at Rylan who still had a baffling look on his face. He was surprised by this. Fredrick looked down at him in contempt. He was disgusted by his presence now. All he wanted was for him to leave his office quickly. Hopefully, it would be the last time he would seek him here. He was a waste here.

“Why?” Rylan asked.

He was still too shocked to digest what just happened. He was downright flabbergasted. Frederick chuckled and walked towards his desk. He wanted to keep the answer to that question to himself. But since Rylan was too curious, it was time he plunged the final dagger through his heart.

“You want to know why?” Frederick asked, standing beside his desk now.

Rylan didn’t answer. He was only staring at Frederick as he spoke. His blue eyes were cold.

“You are nothing, Rylan. And you will always remain that way,” Frederick said. “You are a failure and I can’t set my eyes on you anymore. You are an embarrassment. I can’t believe that Eve would get married to someone like you.”

Rylan couldn’t believe his ears. His heart sank in his chest. He didn’t expect that from Fredrick. It felt like something he had been keeping in his chest for a long time. He finally had the opportunity to spew it. This wasn’t supposed to be a surprise to Rylan. He was aware of how Eve’s family treated him. It had been obvious from their first day of marriage, but Eve had assured him that everything would be fine. Nothing was alright anymore. He had reached the peak. He had fucked around too long and now he had found out. They didn’t need him anymore. To them, he was useless…

“Is that what you wanted to hear? Huh?” Frederick asked rhetorically sitting on the edge of his desk.

Rylan was speechless. He could feel his heart pounding hard against his chest. A sinister smile spread across Frederick’s lips. He was basking in the humiliation that Rylan felt. He had waited so long to say this and now he finally had.

“Is there anything you like to say to that, Rylan?” He asked.

Rylan looked up at Frederick who was smiling at him now. He was still speechless. It was the end of his stay here. There was no way he could convince Frederick to let him stay. He was thinking of his wife, Eve now. What if she saw him this way too? Did she think he was a failure too? Too many questions were running through his mind. He didn’t have the time to digest everything properly. It was happening too fast. It was like a blur. A drop of sweat trickled down Rylan’s temple.

“No sir,” he said.

Frederick smiled as he heard that. It was done.

“I guess I’ll get my things ready and leave,” Rylan said intending to rise from his chair but was stopped by Frederick. He sat back down and raised an eyebrow at him in confusion.

“There’s no need for that,” Frederick said.

“What?” Rylan asked, confused.

“We already got that covered,” Frederick replied.

Rylan was still lost. Suddenly, the door swung and a security guard walked into the office with a brown box. In that brown box, Rylan could see his belongings there. There was a framed wedding photo of him and Eve lying on top of other things. Rylan clenched his jaws as he saw this. They had cleared his office while he was talking to Frederick. It seemed they had this planned out already. Rylan was in disbelief. He had a strange feeling in his stomach. He was gutted by this.

“There you go,” Frederick said, standing at his feet.

Rylan rose slowly from his chair. He walked over to the security guard who handed the brown box to him. Rylan turned back to Frederick who was looking at him with his hands behind him. He was hoping that he would change his mind and tell him this was all a joke, but Rylan knew it wasn’t. He could see the seriousness in Frederick’s eyes. He could see the hate gleaming in his eyes vividly. This had been coming by a long shot.

“Goodbye, Rylan. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors,” Frederick said with a hint of sarcasm.

Rylan nodded and turned around heading out of the room. Frederick watched him till the door closed. After that, he sat back on his desk and reached for his telephone. He dialed a familiar number and placed the wireless receiver on his ear. The phone line didn’t ring for long.

“Did you do it?” A feminine voice asked.

Frederick smiled as he stared at his well-polished wooden door.

“Yes,” he replied.

“He’s gone.”