Oh... trust me, it only takes a few moments to realize it's over.
********************************
Earlier.
Will reached the publishing house's designated exit gate. It was a revolving glass door, and it looked a little old. He put his bag aside and put on his coat, then grabbed it and put on his glasses as he left. There was barely any sunlight, but he was used to wearing them anyway.
He walked over to his SUV parked outside, unlocked it remotely, then got in, placing his bag on the opposite seat. He turned toward the steering wheel to start the car, only to be surprised by the gradual rain falling: light drops followed by a heavy downpour. He stood there for a moment, staring blankly ahead, as if a thought had occurred to him. Then he looked at his hand holding the key fob, quickly turned it, automatically fastening his seatbelt without thinking, and sped off.
...
Two o'clock in the afternoon
Most of the staff had left, including Jefferson, who seemed very busy and in a hurry.
Only the cleaners remained, giving the building an unusually deep clean in preparation for the arrival of the architects, who would make numerous changes to the building as Mr. Carl McGland had requested.
"It's a new vision."
"Excuse me, sir, what did you say?"
Simon looked at the executive assistant next to him, then sighed.
"This whole thing—the renovations, the acquisition, the expansion of Burton House Publishing—is a new vision. Mr. Carl must have carefully planned all of this."
"Of course. He's our clever boss."
"The executive assistant responded in a rather silly tone, and chuckled lightly. Simon gave him a sarcastic look and said, "You know what? Forget it. Just make sure everything goes as planned. I'm going home."
- But Mr. Simon, Mr. Carl has ordered us to stay until a certain time...
- I don't want to hear another word. Do as I say.
- H... Okay, sir.
Jake (the executive assistant) looked at Simon's back, lamenting the misfortune of working under his supervision and stamping his foot.
The rest of the day passed normally at Albinuati Publishing House, everything going as planned.
**********************************
|Carl|
A few minutes after receiving Bill's shocking words, he collected his thoughts and stood up to leave the archives room, clutching the file containing employee Will Frank's data. He closed the room behind him and headed toward the building's outer gate, where he parked his car, earlier.
*None of the employees knew that Mr. Carl would be coming today. He had previously informed them that he would not be coming and had delegated the task of attending the meeting to his deputy, Simon. And that's exactly what happened. Carl arrived at Alpeniwati Publishing House after the meeting had ended to speak with Jefferson personally and closely monitor the progress of the operational plans.*
It was still raining, and the ground was wet. The wind wasn't strong, just a gentle breeze stirring the colorful leaves in the treetops, while a flock of birds flew overhead.
Carl didn't have an umbrella, but he used one provided by the receptionist. He was careful not to get the file in his hand wet. So he grabbed it, stuffed it into his jacket, and ran quickly to his car. He was freezing cold by then, having never imagined it would be this cold.
Seconds passed before he reached his blue Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet. He opened the door, climbed in, and placed the file in the passenger seat. He started the car and drove off to his luxurious apartment.
************************************
|Bill|
Bill returned home at about 2:44 to find his wife Lydia and his two children, Sophia and Aaron, sleeping peacefully on their white couch. He paused for a moment, a small smile on his lips. He turned to a red chair with orange and blue patterns, placed his jacket and bag on it, and went to a small cabinet in the corner of the living room. He opened it and searched for something. Oh, he found it. He grabbed the pink instant camera and flipped through it, examining it. He then opened the box of photocopies in the back to make sure there were papers in it. He found about five sheets. He didn't count them, just looked at them, and then closed the box. He put the camera aside and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He grabbed the camera again and this time walked towards his family. He took his place in front of them and put the camera lens over his right eye and closed his left eye so that his vision would be clear. He held a certain position to make sure that the picture would include all of them. A picture... Two... three. Bill was absorbed in his contemplation of the three photos after the details on the photocopies had become clear. He hadn't felt anyone actually staring at him for a while. It was his wife, Lydia, who had sensed his movement and woken up to see him sitting in front of them, looking at something in his hand.
"Oh, Bill, I'm back. What time is it?" Lydia spoke in a hoarse voice as she tried to get up without disturbing the children.
"Darling, I'm sorry I woke you up?"
Bill stopped what he was doing when he noticed Lydia. He put the instant camera aside, after stuffing the three photos into a small, childlike envelope that looked like it belonged to one of his children.
"It's okay, so how are you today? How did the meeting go?" Lydia spoke after rubbing her eyes and looking at the clock hanging on the wall. She realized it was exactly 3:00 PM. She then got up and headed towards the kitchen, which was combined with the living room, to arrange some things.
Bill stood up and walked over to her, hugged her from behind, and kissed her neck. He then stood aside, watching her as she moved lightly around the kitchen so as not to wake the children.
"Today, um, was generally good. The meeting went well. They accepted Jefferson's terms, and the documents for the transfer of ownership were signed. We employees didn't do anything; we were there to listen and vote on some decisions. All the work was done by the legal teams of both companies."
Bill was eating a carrot and a lettuce leaf as he spoke, watching Lydia as she began preparing fast food for the children.
- That's really good. I didn't think it would be that simple. Oh, Bill stopped eating.
Bill moved to the cookie tray as he spoke.
- Simple! Hahaha, that's funny. Do you know how long they've been working on this acquisition? Six months! Six whole months!! Two of those months were just preparing to present the idea, and there's still a lot to be done. Just as I was leaving, I saw five trucks and a team of engineers getting ready to work on the house and remodel it.
- Okay, okay, keep your voice down. The little ones are asleep.
- Sorry, I didn't feel that.
He spoke as he looked at the children sleeping on the couch.
- I'm going to visit my mother tomorrow. She seems to need help arranging the new rose nursery.
Lydia spoke as she put a tray of food in the electric oven to heat it up.
- Oh, She's finally decided to remodel it. It'll be nice to take the kids there someday.
Bill said this as his gaze settled on a specific part of the gray couch in front of him. - But Sophie is allergic to roses.
- Oh, right, I forgot about that. Okay, I'll buy her a new toy so she can have fun too.
Suddenly, everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Lydia was preparing snacks so they could spend the day outside in the garden, enjoying the fresh air. Bill was constantly looking around, as if his mind had wandered.
- Bill, is everything okay?...
She snapped her fingers in front of his face to snap him out of his reverie, thinking about Will.
- Huh? What? Oh, sorry, what were you saying?
Bill straightened up, took his hand out of his pocket, and gestured for his wife to continue.
- I wasn't talking. I just saw you were distracted. Is there something wrong?
Lydia replied in a frustrated tone.
- Oh, really? I must have been lost in thought for a while. There's nothing to worry about, dear. Bill finished speaking, and Lydia simply said, "That's good." She kissed him lightly on the lips and went over to the children to wake them up so they could join them in the garden yard.
Meanwhile, Bill reached for his phone, which he had placed on the small table next to the chair. He grabbed it and went directly to Will's name in his private chats list. He typed the following:
***
- Hello, Will...
- Where are you?
- The new CEO was looking for you and... (but he quickly deleted what he had typed, replacing it with this message):
- There's something I want to tell you. If you're free tonight, meet me at Jones's.
- Seven o'clock, okay?
- I'll be waiting for you.
***
- Okay, sweetheart, I'm coming.
Bill shouted from inside the living room, responding to his wife's constant pleas for him to join them in the garden yard.
He put the phone back on the table, then headed outside to join his family in the park. He spent the rest of the day playing football with his two young children in front of his wife. It was a nice, warm family day.
***************************************
|Will's Family House|
Four o'clock in the afternoon
"Dear, don't you think Will's a little late?" Mary (Will's mother) spoke, her face tense and her hands reddened from constant squeezing.
"Mary... dear, how many times do I have to say that? He's 26 now. He's not like a little kid to worry about when he'll be home."
" Christopher (Will's father) said these words, trying to ignore the silent, tense, and anxious atmosphere surrounding them.
"I know, but you also know that Will doesn't have much to do these days. Nothing to occupy his day since Alfred (his cousin) returned to Britain."
" Mary replied in a sad and despairing tone, without looking at her husband's face.
"So what? I bet Alfred's presence is a nuisance to Will.
" Christopher tried to downplay the matter, teasing Mary with this sentence, but his attempt failed and the exact opposite happened.
"So what! It doesn't seem to bother you anyway." Mary stood up, looking annoyed. Old Christopher sighed and adjusted his glasses. He then put the leaflet he was reading aside and followed Mary, who headed to the kitchen.
"My dear, what I meant is that Will is no longer the little boy you think he is. He's now a grown, sensible man who has the right to do what he wants. It's enough that he agreed to live with us after everything that happened to him last year, just so we wouldn't have to worry about him. So I think we should stop worrying about him so seriously." He spoke while patting her shoulder.
"There's something wrong. I can sense it. He doesn't even answer my calls. He usually doesn't do that. Chris, I'm afraid something bad has happened to him." Mary, standing in front of the stove with the open window above it, turned to her husband and grabbed his shoulders as she looked closely at his face, speaking about her feelings.
"My dear, I assure you that nothing bad has happened to our little one. Please don't think that way..."
Christopher tried as much as he could to reassure her that everything was fine, but the ringing of the landline interrupted this moment of peace.
Mary looked at Christopher expectantly, then rushed to the living room, specifically to the telephone. She picked up the receiver, and a voice came to her from the other end:
- Mrs. Bradwin?
- Yes...
(She answered with anticipation)...
- We have your shipment from A****, but your Premium membership has expired. Please renew it as soon as possible to avoid suspension and delays in delivery. Thank you...
- W... What?! Did you call me just for that?!!
Mary finally responded after it took her a few seconds to understand what was happening.
- Yes, ma'am, we've tried every possible way to reach you, but we haven't received a single response to our texts or emails, so we...
***
Mary hung up as she said, "Damn you."
- I can't imagine how far these companies will go one day.
Mary said, leaning back against the side of the couch and pushing her hair back with her left hand.
"From the look of you, I can tell it wasn't Will who called, or that the call wasn't about him, right?"
Christopher approached Mary and patted her shoulder after saying those words.
"Yes, it wasn't Will, and what a relief. I don't want anyone to tell me something bad happened to him."
"Don't worry, darling. I told you Will is fine."
She just looked at her husband with a small smile on her lips, placing her hand over his, that was patting her shoulder.
**************************************
|Will|
Earlier:
12:30 PM
(i.e., half an hour after leaving the publishing house).
Will is driving at a moderate speed. He appears composed and calm on the outside, but a torrent of thoughts floods his mind. Anyone who sees him thinks that by staring straight ahead, he's concentrating on understanding a problem. But in reality, he's completely lost in thought. He doesn't even realize that the hot cup of coffee he bought earlier from a convenience store down the road has spilled on his phone due to the strong vibrations of the car. Not only that, but he also doesn't realize that his phone didn't stop ringing until it was completely out of power. He seems completely disconnected from reality.
He continued driving, heading toward Akron, which is only a few dozen miles from Cleveland (about 39 miles away). It wasn't a very long drive; you could reach Akron in just forty minutes, but that time varies from person to person depending on how fast you're driving and on the weather.
The windows were closed, making it seem even more peaceful. Although the radio was playing a classic podcast called "The Pains of Music," it was muted compared to the other noisy thoughts swirling around Will's head.
The rain was pouring, and the ground was completely wet. The windows were lightly fogged, partially obscuring the view. The windshield, however, appeared completely clear, and the view was clear. This was because Will had turned on his wipers in advance to maintain a clear view of the road ahead while the rain fell, allowing him to continue driving.
A few more minutes passed and a green sign appeared in the distance, reading "Akron 2 Miles to Go."
Suddenly, without warning, as soon as Will saw this sign, he revved up the engine relentlessly, continuing to press the accelerator hard and without stopping. The car began to slide left and right, but this didn't matter to him or even attract his attention. He didn't stop looking ahead, recklessly and unsafely overtaking several cars. The good thing about all this was that the road was wide and not crowded with many cars, and a police car had already begun chasing him to force him to stop, so he wouldn't cause harm to himself or others.
He saw the police car's lights behind him in the rearview mirror. At that moment, his hands began to shake, and he looked away from the windshield and looked around the car, as if he had regained his senses. A few tears fell from his eyes, and he muttered the word "no" repeatedly. He then began to gradually slow down unconsciously. Finally, the police were able to get him to stop on the side of the road, after several failed attempts.
"Who is this bastard? Does he really want to die?" The dark-skinned officer spoke to his colleague after getting out of the car with his hand over his gun.
"I don't know, man. It sounds like one of those popular internet challenges."
The other officer responded while polishing his badge and reattaching it properly.
"What?! Are you serious?"
"Just let's see what we have here."
Both officers stopped talking and quietly approached the car in case something happened.
"Pffs... Hey, go around the other side and check the car. He might be armed."
One of the officers whispered to the other, motioning for him to go around the other side and check the rear of the car to see if anyone was there besides the driver. The officer indicated that the car was empty and there was nothing to worry about. The two officers continued cautiously approaching the driver's side.
"Sir, please open the window." The policeman spoke and exchanged glances with his colleague who was standing opposite him on the other side of the car, then he knocked on the window several times, but Will didn't respond to any of his attempts; so he decided to open the door himself so he could talk to him, but he didn't think he would see the driver in this state.
Will was in a pitiful state. Sweat was pouring down his face despite the cold weather. His face was wet with tears, his eyes were red, and his entire body was shaking violently. He was muttering unintelligible words.
The officer was initially surprised by what he saw, but decided to approach him and put his hand on his shoulder to draw his attention.
"Sir... sir, can you hear me? Do you understand what's happening right now?" The officer spoke as he gently pressed Will's shoulder. He received no response, so he decided to step away and stick his head out of the car. Before he could do so, he heard Will mutter, "You can't... you can't... you can't leave me and go... come back for me... please..."
The officer looked at Will's state, then stuck his head out of the car and said to his colleague, "We have a junkie here. Should we call the chief?"
"Dude, just let's take him with us now, and then we'll come back later to impound the vehicle. The boss isn't going to be happy that we called about a junkie."
"You know what? Sometimes I get the feeling you're the boss, lol." The officer spoke skeptically, then laughed, revealing he'd made a lame joke.
"Hahaha, let's go."
The officer went back to check on Will, but found him unconscious. He grabbed him and stirred him, trying to wake him up, but it was no use. Then he put his hand on his neck and felt there for a bit, searching for any sign of a pulse. He found he was breathing. He was just unconscious. The officer felt a small sense of relief when he confirmed this. He got out of the car, looked at his equally panicked colleague, and said, "He's alive... Damn, man, when did all this happen?"
Then he grabbed his phone and called 911.
- Hello, this is Officers Tim McCourtney and Thomas Baker. We have a drug emergency. He lost consciousness a few moments ago. Please send an ambulance as soon as possible. We're at the western entrance to the city, Route 77, near the N****'s restaurant. Yes, ma'am... yes... thank you.
Fifteen minutes later, the ambulance arrived, and Will was transported to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital, located in Akron, just a few kilometers away.
(End of Chapter)
******************************************
This must have been very difficult for him. The worst part was realizing there was nothing I could do to save him from his deep sadness. 💔
Your opinions.
I didn't proofread, so I apologize for any mistakes.
See you in the next chapter.