Three sleek black sedans screeched to a stop in front of a run-down house. Six men in black suits and dark sunglasses stepped out, standing in side-by-side formation like soldiers.
The bodyguard standing at the front passenger door of the middle sedan reached for the rear door handle and opened it with a bow.
Out stepped a pair of polished Ferragamo Oxfords onto the weathered concrete.
They belonged to a young man with neatly styled dark brown hair, brown eyes that lacked much spark, and pale skin that caught the sunlight—helped along, perhaps, by a bit of makeup.
He was just under six feet tall, wearing a Ralph Lauren pinstripe suit over a cream-and-black shirt, the outfit worth over $7,500 but hanging a little loose on his slim body frame. A black silk tie sat neatly at his neck, and a stainless steel Rolex with a blue dial—worth about $11,000—shone on his wrist.
His men quickly formed a protective line from the car door, up the steps of the old bungalow, to the door of the house.
The noise drew curious neighbors out. Right then too, a frail middle-aged lady in thick clothes came out of the run-down house and broke into a wide smile immediately she set her eyes on the young man.
Whispers rippled through the crowd from around the area:
"Isn't that little Danny?"
"No way, it can't be, can it? It's been years since I saw him."
"Danny boy! It's me. Don't tell me you forgot old John!"
"So Sophie was right, he really did go off to school those years back. Why did he never come visit?"
"Must've made it big over the years."
"Tsk. Sophie's lucky. My own son never does anything but hang around troublemakers…"
Danny ignored the comments, not sparing a single one of his former neighbors a mere glance. He walked up the steps, stopped before his mother and held out a bouquet.
He smiled. "Mom, I'm back."
"Welcome home," she said with eyes lit up.
Danny climbed the last step up and let her pull him into a hug.
It looked like a picture-perfect homecoming. But in Metro City, scenes like this weren't rare.
Danny turned and said, "And, I also bring gifts."
At his snap, a bodyguard stepped forward with a basket of food and clothes.
"Oh… you really didn't need to," his mother humbly said, with her hands clasped before her chest.
Danny eagerly handed it to her, so she took it regardless, all the while smiling warmly.
She placed her palm on his face and asked worriedly, "Have you been eating well? It's been so long since I last saw you—almost three years now."
Danny chuckled. "It's only been two."
"Come inside. I'll bake your favorite meatloaf. Oh, but it might not be enough for all of your friends—"
Danny gently lowered her hand and looked away. "Mom… I can't stay. I have an important meeting where my presence is quite essential. I just wanted to bring you these myself this time."
Her smile faltered, but she quickly composed herself. "Yes, yes, of course. I'm very sorry. You're now a very busy man, but you still came to see me. I'm so happy. Thank you."
"…"
"Don't look so down. I know just how hard you worked to get here. You always take care of me, so I'll be fine, don't you worry." Her motherly smile remained as she caressed his face and added, "My joy, I'm proud of you."
Danny looked wistful for a brief moment and hugged her tightly. This time, he wasn't going to let go so fast.
A short while later, Danny's mom stood outside her old, dilapidated bungalow house, waving, as her only son's luxurious motorcade sped away.
…
Metro City, known as the place where dreams came true—the world's entertainment capital, the home of opportunity.
They said success here was for anyone willing to work hard enough. The city stood as the poster image of the perfect place to realize the American Dream.
Because here, the promise of success was not limited to the privileged few. The doors to prosperity swung wide open for all who dared to vigorously chase their dreams with the required hard work and dedication.
At least, that was what Danny was told.
And what a fool he was to believe it, just like everyone else.
Now, he knew better. He finally saw this world for its truth.
Danny plopped down on his bed, tired and staring blankly at the ceiling of his apartment.
'I wonder who'll come first—Dave? Mr. Johnson? Or maybe Raf? No, Raf isn't like that. Lisa will probably come on his behalf. Or at least, that's what she'll claim.'
He slipped off the expensive suit jacket and dropped it on the bed with a soft thud. Exhaling deeply, he felt the weight on his shoulders lessen only by a fraction.
Knock. Knock.
At the soft rap on his door, Danny let out a hollow chuckle. How predictable.
He pushed himself up and answered the door. Standing there was Lisa, Raf's wife, wearing a loose-fitting pastel-colored cotton dress with her dark hair cascading neatly down past her shoulders. At a glance, it was obvious that she was of East Asian descent, not too tall, and was also in her late twenties.
"Danny, hey. I thought I saw you come in, so I came to check. How'd the interview go? My husband told me," she asked, her voice polite but rushed, as if eager to move past small talk.
'Of course it's her.'
Despite her friendly smile, her eyes were sharp and cold, and bore into him with an inscrutable look he recognised as loathing.
Danny rolled his eyes inwardly.
"To be honest, I don't know," he lied. "They just said they'll get back to me."
Lisa offered a slight nod. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll work out. Oh—Raf asked me to get back the Oxfords he lent you."
Danny smiled faintly. "Okay."
He figured Lisa was acting on her own, as Raf had told him to keep the shoes as long as he needed, but he wasn't going to argue. It wasn't worth it.
With a calm smile, he handed the $1,400 Oxfords back to her, polished and spotless.
"Thanks. And thank Raf for me once again," he said.
"You're welcome. I will." She kept up her polite smile, nodded, and left.
Two more neighbors came by after that—Dave, wanting back his $6,000 Ralph Lauren suit, and Mr. Johnson, reclaiming the $11,000 Rolex.
From the motorcade entourage to the expensive attire and luxurious possessions, not a single thing belonged to Danny.
While he had borrowed from his neighbors, he rented the cars and hired the bodyguards, all for an act to make his mother truly believe he was successful.
Hence, Danny soon found himself standing alone in a white vest and blue briefs, gazing at the closed apartment door.
He just sighed and went to the bathroom.
Twip~
Danny twisted the tap knob and let the water rush out before cupping some in his hands and washing his face thoroughly with soap.
Once he was done, he reached for a blue towel hanging nearby and used it to gently dry his face and the front part of his hair that had gotten soaked.
Then, he draped the towel over his shoulders and raised his head to see his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Looking back at Danny was an average-looking man with features that could easily be mistaken for someone in their late twenties, while in reality, he was just twenty-four years old.
The contours of his collarbones and ribs were vividly outlined under his pale, fair skin. Scrutinising his slim, long face, he couldn't help but notice the slight acne on his cheeks.
His tired brown eyes carried dark bags beneath them, along with a large, bony nose and a somewhat weak chin with a receding jawline. His dark brown hair, although still combed back, had a few unruly strands sticking out in the front. If anything, his looks were below average.
He immediately freshened up and changed into some casual clothes, a blue shirt with faded jeans. Right after, he rushed out of the five-story apartment complex and hailed a cab.
Danny was, in reality, just a convenience store cashier working the night shift with no other reliable source of income.
After being yelled at by the manager for being only five minutes late, he was subjected to an extra hour in addition to his usual ten-hour shift.
Danny didn't argue and simply put on his blue sleeveless work jacket and manned the counter. The night passed, and before long, it was already the new day.
After locking up, he stepped into the winter night.
Swoosh.
The streets were empty and peaceful, with the breeze refreshing and serene.
Danny breathed in deeply and exhaled. He didn't know when he began walking, or when he arrived at the Metro City Bridge.
'What a beautiful night,' he thought, resting his forearms on the guardrail, looking out over the dark sea. Only a few cars drove past as it was way past midnight, and there were no pedestrians in sight.
Danny basked in the solitude and gazed up at the cloudy moon in the lonely sky devoid of bright stars.
His expression softened at the sight. Danny shook his head, throwing the raging emotions, thoughts, and regrets to the back of his mind.
There was nothing left to say or think. It was time to get this over with.
Danny took a deep, final breath… then exhaled.
Three seconds later, the wind whistled sharply nearby, followed by a loud splash.
* * *