CHAPTER ONE — The Collapse
"Sorry, we can't accept you for the job."
The words landed like a hammer to Ted's chest.
He stood there, still gripping the edge of the chair as the hiring manager pushed his file aside. There was no sympathy in the man's tone, no attempt to soften the blow—just a clean, sharp dismissal.
"Next," the manager added, already calling in another applicant.
Ted forced himself to nod, murmured a faint "Thank you for your time," and left the office. His steps felt strangely heavy as he passed the receptionist's desk and pushed through the glass doors out into the daylight.
Outside, the wind slapped his face.
He swallowed, hard.
A single tear escaped before he could stop it.
He wiped it quickly with the back of his hand.
His world… collapsed again.
---
Ted Norman, twenty-one.
A fresh graduate.
A survivor—that was the only word that fit.
His life had never been simple.
High school had been a living hell.
He was the boy everyone pushed around, the one bullies tested their strength on, the one who went home with bruises, swollen lips, cracked ribs—sometimes worse. The teachers pretended not to notice. His aunt… pretended he didn't exist.
His parents had died in a car accident when he was sixteen. One rainy evening. One flash of headlights. Then silence.
His aunt took him in afterwards, but she never took him as family.
She fed him, clothed him, sent him to school—but only because the law required it. She reminded him every day that he was a burden, an extra mouth, a disruption in her "perfect life."
When he entered university, she only paid the first semester's fees.
"After this one, you're on your own," she had said, not even looking up from her phone.
So Ted worked.
He worked more than he slept—waiting tables, cleaning offices, washing cars, carrying boxes in supermarkets, anything he could find. He studied in between shifts, sometimes until dawn, sometimes with pounding headaches.
But he made it.
He graduated.
And then reality struck.
Every company he applied to either rejected him outright or sent the classic lie:
"We'll get back to you."
They never did.
And today… today one of them had said it straight to his face.
Ted let out a long, shaky sigh. The city street buzzed around him—cars honking, people laughing, sunlight shimmering on building windows. It all felt distant, unreal.
He adjusted the strap of his worn-out bag and began walking away from the building—
"Teddy my ass…"
The voice froze him.
Slowly, Ted turned.
Standing a few meters away was Rodney Clay, one of his old high-school tormentors—broad-shouldered, loud-mouthed, and cruel enough that Ted had once changed routes just to avoid him.
Rodney was leaning against a car, grinning like he'd just spotted a ghost he wanted to bully again. Beside him stood another guy—tall, clean-looking, with an innocent face that almost didn't match Rodney's vibe. The guy said something quietly, and Rodney responded with a quick laugh before waving him off.
"Hold on,just gotta say hi to an old friend."
The innocent-looking guy nodded and his gaze went to his phone.
Now Rodney walked up to Ted with that same mocking energy he'd had years ago.
"Well, well, well," Rodney drawled, eyes scanning Ted from head to toe. "Look who it is. Been a while, hasn't it?"
He lifted his brows, clearly enjoying the moment.
Ted forced a nervous laugh, trying not to let his voice shake.
"R-Rodney… yeah, um—I actually need to be somewhere. So I'll just—"
He tried to step past him.
Rodney's hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder, fingers tightening just enough to stop him but not enough to make a scene.
"Relax, Teddy," Rodney said with a smirk. "Why are you rushing off? We haven't talked in years."
Ted swallowed and kept his eyes low. "I really need to go. Please just—"
"So you came here for a job, right?" Rodney cut in, leaning closer.
Ted froze again.
Rodney's grin widened. "Thought so. You still have that desperate look." He tapped Ted's cheek with two fingers like Ted was a child.
Ted flinched.
Rodney chuckled. "Too bad for you… my dad's friend owns this place." He jerked his thumb toward the building behind them—the same place Ted had just been rejected from. "And let me tell you something…"
He leaned in, voice dropping into a mocking whisper.
"Just thank your stars you didn't get accepted."
Ted blinked, confused. "W-What do you mean?"
Rodney spread his hands dramatically. "Oh, nothing huge. It's just… people like you don't survive in high-pressure companies like this." He tapped Ted's chest. "One gust of wind and you'll break."
He laughed loudly.
A few passersby turned to look, and Ted's face heated with embarrassment.
Rodney added, "My dad's friend hates weaklings. So honestly? You should be grateful. Might've saved you from getting kicked out later."
Ted's jaw clenched, but he stayed silent.
Rodney loved that.
"So," Rodney said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Consider it mercy."
Rodney finally straightened up, still grinning like a predator who'd caught his prey.
"Alright, I've got to go," he said, glancing at his friend waiting by the car. "But hey…" He turned back toward Ted, smirk widening. "Let's have a drink later."
Ted blinked, confused. "A… drink?"
Rodney laughed, loud and sharp, as if the idea of Ted joining him in anything fun was hilarious. "Yeah, a drink. Just you and me. I want to see if all these years have done anything for you… or if you're still the same weak little Teddy who couldn't survive high school."
Ted's stomach sank. His throat went dry. He wanted to speak, to argue, to tell Rodney to go to hell—but the words died in his mouth.
Rodney shook his head mockingly. "Nah, don't bother answering. I can tell by that blank stare—you're still hopeless." He patted Ted on the shoulder, a gesture so patronizing it made Ted flinch.
"You should really thank me, you know," Rodney added, tilting his head. "I mean, not everyone gets a chance to be humiliated by their old tormentor. Consider it… character building."
Ted's jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. But Rodney didn't care. He laughed again, a sharp, mocking sound that echoed down the street.
"See you later, Teddy," he said finally, turning to leave. "And don't forget… drink with me. It'll be fun. Well… fun for me, anyway."
Ted watched him go, every step like a kick to his gut.