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 formation like soldiers.
A bodyguard standing at the front passenger door of the middle sedan reached for the rear door handle, opened it with a bow, and 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—about $11,000—shone on his wrist.
His men quickly formed a protective line from the steps of the old bungalow to the car door.
The noise drew curious neighbors out. And among them was a frail middle-aged lady in thick clothes, who came out of the run-down house. She stepped out of the bungalow's doorway 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 in the city."
"Tsk. Sophie's lucky. My son never does anything but hang around troublemakers…"
Danny ignored the comments. He walked to the steps, stopped a few feet below his mother Sophie, and held out a bouquet.
He smiled. "Mom, I'm back."
"Welcome home," she said with eyes lit up.
Danny climbed the last steps 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. Sophie's hands went to her chest. "Oh… you shouldn't have."
She took it, smiling warmly.
Some neighbors tried to approach, calling out to Danny, but the bodyguards kept them back. Danny didn't even glance at them.
Sophie cupped his face. "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."
"…"
"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, "I'm proud of you, son."
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. Talent, passion, grit, and a little luck could make anything possible.
At least, that's what Danny had been 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 sat on his bed, tired, staring blankly at the ceiling of his apartment.
'I wonder who'll come first—Dave? Mr. Johnson? Or maybe Tony? No, Tony 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 sound of 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, Tony'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 and wasn't too tall, also looking to be in her late twenties.
"Danny, hey. I saw you come in, so I thought I'd check. How'd the interview go?" 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—Tony asked me to get back the Oxfords he lent you."
Danny smiled faintly. "Okay."
He figured Lisa was acting on her own, as Tony 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 Tony 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, staring blankly at the closed apartment door.
* * *
[Rule 1: Only admins can send invitations for non-players to join.]