Genesis forced the bile in her mouth down as she strolled down the busy street, her eyes stung due to the tears she held, and her throat tightened the more she tried to hold them down. She stared with admiration as two ladies crossed to the other side of the street, laughing heartily at whatever joke they were making, their heels making clanking sounds as they met the cobblestone pavement. Her cheeks felt hot as a tear dropped from her eyes, she quickly turned away, her heart crumbling as she wished she could laugh like that or have a chance to be free as they were.
The air was filled with freshly baked bread and cake, which was usually inviting, but not today. Usually, she would take time to admire the world around her and watch tourists basking in the old town. But today was different, she felt small and defeated. The air around her seemed to suffocate her as each breath she took was heavier than the last. How was she supposed to pay for her mother's treatment now that she had been made redundant? She asked herself as she crossed to the next street.
She had been laid off from her job, which had crushed her, throwing her world into a spiral of confusion. She had a sick feeling in her stomach when she received the letter a few hours before her closing time. Why her? She thought. She had been good at her job. So why her? Her feet felt heavy as she took slow, dreadful steps home.
Her mother was Ill with cancer, she had been diagnosed just after she had graduated from high school. She had to put aside her dreams of going to college, her mother's income was not enough to provide for their needs, and her treatment. She became the sole provider of the home as her mother's cancer got worse.
She never knew her father. He had died a few months before she was born; her mother never talked about his death or the cause, though they went to visit his grave on the anniversary of his death. She had figured her mother didn't want to open old wounds. This had caused her to question their past but never ask any of those questions, too afraid she might hurt her mum. She used to spend time checking the internet, hoping to find anything about him, but this has been unsuccessful.
She sighed as she stood on the porch searching for her keys. She gave up knocking on the door instead. As she waited for her mum to open the door, she chewed on her gum, contemplating telling her mother the bad news. She decided against it, shaking her head in disapproval.
An ear-piercing scream forced her out of her thoughts. As the door opened, she felt small hands wrap around her, pulling her into a hug. She smiled. Chelsea was always the sunshine she needed.
"It felt like forever waiting for the birthday girl to arrive." Chelsea's melodious voice greeted her ears as they broke off the hug and started into the house. "Too bad you have to work on your birthday." She went on, pulling her along as they walked into the sitting room.
"Hi Mom," Genesis greeted as she walked towards her to place a kiss on her cheeks. They lived in a duplex her father had built before he died. "How was work, honey?" her mother asked weakly. You could tell she was in pain. She was smiling at her faintly.
"It was fine, Mom." She noticed her mother's skin was paler than usual, making her heart ache. She forced a smile. "You should be resting, Mom," she softly said, frowning at Chelsea.
Her mom laughed, "Don't blame her, I wanted to wish a happy birthday." She took a deep but labored breath. "You were gone before I woke up."
"Mom, you shouldn't have to, you need all the rest you can get; besides, you know I don't like birthdays."
She heard Chelsea scoff, "Come on, young lady, you say that all the time." She sighed dramatically, "acting like an old woman who doesn't want to be happy."
Genesis arched her brows and placed her hands on her waist as she turned to Chelsea. "I am happy," she said defensively. She could hear her mother's weak laughter. The room smelled of freshly baked cake.
"I made you a chocolate cake, your favorite," her mum started towards the dining room. Genesis followed quickly. She loved cake.
The cake sat beautifully on the table, it was dressed in butter icing. Genesis stared at the different shades of purple. She forced down the lump in her throat as she held her mother's gaze, her eyes shone with pride and love. She didn't fail to notice her hair had lost its volume and color. She always did something special on her birthdays, even when she maintained she didn't want anything. They had bonded over those forced birthdays. Then, they didn't have to worry about treatment or anything. Life was perfect. She thought, wondering if that was true.
She turned her gaze to Chelsea. Her lips were curved upwards with a smile, and her phone was held in a filming position. Genesis smiled at her. These two women were her world, yet she yearned for more. One where her mum will tell her about the man who had birthed her, and they didn't have to worry about her mother's treatment or health.
"Genie, make a wish."
Her gaze fell on the 20 candles on the cake. She paused. Taking a deep breath, she blew out the candle. Chelsea's cheers filled the room. She took a big slice as her mother handed her a plate. Her mother started towards the stairs almost immediately. "I need some rest, lovelies." Her breath was heavy. "Have fun, alright, but not too much," she warned. Genesis watched her ascend the stairs gradually, every step made her heart heavy. She wanted to help, but knew her mother wouldn't let her. Her mother always insisted she was strong enough to do things herself.
As she lost sight of her, she swore to herself she was going to make enough money to provide her mum the best medical care she needed and the life they deserved. Chelsea coughed, drawing her attention. She was seated on one of the chairs with her legs crossed on the table, her face had that look that said she knew something was up, "Are you gonna start talking, or do I have to probe you?" She arched her brows and crossed her arms against her chest, causing the chair to swing back and forth.
Genesis wondered how she did that. She sighed. Knowing well that Chelsea won't let her be until she speaks up. That was their normal. "Promise you won't tell Mum, I don't want her to be worried. She is already upset I have dropped out," She said as she pulled the chair closest to Chelsea's. She smiled faintly as Chelsea held her lips between her forefinger and index finger. Her eyes caught the new mug she had gotten for her mother recently, she quickly shifted her gaze. She didn't want a reminder of her unemployed state. "I got laid off today," she croaked, tears freely falling from her eyes. Within seconds, her cheeks were damp. Her face felt hot as she struggled to steady her breath. She heard Chelsea gasp almost immediately.
Without a word, Chelsea pushed her chair backward, took Genesis' hand, helping her out of her seat, and led them to the living room. They sat on the couch while Chelsea wrapped her arms around Genesis in a hug. She let her sob for a moment, rubbing her back with every sob.
"It will be fine," she said, fingers running through Genesis's hair. "We'll figure something out," she added. Genesis stayed still as Chelsea's fingers ran through her hair, comforting her. The clock ticked with every second that passed. "This isn't about the job, right?" Chelsea guessed. Genesis nodded. Her body relaxed. Taking a deep breath, she freed herself from Chelsea's embrace. "I'm tired of living like this, I want everything to be perfect like it was once," she paused, "I want to know about my father, about his death. I need to know."
"Oh, baby girl, give her time to open up. Maybe a part of her is in denial." Chelsea consoled, leaning forward to push back loose strands from Genesis's hair. "Everything will be fine, I need you to stop feeling this way." She held her hand, "I'll help you with the job hunting."
Genesis wiped a stray tear. "What would I have done without you?" A faint smile danced on her face.
"Please, can we get out of this gloomy mood?" she said as she reached for her phone. "Jezz, who died?" she exclaimed, making Genesis laugh. "I just booked us a ride to –"
"My favorite karaoke bar." Genesis interrupted, a big smile plastered on her face. She was bouncy. "You sure know how to make me happy."
"Like hell I do." Chelsea began to pull her towards the stairs. "Let's go get ready, Gen," her high-pitched voice filling the stairway. "Oh my God, I almost forgot!" She increased her pace, beaming with joy. "You won't believe what I got you."
Genesis stopped in her tracks, as they exchanged glances for some seconds, and didn't fail to notice Chelsea's continued tapping of the feet against the floorboard; she did that when she was excited. "No, you did not." Genesis gasped. Chelsea nodded, chortling.
"It's in the room."
Genesis pushed past Chelsea, feeling on cloud nine. She felt strange as she entered the room, a feeling that she had felt some time in the past; it was buried deep in her memory, she couldn't remember why she felt that way when she did, but she could feel it now. This was going to be the beginning of something new.
********************************
Vincent stormed into his office, slamming the door so hard his secretary jumped off her seat as the room shook. He ground his teeth as he stood in the middle of the office, both hands in his pockets. He kept his gaze on the mahogany table as he recollected his thoughts. A sly smile danced on his lips as he began to pace the room.
The board meeting had taken a huge turn against him, the meeting was to discuss the qualifications to become chairman of the board. This was his birthright; the position of chairman had been inherited, though there were qualifications that had to be met. His parent had died when he was 14 years leaving the company in the care of an interim chairman, and had stated in their will that he would assume the position of chairman at 25.
He had always wondered why they were specific about him being 25. It was a long time. He wanted to have the position the moment he turned 18. They said "good things come to those who wait," so he waited patiently, preparing for the day he would get that office on the last floor. All he needed was a 2/3 vote from the members of the board.
That he had. He had successfully secured members of the board who were willing to make the company great again. The company was surviving on its past glory. Those old fools had successfully brought his company to its knees. He was going to make them retire once he became chairman. Their old ideas had ruined all that his ancestors toiled to build. He had had enough.
Marriage was the least thing he had expected to be a hindrance to getting what was his. Last he checked, his father and grandfather had become chairmen before getting married. That qualification had been ignored for years. He balled his fist. This was an attempt to disqualify him before the election. He scoffed. "Nothing will stop me from becoming chairman," he muttered as he called his secretary on the office phone.
"Inform Henry to meet me at our usual spot and tell my driver to get the car ready," he instructed before slamming the phone back on the cradle.
**********************
He raised his brows as Henry smirked, trying to hold his laughter. "You're lucky you were my friend; you would have lost your job." Vincent threatened.
"I'm sorry," Henry apologized as he picked up his drink. "You shouldn't be worried about that," he added.
Vincent leaned back, grinding his teeth against each other. He didn't like where this was going. "You're the only one who isn't married on the board," Henry stated. He rolled his eyes, he never understood why that law was made in the first place.
"Your father had the backing of his father, same with your grandfather." Henry tapped the table with his forefinger. "Cyrus isn't going to step down without a fight. He wants what's yours."
Vincent rubbed his temple; this was old news. "You have to get married as soon as possible," Henry suggested. Vincent remained silent. Henry leaned forward as Vincent's eyes darkened, "Do you have a better plan?" he asked, watching him lift his glass. His silence said it all. "I understand this is out of the plan for you. A lot of us are sick of those old men. You have to act fast before he successfully convinces others you're not qualified."
"I'll leave that to you, get me a bride and fix a date for the legal procedure." He instructed
"What are you offering?"
"I don't give a fuck whatever she want, I just need her for a year."
Henry sighed "marriage isn't was bad as you think" he crossed his legs "you need to be open minded bro, you are not a fucking bastard like he was bro."
Vincent swallowed; he could still hear his mother's screams. Instinctively, he felt his wristwatch. It was Glashutte Original that his mother had given him for his 14th birthday. If only she had left. He thought as he took a sip from his drink. He didn't mind that his father had died in that plane crash. Fucking bastard, that was what he deserved for the way he had treated his mother, his mother dying alongside the man that had mistreated her for years was not fair of the universe. He never believed in fairness; if you had the power to take something, then take it. Still, it wasn't fair that her life was cut short that day.
His father had taken her love for granted; she loved him so much, maybe too much, not to walk away even when Vincent had begged her to. The days he stood up for her had resulted in him being a victim, he suffered for that. His father never failed to remind him he was lucky to be his son, he would have gotten rid of him. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. He was made from that same tree; could he be any different? If that was love, he didn't want it for himself or anyone.
"How was the doctor's appointment?" Vincent asked, pushing back his thoughts.
"Ohh, great, the scan went well."
"I bet you both will make great parents."
"Kyla and I are very excited about parenthood, it's a whole experience."
Vincent smirked. The place was getting crowded, he noted, and he took a glance at his watch. It was well into the evening.
"Getting ready to run away," Henry hinted. He knew Vincent didn't like the crowd; he didn't like being noticed either. He seemed to live in his world where all that mattered was becoming Chairman of the board, nothing more. He wondered how they remained friends through the years, it wasn't strange for him to suddenly cut people off. If there was anything he was good at it was burning bridges.
Vincent stood from his seat, "See you tomorrow, and my regards to Kyla." Henry raised his glass in response. "We'll have to meet on securing more votes, don't want Cyrus going to change their minds behind my back."
Henry smirked, "I've started on that, I'm making sure you have not just a 2/3 vote but half of the members' vote or more."
Vincent smiled, "That's why you're my friend and lawyer," he said as he started towards the exit.
Henry remembered Jennifer as he watched Vincent head for the exits; she would be perfect for the deal. He thought, but changed his mind immediately. If he wanted her for the contract, he would have mentioned it. He wondered why he didn't.