I was exhausted after last night and felt sleepy in the morning.
A cup of coffee wasn't enough, so here I was getting another large expresso from the cafe near my office.
"Hey, Zhan." I stopped and looked at the person who had called my name and saw someone I didn't want to see, someone I didn't really like and was not really a big fan of.
Jessie once was my good friend in college, I trusted him and shared my plans and ideas with him, he was a cool guy and I liked him at first.
Slowly he became extra clingy and started to ask about my past, my parents, but he specially got hung up on the ring over my finger. He asked to try it on and I said no, I thought he would drop it but he became fixated on it and started asking about who gave it to me, he stepped into my personal place invaded my house, and touched my things, nearly destroying my mother's shoes that she had given me ten years ago.
And when he learned that I was in love with someone, he just wouldn't let it go, he kept on asking who it was, and once he learned that it was a man, this guy got even more obsessive to the point where he started to badmouth my lover.
In the end, I got frustrated and cut him off, I thought that it was all over but he crossed all limits when he tried to steal the software and tried to destroy it. Thankfully I was smarter than him and already had a backup.
But after that, I was done with him.
I rolled my eyes turned around and started walking away but the guy just wouldn't let go, he ran forward and grabbed my arms, "Come on, Zhan, that's not how you treat an old friend."
I scoffed, "Of course I know, I will never treat my friends like that, but a backstabbing friend who tried to sabotage my work, surely deserves to be treated like this."
"Oh god you are still hung up on that, come on move on, I was a kid back then."
"25 is not an age when you are considered a kid, what you were is an entitled spoiled brat."
Jessie's eyes became cold, "I should have known, you never really learned to move on, I mean look at you still wearing that ring, waiting for that imaginary lover of yours who you don't even know is dead or alive."
Nope, I was not letting him get to my head.
"And I see you still don't have a life, you are still a manwhore, I am a thousand times better than you will ever be, get lost, Jessie."
I said as I tried to walk away, but he harshly grabbed my arms once again, "Why are you like this, Zhan? I just wanted to be a good friend! I apologized to you over and over again! Who do you think you are huh?
Just because your startup bloomed does not mean that you get the right to treat me like dirt! I was trying to help you move on, how long are you going to be this desperate pathetic man pinning after someone who does not give two shits about you!"
"You are wrong I don't treat you like dirt because I am some big-short or anything, I treat you like dirt because you are a shit person that's all. Now kindly fuck off."
With that I finally walked away.
~~
My mood was ruined after encountering him.
"Are you alright?" Ziyi asked as she kept the files on my table.
"Yeah."
She gave me a side eye and I told her about my encounter with Jessie.
Ziyi was sympathetic, "Bastard, anyways what are you thinking about?"
"I just... I am... I just miss him you know... I don't know where he is, what he is doing, I want to start looking for him but I am so scared, because what if I find out something I don't want to, what if he is dead, or married to someone else, I will become the joke of the century then."
"Well, you can't spend your entire life waiting right? And someday someone has to take the first step, if he isn't coming back then you should look for him, and get the answers you deserve, you need closure and move on."
"You are right." I spoke, "Maybe I should start looking for him, but he is nowhere on social media, and his old phone number is no longer available, even his dad and stepmother don't know where he is, it's like he vanished into thin air."
"So you have tried to contact him."
"Yes."
"Well, about time you hire a professional help."
I just gave her a nod after she went out my phone rang and I looked at the message, it was from Lucy.
"Let's meet on Saturday at the cafe near your office during lunch"
I texted her back agreeing to her plan before I put the phone back.
Where are you Yibo?
~~
It was Saturday afternoon when I walked into the cafe where I had to meet Lucy.
I saw her already sitting at the table, and I sat in front of her, I gave my order and we started to have a small chat.
"I am so nervous."
"It's alright, don't be. It's going to be just fine." I tried to comfort her but she was really very nervous I didn't understand why.
However, my question was answered soon.
"There he comes," she said as she got up and ran to her boyfriend, but when I looked at the boyfriend I felt thunderstruck.
I felt like the ground beneath me had vanished when I saw Jessie.
What the fuck.
Jessie gave me a smirk and snaked his arm around Lucy and gave her a kiss, while I stood there flabbergasted.
Lucy smiled and stood in front of me with Jessie, "Meet him, Zhan, although I know that you already know him... but... you should be the real him, the changed him..."
"Is this a joke?" I asked, still not believing how Lucy could betray me like this, "billions of people and you chose him? Him? Seriously Lucy?"
Lucy's smile vanished, "Zhan, I know you are mad, but let's sit down and have a chat, you know, Jessie is not the same anymore,e he has changed."
I laughed at that, "Good luck believing that Lucy, people don't change, our lovely grandfather is an example, and you know what, I don't want to hear anything anymore, you knew what he did and yet you are with him.
I don't care it's your life do whatever you want, but I will not be a part of this."
Lucy became teary and grabbed my arm, "Zhan, please I care about you, I want your approval."
"If you cared then you wouldn't have done this and I am not your father, you don't need my approval, you just want to feel less guilty and want to be validated, I am not doing that."
She started to cry and Jessie stood in front of her, like some knight in shining armor, "You should apologize to my girlfriend, and how can you treat her like that, after what her father did for you, this is how you repay him back! By hurting his daughter and making her cry?"
"You are the last person I need lessons, on how to be a better person Jessie and I love her that's why I'll tell her that Lucy." I said looking at her, "he is not good for you. Rest is up to you."
With that I walked away.
My heart clenched and I felt really hurt at this betrayal, did uncle know about this? And if he did then does he approve?
Am I overreacting?
What if Jessie has really changed?
Maybe I should give it some thought.
~~~
A few days passed past and I still hadn't talked to Lucy to, she tried calling and messaging me but I was not in the mood to reply, I hadn't told Yanli and Cheng about Jessie because I knew they would be mad at Lucy and would create a scene.
What a mess.
"Sir, your brother Danny is here to meet you," Ziyi spoke.
I was surprised and also curious, "Send him in."
Danny walked in and sat in front of me.
"So what brings you here, Danny?" I asked.
"I want a favor from you."
I was intrigued, but I had a hunch what he wanted to ask.
"What is it?"
"Well, there is this project and I have met some people, everything is set, the ideas and the strategy we just need some funding."
Oh boy.
"So can you invest in our project?"
"How much do you need?"
"Around one million dollars."
I sat straight and said, "Well, I would love to, but you first have to tell me the parties involved and show me all the paperwork and also share some of the ideas with me, like how it usually happens, present your idea and if I liked it I will gladly invest."
Danny was not happy after hearing this, "Can't you just trust me and give me the money?"
"No, Danny, I can't do that, it's a lot of money you are asking, not pennies, I need to know your plan and strategy so that I can think about the profits before investing."
"Why would you think about profits before helping the family!"
"Listen, Danny, I really want to help you and I will gladly invest but you have to present your ideas first because given your history-"
"WHAT ABOUT THAT?!" He yelled and I flinched, "You just don't want me to become successful, you are scared of my success and you are scared that I might become more successful than you!
How can you be such a cruel man? My parents didn't think twice before helping you, before investing their money in you, they never thought of profits while they were helping you! And this is how you repay them?! You ungrateful piece you shit!"
"Danny, calm down."
"No, I won't. I know you secretly pray for my downfall, and you get happy when you see me fail. This is the first time I have ever asked anything from you, and this is how you treat me. You know what? fuck off, get lost I don't care." with that he stormed out of my office.
I tried to stop him but my efforts were futile.
Great, just great.
Can this day get any better?
I got my answer to the above questions when I was contacted by my aunt late at night that Danny was nowhere to be found and everyone was worried about him because he didn't answer his phone.
She asked me if I knew anything and I told her about our talk in the morning, she got even more worried before she cut the call.
Then her husband Max called me and it wasn't for good reasons, "How can you let my son walk away like that? You know about his problems, so you should have stopped him! You should have helped, it wasn't like he was asking a lot, you could have afforded to give him that money! But you chose to rub his insecurities on his face, you know if something happens to my son, then it will be your fault!"
Now I was worried too, so I contacted Yanli and Cheng we together went out to look for him.
Danny was a grown adult but if it wasn't for his drinking and gambling habits we wouldn't be so worried about him, after his outburst, I could understand that he was stressed, he must be under pressure, and I wanted to help him.
Maybe I should have given him the money.
After hours passed, Yanli finally got a call from her mother, "he has been found, he is in the hospital, apparently he was driving under the influence and crashed his car."
"Let's go there then," Cheng said and I turned the car towards the hospital.