Chapa POV:
It was Wednesday morning, and I woke up feeling the weight of another day of uncertainty. I grabbed my phone, noticing a strange notification from last night. I opened it, my eyes widening in disbelief. I screamed.
Sage groaned, clearly annoyed by the sudden noise. "What's going on?"
"$10,000," I whispered, hardly able to believe it myself. "The art academy deposited $10,000 into my bank account."
Sage sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Are you serious?"
I blinked rapidly, thinking I must still be asleep. But the numbers didn't change. "I'm serious. It's real."
After the initial shock wore off, I decided to call my father. He needed to know that I could pay for the car and the incident. I sent him a portion of the money, and he was as surprised as I was. I assured my parents I would take Sage to school on the bus this morning.
Dropping Sage off took more time than I anticipated, and I found myself rushing back to the academy. My mind was racing with questions. How could this have happened? Ms. Ambrose would've never done this right? She's not generous at all.
I dashed into the building, barely noticing the people around me. I had to find Ms. Ambrose. Bursting into the classroom, I rushed over to her desk.
"Hi Ms. Ambrose, did you deposit $10,000 into my account? Or was it a mistake?" I asked, my voice barely controlled.
Ms. Ambrose looked up from her papers, her expression calm. "Lower your voice! It wasn't a mistake, Chapa. But it wasn't my idea either."
"Whose idea was it then?" I demanded, my heart pounding.
"Mr. O'Brien's," she replied, her tone even.
I stood still, unable to process her words. Bose? No way. Why would he lend me so much money?
"I need to thank him," I said, the urgency in my voice undeniable. "Can I see him now?"
Ms. Ambrose nodded, giving me permission to go. Finding Bose's office was more challenging than I expected. The building was a maze of corridors and doors, but eventually, I found it. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the encounter, and knocked on the door.
"Come in," came Bose's voice from inside.
I opened the door and stepped in, feeling a mix of gratitude and anxiety. Bose looked up from his desk, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"Chapa," he said, his tone neutral. "What brings you here?"
I took a step forward, feeling the weight of his gaze on me. "I wanted to thank you, Bose. For the money you lend me. I can't believe you did that for me."
He leaned back in his chair, his expression softening slightly. "You're welcome. I heard from Ms. Ambrose you asked her for the money in advance, so I decided to put a little bonus to it." Bonus? It's literally ten times the minimum price.
I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat. "But Bose... I don't think I can repay you soon, there is only one art exhibition per month. And I might not even be able to get enough paintings done, let alone get a position every time for the art exhibition or sales."
I realized I was freaking out because how was I ever going to repay him. While I was stressing out I suddenly saw Bose standing in front of me.
"You don't have to repay me soon already, take your time," he said quietly. "Just don't tell anyone about this."
"But Bose, I really don't think I can ever," But bose already cut me off by telling me to be quiet.
"That comes later, first pay for the car damage and for the bills."
"Thank you, Bose. Is there anything else I can do for now?" I asked.
"Yeah actually there is... Let me pick you up tomorrow night at 7." he answered.
"Uhm sure." I said while raising one of my eyebrows. I didn't ask much more after that.
With that, I turned and left his office, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude. I didn't know what was going on but it didn't feel wrong anymore.
Bose POV:
After Chapa left my office, a mixture of gratitude and disbelief in her eyes, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Tomorrow night, I'd pick her up and we'd have a chance to talk, an opportunity to bridge the chasm that had grown between us.
Turning my attention back to work, I reviewed the files of the candidates I interviewed yesterday. Both of them showed promise, and I was eager to bring them on board. I began drafting personal emails to each of them, detailing their acceptance and new roles.
The first candidate, a 32 year old woman with a strong background in event planning and fashion, would take on the role of organizing fashion shows for the fashion department on the fourth floor. Her job would involve coordinating with designers, selecting outfits, and ensuring the shows ran smoothly. It was a crucial role, and I was confident she'd excel at it.
The second candidate, a 23 year old man who used to be a rockstar but quit, would become a guitar teacher in the music department on the second floor. His experience and industry knowledge would be invaluable to our students, providing them with a unique perspective on the music industry. He might be very young, but I noticed he had a lot of experience. I recognized him from somewhere but couldn't quite place it.
As I was typing, there was a knock on my office door. Bridget entered, looking slightly anxious.
"Mr. O'Brien, you remembered we have to attend an event later this evening?" she said.
"What event?" I asked, glancing up from my computer.
"It's to celebrate the opening of a new tech company in Swellview. You've been in contact with the owners before, which is why you've been invited."
I raised an eyebrow. "Will you be going as well?"
Bridget nodded. "Yes, I'll be there. Andrew was supposed to come back from vacation yesterday to attend, but his flight got delayed due to the weather."
"Typical Andrew," I muttered, more to myself than to Bridget. Andrew is basically the manager of my company. But he took some days off and went on vacation. "What time does the event start?"
"It starts at 6," she replied.
I checked the time; it was now 12 PM. "I'll pick you up at 5:45," I said.
"Are you sure? I could arrange a driver for us," she offered.
I shook my head. "You know I don't need that. It's unnecessary money spent, and I have a driver's license for a reason."
Bridget smiled faintly. "Alright, I'll see you then," she said before leaving the office.
With the afternoon stretching ahead of me, I returned to my work, my thoughts occasionally drifting back to Chapa and the unexpected turn our relationship had taken. I couldn't shake the feeling that despite everything, there was still a chance for us to mend what had been broken.
â
Back at my penthouse, I started getting ready for the event. I pulled out a charcoal gray suit from my closet, pairing it with a crisp white dress shirt and a deep blue tie. I styled my hair, which wasn't as long as before since I had cut it a while ago. Even with the trim, my hair was still longer than Chapa's. I put on one of my expensive watches, a sleek black Rolex, grabbed my phone, and headed out.
On my way to Bridget's house, I couldn't help but think about the evening ahead. When I arrived, Bridget stepped out of her door wearing a beautiful dark red dress, her long blond hair curled perfectly. In my mind, I imagined Chapa wearing that dress instead. Bridget got into the passenger seat and immediately opened the little mirror to check her face.
"By the way, Mr. O'Brien?" she asked.
"You can just call me Bose now," I told her.
"Alright, Bose," she continued. "I think our system might be hacked."
I stayed calm and asked, "What happened?"
"I saw $10,000 go out of our bank account," she explained, looking worried.
"Don't worry about that," I said. "I deposited that amount back from my own bank account."
Bridget looked surprised by the fact I'm able to deposit it back. "You deposited it from your own account?"
"But what if another hacker does the same thing? We can't just keep depositing money back. We'll eventually go bankrupt."
"It wasn't a hacker, Bridget," I said, trying to reassure her. "I asked Ms. Ambrose to deposit the money into the student's account. I know the student and she'll pay it back."
Bridget was in shock. "Why that kind of amount?"
"I knew she needed it," I replied simply.
Bridget looked stressed. "Are you talking about that girl... Uhm Chapa De Silva. Who was on that loud phone call in the lobby? Who threatened me to tell her where you live?"
I nodded and then turned my head away from Bridget to hold in a little laugh. She threatened Bridget to find out where I live? Typical Chapa.
"We have to keep this quiet. If others find out about this..."
"I know. But still, it doesn't matter, she needed it more than us," I said, trying to keep her calm. "Besides she's paying it back, right?"
Bridget nodded, though she still seemed uneasy. I knew Chapa might not be able to pay it back, but this was the only way to keep Bridget quiet and less stressed. Her anxiety always made me nervous, and most of the time, I found it ridiculous.
Bridget then changed the subject. "Do I look good?" she asked.
I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I like the dress," I finally said.
We arrived at the event shortly after. The venue was bustling with people, and the atmosphere was lively. I parked the car and we stepped out, ready to face the evening ahead. As we walked in, I couldn't shake the image of Chapa from my mind, wondering how she was doing and if she was okay.
Chapa POV:
I got home and took a quick shower, sharing the small bathroom with my neighbor as usual. After showering, I noticed I had a missed call from Elena. I called her back and immediately heard the urgency in her voice.
"Can I sleep over tonight?" she asked.
"Of course, you can come over," I replied, sensing something was wrong.
A little while later, Elena arrived at my apartment with snacks and drinks. We set up her laptop and started watching a movie, trying to create a semblance of normalcy.
Finally, I asked, "What was the fight about with your boyfriend?"
Elena sighed deeply. "He applied at the company where we follow our art classes and got a position as a teacher. At first, I was really happy for him, but now he has to work on Saturday. I asked him months ago to come with me to my family dinner this Saturday, and now he can't make it. I don't want to go alone, so I'm really stressed. We ended up fighting about it, and I decided to come here."
I nodded, trying to be supportive despite feeling out of my depth when it came to comforting people. "He should take this Saturday off. It's his fault," I said, hoping my advice was helpful.
Elena gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Chapa. I needed to hear that."
Curious, I asked, "What department is he going to work in?"
"Music," Elena replied. "He used to be a rockstar, but he dropped that and decided to teach people. He starts tomorrow, so you might get to see him."
We chatted a bit more about her boyfriend and our respective lives before finally drifting off to sleep.
â
The next morning, I woke up feeling a bit more refreshed. Elena was still asleep. I started getting ready for the day. As I opened my closet to grab some clothes, I noticed the tiny drawer with junk in it was slightly ajar. When I moved in, I had just dumped a lot of random stuff in that drawer from a box, not bothering to sort through it. I didn't remember leaving it like this; in fact, I never even opened that drawer.
I was about to close it when something caught my eyeâa folded piece of paper. Curiosity got the better of me, and I unfolded it. My breath caught as I recognized the drawing. It was of me, a simple sketch capturing my likeness perfectly. I remembered this drawing; Bose had given it to me the last time we fought together with Danger Force against a particularly powerful supervillain. The date scribbled on the corner confirmed it.
Nostalgia hit me hard, memories of those times flooding back. The camaraderie, the thrill of fighting villains, and the bond we all shared. I realized how much I missed those days, but I knew I couldn't go back. It was just not possible. I couldn't afford to come too close to Bose againâor anyone, for that matter. It was too dangerous.
Elena finally woke up and got ready. "Morning," she mumbled, still groggy from sleep.
"Morning," I replied, trying to shake off the emotional weight of my memories. "Ready to head to the academy?"
She nodded, and we quickly gathered our things. Elena drove both of us to the academy, the drive filled with light chatter about the movie we watched and our plans for the day. I tried to push thoughts of the past aside, focusing instead on what lay ahead.
When we arrived at the academy, the usual buzz of activity greeted us. As we walked in, I felt a renewed sense of determination. I couldn't change the past, but I could still shape my future. And that started with making the most of today.