Chapter 10 - The Journalist

The shrill sound of an alarm clock rang out , jolting him awake. Bernard cussed as he got to his feet, stopping the alarm clock with the touch of a button. It read 5:30. He had to prepare for his meeting with the CEO of FS Phoenix. He smiled. Finally, his article was getting recognition. He was determined to see this to the end. He will not be silenced. (Well, for the right price, he could be.) But that's not the point. He was going to stand his ground and make sure he got to the top with this article. He wanted to be recognized, he wanted to be one of the big names, and he'll do anything to get to that point. He snickered a little when he thought of the numerous individuals who cautioned him about going up against FS Phoenix. "It's a dead end. Many journalists have tried and failed. You'll be wasting your time," one told him. "Well look who's trending now!" He laughed and said, "Haters." You all are just hostile, you never wanted me to progress because I'm not from this country. "

Stepping into the bathroom, he began preparing for the day as his mind wandered to places beyond his window. He was glad the meeting came at a time like this. He had used up almost all the money he had. The inheritance he got from his parents had helped him for a while, but now he was left with little to write home about. He planned to make the most money out of this. He'd use whatever information he had against the company to get his way. He was willing to do anything to get to the top and make the money he so desperately needed. However, this time, he wasn't going to resort to blackmail or anything illegal that's too dangerous and he also wasn't ready to taint his record here as well.

An hour later, he was placing a call to another reporter who had initially warned him about going up against FS Phoenix. He really wanted to boast and prove everyone wrong, and he was going to do just that.

Beginning with the man on the other end of the line, "Took you long enough," he began.

There was a long pause and shuffling on the other end, then a male voice responded groggily, "What do you want?"

In a voice laced with pride, he said, "Guess who'll be having a meeting with the CEO of FS Phoenix?"

He got no response, but a short pause followed by him answering his own question, "ME," then he laughed.

He was expecting the man at the other end to have some form of reaction, but he got nothing.

"Are you that clueless, or are you just shocked that I get to meet one of the greatest, evasive, and dare I say, eligible female millionaires in this country?" he asked.

"What do you want me to do? Do you want me to clap and shout because of that ? You've achieved nothing; meeting her guarantees you nothing. "That is, if you get to even meet her, you might just be meeting one of her assistants," the man on the other end rambled in irritation, which was due to the fact that he was rudely awoken from his sleep to be told this nonsense.

There was a short pause, his words stung Bernard like poison darts thrown at him. Bernard regretted making this call.

Then in retaliation he said angrily, " I will prove to you and everyone else that I can make it, I'll prove to you how wrong you all are, I'll make you regret all you have said to me, soon enough you'll be begging at my feet" he was panting heavily in anger as he spoke.

" How do you plan on doing that you pauper, it is no secret how much debt you are in and soon enough it'll all come crashing down" the man on the other end said in a tone that made Bernard shiver, his mouth was left open as the words tumbled out, each sound and syllable stinging worse than a bee.

" What ? Are you surprised? We all can see through your façade I'm certain you only plan on blackmailing the CEO of FS Phoenix or maybe seducing her, like you've done with other women" he laughed loudly, surprise was an understatement to describe how Bernard felt, but the man on the other end wasn't done with his verbal attacks, he continued " you can never get anywhere with that plan. I will gladly watch your downfall" he was so irritated and hurt by all the malicious words thrown at him, what exactly did he do to deserve such insults he wondered "soon enough we'll see who's laughing last." Bernard retorted, trying to stay calm and in control despite the raging storm inside him.

A loud laughter was heard on the other end " sure we'll see and please do me a favor, never call me again." With that the line went dead. He aggressively tossed his phone on the bed and paced back and forth in his bedroom, as a myriad of thoughts swirled through his mind, putting his hands on his head, he let out a loud shout born of intense anger. He was tired of living in the shadows, tired of being tossed around, tired of seeking validation from people. He resolved to do things his own way and prove to everyone that he could make it great. It is one of the reasons he moved to this country, and he didn't intend to lose. With a plan in mind, he continued his preparation for the meeting.

Since he was a little child, he has constantly looked for affirmation from those around him. He was the only child, and his parents were always busy. He was desolate and in need of their company. He persisted in his efforts, but in vain. They appeared to be uninterested in him.

He once told his mum how he was feeling. "Honey, we're just doing this so you can have a wonderful life and a brighter future. Don't ever think we do not love or care about you," she affectionately said while patting his head, but her words did nothing to comfort him. They failed to understand that he required more than just money and gifts; he needed his parents.

He turned to women and meaningless connections to fill his desire for affection and attention, but those endeavors also failed to satisfy him. They were all there because they each had a vested financial stake in him. He didn't care as long as he was surrounded by others; everything was fine. He was well-liked in high school and college and was well-known for his parties and ability to captivate women. What else was there to ask for? Until his parents' deaths in a plane crash, when his entire universe came tumbling down.

At first, everything appeared to be going well. He had inherited a large sum of money and several properties, but because of his erratic behavior and a string of poor investments, he was unable to manage them. It appeared that he was simply unlucky. Because no one wanted to be with a man who has no money, when his friends realized he was broke, they started to distance themselves from him and entirely turn their backs on him. The women also did the same. He desperately tried other things, some of which were illegal, in an effort to salvage his face.

Finally, he fled his country in shame, having nearly nothing left and a tarnished reputation.

Reaching a new place, he grabbed hold of every chance he could in an effort to regain his splendor, but each time he tried he fell short. That is, until one day he overheard a group of journalists discussing FS Phoenix and its CEO in a restaurant. He made the decision to look further since he saw it as yet another chance. A fresh thought came to him all of a sudden, and unlike his prior failed attempts, this one seemed promising. What harm could there be? Luckily, he had taken a small course in journalism and media communications in college. Finally, he could put it to use. He made the decision to pursue FS Phoenix based on the limited amount of journalism knowledge he possessed.