"Hmm, very well, enlighten me on how you executed this," Jane insisted. "Well, I had his computer hacked, which provided me with easy access to his information. I reviewed his client list, and one of the VIP clients caught my attention. Consequently, I embezzled a substantial sum from the VIP client’s account into Ethan's account, ensuring he was not notified of the transfer. Additionally, I made certain that he could not access his computer for twenty-four hours; had he done so, my plan would have been compromised," Steven elaborated. "Wow, my younger brother possesses a remarkable competency of which I am proud," Jane remarked. Susan then interjected, "Alright, enough of this discussion; let us celebrate this victory." "Indeed, we should celebrate now," Jane agreed. They raised their glasses in a toast. "Cheers to a new level," Susan toasted. "Cheers to Steven's victory," Jane added. "Cheers to my accomplishments and future promotions," Steven toasted to himself. I
What is happening here, and why are you posing such an absurd question?" Anna retorted rudely. Alfie leaned in and whispered to Ethan, urging him to provide her with a brief explanation regarding the nature of his inquiry. "I was wrongfully accused of defrauding a VIP customer at work, resulting in my dismissal. I came to ascertain whether you had any connection to this matter," Ethan clarified. Anna coughed and cleared her throat. "I remain perplexed; let me ensure I understand correctly: you were framed, you lost your job, and you suspect me of being involved?" Ethan nodded, swallowing hard. At that moment, Anna raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked, "And why would you even consider that I would do something like that to you?" "Because we had some misunderstandings in the past, primarily due to Angela," Ethan explained. Anna took a deep breath and responded, "Ethan, to be frank, I genuinely do not know what you are referring to. I must confess that I was completely unawar
pulled Ethan back to safety. "Be careful!" Harper exclaimed as he dragged Ethan to the side of the road. Startled, Ethan began to breathe rapidly. Harper inquired, "What is troubling you so deeply that you would risk your life? Are you aware that you nearly got hit by a car?" Ethan lost his composure and collapsed into tears, akin to a child, seated on the ground. In his distress, he recounted to Harper how he had been framed and subsequently dismissed from his job. Though Harper was unfamiliar with Ethan, he felt a profound sense of compassion for him. "I am truly sorry to hear that you lost your job, but you must not consider taking such drastic measures. Your life is far more valuable than any position you have lost. If you were to die now, the job would continue, and the person responsible for your misfortune would be out there, enjoying themselves. You must gather your strength," Harper advised. "You truly do not understand. They have taken everything from me, leavi
and replied, “Ethan, please calm down.” Henry interjected, “Angela, who is this unemployed and odorous man?” Ethan was taken aback upon hearing Henry refer to him as unemployed. “So, Angela, you have been informing everyone that I am unemployed, have you?” Ethan asked, his anger evident. “And why would I do such a thing?” Angela retorted. Frustrated, Ethan pushed Henry, who, in turn, became irate and was about to retaliate when Angela intervened. “Henry! Stop it! Ethan, please leave; you have caused me enough embarrassment for today. I will speak with you later,” Angela instructed. Henry, clearly irritated, remarked, “Angela, when you are ready to tell me who this pig is, you know where to find me,” before storming out. “Since when did you begin to give me orders? You even had the audacity to disclose my personal circumstances to this fool. His mention of knowing where to find him, which implies that you have been seeing him behind my back. Is this truly how you conduct yourse
“You know I do not drink, and even if I did, it would not be to the extent of intoxication. She compelled me to do so; the thought of her seeking favour from me while I am now without purpose made me feel like she was looking for a chance to discard me. I must say, I now believe you; you were right about her from the beginning. All she wanted was my money, nothing more,” Ethan elaborated. “Ethan, please calm down. You are overreacting. We both know how much Angela cares for you. I believe you should answer her calls and allow her the opportunity to explain herself. Although I am quite upset with her, I recognise that your current state has clouded your judgement; this too shall pass,” Alfie reassured Ethan. “If only I could discover who has betrayed me, it might provide me with some solace. Even if I do not regain my job, I will ensure that I exact my revenge on the individual responsible, making them suffer more than I have,” Ethan lamented. “Come here, my friend. I can see you ne
"Can you believe it? It has been a month since I orchestrated Ethan's dismissal, yet I am still in my previous position despite my hard work. The bank manager does not seem to notice my efforts, or perhaps I should say he dislikes me, as I am emulating everything Ethan used to do," Steven articulated. "That is unfortunate. What do you intend to do now?" Jane questioned. "I am uncertain; if I had a solution, I would not be calling you," Steven responded. "Calm yourself. Since you have stated that you are undertaking all the tasks Ethan performed that previously benefitted him, and it has not yielded the same results for you, I suggest you inquire with Ethan about his approach. He may be employing strategies of which you are unaware, and you might be overlooking something significant," Jane advised. "That would be challenging, dear sister," Steven replied. "Why do you say that? There is no harm in reaching out. You could either call Ethan or visit him if speaking over the phon
work with the Supreme Court," Charlotte replied. Steven was amused by Charlotte's transformation into a lawyer, recalling how unremarkable she had been during their high school years, often overlooked even by teachers. "Goodness, Charlotte, how did you achieve this? It is truly remarkable!" Steven exclaimed. "It is all thanks to God. I transferred to another school, which allowed me to focus on my studies. I left behind distractions that had hindered my academic progress, and I became quite studious. That is how I reached this point in my life," Charlotte elucidated. "That is splendid. Please provide me with your contact number so that I may reach out to you whenever I encounter a problem. From this moment on, you shall be my lawyer; however, I would like to observe your courtroom performance first," Steven stated. "That is not an issue. I am currently handling a high-profile case; perhaps you could attend and observe on Thursday," Charlotte suggested. "Certainly, I shall be ava
Moreover, we do not know where to begin." Charlotte was rendered speechless. Ethan promptly added, "Charlotte, Steven is correct; at this moment, I do not have any funds." Charlotte reassured him, "It is perfectly fine; do not concern yourself with that. I will take care of it for the sake of old times, and I will do it pro bono." Upon hearing this, Angela's mood shifted, and she cast an unfavourable glance at Ethan, which he noticed. "Charlotte, please do not worry about assisting me. Thank you," Ethan expressed his gratitude. Meanwhile, Steven was eager to learn about Ethan's secret regarding his promotions but felt it was not the appropriate moment to discuss it. He resolved to defer the conversation until their next meeting, even though he had not received a promotion at work since Ethan's dismissal, he felt content that Ethan was no longer a factor in the workplace. Angela remained silent. After a lengthy discussion with Ethan, Steven realised that he would not have the c
"Thank you for your understanding, ma’am," Ethan expressed gratefully as he returned to sit with Harper. Without posing any inquiries to Ethan, Harper erupted into laughter. "Haha, I was aware she would not pay you any attention, and now you have embarrassed yourself. I attempted to dissuade you, but you disregarded my advice. Drink up; let us return home," Harper chuckled while giving instructions. "Hehe, and who claimed she did not give me her attention? Allow me to astonish you; she will be joining us shortly," Ethan retorted. "Are you being serious at this moment?" Harper asked, amused. "Certainly I am," Ethan replied with confidence. "Wow, how did you manage that?" Harper inquired eagerly. "I employed my initiative and the strategies I shared with you," Ethan responded. At that moment, Sophie approached and sat down with them, leaving Harper astounded. "Ethan, I am here," Sophie announced. "Thank you for keeping your word," Ethan expressed his gratitude. Sophie smiled
all motivated by a desire for tranquility at work, correct?" Harper asked. "Indeed, it was a source of distress for me, as each morning when I awoke and prepared to go to work, I felt a profound sadness knowing that I had an adversary. I was apprehensive that he might choose to eliminate me at some point. However, I was unaware that his intentions would manifest when he drew closer to me. All I desired in my workplace was the freedom to breathe and to feel at ease, without the burden of enemies. This was the reason I accepted his apology and agreed to befriend him immediately," Ethan elucidated. "Is it accurate to say that you chose to embrace a state of peace and naivety towards him solely for the sake of tranquillity?" Harper inquired. "Precisely, although I was unaware of the implications of my actions. Nonetheless, I find myself in a position where I must accept my circumstances," Ethan replied. "Hmm, observe the consequences of your quest for peace of mind," Harper remarked w
him until my first promotion, after which everything changed. His behaviour shifted, leading to feelings of animosity and jealousy, and ultimately resulting in my current predicament,” Ethan elaborated. “Please, be gentle with yourself. You earned that promotion through hard work and determination. You erred in befriending your adversary, but as I mentioned, it was not your fault, as you could not have predicted these events,” Harper clarified. "While I acknowledge this, I must question the benefits of the promotions I received; had I not been promoted, none of these events would have transpired," Ethan lamented. "In that scenario, you would have declined the promotions when they were offered to you," Harper asserted. "I made an effort to do so, yet the bank manager insisted that I deserved the advancements. I had no foreknowledge that it would lead to this outcome; had I been aware, I would have persuaded him to confer the promotions upon someone else. I suppose I was merely
saying, “Here you go.” “Thank you,” Charlotte expressed her gratitude. Ethan nodded as he sat down, and a momentary silence ensued until Charlotte broke it by saying, “Ethan, I wanted to ask how everything transpired between you and Steven.” Ethan feigned ignorance. “What are you referring to?” Ethan questioned. “Well, a month ago, you and two of your friends visited my home seeking information about Steven. When I inquired why you needed such information, you indicated that you suspected he was involved in framing you. I requested feedback, yet I have not heard from you since,” Charlotte elucidated. Ethan found it necessary to prevaricate, as he wished to conceal from Charlotte the fact that Steven was responsible for framing him; he also aimed to prevent her from pursuing legal action against Steven, as he preferred to seek retribution on his own. "Ah, well, we conducted our investigation and discovered that he was not involved. I did not wish to cause you undue stress, which
from me," Steven mused to himself. Meanwhile, Angela, intrigued, immediately asked, "My love, what did Steven say he wanted this time?" "Actually, he called me yesterday regarding an issue with his bank manager, and I encouraged him to apologise," Ethan replied. "Hmm, I do not wish to know the specifics of his issue with the bank manager; whatever predicament he finds himself in, he undoubtedly deserves it," Angela remarked. Ethan smiled and said, "My love, please remain calm. I am aware you have a dislike for Steven, and he has indeed received his just desserts. I only wish he would encounter further difficulties at work." "You can say that again," Angela concurred. "Let us take a nap; I am quite exhausted," Ethan suggested. "With pleasure," Angela replied happily. Conversely, Steven remained profoundly distressed, as he aspired to secure a promotion that the bank manager was reluctant to grant. Furthermore, he contemplated ways to dispose of the manager but realised he could
"My love, ignoring her calls will not resolve anything. Simply answer and ascertain the reason for her call, and act as though everything is normal," Angela urged. When Olivia called again, Ethan finally answered. "Hello, dear sister," Ethan greeted. "Good day, big brother. I have been attempting to reach you, but you have not been responding," Olivia retorted. "I apologise for that; I was occupied," Ethan replied. "It has been a while since I heard from you, and you seldom call, so I decided to reach out today to see how you are faring," Olivia said. "I am doing well. And you?" Ethan inquired. "I am faring well, and I am reaching out to you as I require financial assistance for my tuition fees and monthly expenses. I spoke with Father, and he informed me that he has yet to receive his salary, insisting that I contact you," Olivia explained. Upon hearing this, Ethan was taken aback, while Angela subtly encouraged him to continue the conversation. "Um, how much do you
which is why I have chosen to withdraw. Since that time, I have been apprehensive about entering another relationship, as I am uncertain of the behaviour the next woman I date may exhibit, and I am unwilling to subject my parents or relatives to further humiliation," Alfie elucidated. "I understand your sentiments, but do not dismiss the possibility that you have yet to encounter the right woman. It is not obligatory to marry anyone you date; take the time to truly understand her before making such a commitment. Moreover, why the urgency to marry?" Ethan inquired. "Ethan, how long should one date a woman before proposing marriage? I was in a relationship with Gloria for a year and with Lucy for eight months. Ultimately, it seems inconsequential. I have come to realise that neither was truly compatible with me, which is why I adhere to the adage, 'Man proposes, God disposes.' However, as I am now in my thirties, I seek companionship and someone to call my own. This is why I desired t
indicating that we would depart at dawn. When I asked why we could not take an evening flight, he mentioned he was expecting someone, to which I agreed and then retired to my room to rest,” Alfie continued. “Please, go on. I am all ears,” Ethan encouraged. The following morning, which was two days prior to my wedding, I awoke and awaited his arrival to call me so we could board our flight back. However, he did not come. Nonetheless, I chose not to disturb him, as I was under the impression that we would be departing from Vancouver that day. Consequently, I picked up my phone and call my fiancée, Lucy, who informed me that she was en route home with her friends. Shortly thereafter, Calvin knocked on my door, expressing a desire to speak with me," Alfie recounted. "What did he say? I trust he has not changed his mind about being your best man?" Ethan inquired eagerly. "Not at all, he had a different matter to discuss," Alfie responded with a laugh. "Very well, what was the nature
other four friends arrived and inquired why I had injured Levi, I explained the situation, and when they asked who my fiancée was, I stated it was Gloria. Can you guess what happened next?" Alfie continued his narrative. “What!” Ethan exclaimed. The group erupted into laughter, and one of them named Mike asserted that Levi was indeed correct, claiming he could attest to this because he had been intimate with her on multiple occasions. The other three concurred, laughing heartily as Mike informed me that they all had been involved with her, thereby justifying Levi's label of her as promiscuous, which Alfie recounted with evident sorrow. “Oh my goodness, that is quite troubling. Did you confront her about it?” Ethan inquired. “Indeed, I did, but she denied everything,” Alfie replied. “They will invariably deny such allegations. What actions did you take next?” Ethan pressed. “Well, I informed my friends that they were lying. Mike then reassured me, stating that he would invite her