Chapter- 10

"...but you also have the audacity to lie to your temporary boss?"

Ryan is left to contemplate Ethan's earlier words, he finds himself speechless, unable to conjure up even a word of defence. Ethan, seizing upon the opportunity, presses him further, "Yes?" Asking for an explanation. 

"I am not entirely sure I am comprehending your accusations too well," bewildered, Ryan appears, responding with an air of uncertainty, "Of course I lie, just like any other human being does. But, I have yet to recall a moment when I have lied to you especially."

Ethan, unsatisfied, pivots his laptop around to face Ryan, pressing him on the evidence, "Then what are these, Mr. Miller? These ideas…are you suggesting that you did not send them?"

Squinting at the screen with fierce intensity, Ryan leans in— his heart sinks with the realisation that Ethan is right. His very own e-mail, with the subject line, 'Few Brainstormed Ideas' is staring back at him, a damning piece of evidence against what he is claiming as the truth. 

"What on earth?" Ryan recoils in shock, thoroughly caught off guard. "I can tell you with absolute certainty that I did not send those emails."

Ethan interlocks his fingers, putting them on the table top, as he awaits Ryan's justification, hoping the latter has one— he has got to have one; his eyes are fixed on Ryan, some unreadable expressions draping the ravenette. 

"I can only think of one possibility," hesitantly, the youth admits. 

"And what would that be?" Demands Mr. Haughty, his voice dripping with a scary anticipation. 

"Lillian," Ryan reveals. 

Ethan groans in frustration. "Who on earth is that now?"

Ryan's face breaks into an embarrassed grin, and he chuckles slowly, his words oozing with self deprecation. "How much of a stupid am I? Why didn't I think of this earlier? Of course, it is my brother!!"

Ethan's eyes widen in disbelief…and disappointment, too— how could Ryan be so careless as to let his own brother have access to his emails in the first place? "Why didn't he tell you?" Mr. Haughty probes, his voice ingredients a pellucid scepticism.

Ryan scratches the back of his head, blushing a deep shade of red. "When I left for work this morning, he was still groggy and disoriented. Lillian always takes a while to wake up properly and completely after a night of intense studying. Besides, I did not log out last night, in case you were wondering," Ryan elaborates sheepishly, "I must have missed his texts. He is a considerate brother usually, I bet he thought he was doing me a favour by sending those ideas to you. He is usually too naive too, by the way."

Ethan pauses contemplatively for some moments, mulling over Ryan's words, "Are you positive it was your brother?"

Ryan erupts a sigh of relief. "Think about it, Mr. Haughty," he implores. "If I really did send those emails to you myself, why would I risk my job by pulling such a prank? And even if I were playing a joke, wouldn't I have let you in on immediately?"

"Fair point," Ethan considers Ryan's words and begins to see the logic in his argument, "Alright, then," he concedes, retrieving his device. "Since we have resolved this issue, let's take a look at your brother's ideas. Shall we?"

Ryan stretches to stay mum— yeah, as if Mr. Haughty is awaiting his approval. 

"Of course I am not seeking your input. But let me boss you around," Ethan scans through the ideas quickly, stopping abruptly when a thought strikes him. "But, Mr. Ryan Miller," he takes off quietly, "Does not your brother seem more compatible with our company than you? Why should I choose you over him?"

Ryan lets out a small sigh, steeling himself for his overseer's response. "I would have loved for my brother to join the company," he says wistfully. "But he is not really interested in this particular field. He is pursuing a career as a compiler, specialising in unsolved disappearances."

"Lillian has put forth a valiant effort, I must concede," Ethan murmurs, his disappointment more fiery than ever before, "However, these suggestions fail to inspire awe. And as we both are well aware, LOVESICK demands nothing short of extraordinary. Improved functionality, audio-video quality enhancement, liberated features, and the ability to delete messages are already at the forefront of my mind. I hardly needed these thoughts reiterated to me, the owner, by any external party."

The ravenette, while still engrossed in his computer, senses Ryan's burgeoning emotional disclosure. "Don't keep me in suspense, Mr. Miller," he declares, not bothering to raise his gaze from the screen, "It is quite evident that you are clearly thinking something. Something important to impart?"

"Well…er…" the younger bloke bites his lower lip before continuing, "Yeah, I have been ruminating. But, I must clarify that none of what I am thinking right now, my views, are coming from a dating app standpoint, nor from a rival dating app at that. In simpler words, my sentiments are just a candid reflection of me. If I say anything now, I will be speaking my mind."

Ethan ceases typing, his attention solely on the brunette. "Please, do go on," he urges, "I am listening."

His emotions held tightly in check, Ryan can not help but express his irk with typical dating apps, musing aloud, "Most of the dating apps seem to be nothing more than beauty pageants. Don't you agree?"

Ethan nods empathetically, "I know exactly what you mean," his words appear to have carrying a lot of weight, a little bit too unexpected, almost…personal.

"Love should never be limited by something as arbitrary as appearances," Ryan continues with a passion, "It's just not right. It just doesn't feel right that love is confined within such shallow boundaries."

"While I share your sentiments, Mr. Miller, the hard reality is that the world at large does not and will never necessarily hold the same view," Ethan interjects, "But continue anyway."

The brunette youth narrows his brow in clear annoyance, "That's not the real issue here. It's not even about the world thinking the same as me. Not even a person needs to, lest the whole world.

The problem is why do only those with beauty and charm find their soulmates while others get dumped? Is it simply because most of the pretty ones own too much of their own vanity that they only look for partners that match their own dazzling looks? Or is it because they want to validate their own self worth by being with someone as attractive as they are?" Ryan pauses, a rather long one,

"Sir, We live in a world where beauty is considered an achievement. These people, these lucky 'achievers' take their beauty for granted and abuse it. There is nothing too boastful about being 'fine' that is according to the definition of 'fine' to per person. They confuse infatuation or a dwindling attraction with genuine love, and that is not love in the real sense of the word!" Ryan concludes ardently. 

The ravenette, after what now feels like a gap of exaggerated decades, feels momentarily stunned but rallied— 'momentarily'. Mr. Haughty's curiosity piques. "What are you suggesting?"