You sat inside one of the stalls of the washroom, taking deep breaths trying not to let out a whimper. "She is a gold digger! Haven't you seen how she clings to his arm, trying to show off that she landed Boboiboy Amato, so what if she's a hero? What an embarrassment."
Other girls laughed at the remark. It seemed like every girl wanted to date Boboiboy and sometimes you even wondered why he was with you. You felt guilty about not being able to spoil him as he spoiled you. You couldn't even afford to give him his favorite perfume for his birthday and settled on a cheap wallet. Every word they uttered pierced your heart.
You were aware of your social standards most of the time but somehow when you were with Boboiboy none of it mattered.
"He took her out for a date to Piers last week! I cannot afford to go there and she posted about it and rubbed it in our faces. Does she even know about this?".
"Even if she knows I am sure she is pretending to be stupid about it". You could not take it anymore.
Ying and Yaya, who was in the stall next to you, heard it all as well. She was not going to let it slide. They two walked out of the stall and the girls went silent knowing they were your friends.
"You guys sure have a lot of free time talking behind people's backs. Didn't you three score the lowest on the last test? Maybe you should focus on yourself and even if Boboiboy was not dating [Name] he surely wouldn't date shallow, jealous, lowly, and toxic people like you!!" Ying spat, balling her hands in pure anger. Two of the girls backed up not wanting to mess with Ying but their leader was not going down without a fight.
"Aaaaw if it isn't the best friends coming to rescue! Or wait! Are you pretending to be friends with [Name]? We would love to join!". She said, crossing her arms and Ying laughed at this.
"That's enough! If you don't stop criticizing [Name], I will have you suspended!" Yaya, the president of the whole school and well-known because the teachers trusted her the most for being helpful and also, she was your best friend. She can't just let some girls bully you when you did nothing wrong!
"No! Screw suspension! You wouldn't know what a friend is in this lifetime so why don't you run to your daddy and ask him to "buy" you some? Or should I ruin that so-called pretty face of yours!?" The girl scoffed and walked out, knowing Ying was about to fight her if she didn't. Silence filled the washroom.
"[Name]?" Yaya knocked softly on the door. You opened the door. Eyes fixed on the floor. "Thank you, Ying... Yaya".
"Oh shut up, they asked for it. Let's get you cleaned up now you look drunk". Ying always made you laugh with her dry humor and you felt lucky to have friends like them.
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"Boboiboy, are you free today?". You asked, looking up at him.
"Why? Does my Flower want to spend time with me?"
"Yes."
"Seriously? You said last night you had to work on that project. Is it done?"
"Not yet but it can wait. Do you want to have coffee?"
"Where do you want to go? Piers?".
You shook your head. "Today you'll try [Name]'s special coffee or cocoa! [Sister's Name] is out today so I can make you some. If you want.."
Boboiboy froze at your offer. YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE COFFEE OR COCOA FOR HIM!! He lifted you off the ground and spun you around which made you giggle since he was exaggerating much. "YES YES YES YES".
You reached your house and you unlocked the door. Both of you stepped into the living room when your sibling [Sister's Name] walked out of their bedroom. "Who do we have here?" She said, looking at you and Boboiboy.
"[Sister's Name]! Weren't you supposed to be out?". [Sister's Name] seemed to be scanning Boboiboy with a frown on her face." Yeah I am heading out now. Who are you?".
Boboiboy was meeting your sister for the first time. You only had your sister and he knew how important she was in your life.
He bowed down, "I am Boboiboy Amato and I like [Name] very much!". Both you and your sister were shocked to see his tall frame bent in half. "Okay, Boboiboy Amato who likes [Name] very much. I am [Name]'s sister [Sister's Name]. Nice to meet you.". She said with a smile.
Boboiboy straightened up and smiled at her. You looked a lot like [Sister's Name] except she had longer hair. "Alright, I am heading out. [Name], I have kept the cake in the fridge and no funny business while I'm gone!" She grabbed her bag from the table and walked out of the house. "Bye!" Boboiboy said a little too loud which made [Sister's Name] chuckle. "Bye Boboiboy!".
"Your sister is scary".
"Yeah, I know". You started making coffee.
"[Name], can I ask you something?"
"Sure". You were engrossed in the coffee. You wanted it to be perfect. Your lower lip tucked between the teeth and as you carefully measured the sugar.
"Did something happen today?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"Your eyes looked red when I saw you. Did anyone bother you?"
"I'm not a child, Boboiboy and nothing happened. I poked my eyes while applying mascara". The coffee was done now. You poured two cups of it and placed one cup in front of Boboiboy.
"You need to make it extra special for now.". You rolled your eyes at him knowing what he meant. You brought his mug near your lips and blew a kiss on it. "That's better and you are forgetting something, [Name]"
"What?"
"The cake."
This man! While leaving Boboiboy grabbed his bag from the couch and his wallet fell out. He was using the one you gave him. This made you smile.
As he leaned down to kiss you, you realized that if the only thing you could give him was love then you were going to give him all of it.
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Boboiboy lay in his bed playing the interview in his mind again and again. He humiliated you out of spite and the ache in his chest reminded him of that. He remembered how badly he wanted to run after you as soon as you walked out of the room. But he ran after you for a long time only for you to betray him in the end. His thoughts wouldn't let him sleep so he picked up his phone and browsed through the internet.
He searched for you for quite a while before finally finding your profile. Surprisingly it was public. He scrolled through your photos. He stopped at one with Ying, Yaya, and Gopal. He scoffed at it, they clearly picked their side.
Boboiboy was still friends with Gopal and he never mentioned meeting you. Boboiboy scrolled and stopped at one with Shadow. The caption read Captain Shadow to rescue. You looked so happy in that photo. He liked the smile on your face. The one he swore to protect. He wasn't the reason for it anymore and it killed him.
A single tear fell from his brown eyes when he saw the next photo with Fang. You both stood closer with Fang's hand around your waist. It seems sweet but formal at the same time. Boboiboy could not take it anymore and tossed his phone away. He rubbed his face with his palms.
Why why why WHY?!
Boboiboy had never slept peacefully for the past three years, Often resorting to alcohol and medications but nothing helped. He closed his eyes and his thoughts went back to when you guys were together. When he decided to move back to Pulau Rintis. He had never expected to run into you on his first day. Fate was playing a cruel game with him and he was losing. You were a couple of walls away but yet you seemed out of his reach.
Boboiboy woke up the next morning before his alarm rang. He got into his track pants and threw on a loose t-shirt deciding to go for a run to clear his head. The sun was barely up and there was a pre-winter chill. He sprinted around the neighborhood, some women and men stopped in their tracks when they saw him.
He was accustomed to this reaction but still smiled at them anyway. He had worked up quite a sweat when he noticed a few men with their cameras pointing at him.
Fucking hell. He turned around and jogged back to the apartment. He got out of the elevator and glanced at your door.
Is she alright?
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"Yaya, I want the last quarter report of ICS and G-tech and you need to do something about the Paparazzis". Boboiboy said, Walking out of the elevator on the 50th floor of Bastion Towers. He hardly looked at the people who greeted him in the lobby. Poor Yaya tried her best to keep up with his long strides.
"Yes sir. I will have a PR team get on it and will contact the tabloids to take down the photos"
"Do I have to ask for my schedule now?". Boboiboy glanced at her with a frown. Are all assistants stupid?
"No sir. At 10 am you have a meeting with Mr.Hargreeves. At 1 pm you have lunch scheduled with Mr. Boboiboy. At 3 pm you have an introductory board meeting with our investors" Boboiboy sat in his chair looking at the city.
A meeting with an uncle and the board on the same day can only mean one thing.
He opened his Laptop and got started with his work. He had a lot to prove to a lot of people. People looked at him as someone who was born with everything. They thought he got handed an MNC on a plate as soon as he turned of age but they didn't know Boboiboy Amato. He was smarter than half the members of the board. They wanted to size him up in this meeting and he was determined to let them know exactly what they were dealing with.
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He didn't pay much attention to what Mr. Hargreeves was speaking in front of him. He had already gone through the presentation and thought it was a waste of time if the old guy was simply going to read from it.
"Mr. Hargreeves, I have gone through the presentation. What I would like to know is why were our last quarter's numbers so low in the energy and technology sector. These are our most promising sectors and yet the numbers were disappointing".
"Well, Mr. Amato there was a fall in demand because of readily available cheaper technologies and most of our customers went for cheaper alternatives. Our products and services are best in quality and performance but it seems like the prices were too high".
"Do you have a plan in mind to counter it or are we going to lose numbers next quarter as well?"
"We have yet to finalize a plan but I will let you know as soon as it's done.". If there is one thing Boboiboy cannot tolerate is incompetence.
"I want a counter plan in the next 30 days". Boboiboy got up and left the room. These fossils and their ancient ways of doing business.
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"Uncle! Nice to see you" Boboiboy said, standing up to shake his hand. But his uncle was taken aback by this gesture and instead hugged his niece. "This is how you meet your uncle".
Boboiboy laughed at this. He never his mother when he was barely four years old. All he had was his dad and uncle. His uncle was more like his best friend. He shared everything with his uncle without judgment since his dad was working in space. If there was someone he looked up to, it was his uncle.
"Why do I need to schedule a meeting to meet my niece?"
"I'm sorry about that. There is a lot to fix."
"I see. Do you know why the board wants to meet you?"
"To size me up? They couldn't be more obvious about their antics".
"Well, then you better be prepared. Remember Boboiboy, sometimes we have to deal with people we don't like. You need those people to lead this company and when you lead this company someday the same people who are criticizing you now will praise you. It's all a matter of time. Don't be too rough on them." Boboiboy nodded at this. His uncle was right, why make an enemy?
"Also I heard about what happened at the interview. Was it her?". His uncle looked at him, sipping his whiskey. Boboiboy felt embarrassed at this. He had no logical explanation for his behavior.
"Yeah, it was her.". He did not say anything further about it. They ate lunch in silence occasionally discussing business. As much as Boboiboy admired his uncle since it was he who helped Boboiboy start his own company, he wondered if there was a side of him that he didn't know.
"Make sure I don't have to schedule an appointment to meet my own niece". He said as he got up, patting Boboiboy on his shoulder.
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Boboiboy stood outside the board room. He could hear people inside and thought about what his uncle said, So he entered the room with a smile. A smile that could charm even his biggest enemies. He made sure to talk to each one of them. Bowed down to greet them.
Pretended to be impressed by their work and experience and asked for hollow suggestions. Laughed at their jokes. Shared experience. He played their game and it seemed like he was winning. He saw Mrs. Parker talk to some other board members and decided to try his charm on her. Mrs. Parker was a close friend of the Amato family and a very smart woman. She was hard to impress and easy to disappoint.
He walked up to her "Good Evening, Mrs. Parker". He said with the sweetest smile.
"Hello Mr. Amato"
"Please you should call me Boboiboy".
"Maybe I should". She said, laughing at his antics. "How was your day? I heard things went rough during your meeting with Mr. Hargreeves". She sipped her wine and never broke eye contact.
"Nothing to worry about. I am sure Mr. Hargreeves will come up with a plan".
"You don't have to pretend, Boboiboy. I know you think all these board members and their ancient ways are pulling the company back."
"You don't look a year above 30 Mrs. Par-".
"-and I agree with you. We need new talent. New approach. Our ways are time-tested but our thinking needs to grow. Which is why I was in favor of hiring young and intelligent people for critical roles"
"I am glad that we are on the same page then". He clinked her glass with his own.
"I would still like to know your opinion on the interview. There are two critical positions available. One under my department as a business analyst and another as an advisor to you. I have shortlisted three candidates and you need to let me know who should work with you."
"Mrs. Parker do we have to talk about this now?". Boboiboy did not want to bring up the interview again.
"Would you rather pretend to be interested in other board members?". Boboiboy admired this about her. She always went for the target.
"Who are your candidates?"
"Layla Hargreeves, Lucas Hargreeves and.... [Name] [Last Name]" Boboiboy looked at Mrs.Parker, she had seen right through him.
"You can pick the first two and assign them however you want".
"Boboiboy, I know Mr. Hargreeves recommended Layla. I also know that he has good relations with the board. But do you think she deserves to be here?" Boboiboy did not know what to reply. He wanted to be on the good side of Mr. Hargreeves by hiring his niece but he knew Layla had a lot to learn.
However, it would be better to have Layla work for him so that he could always keep Mr. Hargreeves pacified.
"Absolutely. We went to college together and I know she is really .. smart".
"Well then it's decided. Let me know if you change your mind. I'll be sending them call letters soon.". Mrs. Parker said as she walked away.
"Mrs. Parker wait..who is the other candidate?". She looked back at him and smiled."I have decided it's going to be Lucas Hargreeves. Let me know if you want me to change my mind". She won this round.
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Boboiboy finally reached his apartment at 11:00 p.m. He got out of the elevator and saw your door shut. Did she even go out today?
He got into his apartment and thought about what Mrs. Parker said. He remembered Lucas Hargreeves. He was smart and had a good record to speak for himself but he was nothing compared to you. You were way smarter than him. More intelligent too.
Why did Mrs. Parker pick him then? Why did he want it to be you who worked with him?
Boboiboy decided it was too late to change her mind and hopped into the shower. As the hot water ran along his back, his thoughts took him back to you. How defeated you looked when he saw you at night. It was the same look he saw years ago. He remembered how you tried to hold back your tears as he said those cruel words to you.
He stepped out of the shower and put on his black t-shirt and grey pants. She had to come out of her apartment at some point! He sat on the couch and went through the CCTV recording, hoping to see you once. But he didn't see your door open at all.
Should I check on her? ..She'll be fine...I'll check tomorrow..
TW: Suicide !!!
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You stood on your balcony staring down as your mind did the calculations of life. Boboiboy stood on his balcony staring at you. You looked at him, your eyes were red and puffy. Your face had lost its color. Your hair swayed with the wind. Your arms tightly gripping the railings.
"If you are going to jump then do it or are you doing this for my attention?" Boboiboy said, leaning against the railing.
"Should I jump?".
"If you want to. Don't expect me to save you. Yeah it would be a minor inconvenience"
"Would you miss me Boboiboy? If I'm gone?". You looked at him with a sad smile on your face.
"You left my life long ago. There is nothing to miss anymore". You nodded at his words. He was right.
"Do you hate me?"
"I don't care about you."
You smiled sadly at him. "Boboiboy, I want you to know ... I want you to remember that I love you. I always have and I always will... Live a good life and ... I hope you find someone worthy of your love.." You lifted yourself up and sat on the railing.
Boboiboy realized what you were about to do... You were really about to jump. He took careful steps towards you, his arm reaching out to grab you.
"[Name]...no.. please no...". You were far. He was stuck... And he couldn't reach you. You smiled at him, closed your eyes, and fell.