Vince retreated without another word. The trauma he suffered that day replayed several times over in his mind. He trotted out of the gate just before Maria, his mother-in-law, banged it harshly.

He bent slowly and squatted down. He tried to make sense of his ordeal but couldn’t figure out exactly where he went wrong. He opened his mailbox again and reread both emails. Both contained bad news, the exact opposite of what he had hoped for.

“The company cannot go down for this, Vince. Amber has to take the fall for her crimes.” His supervisor’s words from a year ago rang in his ears.

He had sought help when Amber got into trouble, but the Peak Law Firm higher-ups ignored his plea and abandoned him when he took the fall. And now, they mailed him to return to the company, demoted, as a desk worker.

He got up on his feet as he thought through his next action. What other bad news was there to hear aside from all these? He headed toward Ice Cube Bar, a small mobile café owned by his close friend. The only guest that he had twice during his one-year jail term.

His friend had denied knowing Amber’s whereabouts after his rent expired and his luggage was confiscated by the authorities.

Vince knew he had no other choice but to trek his way over there. His stomach grumbled, but he ignored it. Kelvin would give him food at least. He took more steps when he suspected a red Rolls Royce was tailing him.

His heart thumped loudly in his chest. He quickened his pace, hoping desperately the car wouldn’t meet up with him. Being kidnapped on top of his mountainous problems would be disastrous. The driver, as if sensing his suspicion, sped up the car until it was directly beside Vince.

The backseat window lowered, and a voice called out to him.

“You can’t avoid me forever, Vince.”

Vince closed his eyes as realization dawned on him. He knew that voice. She had visited him several times in prison, but he kept rejecting her visits after the first time. Vince didn’t respond. He kept walking on, pretending to suffer from an ear defect.

“I know everything that happened to you. I tried to talk to you about that, but you wouldn’t let me see you.”

She knew.

Vince turned around slowly, and his eyes met with a pair of wrinkled ones. The older woman had grey hair, and her wrinkled skin shone brightly. She had red lipstick on and a large bun that sat classy on her head, giving her a refined look.

The only thing out of place on her body was the pitiful look in her eyes. That was exactly what deterred Vince the most. He didn’t want to be pitied—not by the likes of her.

He turned forward and ignored her completely. The car zoomed off, leaving him to himself. He got to the usual site, to his relief.

Kelvin’s mobile truck stood tall, and his friend had also improved his service. He had a few chairs and tables to complement the truck, so now customers did not have to solely buy takeout.

He took a seat at the only empty table space. In the short space of one year, Kelvin had improved his business, while Vince had soiled his own career. The older woman was right. He was pathetic and pitiful.

He focused his attention on his phone, rereading the divorce papers’ terms. Everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. He had spent a whole night cramming the rule of law, so he knew what penalties awaited him if he breached them.

He heard two chairs being drawn beside him and looked up. His eyes met a hefty man’s. Beside him was the older woman from earlier. They both sat down and ignored him while they waited for their orders to be taken.

Vince scoffed loudly and focused on his phone. The food truck’s back door opened, and Kelvin walked out of it. His eyes met Vince’s, and he rushed toward him. They pulled each other into a tight embrace and exchanged pleasantries.

For the first time that day, Vince felt a little relieved. There was still a friendly reaction from someone he knew. Kelvin apologized for neglecting him, but Vince brushed it off. He sat down hoping to hold a longer conversation with him.

“I need someone to take our orders,” the older woman said coldly.

Kelvin got up on his feet to attend to her. His two part-time staff were busy attending to other customers. He took a step forward, but Vince pulled him back toward the chair.

“Sit, Kelvin. Ignore her,” he said with an eye roll.

Kelvin wore a confused expression, but he reluctantly sat while the older woman and Vince glared at each other. Thankfully, one of the part-timers walked up to their table and took their order.

Vince felt too embarrassed to request food as the older woman’s gaze remained fixated on him. She had shown up when he was in prison with some kind of crazy story. Acknowledging his defeat in front of her would make him look like a total loser. That he could not afford.

“You look terrible, Vince.”

“I know.”

“I am sorry about… your baby and Amber,” Kelvin said gently.

Vince was surprised. “You knew?”

“I did, but I couldn’t tell you. I was afraid it would break you, and I couldn’t face you, hence I stayed away. I am sorry.”

Vince was quiet. Everything replayed in his mind. The older woman’s phone rang, and she picked it up. She listened attentively before dropping the call. She exchanged a knowing expression with her bodyguard, whose countenance remained stoic.

She turned to face Vince and Kelvin. A tear dropped from her eyes.

“Vince, he is dying.”

Vince closed his eyes and balled his fist. Why was he put in this damn difficult position?

“Vince Finn, I said my son, your father is dying soon!”

“Can we move to my study?”

His grandmother questioned with a raised brow. She didn’t look like the grieving mother from a few minutes earlier. She had shed tears all the way from Kelvin’s café until they alighted at the mansion. But now she had retreated to her coldness.

Vince nodded his head in agreement, and they left the room. He stared around in wonder at the luxurious interior of the house. There were giant doors leading to different rooms, and the shimmering lights in the hallway made it all more beautiful.

They got to the study room, and Vince marveled at the arrangement. A library corner was set aside with neatly arranged law books. Excitement filled his mind. The color array in the room made it even more comfortable and welcoming.

“I did a little digging about you, Vince, or maybe more than a little,” his grandmother said, smiling.

“And what did you find?” he questioned sarcastically.

“You worked at Peak Law Firm before your arrest?”

“I did.”

Silence filled the air. His grandmother sat on a leather chair and pointed for him to sit on the opposite chair, which he did. She dropped hints about other aspects of his problematic life that she had discovered. Vince stared at her again. Something didn’t feel right. His gut instinct warned him.

“Why did you look for me now? And what about my dad’s marriage?”

“About your father’s marriage, his wife died, and they had no children.”

“Oh,” was all he could say.

“And the other question…” she hesitated slightly before continuing, “Your father isn’t the only one dying, Vince. I am also dying.”

Vince stared at her in disbelief. She removed her headgear, and her bald head shone.

“Cancer. Second stage. Rapid progression.”

“I am sorry.”

“Don’t be, Vince. I do not deserve your kindness. I looked for you to seek forgiveness and also bring you back to where you belong.”

Vince’s phone rang loudly, cutting through their conversation. He signaled to his grandmother, and she allowed him to pick the call. He picked it up, and Bernard’s sneer came through, just as he expected.

“Don’t you think you need to be grateful to me, Vince? I convinced the management to reinstate you. Or do you think many law firms will queue up to employ an ex-convict?”

“You still believe you did me a favor after sleeping with my wife?”

“Ex-wife, Vince. She divorced you already. Just put your signature on the damn paper and also… see you at work on Monday. Or would you rather prefer to starve to death?”

With that, the phone line went dead. Vince banged his hand on the table as frustration welled up in him. His grandmother stood up and patted his shoulder.

“Vince, there is something I need to tell you.”

“Aside from urging me to accept your apology?” he responded harshly.

“Aside from that, Vince, you are not just my grandson. You are the sole heir of our family’s company, Peak Law Firm.”

Vince’s jaw dropped. He batted his lashes in surprise. He couldn’t believe his ears. The company that deserted him in prison for a year turned out to be his inheritance.

“The current CEO that I see on the billboards?” he questioned in disbelief.

“Yes, son. That was your father, and it is all yours now. The position and Peak Law Firm itself. Let us go see your father.”

Vince hesitated for a few seconds. He let out a deep breath and followed his grandmother. The room was at the far end of the long hallway. The lanky, wrinkled man on the bed looked nothing like the good-looking, smiling man in the billboards.

He had numerous wires fitted to his face and body. His oxygen mask covered half of his face, but his distinguished jawline could still be seen.

Vince stood by the doorway, too afraid to walk in. The older woman charged forward, rushing over to her bedridden son. Vince almost lost his balance in the process. His father opened his eyes slowly as his grandmother held her hand to his.

“I brought him, Jack. Your son. He is handsome but pigheaded, just like you,” she said with a sardonic smile.

Vince watched as the bedridden man strained his neck to look at him. He moved forward and focused his attention on him. The bedridden man, the deadbeat man who had abandoned him as a child to be with another woman according to his mother’s story.

“How did you find me?” Vince questioned suspiciously.

His mother had always been tight-lipped about his father. Aside from her sob story about their abandonment and using his last name, Finn, everything else was a mystery.

“I tailed your mother’s name and found you. But when I did, you were already in prison, and that was when I visited you,” the old woman said, still clutching her son’s hand.

“I took a few strands of your hair from my first visit. It helped in confirming my suspicion. You were really my grandson.”

Vince scoffed and sat down on the couch. His phone chimed, and he checked the notification that popped up.

Another message from Amber. She demanded a fast response from him on signing the divorce papers. His day kept getting longer with each passing minute.

Vince raised his head with a fresh determination. Everyone who came to him always needed him for a reason.

“Why did you seek me out now? Why now? Mother said my father absconded with another woman,” Vince said bitterly. He glanced at the pitiful figure barely holding on to life.

His father’s eyes met his grandmother’s, and she nodded in understanding.

“Vince, listen. Your dad didn’t abscond to have an affair. Having you with your mother was the affair.”

“What!”

Now that was news. Everything Vince had ever known about his life was turning out to be a mere mirage.

“I am not justifying abandoning you, Vince. It was all my fault. I paid your mother off. Your father wasn’t even aware of your existence at that time.”

Vince got up on his feet and tried to leave. He had heard enough. He was a rejected child, a forsaken husband, and now everyone needed something from him. He looked again at his email. Once he walked out of there, he was going to sign it and let Amber go.

His hand was already on the doorknob when he heard a muffled sob and a barely audible voice. “Don’t go, son.”

He turned around and saw his bedridden father struggling to get up. He stretched his hand forward, trying to reach him.

Vince felt his harsh resolve melt completely. He rushed forward and held his father’s hand. The man smiled warmly at him, satisfaction written all over his face.

He kept trying to apologize despite the incoherence of his words. Vince settled by his side at last and watched him drift back into sleep.

He felt the man’s pulse weaken, and Vince put his ear to his father’s chest. His eyes widened as realization hit him.

“Grandmother, I can’t feel his pulse anymore,” Vince said as his father’s hand dropped.

The attending doctor rushed up to them and placed a stethoscope on Jack’s heart. The doctor’s expression was blank, and he drew back gently.

“Is my son dead?”

Vince knew he had to look the part. He bought himself some pieces of cheap, locally made suits with badly fitted shoulder pads and pants. It had been two weeks since he found out about his real identity and his father’s death. Paperwork was ongoing on the transfer of the company ownership into his.

He had begged his grandmother for her discretion on his identity. He needed to reform the system of Peak Law Firm to avoid having more victims like himself. To do that, he needed to go undercover within the company. Bernard’s trap seemed like his best bet at achieving this aim.

He was going to take the demotion the company offered. A desk job with a meager salary seemed like a perfect cover.

He walked into the gigantic doors of Peak Law Firm, and he marveled at the exterior just as he did the first day he showed up there for his interview three years ago.

He was stopped halfway by the security guards, but after some confirmations, he was allowed in, and he went straight to “his hell,” Bernard Harris’s office.

Bernard smiled widely when he saw him. He felt immense joy that he had humbled Vince. The lowlife had to be desperate enough to show up at work, knowing fully what lay ahead for him.

“You took your sweet time showing up, Vince Finn,” Bernard said mockingly.

Vince was quiet. The man rambled on endlessly about what his new position required. He handed him the demotion agreement while exaggerating his current rights for that position, unlike the privileges he had held in the past as a lawyer.

“The company is mourning the current CEO, so you wouldn’t be penalized for showing up late after your reinstatement.”

“Okay, Mr. Harris,” he said and turned to leave.

“Just okay? No appreciation whatsoever?” Bernard said sarcastically, adjusting his polka dot tie.

“Thank you, Mr. Harris.”

Vince walked out of his office. He smiled satisfactorily to himself. Bernard looked so pleased with himself that he wouldn’t see his downfall coming, not even from a mile away. Vince made for the stairs leading to the third floor, where Bernard described as his new office.

He was glad he achieved his aim. With every step he took, gossip followed his strides. The staff that knew him in the past all looked at him with gloomy expressions. They all thought he was actually pitiful. The truth was glaring from the onset.

Amber had committed the crime, but who was going to challenge the authorities when she was sanctified innocent and even promoted?

Now she dined with the top lawyers of the firm while her ex-husband became a desk worker.

What manner of injustice in a top-tier law firm.

Vince was on the first staircase when his eyes caught a pair of heels. It was just as he remembered it—a pretty pink lace covering the toes. The last birthday gift he bought Amber before his arrest.

Their eyes met, and shock registered on her face. She hadn’t expected Vince to really be stupid enough to make a comeback. She had dismissed the possibility of his excessive desperation when Bernard talked about making it happen, reducing him to nothing worthy of her.

She steadied herself and acted indifferent toward him. She cursed her ill luck inwardly for wearing a gift from him on his shameful return.

“Have you signed the divorce papers now?” she said bluntly.

“Good morning to you too, Amber.”

Amber scoffed loudly. The lowlife still had some pride left in him when she expected total humility from him.

“Vince Finn, probably because you just returned, you might not be aware that I got a huge promotion in your absence. So I am totally out of your league.”

“Okay.” Vince reached into the old briefcase on his left arm. He retrieved the printed version of the divorce agreement and handed it over to her. Amber checked it and smiled warmly.

“Well, by this now, we are total strangers anywhere.”

“Well noted, Miss Reed.”

Amber walked out on him. Relief flooded her mind. She had expected him to fight back, but he didn’t. Somehow, that infuriated her.

The loser should have even made a little effort. It didn’t matter much anyway. Bernard had promised her marriage, and the only stumbling block in their way was her sham marriage, which she had just invalidated. She was a free woman now.

Vince proceeded toward the exit leading to the next staircase. He felt his knees wobble. His grandmother had made him spend most of his days in her company since his father’s burial.

Regrettably, he couldn’t attend the burial, but the rumors of his existence were already circulating on the internet.

His grandmother had paid a blogger to spread the rumor, and it was definitely working. Their only challenge now was finding a worthy “Vince Finn.”

For the past week, they had run over ten discreet interviews, but unfortunately none of the candidates fit his taste. They all seemed interested only in the money, and he knew their cover would be blown all too soon if he gave them the chance.

He urged his grandmother to keep searching for other people, and she had sent him another interview list for that evening. Hopefully, one of the three candidates would show up with promising responses.

Vince rose from his seat and was about to circle down the stairs when he heard voices.

“I heard the CEO has a son.”

“What! That is new.”

“It is all over the internet. I heard he is taking over soon.”

“Wow.”

“Bingo!” Vince thought as he walked past the two ladies gossiping about him. Their expressions dwindled into pity. Everyone from their past held the same sentiment that Amber was an ungrateful wench, but no one dared challenge her or her new lover, Bernard Harris.

Vince smiled inwardly because he knew his pitiful state was going to become a new normal soon. The news of the new CEO would soon spread like wildfire, and that was the news he wished to solidify even more.

Because it was the foundation of his impending revenge.