Samuel had always believed his sole purpose in life was to inherit his family's business and manage it.
Though Samuel's parents had an arranged marriage, they were known as a happy and loving couple. Their family seemed perfect and envied by many, especially among the wealthy families in their country.
Yet, Samuel Lucas felt like a stranger in the photos displayed in their home. The pictures showed happy moments of their family of three, but those smiles didn't reflect how he truly felt.
His parents did love each other. His father was devoted to his mother, always trying to make her happy. But with Samuel, it was different. They were so absorbed in their own lives that they seemed to forget they had a son.
His mother couldn't even look at him; she often looked away whenever they crossed paths. This was a sharp contrast to the images on the wall, where his mother appeared full of tenderness and love for him.
Samuel didn't like his so-called friends at all. In their group, everything was transactional. You had to have something to offer to stay in their circles. It was all business.
Because of this, Samuel had never believed in love. He didn't even know what it felt like.
He grew up in a world where staying at the top meant fighting to stay there. The moment you slipped, they trampled on you, treating you like trash.
He had seen how ruthless people could be when they had money and power. They became almost lawless, their cruelty knowing no bounds. Once they set their sights on someone, they wouldn't stop until that person felt like the lowest of the low.
Samuel had tried hard to blend in, to avoid drawing attention to himself, and to avoid becoming their next target.
---
In college, one day, Samuel's so-called friends targeted a student who was there on a scholarship. The student was poor, and the group made it clear he wasn't welcome.
"Hey, look at Mr. Scholarship over here," one of them sneered. "You think you're better than us because you get to study here for free?"
The student looked uncomfortable, trying to ignore the taunts. "I'm just here to learn, like everyone else."
"Yeah, right," another friend laughed. "You think you belong here, but you're just a charity case. Why don't you go back to where you came from?"
The group laughed, their scornful laughter echoing through the hallways. Samuel stood on the sidelines, feeling a pang of guilt but saying nothing. He knew better than to challenge them, knowing it could make him the next target.
Another time, a friend's family fell into financial trouble and had to sell off properties to survive, causing a decline in their wealth and status. The friend was now struggling, and the group wasted no time bullying him.
"Look at you now," one of Samuel's friends said with a smirk. "Your family used to be on top, and now you're nothing."
"Why don't you just give up?" another added. "You clearly can't keep up with us anymore."
The friend's face turned red with embarrassment and anger. "It's not like I chose this," he muttered, trying to hold back tears.
Samuel felt a mix of anger and despair. He wanted to speak out, but he was afraid it might put him in danger. He was realizing how harsh and unfair his world was, and he struggled to make sense of his own feelings because of the cruel behavior he saw from others.
But then Zinnia entered his life in a way he never expected.
His father had sent him countless pictures and profiles of potential candidates to be his future wife. According to his father's will, Samuel would only inherit 30 percent of his father's shares in the company if he got married and settled down. Divorce was not an option; if Samuel divorced, the shares would be returned to the company and sold to the public.
Samuel was never interested in this. To him, marriage was just a burden. He didn't want to be like his father, who seemed so obsessed with his mother that he followed her around as if he had no life of his own.
As usual, whenever pictures of girls were put on his desk, Samuel would ignore them and ask Timmy to put them away. But this time was different. What was supposed to be a casual glance turned into something more. Before he could call out to Timmy, he stopped. Out of all the piles of pictures, one caught his eye.
It was a picture of a girl with long brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a kind face, smiling brightly.
Samuel picked up the picture and took a closer look.
He murmured, "How can someone smile so brightly?"
Timmy, who was used to putting away the pictures, hurried over. "I'm sorry, Boss. I'll put it away now." He collected the piles of pictures and put them in a plastic bag, extending his hand for Samuel to give him the picture he was holding.
There was a moment of silence. Samuel hesitated before handing over the picture. Timmy caught a glimpse of reluctance in Samuel's eyes but managed to remain calm.
Timmy walked away and threw the pictures into the trash bag that would soon be collected by the janitor.
They then resumed their office work.
Soon, lunchtime came. Timmy asked permission from Samuel to go out and eat, but just as he was about to leave, Samuel suddenly asked, "Where is the picture from earlier?"
"Sir, I put them in the trash can just like how you instructed me before. They were already collected by the janitor," Timmy replied.
"No!" Samuel's sudden outburst surprised Timmy. Samuel added, "Go get it. Give me back the picture."
Timmy was taken aback but quickly complied. He rushed back to retrieve the picture from the trash, his mind racing with questions about his boss's unusual reaction.
He ran, praying, "Please, may the Almighty above take pity on me and allow me to retrieve the picture."
_____________________________
Author's Note:
I hope you're all still enjoying the story. Thank you so much for your continued support. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions. Thank you again!