Jared sat on the worn couch, crumbs clinging to his faded shirt, the faint smell of stale grease lingering in the air. His mother, Marjorie, stood across from him, her hands on her wide hips, glaring. The small living room felt even smaller under her scornful gaze, her voice sharp as it cut through the still air.
"Jared, you're twenty-four years old," she said, her voice filled with a mixture of frustration and exhaustion. "I can't do this anymore. You've been sitting here for years, eating everything in sight, doing nothing. It's time to go."
He stared at her, uncomprehending at first, but when she crossed her arms and turned away, the weight of her words sank in. His world, already so small, shrunk even further.
"Mom…where am I supposed to go?" Jared's voice cracked, thick with disbelief and a touch of desperation.
"I don't know," Marjorie snapped, not turning back to him. "But you're not staying here. Not anymore."
He wanted to protest, to say something, but the words never came. Within the hour, his mother had packed his things, a few old shirts, a pair of sneakers with soles that had seen better days, and a half-eaten bag of chips. She left them by the door, and before Jared could even process what was happening, she'd pushed him out into the cold evening air. The door slammed behind him, leaving him alone in the silent street.
The night had been a blur, his feet moving without direction as he wandered aimlessly through the dimly lit neighborhood. The harsh reality of his situation hit him harder with each step. By the time he reached the park at the edge of town, his legs were aching, his stomach growling, and the weight of his body felt heavier than ever before.
Jared collapsed beneath the large oak tree in the center of the park, its branches arching overhead like a dark canopy. The cool earth beneath him was surprisingly comforting, and for a moment, he let himself drift, trying to ignore the hunger gnawing at his insides.
Days passed in a blur of hunger and fatigue. Jared scrounged for food wherever he could find it. half-eaten sandwiches left on park benches, discarded fast food bags with cold, soggy fries. He became a familiar figure in the park, the "fat guy under the tree," as some passersby whispered. He didn't care anymore. Dignity had no place in his world.
He survived on leftovers, digging through trash cans when no one was looking. The shame that had once gripped him so tightly had begun to fade, replaced by a raw need to survive. Each day bled into the next, with Jared barely noticing the passage of time.
One evening, after a particularly long search through the park's trash bins, Jared stumbled upon a takeout container of fried rice, barely touched. His stomach growled in anticipation as he greedily shoveled the cold rice into his mouth, savoring the faint hint of soy sauce and the oily taste of old vegetables.
As he ate, his eyes wandered across the park and landed on something he hadn't noticed before: a large TV screen, mounted on the side of a nearby building, flashing advertisements. It wasn't uncommon in the city, but this one caught his attention. Between bites of rice, he stared at the screen, distracted by the bright colors and the booming voice emanating from the speakers.
The screen flickered, cutting to a commercial. The image of a well-dressed man in a dark suit filled the screen, standing in front of a sleek, high-tech lair. His voice was smooth, persuasive, as he pointed toward the camera.
"Are you tired of being overlooked? Sick of the world stepping on you, leaving you behind? Join today and become the villain of your own story!"
Jared froze, mid-bite, his greasy fingers clutching the edge of the takeout container. The commercial continued, showing images of men and women in sleek black uniforms, their faces set in grim determination as they stood before elaborate machines and vast, secret hideouts.
"Power, wealth, and control over your destiny," the voice continued. "You don't have to be a hero to win. Join us, and rewrite your future."
The screen cut to black, the words "Join Today" flashing in bold letters across the bottom, along with a phone number and website.
Jared stared, the rice now forgotten. Something stirred in him, a spark that he hadn't felt in years. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but for the first time in what felt like forever, the gnawing hunger in his gut wasn't the only thing he could feel.
His eyes remained fixed on the screen as the commercial looped again, the words echoing in his mind: "Become the villain of your own story."
And for the first time in his life, Jared wondered if maybe just maybe being the villain was exactly what he needed.
life by embracing the dark side. Jared begins to wonder if, after a lifetime of being overlooked, becoming the villain might be the key to taking control of his future.