Chapter 4: Chapter Four — Having a Bad Day

Will’s POV:

(Three hours earlier).

I stared at my phone as it rang. This was the third time it would ring and I was still contemplating about answering it. It was my dad’s assistant calling, and I knew whatever she wanted to say couldn’t be good. At the fourth attempt, I decided to pick up.

“Hey, Will,” she said.

“Mark please! You know Outsiders aren’t allowed to call me that,” I thought I sounded rude but then again she deserved it.

“Sorry, Mark!” she said with an attitude. “Your dad wants you to come back to the company and you have just seven days to think about it or your credit card will be blocked. And you have to stop those childish parties if you decide to come back"

Childish parties? She has some guts. If I was working as CEO, she would address me as ‘Sir.’ And even if she was only following orders and delivering a message for my dad she should know better than speaking all he said word for word.

I heard the phone beep, so she hung up right after she delivered the message because she knew my reply couldn’t be anything good. Not like I was willing to give a reply anyway.

I threw the phone down angrily. But somehow it landed on the bed. I was angry at a lot of things. Why didn’t dad even care to ask me what was going on and why I was always throwing these parties? Why did it bother him so much? How could he take sides with all my enemies at his company? If I ever went back there I would fire all of them.

I was very furious but the thought of the party I was to have this night sort of calmed my nerve. The parties were actually my safe place, I never for once joined them, most times I just stay in my room and find something else to do, but seeing a lot of people in my house having the time of their lives was very comforting. I had set up a profile at a freelancing site that allowed people make use of their specialty, So I decided to set up one for a therapy session, where I get to be the therapist. After getting a PhD in Public relations and Marketing, I completed a BSc program in Psychology. I always wanted to become a psychologist but dad told me I had to study Public relations and Marketing so I could handle his company. Now that I wasn’t working for his company anymore I could do what I love and seeing how much pay I was to get from being a shrink, I was willing to try it out. The moment I set up a profile I got a client. I used an entirely different name for the profile so I don’t get to mistakenly meet someone I know, especially from the company.

*****

Present Day…

I heaved out a sigh of relief as I walked to the kitchen. I was able to make it successfully through the day without letting my anger get the best of me. The party had started already and I made sure the music was loud enough to drown all my worries and anger. The house was full already, one thing people don’t know is that all the people who come to my parties are doing well in life, they all have their lives going well. Only few are my friends but they have friends who have friends who have friends that want to relieve a stressful day by partying.

“Mark, have you seen Catherine?” My friend Reed asked.

“I think I saw her upstairs” I replied.

“Okay, thanks Man"

The therapy session was starting in few minutes time and I couldn’t think of a better place to stay than the kitchen. I had no idea what my client would be on about but I was ready, I had enough training already and I knew just what to say and how to say it in any situation.

I stayed seated on the floor in the kitchen with my back resting on the pavement and my legs crossed. It was 5 minutes to the session. I was editing a few things on my profile when suddenly everything went silent. There wasn’t a power outage so what exactly happened. I rushed to the living room immediately to see my crazy neighbor holding the cable of the speakers and what's worse she was trying to cut it.

What do you think you're doing?” I shouted. I was really hoping her reply would be reasonable so I don’t go off on all the anger I’ve been suppressing.

“Well… I’m trying to teach you how to be more human” she shouted back. What was she possibly talking about? People who didn’t know me would think she was my girlfriend and I broke her heart.

“What are you talking about?” I asked as I walked close to her.

“You’re not the only one living in this neighborhood, Will. Whatever these speakers are, they are waaay too loud and should only be used in a club."

“Don’t you ever call me Will. I’m Mark, and you’re crazy! It’s official now,” I scoffed “You were just at my place yesterday for this same party. You drank my most expensive scotch and got wasted, yet today, you suddenly realize the music is too loud?” She was just at my party yesterday so what gibberish was she talking.

She paused and I could see her fight tears. She is a very strange person but right now I am not in the best state of mind to be considerate. Why didn’t she just come and talk to me about it? why did she have to create a scene and try to cut the cable of my speakers!

“I was only here yesterday to tell you to turn down the volume of your music but I got distracted. I would never actually come to a childish and lame party like this, It’s high time you grow up and stop using it as an escape from your reality and I’m very sorry about your scotch, I’d buy that back.” She shouted.

Escape from reality? She wasn’t just rude she was crazy even if she was going through hard times she didn’t have to display the anger towards others like this. At this point I couldn’t hold back the anger I was feeling anymore.

“You are crazy. And just so you know I would rather throw these parties than act miserable like you. You act like your boyfriend just left you and you’re too obsessed to move on"

“Yes, you’re right, he left me and Yes, maybe It’s driving me crazy” She shouted back “That’s why you need to turn down the volume of your music so I could talk to my therapist and find time to heal” She said, with her face covered in tears. Tears caused by me. I really didn’t want things to turn out this way and I never actually thought her boyfriend left her. I only just spoke out of anger. I would never mock people with the challenges they were facing.

I watched as she threw the cable down and made her way out of my house. I’d have to go over to her house and apologize in the morning.

The party continued but I asked that the volume of the music be turned down to the lowest or the music should be stopped. I really hope she gets the healing she seeks. I haven’t ever been heartbroken but I have a friend who went through one and at a point he was suicidal, thank God he was able to heal and he’s doing better now. Nobody deserves to experience heartbreak.

I scoffed as I got a notification saying I missed the therapy session. Maybe it was for the best. If I was out making people cry I really shouldn’t be trying to help them heal.