Chapter 145: Owning Who You Are
Evelyn learned a side of Bruce from Sophia that she'd never known.
In high school, Liam had been Bruce's classmate. Back then, being outed as gay meant guaranteed discrimination and ostracism—in the worst cases, outright bullying.
Liam's awakening had begun during that time. While other boys debated which girls were hot, he found himself drawn to pretty dresses, high heels, and—most troubling of all—other boys.
The realization that he was different sent him spiraling. Self-condemnation. Self-loathing. He'd done everything he could to blend into the background, carefully hiding his secret.
But storms always arrive without warning. One day, classmates spotted him browsing a makeup store alone. By the next morning, the entire class was calling him a sissy, a freak, gay.
Everyone avoided him. Whispers followed him down every hallway. The relentless verbal abuse, combined with his own guilt and shame, had pushed him to the edge—literally. He'd seriously considered ending it all.
But just when he thought the darkness would swallow him whole, he found his lifeline.
Bruce was the only one who treated him normally. No pity, no bias—just the same exasperated annoyance at Liam's dramatic tendencies as always.
When other guys pulled Bruce aside, warning him to keep his distance from Liam, he'd braced for the worst. He'd fully expected to lose the last person willing to talk to him.
Instead, he'd heard Bruce say: "Does the law specify what guys are supposed to like or not like? Male and female are labels for bathroom doors, not character judgments. Even if his orientation is different, so what? He hasn't hurt anyone. And even if he does like guys, he sure as hell wouldn't be into mediocre assholes like you!"
In that moment, a single star pierced the endless night. Faint, perhaps—but bright enough to give him the courage to keep going.
He began to accept himself. Feelings weren't something logic could control or willpower could change. He hadn't done anything wrong—so why should he feel ashamed?
Bruce, meanwhile, had made himself a target. Standing up for Liam had turned him into a social pariah. Liam had wanted to thank him, to apologize—but Bruce hadn't seemed to care.
Bruce had said with a shrug. "They're not isolating me—I just don't want to associate with them. A bunch of judgmental, arrogant pricks. They're not worth being friends with."
Liam had been floored by Bruce's confidence. As the two outcasts in their class, they'd grown close. Gradually, Bruce's attitude had rubbed off on him. He'd started to rebuild his self-worth.
Don't let society's expectations cage you. Don't let other people's words break you. Stand tall, move forward, and write your own story.
Once he got to college, Liam found a community—people like him, different yet vibrant. He'd even met the love of his life.
"His boyfriend works at Poppy Games too—he's the lead artist on the new project," Sophia said with a warm smile. "They've been together for years. The relationship's solid. Sure, they can't legally marry in our state, but marriage was never the point. Happiness is."
Evelyn's lips curved into a soft smile. Liam had found the courage to be himself because he'd met a friend like Bruce. And living authentically, blooming into who he truly was—that had to be nurtured by a partner who cherished him.
At the same time, she felt a swell of pride. Bruce was her idol. She'd fallen for someone who was genuinely good.
After settling Evelyn in the lounge, Sophia left her in the care of an assistant and headed back to her office to hear Liam's project update.
"Barry's making good progress on the 3D modeling. Most of the environment assets are done, but character details still need some time. On the programming side, the scene framework's complete, character movement is smooth, controls are responsive—though there's a minor bug with NPC pathfinding. The team's debugging the logic now."
Sophia nodded, jotting notes in her planner without looking up. "Fix the NPC bug and send me the demo by the day after tomorrow. Make sure scene transitions are seamless when story triggers activate—no frame drops. Also, let marketing know they can start on the promo video."
"Got it." Liam tapped the tasks into his phone's notes app, then added casually, "Boss, we still haven't locked down the background music or the trailer score. Any preferences? What's the budget?"
Sophia paused, tapping her pen against the notebook thoughtfully. "I'll connect you with someone. Bring the demo and a finance rep when you meet him the day after tomorrow."
"Perfect." Work talk wrapped up, Liam saved his notes and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He pulled out the chair across from her desk, sitting with a mischievous grin. "So, Ms. Johnson—how are things going with Evelyn and Bruce?"
"They just met," Sophia replied evenly, closing her notebook and sliding it into a drawer. "You think they have a shot?"
Liam pursed his lips. "How should I know? If Evelyn actually falls for that nasty piece of work, I guess her taste isn't terrible."
Sophia laughed. "That's the closest thing to a compliment I've ever heard you give Bruce."
Liam scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "If Bruce actually manages to date Evelyn, it's because God took pity on his sad, lonely ass. If they get married, I'll send them a wedding gift worth at least ten grand!"
"I heard that!" a voice called from the hallway. The next second, the office door swung open, and Bruce strode in, looking thoroughly annoyed. "You think I care about your gift?"
Noticing that Bruce was dressed even more carefully than usual today, Liam couldn't help but smirk. "Are you scared you'll blow it and embarrass yourself? Look at you—you still can't hold a candle to Evelyn. I have no idea what kind of hypnosis convinced her to go out with you."
"Your lack of appreciation says more about your taste than mine. A pain in the ass like you—Barry's the one who must be under a spell! Eight years with you? The man's a saint."
"Eight years and counting, thank you very much. Unlike you, you boring workaholic—you've probably never even held a girl's hand. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder which one of us is actually gay!"
The two launched into their usual bickering, showing no signs of stopping. Sophia sighed, rubbing her temples. Finally, she stood and physically ushered them both out of her office.
Silence. Blissful silence.