Chapter 1:Smith defies family
The apartment was quiet, except for the rhythmic breathing of the current occupant. Smith was undergoing his usual morning routine: thirty minutes of meditation, followed by breakfast and then classes. The peaceful quiet was broken by a phone vibration. He opened his eyes, stood up, and stretched a little. He moved to the charging station to unplug and check his phone.
The phone lit up. A message. He thought about ignoring it but read it anyway.
"Don't sign any documents Uncle Jack sends you."
He frowned. His sister commanding him as always. He never liked it; he wanted to feel in control instead of being a people pleaser.
"Okay." He replied, even though he knew he would defy the order.
He pocketed the phone and stared at the stack of unopened yesterday's mail on the desk. He tore through the first one. Routine collaboration stuff. Tossed it in the bin, he moved on to the next. This was the document he was told not to sign. Easy to toss it away and move on. But... he wanted to feel in charge for once.
The room was quiet. His heart beat like African drums during cultural seasons.
He picked up the document, flipped it, skimmed through the pages. Nothing too complicated. But the power to defy orders felt... heavy.
He smiled, picked up the pen, and signed all of them. He felt relieved and excited at the same time. It was his victory; he disobeyed for the first time in his life and it felt great.
He stacked the papers neatly, slid the pen back into its holder, and leaned back. For a full minute, he stared at the ceiling, with a wide grin plastered on his face. His phone buzzed again. Another message from his sister.
"Can you mail me the documents?"
"Okay." He replied.
Smith stood up, headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast before starting his day.
He poured cereal into a bowl, milk sloshing a little over the edge. Took a bite, chewed slowly while enjoying the taste. The apartment returned to its peaceful quiet again. Too quiet, maybe, but who cared?
A thought nagged at him: "I should send the document to Uncle Jack right after making a print and sending it to sis." He glanced out of the window. The city was lively, people moving, birds finding breakfast, life rolling on like it did normally.
Smith swallowed the last bite and rinsed the bowl. For the first time, he felt happy. He chose for himself, not his family choosing, but him. Not following anyone. He liked this feeling.
After rinsing the bowl, he headed to the sitting room, grabbed the printer, and slid the document inside. The machine hummed to life. He glanced at the envelope and sealed it.
Phone buzzed again. Another message from his sister.
"Hurry up, I need them today."
He tapped a quick reply: "On it."
Smith grabbed his keys and jacket. Stepped out; the street was noisy compared to his apartment. He didn't like it, but nothing could bring his jolly mood down today. He didn't feel like driving, so he walked, envelope in hand, feeling a small accomplishment.
For the first time, he felt alive; the city didn't feel like something to survive, it felt like something to move through. Something he had control over.
He walked past the corner shop, ignoring the usual shouts of vendors. The sun hit his face. He knew it was reckless and foolish, but he didn't care.
He looked at the billboard; the advertisement was about investments and making choices that can cripple you. He ignored it. He kept walking.
He reached the streetlight intersection; people rushed to work. He joined the crowd and continued his journey.
He turned down the side street, still busy. The cafe came into view. He pushed the door open and stepped inside; the smell of coffee and baked bread welcomed him.
He smiled at the barista and offered a polite greeting. "Morning, Tilly." She returned the greeting with her own. "Morning to you too, Smith. The usual?" He nodded. "Still busy as usual, I see." The girl nodded and continued serving.
He picked a corner table and sat, placing the envelope neatly in front of him. He sipped the coffee the barista had already delivered. Took out his phone and texted his sis: "Meet me at the morning kick cafe. I can't mail them." He tapped send and waited while watching people running about.
He set the phone down and took another sip, watching a man trip over a loose tile outside, muttering curses under his breath.
His phone buzzed. He thought it was his sister, but it was a different sender. Uncle Jack.
"Sign the document; I will send someone to pick it up at lunch."
He tapped reply: "Already did. I won't be available at lunch, maybe after noon?"
The reply came fast: "That works too." After reading the text, he took a sip of coffee only to realize the cup was already empty.
He flagged the barista and ordered a second cup.
He waited for the coffee, idly tapping his finger on the table. The hum of the cafe and the rhythmic tap brought a sense of peace to him.
Tilly placed the cup in front of him. "Here you go. You look... focused today."
He smiled. "Thanks. Yeah, it's a busy day. Bunch of work to be done."
He glanced at his phone. His sister hadn't replied yet. The moment the thought crossed his mind, his phone buzzed.
"I sent someone to pick it up. He is wearing a black Victorian suit with a cane in hand."
He placed it back on the table.
He knew signing the document wasn't a good idea. Uncle Jack was a shady guy, eyeing their business. But he didn't care; this was his middle finger to his family for being so controlling.
A man in a black, Victorian-style suit, cane in hand, alighted from the recently parked vehicle. He pushed the cafe door open. He moved with grace and manners of a butler. Smith had never seen the guy.
The man stopped at the counter, nodded at Tilly, and made his way to his table.
Smith leaned back, pretending to be calm.
The man straightened, cane tapping lightly on the floor.
"I am Mr. Hawthorne, at your service. Ms. Alexandria sent me to collect the documents."
Smith nodded slowly, trying to read him. "Were you recently employed? I know almost every major secretary my family has, and I have never seen you."
Hawthorne nodded: "Yes, Master Smith, I started working the past week. Ms. said she would inform you but I guess it slipped her mind."
Smith nodded and gestured toward the envelope. "Right here. Please, take it."
Hawthorne inclined his head, took the envelope carefully, as if handling something fragile, then turned to leave. Before he could open the door, Smith called him back.
"Mr. Hawthorne, before leaving, wait till I verify with my sister that it's you."
"If it puts you at ease, then proceed, Master Smith."
Smith pulled out his phone, thumb hovering over the screen. He hesitated, just for a moment, savoring the small control he held. Then he typed quickly: "Is the person picking the document Mr. Hawthorne, Caucasian, about 6 ft 4 in height?"
The reply came almost instantly: "Yes. It's him. —Alexandria."
Smith looked up at Hawthorne. "All right. You may leave."
Hawthorne inclined his head, adjusted his cane, and stepped toward the door. Smith watched the man leave, aware that this small interaction was already stretching the boundaries of his usual life.
Once the door closed behind him, Hawthorne walked towards the car, boarded it, and left the cafe. After traveling for about three blocks, he took out his phone and made a phone call.
"Have you collected the document, Hawthorne?"
Someone questioned from the other end, voice distorted, difficult to distinguish gender.
"Yes, boss. What should I do next?"
"Pass by warehouse 4, drop the document there, and take the one you find."
"Yes, boss." Hawthorne ended the call, continued driving before rolling down the window and tossing the phone he just used out.
Smith, unaware of all this, continued his journey to school.
The street was already messy with morning traffic. People walking fast with their coffee cups and bags. He walked calmly, phone in hand, scrolling and checking nothing in particular.
A kid on a skateboard zipped past him, nearly hitting him. He grunted and sidestepped; he felt like cursing but his jolly mood wouldn't allow that. He ignored the shouts from behind him. He was in the zone; moving against the flow felt nice, just him, no one else deciding anything.
He passed a newsstand; the headlines talked about corporate deals and scandals. One caught his eye: "New Investments Could Shake City Businesses." He frowned. Not his problem, he decided, and kept walking.
After a short walk from the cafe, the school gate came into view. Students milled around, talking loudly, laughing at things they did during the weekend, arguing over trivial things, just the normal university stuff. He moved through the crowd, keeping his head down. He could feel the campus energy. People buzzing, everyone chasing something, fake smiles while they think about what to eat and drink.
He spotted his usual bench under a tree near the entrance, dropped his bag, and sat. Took out his notebook, scribbled a few plans for the day. He felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning his head, he found it was his friend Marcus.
"Hey Marc, what is your morning plan today?"
"Smithy. Nothing special, just heading to the morning class meeting. Are you coming?"
He answered back: "Not today. Got things to sort. But sign in for me, okay."
"Sure. I will be on my way then." Marcus answered while walking away.
Sitting there, watching students rush to classes, Smith found himself questioning his decision. He hated being controlled, but was it worth signing the collaboration document with Uncle Jack?
I don't care, let them deal with the mess. Being free and deciding for myself is what I wanted. Besides, I already did it, no going back. He knew freedom had a price. Sometimes the price is nonexistent, while other times it's a hurricane. But better paying the price than living in chains. That was his motto starting today.
A teacher walked past, glancing at him. A classmate waved from across the yard. Smith smiled faintly, waved back. Life carried on.
He leaned back, took a deep breath, and let the sun hit his face. For now, he will enjoy the little control he has over his life, before consequences hit or another chance at disobedience arrives, whichever comes first.