1 That Faithful Night

Dinner for the richest. That's what they call it. A bunch of lavish folks crowding around the table as they presented their means with smoke and alcohol infused breath, throwing huge amount of numbers that can probably buy a spare of soul and the entire world. Even having the great audacity to add an undertone that vaguely indicates humbleness, Oh I have a yacht but my father gave it to me so he's the rich one, not me, but the yacht is mine and I can do whatever the fuck I want with it. It's all foreign to me, to be completely honest, just a few months ago I was scraping at the bottom of someone else's shoes to get by, still am actually, and I hope to all that's mighty that it doesn't seep through my face every time they utter their ridiculously high income. But one particular gentleman with a distinct moustache and well tailored suit was the last straw in my depravity to let myself feel something.

Anything!

A sharp pain breaks out under the table and I barely choke back a strangled cry in time before my gaze wavers from the rambling man across and the one to my right with fingers itching near my thigh. I try to match the icy stare his slicing me deep with however I feel foolish for even attempting in the first place when his entire foundation is built over this.

A true fucker at its finest

The floral chandeliers that lit up the entire room became too bright for me and the insides of my mouth continued to salivate like a faulty faucet. But I do my damn best to swallow the sour taste repetitively and school my expression the way these people school theirs, careful not to show any form of uncertainty or vulnerability that could be used against them later on, just brag brag and brag until you reach the bottom of your safe and finish listing off the materials you had prepared the night before.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." A clinking sound against glass disrupted the well mainted chatter and stares immediately gravitated at the head of the table. A middle aged man stood with a glass of red wine in hand, graying hair neatly slicked back and looking proud as a father on his daughter's graduation day. "What a fine evening to behold such familiar faces, sharing good food and telling tales from our pronounced achievements. A true honor to dine with people whose words will mark the business industry for eternity, it truly is-"

Watching paint dry is better than listening to this geezer go on and on but despite his personality being as bland as his taste buds, he's apparently, thanks to Lorenzo's helpful insight from earlier, the wealthiest man in this room slash the accommodating host of this cursed dinner party. Owning companies that manufacture products you wouldn't think twice of, the man is way ahead of his time although my gut tells me that not all of his wealth comes from the clearest of intentions.

Because men who possess such affluent power have to trade a piece of their humanity to amount to something in their peers' eyes, they always do. One way or another, right?

"-unfortunately one of my dearest friends is no longer with us because of what the old age has brought upon to him..." He took a moment, closing his eyes to heave a deep and shaky breath before continuing. "A true tragedy it is to not be able to bid goodbye but his hard work will be remembered as well as the fond memories we share with him." He finally croaks at the end of his speech, seemingly emotional as the room went quiet along with him. Then after the brief silence, he surges with sudden resolve and raises his glass in the air.

"Death is inevitable but forgetting him is not. Toast to Federico and his legacy." Glasses were raised in neat and practiced lines yet I was the one and only flaw in this grand scheme of perfectness, sticking out like a sore thumb with my delayed movements. I can feel the fingers beside me twitching, a warning.

Shit.

"Speaking of legacy..." I can feel it in my stomach, like tiny spikes twisting in such distressing angles that it sticks against my insides, making me nauseated as I swallow once. Twice. I am gonna puke. Can practically feel it stir in the deepest depths of my soul.

"We are joined here tonight by his lovely successor..." I panic alright. One of my sweaty palms blindly seeking out for solace but instead of finding such amenity, I found Lorenzo's hand.

Even putting those two words together in a single sentence doesn't sit well with me. But he held it tightly, squeezing, communicating more than anything else.

Remember what I told you. Shit! What did he tell me? I rack my brain for answers and before the old man can even refer to me directly, several eyes are already shrouding my skin, weighing my worth beneath their practiced gazes as they sip wine and whisper among one another.

"Lorenzo, can you usher your lady friend to introduce herself tonight? let herself be known, hmm?" He sat back down on his chair the moment Lorenzo smiled at the sudden attention on us and put his hand on the small of my back. There was the tiniest hint of force beneath those fingertips, not quite hurting but indicating for me to stand up, make a toast and recite those damn words I am trying so hard to remember at the back of my mind. Shit. Shit. Fucking shit! The mental cursing only made it worse, occupying the blank slate defiantly and not letting anything resourceful come up. Fuck it. I finally decided. I'll improvise if I have to. I am good at that. My preschool teacher stamped a star on my freaking forehead because of it.

I pushed myself off the chair, mentally cringing at the loud sound of polished wood scraping against the marble floor.

Refusing to look at any of them, I settle my eyes on a beautiful painting just beyond this confinement, then eventually to the flowers that's swinging back and forth from the chandeliers, then to the light that momentarily blinds me, up, up, and higher as the bubbling nausea faintly registers and the next thing I know, I am doubling over and puking my lunch all over the pristine white table cloth.

Distant screams of disgust reached my ears and I barely felt the strong hands that's steering me away from the spotlight before everything went pitch black.

Marking the start of a new legacy as we speak, can't get any better than this.