His life

Jayden listened to Lorenzo attentively. Unlike Lorenzo he was a simple and straightforward man. He either liked things or hated them. He would go for what he likes and avoid what he hates.

Lorenzo on the other hand was a complicated being. He liked feeling superior. He thrived on been praised and acknowledged by others which clearly showed how low his self esteem is. Ever since he was a child, he have had a very rough childhood.

Most of the things he did to Jasmine, he learnt and adopted from his biological father. Unlike other children who had normal childhood, he grew up believing that women were just tools to be used and discarded. It never occurred to him that one day his heart would be involved.

Jayden heard Lorenzo's question and couldn't hide a smile." Ever since I left this country, I have been true to myself and my dreams. As you know bro, I like to do things that I enjoy and tend to avoid things that I hate."

Lorenzo listened to his brother eagerly. He envied him so much. Jayden was a brave man who would rather go against the world to defend his believes than let the world tell him otherwise. Something which Lorenzo never had the courage to do.

For crying out loud, he didn't even know how to respect and appreciate the only woman who loved him truly. He had a lot of regrets and one of them was going through with his friends plan from the word go. He had messed up so bad and now, he couldn't even redeem himself.

Jayden could sense the sorrow in his friend's eyes as he watched him. He was certain that somehow, he reminded him of the past. A past which he had messed up pretty much. Some days, he felt really sorry for his friend but at other times , he felt that he brought everything to himself.

If he was decisive and assertive from the beginning, none of the things that happened would have happened. Truthfully, Jayden have at some point come to fall in love with Jasmine. He had seen first hand how deep she loved and how dedicated she was to the ones she loved.

The girl was a treasure that was rare. She gave her all without expecting much. Many would call her stupid for enduring Lorenzo's nonsense but Jayden called it pure undulating love. She had loved his friend so much despite how bad he treated her. The man even forgets her birthdays leaving her to celebrate alone.

Jayden recalled what Jasmine had told him some years back on her birthday.

***********************************

Jasmine looked at the time on the clock. It was almost 8pm and Lorenzo was not back yet . She had tried calling him but his phone was switched off. Additionally, she had expected Arya to wish her a happy birthday but her best friend's phone was also switched off.

Being the optimist that she was, the first thing that came to her mind was, the two were planning a surprise for her. She looked at the cake she had made for herself , sadness feeling her eyes. It was her twentieth birthday today.

On her nineteenth birthday, she had celebrated alone too like all the birthdays prior. It felt as though she was alone even though she had someone she loved dearly. On the other hand , Lorenzo was at the club having fun with his friends when his phone pinged with a notification.

Jayden was seated right next to him and saw what the notification was about. For a second, Lorenzo had stopped and checked his phone. He could feel guilt taking root in his heart for what he was doing to that girl but then Arya had snatched his phone away and looked at it.

She had made a joke of how the poor orphan girl was probably worried sick about her boyfriend. She had come to know Jasmine's nature. The girl would worry even when she is supposed to see things as they are. She would fondly call her naïve but the truth was, it only showed how pure the girl was, a complete contrast from her rotten self.

Jayden felt bad after seeing how his friends were making fun of the innocent girls. He had excused himself and went to the nearby mall. Jayden looked through the shelves until he found peppermint crisps and chocolate of different varieties.

He then bought balloons and birthday caps. Jayden went straight to Lorenzo's home and rung the door bell. Jasmine was so excited as she opened the door but upon seeing a different face than the one she had been expecting , her smile faltered. Even so, she still smiled and let Jayden in.

That was the first time she had doubted her worth in Lorenzo's life. If his best friend knew that it was her birthday, there was no doubt that Lorenzo knew too. She was certain since she had set a notification of all the important dates in his phone.

Jayden's appearance made her open her eyes to reality. Yet she had accepted his wishes and celebrated with him. Jayden had tried his best to cheer her up and succeeded. Before he left , however, she had hugged him from behind and spoke.

"Thank you for being there. This was the first time someone deemed it important to celebrate my birthday. I wish it was you I loved the way I love your best friend but my heart has made me a prisoner. A prisoner of love. Thank you for being human. More human than Lorenzo and Arya will ever be. Lorenzo is with Arya right? You don't have to answer that.

I hope that one day, I will be strong enough to repay your kindness. I pray that one day, I will be in a better position to be there for you when you need help the most. I am very grateful to have known you. Unlike the rest of your friends, you are genuine and pure. Don't let their mud dirty you. Remember, your friends reflects who you are. They may all be rich but none of them have any humanity left in them.

It might sound odd but Lorenzo is no different. Despite knowing all this, my heart foolishly wants him. Don't worry though. One day, I will reach my limit and when that happens, I will learn to fly again. " she let go off him and turned away not wanting to see the pity in his eyes. She didn't like being pitied. She knew what she had gotten herself into the moment she choose to forgive him even after finding out about how they had made a bet about her.

There was no weak person in this world. No one could remain weak forever. One day , even the weakest will find the strength to fight back against their oppressors. When that happens, the world is normally shaken. A few would be sacrifice in the process but eventually, the result will benefit many more. Like freedom which comes with blood and tears, even she would grow back her clipped wings.

Jayden left feeling disappointed and heartbroken that day. The very next day, he had fallen out with Lorenzo and decided to move to another place. He found his friends toxic and sticking around them would somehow make him adopt their behaviors. He didn't want any of that.

That day, three years ago had shaped his life . As he sat with Lorenzo telling him about his life for those three years, his heart ached for the girl who had attained her freedom by committing suicide. A part of his heart will forever belong to her. That part will also forever hold Lorenzo responsible for the innocent girl's death.' I hope that you are in a better place angel. You were the most pure thing I had the pleasure to encounter in this life.' He thought as he left the office.