After All that Growth

"JOSHUA"

Joshua entered his car and drove off. How can someone with such a short height be so blunt?" he thought with a smirk. Little did he know that this was just the beginning of trouble for him with his parents because all these outbursts caused by Reyna were now circling the internet. He parked his car in the compound. Before he got the chance to step out, his mom came. She said with anger, "Joshua, How could you let this nobody of a person talk to you anyhow? And to make it more comforting, you just stood there and apologize as if the person was your friend or sibling". Shocked, Joshua stood there listening to his mom pouring out all her rage.

"Are you forgetting who we are? The internet will tarnish us, Joshua, you are a bachelor. I want you to fix this mess and be agile, or else I will".

She turned on her heel, annoyed, and walked away. Joshua then sighed, stepped out of the car, took his phone out, and dialed the only person he knew that could let this all disappear like it never existed. "Hello Pete, I need your help," he said calmly, knowing full well Pete was gonna create a big amusement out of it all. Pete was Joshua's best friend from a toddler. They did everything together while growing up except their career path. Pete chose journalism and Joshua chose business. However, their parents were close friends. The only difference was Pete's family's stealth wealth. They allow him to choose his path without interfering. Joshua's parents, on the other hand, are the total opposite.

"HA! HA! HA! How on earth did you let that happen? Josh, she gave you a full-on Ronda Rousey Summerslamm smackdown. The only difference was the words", Pete said while laughing mercilessly. Joshua just stood there and listened to Petes' mockery,

Knowing full well that he wouldn't stop if he engaged in it. "You can say that now because you weren't the one in my position. Besides, I didn't want to make a scene at the only place I could go whenever I needed a break", he responded. He walked towards the house and suddenly another call came in. " Pete, let me ring you back", Joshua told Pete. He entered the house, sat on the sofa, then answered "Joshua here", Taylor responded in a disturbing tone, " Joshua, what is the god-forsaking meaning of this? I need you to fix this, or else you don't want me to finish my statement".

As angry as a raging bull, Joshua raised his voice. " Taylor, I am only gonna say this once and I expect you to get it in your thick skull. Don't you ever raise your voice at me in your miserable, barbie, self-righteous, sad, and egocentric life, if you think you own me, think again", Joshua didn't wait for Taylor to respond he just hung up furious, Taylor slammed down her phone and screamed in rage. Taylor was the daughter of Joshua'sparents business partners, she was the perfect candidate for their beloved son. Joshua was becoming frustrated with everything, including the current situation at hand. So frustrated that he wanted to just leave all this behind, change his identity and say goodbye to his hereditary handout.

A few hours later............. Joshua was getting ready for bed when he heard a vibrating sound on his phone, he picked it up and started reading a blog post that had a lot to say about him being a bachelor and the incident that occurred in the morning. He threw the phone on the bed and went downstairs to the mini bar in the house, poured himself a neat drink, and started thinking. All his time of being the perfect son still doesn't seem enough, no one truly knows him the way he needs them to except for his childhood friend Pete. As he took another sip from his old-fashioned glass, he heard a car pull up in the driveway. In came Pete with a smirk on his face and his left hand in his pocket. "Starting the party without me, what's the occasion? or should I say why are we celebrating? did Taylor finally make her peace with the devil?", Joshua looked up at him saying "I don't know which of those questions I should answer first the dumb one, the obvious one, or the silly one".

Pete sat down and showed Joshua that the internet is clear of the incident so no more drama or backlashing. "It wasn't even about the drama bro, it was my mom and that barbie figure Taylor", he continued " mom got all pissed and said I should take care of it or she will, and you know when my mom says she will it usually doesn't end well for the person they are either well taken care of below deck or embarrassed to a point of no returned". In a frustrated tone Joshua added " and to make it even juicier, A little after our conversation Taylor called using the hole she has in her face to make noise as if she wanted me to feel beneath her and just shivered", "Bro what's happening?", Pete asked, " where is the fearless person I once knew, talk to me man". Slowly Joshua got up from his seat, sipped again and said "a man is tired Pete, from an early age you know the story its always been us, me and you. Not like they care about anything else. The businesses I run to the best of my knowledge at all times, the only time they have a self-care is when it comes on to our reputation or should I say their reputation. They didn't even trust me to choose someone I like because they are worried about again their reputation, f***" before he could finish the last words of his statement he was wobbling Pete caught him and guide him back to the stool he was sitting on.

"Easy there, I think you had too much to drink. Josh, bro, if you ask me I would say they are just looking out for you man. I just think the choice for you to have someone in your life should be your decision to make. You are stronger than you know man, I can tell you that because we have been there for each other throughout everything and I'll always have your back bro now and for the rest of the time we still have to breathe air in our lungs". For the first time in a long time, Pete saw how frustrated and tired Joshua was. " Are we going to kiss now?" Joshua said playfully, " Not in your wildest dreams bro, you are not my type man sorry," Pete said while laughing, " However I must run now before my phone starts having seizures". Pete tap him on his shoulder and asked if he was good to go to bed. Joshua answered shaking his head and told him to go he will be okay and talk to him in the morning. Pete went through the door and Joshua fell asleep on the sofa.