Chapter 1 Roger

• Roger
• “No.”
• I blinked, trying to understand what she had just said. I had difficulty comprehending how this perfect plan was going south.
• I was kneeling on the floor, engagement in the box open in my hand, and my smile instantly snatched away. It was replaced by the sting of humiliation and dismay of rejection.
• “Holy shit!” I heard the scream of an excited fan, “Roger Day just got rejected!”
• “Please, Roger, stand up. You’re embarrassing yourself,” Jessica finally said.
• I blinked again, then stood up, smiling bravely, “You don’t mean that, right? I’m sorry I took you by surprise. I know you don’t like public attention.”
• She shook her head. “No.”
• “What is with you and that word!” I exclaimed, trying to keep my cool as I grabbed her hand, “Come, can we please go somewhere and talk about this.”
• “I don’t want to marry you, Roger. Stop forcing me!” She suddenly snapped at me as she struggled to free her hand.
• My eyes flew open at the accusation. “I’m not forcing you, Jessica…”
• “Yes, you are!” She exclaimed, interrupting and backing away from me immediately.
• “Stop trying to hurt me!” Jessica screamed again.
• “What the hell, Jess?” I asked, surprised.
• I saw the media coverage, and a news reporter shoved a microphone in my face.
• “How do you justify, Mr. Day, of charges for trapping your girlfriend into an unwanted marriage?” the reporter asked.
• I blinked, still trying to understand how the issue had escalated so quickly, “What?”
• “He hurt me because I just rejected his marriage proposal,” Jessica said, sobbing.
• “What the fuck is going on right now?” I asked, confused as the media turned to me.
• “We could ask you the same question, Mr. Day,” the reporter said.
• “Mr. Day! Roger! For fuck sake, Roger, get your head in the game!”
• My assistant’s voice pulled me from reminiscing. It’s been three weeks since my perfectly planned public engagement turned disastrous. Jessia publicly embarrassed and devastated me. I still replay every cringeworthy moment - the night that ruined everything. “I’m sorry, Leonard, I’m here,” I finally replied.
• Leonard and the rest of the board members gave me a look of despair and sad faces. They knew how my coping with the situation was complicated.
• “I still can’t believe she did that to you.” Adam, one of the board members, finally said.
• Leonard scoffed, “She went for the ‘bigger’ fish. She and Jamie were trying to sink you, Roger. If you keep crying like a baby, you’re going to drown, achieving their goal.”
• I took a deep breath while running a hand through my hair. My attention drifted back to the muted television. I was news headlines and wasn’t surprised. I’ve been trending in the headline for three weeks.
• What surprised me was that a news reporter was interviewing Jessica—her arm candy, Jamie, by her side as if there was more to their ‘plan’ than I even considered.
• “Turn that up, please,” I said to Jonah, my PA.
• He increased the television volume, and I quickly heard the reporter’s question.
• “So, you’re saying that you already broke things off with Roger secretly?” the reporter asked.
• “Yes,” Jessica lied.
• I exchanged looks with my board members, who seemed surprised, too.
• “What’s her deal?” Adam asked.
• Adam’s voice interrupted my reminiscing. It had been three weeks since Jessica humiliated me. I kept reliving every mortifying moment - the night that she ruined everything.
• Leonard laughed as he switched off the TV. “What are we even watching this trash?”
• “What are they hoping to gain?” Adam asked again.
• “Jamie and Jessica want to destroy my good name and tarnish my reputation. It sure looks like they’re succeeding,” I responded at last.
• “Wow! You sure know how to pick your girlfriends,” Adam snickered.
• “Thanks, Adam, for the support. Way to rub it in.”
• “Roger, it’s been three weeks,” Leonard stated. “You’ve got to pull yourself together and stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
• “I’m not feeling sorry for myself, Leo. If you have any bright ideas, let’s hear them.” I snapped.
• Leonard put his hands up in surrender and sighed. “Don’t bite my head off. “I’m just making a suggestion.”
• “Which is what, exactly?”
• “Give the media something new to obsess about. Right now, they’re portraying you as the sad bully who was mean to Jessica. It would help if you had a fresh story,” Leonard replied.
• I cocked my eyebrow, considering Leonards’s advice. I tried focusing on something. Anything other than the painful reality that Jessica had chosen Jamie over me.
• Jamie and I have been rivals for as long as I can remember. He was always looking for ways to one-up me, to prove he could take what was mine. I’ve come to terms with the fact that Jamie would always want whatever I have. I realize now that included my girlfriend.
• It infuriated me even more that Jessica had been swept off her feet and fallen for his act.
• “I think you should take a break,” Adam said. “Go somewhere quiet and peaceful, out of the public eye, and move on from this.”
• “Somewhere like Milan,” Leonard suggested. “That’s where your new race is, right?”
• Adam nodded, “Yeah, you should head to Milan, Roger.”
• I sighed. I didn’t want to go anywhere, but they had a point. I needed a break. Milan was the perfect escape from all the New York drama and far from Jessica and Jaime.
• “All right, when do I leave?” I asked.
• “Go pack your bags, and we’ll call your pilot,” Adam replied.
• I looked around the bland boardroom, its multiple tables and chairs, all covered in the same dull dark brown.
• Although the board had twenty members, I’d excluded all but my two most trusted advisors-Adam and Leonard-remained, along with my personal assistant Jonah. After the betrayal of Jessica, I couldn’t face the entire board.
• My career and Company now hung in jeopardy-courtesy of Jessica and Jamie’s press conference where she’d leaked our product designs and launch plans.
• “Don’t worry, and stop stressing. Take a break and get back on track for Milan.” Leonard said, noticing my look of misery. “We’ll handle things here.”
• I nodded, gesturing to Jonah, “Would you grab my things, please.”
• Jonah grabbed my laptop, suit, and briefcase and followed me out of the meeting room to my office, setting everything down on my desk.
• I sank into the black leather chair and reclined back, completely lost in my thoughts. Jonah stood for a while before he spoke to me, tablet in his hands.
• “Sir?” he called.
• I arched a brow at him, “Yes?”
• “Stefan is waiting to meet you at the Empire State Building in an hour,” Jonah informed me.
• I sighed and shook my head, “Please cancel our meeting. Today is not going to work for me.”
• “I can’t, sir. He is already waiting, and you’ve canceled the last three times.” Jonah replied.
• Releasing the breath I didn’t know I was holding, I walked out of my office to the elevator. Jonah followed with my things.
• “Okay, I’ll go and meet him. You can finish up here.” I told him.
• Jonah nodded as he watched the elevator door close. I ran a hand through my tousled dark hair, bracing myself for what was to come. Meeting with Stefan meant I needed to prepare for drama.
• Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from Stefan: Change of plans. Let’s meet at your Penthouse. I’m here waiting.
• I replied with a thumbs-up as the elevator reached the lobby. So typical of Stefan. He knows how to corner me so that I couldn’t ditch him.
• I had built a thriving athletic footwear and clothing company, XDE Athletics. Recently, however, sales mysteriously declined.
• I suspected Jessica had somehow stolen all the plans for our new product launch. She’d handed it over on a silver platter to my rival Company- of course, Jamie is the owner and CEO.
• “Sir, your car is here.” The valet’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts.
• I sat into my Porsche and drove straight to my Penthouse.
• Heading straight upstairs, I saw Stefan sitting on the couch in the living room with vodka in his hand.
• “Not you, too,” I groaned. A lecture from Stefan was the last thing that I needed right now.
• Stefan shrugged, “You shut me out when I only want to help and support you.”
• “Stefan, let’s not do this right now,” I said. I was too exhausted for this game.
• Stefan has been my best friend for years. He could be overbearing at times, especially when drinking. But he was a great guy and the most dependable friend.
• “So what’s the deal?” Stefan asked tauntingly. “You’re mad I always point out when you’ve pushed me away? I’ve tried to be there for you, but you’re always too busy, unavailable… canceling our meetings. What gives? Can you let me know what is going on?”
• I shrugged. “Do you blame me? You warned me about Jessica. I ignored your advice and dated her anyway. I screwed up, okay? I didn’t want to hear you say, ‘I told you so.’”
• Stefan smiled. “You think I’d do that after all the horrible things Jessica said about you? Wow, you believe that about me? Come on, man. Do you honestly think that I’m that shallow? I’d kick you when you’ve been knocked down? Don’t you know me better than that?”
• “You’re right; I’m sorry I shut you out,” I said.
• “No worries, man,” Stefan replied. “I get it. I know you, all is good.”
• He was right. I didn’t want to admit it, but Stefan, with his many faults, wouldn’t do that to me. I nodded, and we both began to laugh. We’ve been friends through thick and thin. Now, best friends. We’ve been there for each other from the beginning of our friendship.
• Stefan had it easy as the CEO of his dad’s Company, an established auto parts supplier mainly for racing cars. He had plenty of free time to do pretty much what he wanted.
• I started XDE Athletics, my Company, from nothing to a Fortune 500 brand. Never a free moment. Even racing had fallen to the wayside. I couldn’t put in the time required for both. So, racing had to take a backseat.
• After the product leak, I’ve been scrambling for a solution with sales tanking. Without our new product, missing a product launch was disastrous for the Company and shareholders. I needed to stay focused; a temporary fix would keep us from tanking further.