NEW JOB OPPOTUNITY

The night ended with questions, self-doubt, and confusions, which were supposed to end with contentment in their hearts as they were having fun. The unexpected piece of paper just turned the situation down, unable Troye to get sleep.

“Mom… Am I not enough?” he muttered those words with restraining belittlement to his own self, as if his mother would respond to him. He gazed at the ceiling with weary eyes as his fatigued body laid on the bed.

“I’ve done everything I could… Why is this happening to me?” To become a policeman was his childhood dream up until he grew up. He was definitely over the moon when he got his license, because he finally achieved the dream that he has been working hard to accomplish.

But then a sudden occurrence of questionable and unfortunate circumstances that will lead his dream to vanish. He cannot accept this thing to happen!

Those self-doubt and self-pity that he had to himself made him degrade his capabilities and question the praises of his workmates. Were those all genuine? Or just half-hearted ones, considering that he’s still a rookie police officer?

He cannot swallow that food for thought at the moment because somehow, he felt betrayed.

Therefore, as it was hard for him to get to sleep, he came up with a solution of drinking a cup of coffee. To many, drinking coffee raises your energy, yet otherwise always happens to him.

Tomorrow came and Troye wished that everything that happened last night were all just dreams even if the get-together was included.

“You’re going, son?” a middle-aged man said as he saw him wearing shoes. “Wait here for a moment, I’ll get you something.” He muttered before rushing toward the kitchen and came back with a lunchbox Tupperware.

“I cooked you your favorite food.” Troye’s dad smiled as he placed it beside him. His dad stood straight and looked at his son with the same smile, the one that overflowed with proudness.

“Why aren’t you wearing your uniform, though? Did you know that you really looked good with it?” he frowned when he noticed his son wearing a black turtleneck topped with a vintage coat.

Troye didn’t know what to respond to him. He wanted to tell him the truth, but he decided to hold back his tongue. Even though there’s only a slim chance to resolve this matter, he is still going to clear things out today and identify the reason for that uncalled decision. Troye didn’t want to disappoint his dad after all.

“My uniform needs laundry, dad.” He simply answered, returning the same smile that his dad gave.

“Oh, is that so? You should’ve told me!” Troye just smiled at his dad before bidding his goodbye to him. He brought the lunchbox with him and drove off toward the city police, instead of going to the station.

He needed to fix this thing.

“Is the chief here?” he asked when he passed by some police.

“Whoa, isn’t he The Troye Gomez?”

“Based on the description, tall, wide shoulders, fine jawline, bangs split, and simply handsome looking police… Yes, that’s him.”

“He really has the looks, doesn't he?”

Gossips started circulating when his presence appeared. He was really surprised that some people he didn’t know actually knew him. But it only took him a second when his intention of going here crossed his mind.

“Yes, what do you need from him?” a policeman replied. But instead of answering his question, he just said his thanks to him and proceeded to the office of the chief.

He knocked twice on the door and opened it right away. There he saw the man he’s looking for, comfortably sitting on his swivel chair as if he didn’t make a mistake.

“I expected your presence here, Mr. Gomez.” He greeted without looking at him. Troye wrinkled his forehead with his brows sinking below upon noticing the chief’s address to him. He really did make up his mind completely, didn’t he?

“I beg for your explanation for this, chief.” He said as he showed him his resignation letter.

“We had already made up our final decision, Mr. Gomez, even the deputy.”

“Exactly! Why are you doing this?” he could not restrain his voice anymore and raised it at him.

“You dared to raise your voice at me, huh? Well, I understand you, young pal.” He calmly replied.

“Don’t change the subject, chief. Please give me at least a valid reason why I was just suddenly resigned as a cop. The letter contained in this piece of paper wasn’t even from me! You just simply manipulated it.”

He cannot let go of this easily. He needed a freaking reason that might reconsider his thought of trying to get his job back.

“Enough with this, Mr. Gomez. You’re out of the police force already. We had retrieved your license, so I don’t think that we owe you an explanation. You’ll gain nothing from this.” His mouth gaped open upon hearing that from him, surprised by the news.

“Chief! Why are you doing this to me?!” his voice even raised higher as he slapped his both hands on the chief’s table.

“Officer Patrick, please drag him out of here.” The chief remarked with conviction.

The officer named Patrick, who's the chief’s assistant, then instantly did what he was told. Troye was devastated and shouted at the chief until he got his feet out of his office.

“Damn it!” he hissed, accompanied with a punch on the door as soon as it was locked. “Without my goddamn permission, huh? They really did take my license.” He whispered to himself. The people who gossiped about him earlier saw him again with his temper, which gave them another reason to talk behind him again.

“Oh my, I thought he’s a God-sent man!”

“Those are just rumors for sure.”

But Troye is fuming mad to give them his attention, so he just let it slide and left the floor. He is now going to the deputy chief which is on the next floor. If the chief refuses to give him an explanation, then he will go to the higher up instead. His intrusion to his office may come as a disrespect to the deputy, but his license is on the line.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Gomez, but the deputy is busy at the moment.” An officer from the office of the deputy told him after knocking on the door.

“Please tell him that this is urgent. It will only take five minutes, this won’t hurt his busy time, right?”

“I apologize, but the deputy refused to meet you.”

And that ends his hopes to fix things. Though, he thought of facing the inspector as well, but he had already presumed that he might have known nothing about this matter. The higher ups refused to give their explanation even to him, what more to the inspector himself?

“And now, what?” he muttered as he got into his newly purchased car. “Guess, I will be returning this car back to the shop.” He chuckled faintly and laid his back on the backrest. He closed his eyes intently and repetitively heaved heavy sighs.

“What am I going to say to my dad now?” He cannot just tell him that he was resigned without reasons, nor did he change the story by resigning initiatively. Instinctively, his eyes laid on the lunchbox prepared by his father.

He can still remember those smiles on his face every day he prepares himself to go to work. And now, can he still see those smiles now that he’s kicked out in the police force without even reasons?

This is just so messed up! There’s nothing he can do anymore. Even though he will attempt to re-apply again, he will still end up crawling back because the deputy himself was involved with the decision-making.

There is this new policy in the field that, once the deputy chief was involved with the decision-making, or even when he expresses his insights about a certain matter, the final decision will always remain untouched which means, whatever means one takes to come to a resolution, this will always lead him nowhere.

What is he going to do with his life now?

The momentum was interrupted when a phone call rang inside the car. He slowly opened his eyes and picked it up. To his confusion, the caller is an unregistered number.

He doesn’t pick up calls from unregistered numbers, so he just lets it ring ‘til the tone is over. But the caller was persistent in calling him, so he was left with no other choice but to end up answering it.

“May I know who this person is?” he greeted with restraining annoyance.

“Hmm… I thought you were kind as described by him. But that didn’t seem to be the case.” The other line replied which made him frown in confusion. Judging by the voice, it sounded like an aged woman.

“Are you perhaps calling the wrong number?”

“Is this Mr. Troye Steve Gomez?”

“Yes. How did you know me? What did you mean by earlier?... Just who are you?”

“If you’re that curious, then meet me at the location that I’ll be sending you.” The other line then instantly dropped the call.

A second later, he received a message from the same unregistered number with a location on it. He stared at it for a moment, confused by this sudden circumstance. He’s contemplating whether to go to it or not. Because first of all, he didn’t know the caller and he didn’t know what this person might be trying to pull out. But those are the factors that are driving him to meet this person too!

In the end, he found himself following the location ‘til he reached the gazebo of the Dixon Casa Park. The gazebo is restricted for VIP only which costs quite a lot. And knowing that this person just invited him to such an expensive place just indicated that this person is well-off.

“You came, as expected.” A middle-aged woman greeted him who reeked of the smell of rich judging by her presence and appearance. Beside her was a woman whom he presumed that she’s just around his age. If he were to make a conclusion, these two are a mother and daughter.

“Who… are you?” frowning, he said.

“Take a seat first because this might take a while.”

Hesitatingly, Troye went toward the table where she and her presumed daughter were sitting around the table with the seats provided. He took the vacant seat and looked at them intently.

“Now, let’s talk about business.”