What was it that we had?

Jake's POV

***lament***

I couldn't tell reality and haze apart.

Ever since she left, my life wasn't mine anymore.

I was just living like I was being told.

" Jake, the team head wants to talk. Take it in a good sense... It's nothing severe but it is important."

My manager thumped me twice in the back before I was pushed inside the board room.

The first and last time I was in there was when I had signed my contract.

I was too nervous back then. It's been months since then. Seemed like nothing changed. My hands were as sweaty as it was on the first day.

I still remember that day. The day was etched in my memory, like a bullet.

The conference room was dimly lit as I took my seat at the head of the sleek, modern ebony table. Mr. Reynolds, the big shot in charge of our entertainment group,AandC, had his laser-focused gaze locked on me from across the table. The whole setup sent chills down my spine, and I couldn't help but feel the high stakes of the meeting.I was just an ignorant boy that grew up in the country side with his roadside gang. The corporate environment was not my cup of tea, yet.

Mr. Reynolds leaned in, his voice cutting through the tension. "Jake, you get how seriously we take our contracts, right?"

My anxiety was through the roof as I nodded, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead. "Absolutely, Mr. Reynolds. I've gone through the contract."

The executive beside Mr. Reynolds, hidden in the shadows like a character from a thriller, added an unsettling note. "But we've got some troubling info – rumors that you might be romantically involved, despite the 'no romantic relationship' clause."

I was warned by my manager, the moment Lea arrived to live with me.

My throat felt dry as I tried to find the words to defend myself. "Honestly, it's just gossip. There's no truth to it."

I was speaking facts. Lea and I were not a romantic couple though she was a female and also a very important aspect of my existence.

Mr. Reynolds leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Jake, you know how destructive rumors can be in this industry. We've invested a lot in you. Are you really ready to throw that all away?You know very well where you started and where we have put you now. "

They were right. I was drowning in contracts after just a few months of starting my career. But what they didn't understand was that it was not my doing. It was all because of Lea.

A woman in the chic pantsuit chimed in with a sinister edge. "We have our ways of keeping tabs on our talents. We've got eyes everywhere. If you're hiding something, it won't go well for you.We thought it would be better for us to talk to you directly."

My voice quivered as I tried to assure them. "I promise, it's all a misunderstanding. There's no one in my life right now with whom I'm involved romantically."

Mr. Reynolds slowly got up, casting a formidable shadow. "Jake, we're not into misunderstandings; we're into compliance. Our contracts are rock solid, and we expect you to follow them to the letter."

The meeting continued, with the threats and warnings closing in, making it abundantly clear that in the dog-eat-dog world of entertainment, my entire future hung by a thread. Any mistake could spell disaster and I knew better than to share it all with Lea when I got back home.

She would pack her bags and just leave out of that front door. She was more serious about my career than I was.

I chose not to share this particular piece of information with her even though I did promise her that I would, once I got back home.

I knew she could easily read through me.

So I decided to avoid her completely.

" Lea, how are you feeling? "

I asked her before slyly packaging my bag behind her back.

" I'm feeling alright. Why? What happened? "

And then her eyes fell on my little luggage.

" Are you... Are you leaving? Are you going somewhere?"

She asked, rather confused.

" Yeah... yeah... got some urgent work. Lea, I have arranged for some house helps. Please get everything sorted around here. I really need to rush. See ya! "

She was too stunned when I left in a hurry just hugging her and kissing her on the cheeks.

" Bye... take care... good luck... " I heard her words come out in whispers as she leaned out of the door, watching me leave.

I sat like an idiot in my car.

I hit the accelerator hard, driving unusually rash for a few miles.

When I did finally come to a hault, I yanked the steering wheel and hit the horn, honking so loud that I scared all the cows and goats, grazing around.

I had driven out of the city.

I was off the main road.

" Damn it! These oppressors... they treat their artists worse than slaves.... talk about modern day slavery. It's Lea!God damn it! My Lea. My life. How do I make them understand . How do I explain what our relationship is, was, will be? How do I do that man! I did not sign up for this... "

I kept hitting the horn repeatedly till there was a severe knock on my tinted window.

It was an elderly man with a cane stick in his hand.

I rolled my window down when he was about to tap for the fifth time.

" What is it? " I roared in my frustration. " I don't have any spare change. Just get lost... leave me alone. "

He gave me a smile.

" Are you having a bad day my boy? "

He asked to my surprise.

I had so answer.

" My house is right there. This is my farm. Your honks are disturbing my animals. Come inside. Let's share a cup of tea and talk about your worries mate. Leave my poor animals, please. I beg you with folded hands. "

I was stunned and out of words.

***continued on next chapter...***