"You're FIRED!!"
The voice of Derek's boss could be heard throught the whole office as Derek sat there, stunned beyond belief."But boss! That was not my mistake! This was not my doing!"Derek had to defend himself this time. Throughout his employment, all his colleagues have picked on him and played politics because he was too nice a person.Even his boss enjoyed picking on him. Everyone in the office had time and again schemed against him to make him look bad in front of everyone in the office, including visitors.On this day, they had a VIP guest visiting the office. Derek's boss has always wanted to work with this VIP. As usual, Derek's colleagues set him up for failure.Derek had sent a copy of what was supposed to be the final draft of the partnership contract for his boss and the VIP to sign. What he didn't know was that the contract was shredded and placed back into the leather folder."I don't care!!!! You caused this mess and embarassment!! Pack your stuff and leave! and don't even think of getting paid!!!" screamed Derek's boss....well, now ex-boss.In his heart, to say that Derek was fuming was perhaps the greatest understatement. Yet, he kept his calm, apologized to the VIP visitor and proceeded to pack his belongings.On his way out, his now ex-colleages applauded and cheered at him, obviously making fun of him."Best of luck in your future endeavours LOSER!!!" mocked Desmond, the one who set Derek up.That was breaking point for Derek. He slammed his box of belongings on the floor. The sound from the box being slammed on the floor was so loud that the whole office went silent.In an instant, Derek stormed straight up to Desmond and stop so they were literally face to face, a palm's distance from each other.Deep down, Derek wanted to punch Desmond in the face so badly. Instead, he said something that no one expected a fired staff to say."I don't need the luck. You do. Don't forget, you still have to work for that fat a*****le.""You guys think you got rid of me. Truth is, you all did me a favour. I don't have to look at all your pathetic faces anymore. Thanks, idiots!"With that, Derek smiled, turned away from Desmond, picked his box of belongings and walked out of, in Derek's mind, the crappy, unethical, immoral office, thankfully for the last time.In life, Derek had always been the victim. He was never accepted in any place and phase in his life.In school, Derek was always bullied and outcasted by his schoolmates just because they felt like it. The teachers were no better, punishing him for things that he didn't do wrong.At work, he was constantly picked on, not just in his last job but all jobs before that too.Even his adopted family and relatives would find ways to hold Derek back. This happened ever since Derek's adopted parents passed away when he was five years old.His adopted family, the Smith family, run a very successful business called DreamSmiths and lived in a big house in Townsville.The head of the family, Madam Louise Smith is mother of three sons, Dave, Raymond and Derek's adopted father Edward. Madam Louise is also grandmother to two grandsons: Charles and Mason from Dave and his wife Lois, and three granddaughters Chloe, Madison and Juri from Raymond and his wife Pam.After Derek's adopted father Edward and
Once Derek reached the nearest bus stop, which was at least a 30 minutes walk from the Smith mansion, he took a seat to rest his legs.Tears started flowing down his face. It was hard to blame him. In one day, Derek found himself jobless and homeless. Truly, at a young age of 25, Derek hit rock bottom and it was not his fault. A group of heartless people have held him down and treated him like trash. Like a loser.Suddenly, a Rolls Royce pulled up at the bus stop, the rear doors stopping right in front of where Derek was seated.The driver then opened his side door and stepped out of the Rolls Royce; he then opened the rear door facing Derek.A familiar figure was seated at the rear seat, surprising Derek."Wait a minute. I recognise you." said Derek. "Aren't you the VIP I saw earlier today at the office?""Yes that is correct. You must be Derek Smith. I'm Owen Beck, General Manager of Quinton Consortium." the VIP introduced himself.Still thinking about the incident earlier in the da
On the way to the Quinton mansion, Owen noticed that Derek was just staring out of the window of the Rolls Royce. He was curious about what Derek was thinking. "What's on your mind Derek?" "I have a lot of questions and thoughts running through my mind. I don't even know where to start." replied Derek. Owen understood his words and decided it was best to leave him be...until they reach the Quinton Mansion. After an hour's drive, they finally reached the Quinton Mansion, located at the western outskirts of Townsville. The Quinton Mansion itself is a marvel. Imagine a three-storey castle with rooms the size of a small apartment, complete with it's own en-suites, a kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment that Michelin-star chefs can only dream of, along with facilities like a swimming pool, a football field, a basketball court, a pool room, an in-built mini cinema and a garage the size of a duplex house filled with cars that only the 1% of the world's population can afford. "Master
Needless to say, Peter Quinton cringed, having to recall that fateful night that Derek was separated from him and his wife. Nonetheless the truth had to be told. "You were six months old when that night happened." began Peter Quinton. "We were all on the way back home from a dinner party when we were suddenly ambushed by a group of thugs." "While our security, lead by Owen, were fending off those thugs, we could hear some distinct shouting from them, one of which was 'Kill the Quinton family, including their baby!'" Peter Quinton had to pause for a moment as his eyes were starting to redden. Lea was seated at the edge of the bed, with tears forming up her eyes as well. "Back then, our business rivals were envious of our success in business; but we had no idea that they would be so ruthless and merciless..." continued Peter. "Thanks to Owen and the security team, we all managed to escape unharmed and made it back home safely. But your mother and I started to make plans to escape T
On the way, Derek looked at Owen and said, "I know I gave you two conditions earlier, one of which was not to call me Young Master. That condition still applies; call me Derek or Young Quinton instead." "Certainly, Derek. By the way, your suitcase is already in your new room. Still we have clothes in your closet for you to wear as you see fit." replied Owen, with a nice smile on his face. Once Derek reached his room, which was at the opposite side of his parents' room, he bidded Owen goodnight before entering. When Derek entered, his mouth instantly gaped open. There was a king-sized bed, a walk-in closet, a study table, an 80-inch mounted tv screen, a ensuite bath room complete with a gold-plated bath tub, a shower and a big ivory sink. 'Wow wow wow. This is what it's like to be a Quinton.' Derek thought. 'Well then, let's get settled.' It was easy for Derek to be overwhelmed by his new room. After all, back at the Smith house, he was forced to sleep in their store room and had
The sun shone brightly through the windows. The sun rays hit Derek's eyes so he had no choice but to wince and blink. 'A few minutes more please.' thought Derek. With good reason too. He slept like a baby for the first time in his life, on his king size bed. "Oh S***!!! I'm late for work!!" Derek jolted himself awake and for a brief moment, he was in a cold sweat. In that moment, it had not dawned on him that we was no longer Derek Smith; he is Derek Quinton. He thought he was going to be late for work and get bullied by his boss and colleagues. But he soon recalled the events of the day before and quickly calmed down. He remembered that he was fired from his job, thrown out of the Smith mansion, then picked up by Owen Beck to be reunited with his biological parents, the powerful Peter and Lea Quinton. 'That's right. I'm Derek Quinton now. No need to worry about an unrewarding job full of corrupt managers and ass-kissing workers. Nice.' thought Derek.At that point, heard a knock
Lea explained, "The Quinton Consortium is a collection of companies where we either own or have mast majority shares in. We don't invest blindly. Each company under the Quinton Consortium has a minimum net worth of at least $2 billion. We currently have 60 of the top 100 companies in Townsville and other cities around the world under the Quinton Consortium." Peter continued, "So you can imagine son, our Quinton family's net worth and value. Given your young age, your mum and I hope that you can take over our position soon." Derek listened intently with awe of his parents. He knew that they were rich and powerful but he had no idea the levels of wealth and power they actually have attained. But Derek is also quick witted and his mind works like a computer. While he was listening to his parents' explaination and wishes, he was already formulating a plan. "I know time is of the essence mum and dad; and someday I will be responsible enough to take over the whole consortium from you. I
Derek decided to wear his worn-out shoes that he had been wearing for the last two years. This is an additional step to disguise himself from his new found identity. To know who is worth his time or not, he knew he cannot reveal his true identity to the world just yet."Young Master!" a voice called out to him from the Quinton garage. Derek turned and saw the family driver, the same driver he saw the day before that picked him up from the bus stop. "Hi there. Just in time. I'll need a ride to the business district. Can you take me there?""Certainly, Young Master." replied the driver."Thanks a lot. By the way, how may I address you?" asked Derek."My name is Hector, Young Master. I've served the Quinton family as their driver for the last 30 years. I'm honoured to drive you around now Young Master.""Nice to know you, Hector. Oh wait, do you have Owen's number? I forgot to ask him for it. Send me his number and we'll get going." "Not a problem, Young Master. One moment please." Di
Hi Readers, After nearly a year, Who's the Loser Now is finally complete. I hope you enjoyed reading the original and the sequel as much as I have creating the storylines. Man, this was a long journey. There were so many ways to close this series; but I didn't want to get distracted. So, I decided to end it the series in this manner. I will be taking a short break to celebrate the new year. After which, I will start work on a new novel. So, until then, thank you all so much for your support on Who's the Loser Now. Keep the likes, comments and ratings coming to help promote this novel. Your feedback, as always, is much appreciated. It has been a wonderful journey and this one ends here. Stay tuned for the next journey. Altogether, everyone! (With the characters in the background) Happy New Year!! Love, JDHWS
The cameras were flashing as journalists and reporters gathered at the eagerly anticipated launch of the new mall in Townsville, specifically located near the Townsville Hillside Condo. Standing in front of the main entrance, Desmond and Jocelyn faced the crowd. Desmond then took the mic to address the crowd, "After months of construction, through reported ups and downs, we are happy to announce, on behalf of the Quinton Consortium, the officially opening of Townsville Hillside Mall." said Desmond. He then took his side next to Jocelyn and proceeded to perform the cutting of the ribbon, signalling that the Townsville Hillside Mall was officially opened. Applause rang all around the front as Desmond and Jocelyn opened the front entrance doors, welcoming the crowd into the mall. In another corner of Townsville, Wayne and Kimberly were also dressed sharply; but for a different reason. Joining them were Roland and Elaine Russo, as all four of them stood in front of the main entrance t
"Brother Derek, are you sure about this?" asked Charles as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a tuxedo; but not any ordinary tuxedo. Derek had Charles wear his diamond encrusted tuxedo, the most expensive tuxedo he bought from Nick Lopez when he first found out he was a Quinton. "I'm sure about it, Charles. I know I bought it for me initially; but in all honesty, you wearing this tux means so much more." Derek reassured Charles. "Man, I'm nervous. Brother, how did you even go through your wedding with Ms. Amanda?" asked Charles exasperately. "Desmond told me to take a deep breath to calm my nerves. It could work for you, too." replied Derek. Charles decided to take Derek's advice and took two deep breaths. Surprisingly, he felt much calmer. Then he and Derek heard a knock on the door. In walked Mason, "Brother, are you ready?" asked Mason. "As ready as I'll ever be." replied Charles. All three of them then walked upstairs... to the top deck of Charles's superyach
The prison gate key entered the lock. With a click, the warden opened the cell gate, with mixed emotions. "Madam Louise... it's time." In her cell, Madam Louise looked around the jail cell she had been living in, serving her time for her past wrongs. She thought about the time she spent in the cell, forming a close friendship with the warden, being released early to help Team Quinton and the Phoenix Mafia, eventually being a key player in the fight against Pamela. It was a sad day to leave her family after the fight ended; but heading back to prison was necessary. Thanks to Lea Quinton, however, she did not have to stay in prison any longer. She received a pardon from the Mayor of Townsville; and now, she can leave the Townsville prison freely. She slowly stood up and walked towards the cell door, where she noticed her warden friend had a tear in his eye. Smiling slightly, she wiped the tear away from his eye. "No need to weep for me, young man. We will meet again, outside of t
With the mask worn on his face; and the briefcase full of cash repacked into a duffel bag found in the control room, Charles slung the bag over his shoulder, ready to move out of Pamela's HQ. Before heading out, Charles made sure to surround himself in a nanoshield sphere to avoid any sudden sneak attacks. After which, Charles used his upgraded suit to do a thorough scan, looking to devise an alternate way out of Pamela's HQ. 'Hmmm... it looks like I'm going to have to blast my way out of here. Time to check out what weapons are at my disposal.' Charles thought to himself. Scanning the system in his suit through his mask, Charles was surprised to find various forms of weaponry to pave his way out. "Well then, let's get started." Charles said to himself. However, as we was about to step out of Pamela's control room, an alarm sounded inside of the control room. Red emergency lights were flickering in the control room. Charles turned his direction to one of the screens in the control
"Gerard! Andrea! You certainly have some guts showing your faces here after you betrayed me!" Pamela sneered at the couple. "Lady Boss... wait! We did not betray you." Gerard defended himself. "That's right, Lady Boss! The hostages... they escaped!!" shouted Andrea. "WHAT?!?!?" Pamela shouted angrily. She then turned her attention to Charles, who was standing there, perplexed. "Charles!! You were at the dungeon earlier. You said you saw your team in their cells. Is that true?!?" Pamela asked authoritatively. "Absolutely, Lady Boss. I personally locked up the dungeon after making sure that loser Derek was in his cell." replied Charles. "He's lying, Lady Boss. Charles must still be working with his friends. Somehow, they managed to get their suits from the lab and escape from this place." Gerard said accusingly, pointing at Charles at the same time. "Hold on there, Gerard. Up until just now, when Lady Boss showed me her lab, I did not even know that existed." Charles defended hims
"You tell me, Charles. How did you and that loser escape in the first place?" Pamela asked suspiciously. Charles was calm in his answer, "Well, I found a couple of metal pins in my cell and I used it to pick my cell lock." Charles began. "Once I got free, that's where I hatched my plan. I picked the lock of Derek's cell. I had to convince him that he and I were on the same team in taking you out. So, while the rest were in their cells, which, by the way, they still are, Derek and I made our way out of the dungeon." explained Charles. "Well, you certainly have some talent, unlike that loser. Still, Gerard and Andrea not reporting back is concerning for me." replied Pamela. As she looked at the monitors of the control room, she noticed something peculiar, then she started frowning. "What's wrong, Lady Boss?" asked Charles. "Take a look at that." said Pamela, pointing Charles's attention to one of the monitors surveying the lab. "What about it, Lady Boss?" asked Charles curiously. "C
Before Charles could answer, they heard footsteps approaching the dungeon. Derek passed Gerard's dungeon keys to Charles before he cloaked himself again. In order to play along with Pamela's ploy, Charles quickly opened the dungeon door, placed Victoria gently inside before locking the door again. The footsteps grew audibly closer towards the dungeon door. Charles turned his attention towards the sound of those footsteps and walked in that direction, taking caution to who he might run into. As he turned around the corner, he found out who those footsteps belong to. "Oh my gosh, Esther. What are you doing here?" Charles exclaimed softly as he embraced his girlfriend. "Wait, you shouldn't be here. Didn't Mr. Quinton give you and the rest the order to head to the safehouse?" asked Charles. "I had to come here. I was not going to let that b***h Pamela take you." replied Esther emotionally. Just then, Derek decloaked himself and met up with Charles and Esther. "Esther, so it was you. G
"Ok, Charles, the feed is on." said Pamela. "Take your position, on Derek's right side." "Understood, Lady Boss." replied Charles. Seconds later, everyone, including the people in the Phoenix Bunker, the safehouse and the combined invasion and rescue team saw the live feed on their screens. "Your eyes do not deceive you, Peter. Charles has betrayed you. He has decided to join a real mafia and I will nurture him properly, so he can be a real Don." began Pamela. "As you can see, I have your son as hostage. If you ever want to see Derek again, in one piece and alive, firstly, call off your attack dogs. Secondly, you will, and I mean WILL, surrender your precious Quinton Consortium to me. Oh, before I forget, that includes your so-called Phoenix Mafia as well." "And just in case you think I'm not being serious... " Pamela then did something no one expected. She pressed a button on her control panel; and in the next moment, Ivy's suit emerged from a corner of her control room. 'What th