Asher's story is more of a young woman with a very promising future. One who wanted to stand up using her own means, with pure kindness which made her as pure as a white swan in a gushing fountain from a springing lake. Her path has always been pure and abstaining from devious deeds, when speaking of her back at school days; it was more like what she doesn't know of doesn't exist, since she couldn't wish for more than what her eyes couldn't see. Perhaps this reason was why her grandfather wished his granddaughter would be more open and transparent when viewing the world, after all he was once a top business man who had seen all manner of people come and go. This reason made him very much wanted to pave an easy life for her, feeling even more wrong from how early Asher's parents passed away so soon. This guilt made the old man push through to at least let him help Asher, which she later agreed upon for him to give her a year, and now she hadn't even taken her first step yet and she had already fallen like a little baby struggling to walk without her parent support.
Right now the story was all over the city, whoever had released the fake video of her was very much influential in the media world easily taking over the entire media and skyrocketing the name of a young woman named Asher; who had used illegal means into climbing into the top medical institute in the country by sleeping shamelessly with an older man in the field!
Her fame had surely skyrocketed, tarnishing her image which had never earned the attention of the media ever, and now her name had slowly won all global news and online media tweets.
At a top high-end facilitated building, which stood amidst the numerous companies in Tyle city. The building was currently in its working hour of the day, with employed staff going in and out of the company's premises carrying out their work.
At this moment, Asher was in the company premises going through the long corridor. She doesn't always come here, only after getting forced on several occasions, and now here she was coming to sort help or comfort at least from the one person who knew her best. She took the long stairs rather than the elevator, very traumatized and lacking spirits from each feeble step she took like all life had been drawn from her eyes. The few stares and looks she received getting all the way here was never easy, the entire people in the city who didn't know her were now judging her for what wasn't true, and she could only respond weakly and very dispirited.
Arriving at the second most top floor in the building, where a secretary in charge of this floor stopped her from going inside.
" Miss,.. I'm sorry you will have to stop here!" A young lady said, standing from her seat and restricting Asher.
" Oh,.. is something wrong? " Asher asked, looking at the woman with demanding gaze even though she was down at the moment.
" Yes, you need an appointment before entry. "
" Well I don't have any appointments! " Asher said, flatly stating that she came empty-handed to see the one who occupies this floor.
" Then I'm sorry Miss, you can't go in. " The woman said, clearly telling Asher to leave since the one in charge of the floor didn't send for her.
" Um,.. why don't you report my presence here to your boss. I'm sure he would want to have me in! "
" Miss I'm sorry, his busy now. "
Asher stood her ground there not willing to go, knowing how much she had always received messages from the one who owns this floor of the company to always come see him. Even going as far as writing to her, and requesting for her to go on a date with her once in a while.
" Look I know, you're just doing your job. But try informing your boss, I'm sure he would want me in! " Asher said, assuring the young woman to let her in or at least call the boss.
" Well I'm sorry I can't. You see, the boss's girlfriend asked me to not let anyone in! " She said, revealing this piece of detail perhaps to stop Asher from pushing further and just leave.
" His girlfriend,.. but. I'm his girlfriend, and he had even proposed to me. " Asher said feebly, like thunder had struck her suddenly.
The woman must be new to her work and doesn't know anything, after all Asher had never really been coming to see him often.
" Well this is Peterson, I mean Mr Peterson's office right? " She asked, looking at the woman who seemed sure of the news she just gave out.
" Well yes. And his girlfriend asked me to not let anyone disturb them! "
" What? "
Asher felt like falling to the ground, was she dreaming or what had she heard? Peterson had another girlfriend besides her, and here she was looking for him to console her from how dirty the world sees her.
" I'm sorry I can't believe you! " Asher said, walking past her, and running towards the corridor of the office. The secretary's station was long away from the office, giving her that added opportunity and distance to make a long get away from her without being stopped easily. She rushed for doors into the office, after all the woman did say he was inside earlier, and if she could get to him perhaps when the secretary arrived he would help clear out the misunderstanding.
Upon arriving at the office room, the door was left standing ajar with the figure of a woman standing very close to the man. The angle she stood gave her an opportunity to see what was happening inside the room clearly, a man standing beside the glass wall and a woman stood behind him.
Asher wanted to push the door and walk inside when she heard the woman's voice.
" Oh Peterson, just look at me! " Her soft coaxing voice rang out through the opening. If she wasn't sure who this woman was, now she knew; it was her friend, maybe her supposed friend who stopped talking to her and let their friendship break after school.
" But what is Tasha doing here? " Asher said, hiding by the door like a little child. The surprise look in her face felt very sour, since she had told Peterson about Tasha leaving her and their friendship. ' so why was she communing so well with him? '
" Tasha I can't do what you are asking. " He said, lifting his hand upward like losing the tie around his neck. His voice was weak and very tired, like he had been going through a hell of stress lately.
" Peterson, look at me! " She moved towards him from behind and placed her hand on his, looking so pure and coaxingly bewitching.
" You're only doing the right thing! "
" I,.. I know, I owe you! And I will compensate, but not like this. "
Their voice trailed off into silence, the conversation wasn't an argument; rather it was more like a one-sided agreement between old lovers.
" What compensation? " Asher said, muttering from her incomprehension from their odd conversation.
" Peterson look at it! Look, she's not what you've been thinking she is! The whole world now knows, the whole truth! " Her voice rose up slightly, like a gush of agitation gripped at her. Waving an iPad before the man in the room.
" See the truth before you! "
Tasha handed the iPad to him, breaking the news of Asher's scandal all over the Internet. At this moment, Asher felt bad; she could have gone into the room awhile earlier, maybe he would have listened to her first before seeing the video.
What came out of it, was Peterson smashing the iPad against the walls clearly mad.
" Tasha please,.. help me! I'm confused. " He said, weakly turning over to look at the woman beside him. Tasha hugged him, suiting the ache he was feeling which made Asher more frustrated.
" Please make it all better, Tasha! " He hugged her even tighter.
" Don't worry, it will be just like a year ago. " Tasha said, stroking him gently to take the pain away.
Asher was lost, taking her hands from the doorknob, and taking a step away from the door. She felt utterly weak, so weak that the words she heard felt out of place to her.
" Help me, make him feel better! And a year ago? " Her furrowed brows creased upward weakly walking away from the door and crashing onto someone.
" Thank goodness you're here. " The young woman said, catching up to Asher who had stumbled away from the office door.
" Miss, please this way if you mind! " She held onto Asher's hand and made a move for the elevator out of this floor.
" No, no need. I can manage! " Asher took her hand from the young woman and began leaving for the stairs.