Chapter 5 - The Game of Mirrors
The internship,
Started on Monday.
The Sterling offices,
Were glass,
And chrome.
Cold.
Lifeless.
Ethan walked in.
He was dressed,
In a suit.
Borrowed,
But sharp.
He looked,
The part.
He felt,
The stares.
Other interns,
Looking down,
On him.
He didn't care.
He was,
A ghost.
Here to,
Haunt them.
Julian walked in.
He saw Ethan.
He stopped.
His eyes,
Narrowed.
"You?"
He spat.
"What the hell,
Are you doing,
Here?"
Ethan kept,
His expression,
Neutral.
"I'm an intern,
Julian.
Just like,
Everyone else."
Julian stepped,
Closer.
Trying to,
Intimidate him.
"You're not,
Supposed to be,
Here.
You're a,
Scholarship case.
A janitor."
Ethan smiled.
Thin.
Cold.
"Things change,
Julian.
Times change."
He walked past,
Him.
Without hesitation.
Julian stood,
There.
Fuming.
He couldn't,
Fire him.
Not without,
Reason.
And Ethan,
Gave him,
No reason.
He worked,
Hard.
Too hard.
He was,
Efficient.
Effective.
He was,
Making everyone,
Else look,
Bad.
The managers,
Loved him.
Julian hated,
It.
He tried,
To sabotage,
Ethan.
He assigned,
Him impossible,
Tasks.
Ethan completed,
Them.
In record,
Time.
He found,
Shortcuts.
Solutions.
He was,
Too smart.
Julian was,
Getting frustrated.
He was,
Losing his,
Cool.
He started,
Making mistakes.
Big ones.
In meetings.
In reports.
Ethan documented,
Everything.
He was,
The mirror.
Reflecting,
Julian’s incompetence.
Julian couldn't,
Stand it.
He was,
Losing his,
Reputation.
And he was,
Blaming,
Ethan.
But the,
Blame,
Was falling,
On him.
Because Ethan,
Was the,
Perfect employee.
And Julian,
Was the,
Mess.
It was,
A beautiful,
Game.
Of mirrors.
Where Julian,
Saw his,
Own failure.
Reflected,
In Ethan.
And he couldn't,
Break the,
Glass.
Without,
Breaking,
Himself.
Ethan felt,
The control.
He was,
Manipulating,
The environment.
He was,
Guiding,
Julian.
Into a,
Trap.
He was,
Building.
Julian’s own,
Demise.
It was,
Delicious.
The way,
Julian struggled.
The way,
He flailed.
Trying to,
Keep his,
Head,
Above water.
Ethan was,
The one,
Holding,
The weight.
He was,
The architect.
And he was,
Designing,
The collapse.
Everything,
Was going,
According,
To plan.
The next step,
Was the,
Gala.
Where he,
Would deliver,
The final,
Blow.
He couldn't,
Wait.
The anticipation,
Was sweet.
He was,
Ready.
The game,
Of mirrors,
Was almost,
Over.
And the,
May you like
Winner,
Was clear.
