When Love is a Question Mark

Samuel's fingers trembled as he scrolled through the flood of messages. The screen blurred as the harsh reality of what he was reading began to sink in. His so-called friends were mocking him, taking delight in his humiliation.

"Can you believe it? Samuel, you're just a fool who's been duped!" one message sneered.

"James Lucas, the guy Zinnia was in love with, is back? Samuel's just been filling in? This is wild!" another read, the disbelief almost palpable.

They were treating him like a joke, laughing at the idea that he had been nothing more than a stand-in, someone who had fooled himself into thinking he mattered when, in reality, he was just a substitute.

"Are you kidding me? Samuel's been the backup while James Lucas was the real deal all along. Talk about a plot twist!" another message taunted.

"The news just dropped—James Lucas is back, and Samuel's been nothing more than a placeholder. Who saw that coming?" added another, driving the knife in deeper.

The messages kept coming, each one more cutting than the last, filled with disbelief and ridicule:

"So all this time, Zinnia's been waiting for James, and you were just a temp? I can't believe it!"

"Samuel's whole story was just a sideshow. James Lucas is the main event, and you're just an extra. Classic!"

"James Lucas showing up means Samuel's just been the understudy. Can't wait to see how this unfolds!"

Samuel's face burned as he read the messages, the humiliation settling in his gut like a lead weight. His so-called friends were clearly enjoying the drama, reveling in his downfall. The speed with which they had turned on him was dizzying, but he should have known better.

Beneath the embarrassment, a deep, gnawing anger began to bubble. He knew these people loved to tear others down, to feast on their misfortune. They were like vultures, circling overhead, waiting for someone to show weakness. The moment they sensed blood, they swooped in, eager to pick the bones clean.

He had seen it happen before, watched them ruthlessly mock others, turning their lives into a source of amusement. Though he despised them for it, he had stayed quiet, forced himself to laugh along, to blend in.

Samuel had tried hard to stay under the radar, to avoid becoming their next target. But now, his turn had come.

"James Lucas, huh? So Samuel's been playing second fiddle all along?"

"This is gold. Samuel, you're not even the main character in your own life!"

"Damn, who knew? James Lucas comes back and Samuel gets kicked to the curb. That's gotta hurt!"

Samuel clenched his jaw, his hand trembling as he scrolled through the chat. He couldn't take it anymore. He switched to his browser and searched for the trending topic. The headlines confirmed his worst fears:

James Lucas, the true heir of Lucas Realty Group and Zinnia Lopez's childhood sweetheart, returns.

His breath caught in his throat as he read the article. James Lucas was the eldest grandson of George Lucas, born out of wedlock to George's daughter, Jane Lucas. His birth had been kept a secret from the public, but now he was back, ready to claim his inheritance.

The article detailed how James had been living abroad, far from the spotlight, only to return now that he was of age and ready to take over the family business.

But what hit Samuel the hardest was the picture accompanying the article. James Lucas looked almost identical to him. The resemblance was uncanny. It was as if he were staring into a distorted mirror—a reflection with a softer demeanor, a gentler face, and a warm smile.

Samuel's grip on his phone tightened as he continued reading. The article revealed a hidden clause in George Lucas's will. The old man had known about James all along. In what seemed like an attempt to make up for lost time, George had left 40% of his shares in Lucas Realty Group to his eldest grandson, whether legitimate or illegitimate. The remaining 25% was to be divided among his other grandchildren, which included Samuel, while the final 30% went to his son, Steven Lucas, Samuel's father.

Samuel's heart pounded in his chest as he read the clause. George Lucas had known about James and had set things up so that his return would trigger an automatic transfer of shares. It was as if the old man had been planning this all along, waiting for the right moment to reveal his true heir.

Samuel felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He couldn't believe what he was reading. His whole life had been built around the idea that he was the future of Lucas Realty Group. And now, it turned out that he was just a placeholder, someone to keep the seat warm until the real heir arrived.

But if the news about James's inheritance shocked him, the next set of photos nearly knocked the wind out of him. They were pictures of Zinnia and James from their high school days. The two of them looked incredibly close, laughing and smiling in each other's company. There was an undeniable connection between them, one that was evident even in the old, faded photos.

His hand trembled as he felt a surge of emotions—anger, jealousy, fear, and a deep, aching sadness. He didn't know what to feel or how to even begin processing everything. The world he had known was crumbling around him, and the more he tried to grasp onto something solid, the more it all slipped through his fingers like sand.

Samuel's mind raced with questions. Had Zinnia ever really cared for him, or had she just been waiting for James to return? Had he been nothing more than a stand-in, a poor substitute for the real thing? And now that James was back, where did that leave him? What was he supposed to do?

His phone buzzed again, another message from the group chat, but Samuel couldn't bring himself to look at it. He knew it would only be more of the same—more mockery, more taunts, more reminders that he was just a poor substitute.

He couldn't stay in his room any longer. The walls felt like they were closing in on him, suffocating him. He needed to get out, to clear his head, to figure out what to do next.

Before he left his room, he sent a quick text to his secretary and personal assistant, Timmy, instructing him to investigate everything about James Lucas.