Chapter 12 - THE WHISPERS IN THE CLEVELAND DINER
The fluorescent lights of the 24-hour diner flickered with a low, maddening buzz that matched the hum of the old refrigerator behind the counter.
Liam Hayes stirred three packets of cheap sugar into a mug of lukewarm black coffee, watching the dark liquid swirl in slow, hypnotic circles.
Across the worn laminate booth, a small portable television mounted on the wall was playing a midday financial broadcast. The sound was muted, but the bold capital letters scrolling across the bottom of the screen were unmistakable: OC HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES GLOBAL EXPANSION; CEO OLIVIA CARTER UNVEILS NEW INITIATIVE FOR TECH INNOVATORS.
A crisp, high-definition photograph filled the screen. Olivia stood at a podium in Geneva, Switzerland, wearing a tailored charcoal suit, her expression composed, radiant, and entirely untouchable. She was holding a golden innovation award surrounded by international dignitaries.
"Hey, buddy," the waitress muttered, dropping a greasy plate of scrambled eggs and dry toast onto the table. "You okay? You’ve been staring at that little screen for twenty minutes like you’ve seen a ghost."
Liam didn't touch the food. He looked up, his eyes bloodshot and hollow. "Do you ever feel like you climbed a mountain, only to realize the top was just an empty parking lot?"
The waitress paused, wiping down the counter with a stained gray rag. She looked at Liam’s cheap clothes, the scuffed work boots he wore to his low-level consulting job, and the heavy, lingering aura of a man carrying a mountain of ash.
"Can't say I have," she said bluntly. "Most people are just trying to keep their heat on. Sounds like you spent too much time looking at the sky and forgot to watch where you were stepping."
May you like
She walked away, leaving him alone with the flickering neon sign buzzing outside the window.
Liam looked back at the TV screen, but the broadcast had already cut to a commercial for luxury cars—cars he used to buy in pairs, cash upfront, without looking at the price tag. Now, his debit card was declined twice this morning when he tried to buy a tank of gas.
