Chapter 2 The Deadline

'Sting of their mockery sears through me, igniting a fire of rage and frustration within my chest. How I longed to retaliate, to lash out and make them feel the weight of their callous words pressing against their own fragile egos. But I held back-' Lara B.

-

"Lara, Lara, I'm really disappointed in you. If you stuck, bored, got no ideas, just stop. Refreshing. Find any idea. Take a vacation. You got many things to do rather than just plagiarizing other people's work. Thanks to you, not only you're being disqualified but our agency is also on the blacklist and banned from sending another contestant! Such ashamed! How outrages you really are!" Lara' boss, burst out right as Lara arrived in her office.

"Bu-but I really didn't plagiarize anything, ma'am! 'Blade of desire' is a poem that I wrote just last night and never been published anywhere. I wrote it in my personal journal." Lara explained. Her body and voice trembled with fear.

"That's enough! You surely know how many prizes MEMOPOSEA(Metropolia Modern Erotic Poetry Search) has promised!" Of course Lara knew. The grand prize is two hundred thousand dollars and a multinational cooperation contract. The second prize is free scholarship to study literature in England for two years.

"What a mistake to choose and recommending you, LARA! From now on, I revoke your writing license and membership from our agency. And... YOU ARE FIRED!!!"

"Wh-What...? Bu, But ma'am, please give me a chance! I really need the money from this contest...I'll prove that 'Blade of Desire' is indeed my work and I'm completely innocent. I beg you, ma'am, don't fire me! Please give me chance!" Lara pleaded. Bulb of crystals began to gather and peek between her eyelids.

"I know! That's why I'm recommending you, Lara! Because you're so talented! You're a genuine poet with rare sense of expression. Really. But, what did you do? You're tarnishing our agency's reputation. Okay, if you insist. I'll give you two months to prove your innocence. If you fail, I will dishonorably revoke your writing license and your membership here. And... YOU MUST PAY HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AS REIMBURSEMENT!" Lara' boss gave an ultimatum.

"Wh-What...? Re-Reimbursement? But why, ma'am?" Lara breathed shockingly. Tears streamed down her beautiful face.

"Oh, do you really think that the training and preparation we provide for you are for free, huh? I haven't informed you, did I, Miss Braun? Not only you're being disqualified and our agency is also on the blacklist and banned from sending another contestant but-" Her boss stopped.

"Bu-But...." Lara's heart pounding.

"We also have to return all the funds that have been sponsored!" Lara' boss snapped, standing angrily.

"Wh-What? I-- I'm really sorry, ma'am! I will..."

"ENOUGH...! THAT'S ENOUGH! Just prove that the poem you sent is really your work. If you can't prove it, don't bother coming to this office again!"

"Ma-Ma'am I,..."

"I'm sure you understand what I'm saying. GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY ROOM RIGHT NOW!" Her boss shouted while pointing at the exit.

Lara slowly pedaled her wheelchair out of the room. The tires that she moved with both hands felt heavier than usual.

"Hey, Mrs. Boss's pride!" screamed one of Lara's fellow.

Lara turned her head.

"You there! Yes, you! Oh, so this is the woman who caused trouble and humiliated our agency? Hah, how great!" said another.

"Totally! And you know, turns out, our boss's favorite poet is nothing more than a stealer aka a plagiarist! Look, I'm sure Mrs. Boss must have been just fired her. Boohoo, just look at her face! All red and teary! Hahaha...! O-oh Mrs. Boss please don't fire me, have pity on me! Gosh, what a troublesome!"

"You're right, Get out of here! We should have been the ones that Ms. Boss registered to the contest, not you! You're crippled! Didn't you have mirror in your place, huh? Hahaha...! "

Lara clenched her hands into fists. Her throat got hardened. Her lungs felt so heavy as if something just dug inside and blocking her way to breath the fresh air. Her eyes got blurry. Filled with mixture of sadness and anger. Her breath quickened. For God's sake, how Lara wanted to crush their legs with her wheelchair. Really! But of course, she didn't do it. Because at least she still had common sense and feelings. Hurriedly, Lara pedaled her wheelchair away.

"Akhh!" Lara squealed, stopping her wheelchair. Unnoticeable, Lara had her palm stuck through the tire's ring and bled. Swiftly, Lara wiped the dripping blood with the hem of her clothes and continued to drive out in pain.

***

"This is this month's edition, sir! It's ready and arrange as your request." Said the creative team leader of MarLense Photo studio, said as she handed the August issues of Flamboyant Magz to her boss.

You...Your love and lush,

Sharper than the silvered Blade,

Choke onto my tongue like a dagger,

Stabbing, piercing to my soul,

Hot... Burning,

Your warmth,

Drape me whole,

Runs through me, my all core...

Through and through my nails,

our greed and desire floods,

soaked throughout all over our pores,

That handsome curly-haired guy closed his round greyish eyes tightly. Taking deep breath, feels, absorbing line per line of the erotica poem through and through his body. Forming flashes of naughty images within his brain. He had read this erotica poem so many times since last night. But, the effect remained the same. Makes his burly body tingle and stiffen.

"Good job," he breathed, stared at his phone for a moment before walks out of the room.