Ben Hughes, a 22 year-old failure, has never known success. He's heard of it and he's dreamt of it, but it seems to have always slipped through his fingers. Taunted by his mother, and judged by the world, Ben decides to take matters into his own han...
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"Mr Hughes?" Carla Fullick asked over the phone. "We've had a change in plans, and you've got two additional meetings today after the graduation speech you need to deliver. I've tried to factor in the journey time for you getting back from the university, but it's still going to be a bit of a tight squeeze. Do you want me to say no to the investors at two o'clock or wait until after the graduation?"
"No, I'll be there," Ben said, putting his seatbelt on as the driver got ready to take him to Berkton University. "Well actually... if Ara's not busy could you ask her to take it? If she can't, then I'll try my best to get there on time. Maybe distract everyone with refreshments or something until I do?"
Carla laughed on the other end and Ben wondered if her laughing was an indication of her wanting to date him. Ben was beginning to suspect that when a secretary called you to discuss meetings and work, they were actually just slowly working their way up to holy matrimony. Ben shuddered as he thought about how it would start with work and then move on to what Ben had had for dinner and so on. Ben also thought that Carla was getting very clingy and was becoming a bit of a psycho, asking where he was all the time and trying to plan his life for him. He decided that he would get a private investigator on her but for now, he needed to get prepared enough to give a speech to a bunch of university graduates - intelligent people like himself.
"Sir, we're getting close to the university," Damien the driver informed Ben. "Would you like me to park outside the gates or carry on into the university courtyard?"
Ben told Damien to carry on into the courtyard and then quickly wrote down a few notes on to the palm of his hand so he would remember what he needed to say during his speech. He looked up from his hand and out of the window for a second and was surprised by the crowd that was waiting outside the car. So many people had turned up just to see him? He was going to have give a second speech just for his devout followers!
Damien parked the car in the Berkton University courtyard and allowed Ben to step out of the car, as Damien ran to the boot of the car to retrieve the personalised gifts Ben had bought for all the university graduates. Meanwhile, Ben walked slowly to the front of the crowd of people and waved in a royal fashion, and smiled showing just the right amount of whitened teeth.
"I know! I know!" Ben was shouting over the cries of the people. "You've been waiting to see me since forever, and now OMG! You're going to die from the joy. But it's okay. I'm here now. This is the moment you've all been waiting for. Ben Hughes, CEO of one of the most successful security firms in the country, is here to grace you with his presence. I know! I know-"
"Excuse me sir," a man with a beard said, starting at Ben as though Ben was not worthy of the attention he was lavishing on himself. "I take it you're Ben Hughes, guest speaker? I've been asked to collect you and take you to the main hall, where our Business students will be graduating today. Is that okay?"
Ben nodded but was more than confused. Was he not meant to speak to the crowds of people that had gathered to breathe the same air as him? Ben knew that business men were very much admired and everyone who was anyone knew every successful businessman by face. Ben knew this because he had seen some of his workers reading romance novels about businessmen (as people admired businessmen so much in real life), and was convinced that every one of his employees was sending him not so subtle hints about things he would rather not think of.
