Chapter 3
Wednesday, I showed up at the office for the quarterly meeting.
It was the first time I'd set foot in the office in three months.
Before that, I'd been working remotely, just going by "technical consultant" to everyone.
After the meeting, the HR director tracked me down.
"Mr. Carter, just wanted to run something by you. We're planning to hire a batch of new algorithm engineers, should we hit up a few universities and do some campus talks?" she asked.
"Which schools?" I asked.
"We've got four lined up so far, the best universities. And we're also thinking about Northbridge University here in the province," she said.
Northbridge University.
That was Emily's school.
"Forget Northbridge University. Pick another one," I said.
The HR director nodded.
I didn't want to cross paths with her.
It was not like I was scared.
There was just no point.
When a relationship had been cut clean, any overlap was just drama.
But some things, one just couldn't avoid, no matter how hard one tried.
*****
Thursday afternoon, I was meeting with a partner's tech lead at a café.
Halfway through our chat, he suddenly cut in, "Mr. Carter, do you know someone named Michael Reed?"
I looked up.
"What's up?" I asked.
"He reached out to our business department last week, saying he wants to collaborate on a project from his lab. I checked his background, and it turns out his research overlaps with ours a bit," he explained.
"What's his research about?" I asked.
"AI-Powered Medical Imaging Analytics," he replied.
I set my coffee cup down.
"Isn't that exactly our AI-Powered Medical Imaging Analytics business?" I asked.
"Yeah, that's why I thought it was worth mentioning. His project isn't really ready for the market yet, but he seems pretty desperate for funding, " he said.
"Turn him down," I said.
"Got it," he replied.
I didn't bother to explain why.
He didn't press me for details.
But I knew what was up.
Michael was scrambling for cash, which just proved he couldn't really support Emily.
With his associate professor salary, just over three grand a month, after paying the mortgage, he still had to support a girlfriend who spent money like it was going out of style.
He just couldn't keep up.
So he was hoping a project collaboration would bring in some quick cash.
Too bad he bet on the wrong horse.
AI-Powered Medical Imaging Analytics, I've been dominating that space for three years.
He probably has no idea that his girlfriend's ex was the big name nobody in this business could avoid.
Sometimes, the world really was just that small.
People thought they had cut someone out of their lives for good, and then, bam, they ran smack into them again, just on a totally different playing field.
Brian texted me when he found out. [Man, that's just too ironic. He actually came to your company for a partnership?]
I replied: [He has no idea it's my company. I've always put your name on everything public-facing.]
Brian asked: [Should we let him know?]
I replied: [No need. Just make sure he doesn't get the deal. Don't go out of your way to block him, but don't help him either.]
Brian replied: [Got it.]
I turned off my phone.
Outside, the river flowed quietly in the night.
Three hundred thousand dollars for a lesson.
Yeah, it was pricey, but at least it taught me one thing.
One never pretended to be someone unworthy of love just to test if someone truly cared about them.
Because they might actually have believed it.
And then they would betray them without a shred of guilt.
*****
Half a month went by.
Emily sent me one last long message.
[Alex, it's been five years. I'm not asking you to forgive me, but I hope we can end things on a decent note. Could you cover the travel expenses for my thesis defense like you promised? Just this once, I swear it's the last time. 700 dollars.]
I read it and didn't bother to reply.
700 dollars.
She had no idea I'd just signed a ten-million-dollar contract.
And she didn't need to know.
She picked Michael.
Then Michael should take care of it all.
Even the 700 dollars for her travel.
Three days later, Brian told me something that caught me off guard.
"Emily's thesis defense got postponed," Brian said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Word is, there's a problem with her thesis. Some of her data is being questioned, people think she might've faked it," Brian said.
I looked at Brian.
"That's got nothing to do with me," I said.
"I know it's not your problem. But this is blowing up in academic circles now, someone anonymously called her out on an academic fraud forum," Brian said.
"Who did it?" I asked.
"No idea. But I heard things aren't going so well between her and Michael lately. Someone saw them arguing in the cafeteria," Brian said.
I didn't say anything.
Academic fraud was serious business. Once one was under the microscope, one was in real trouble.
In the best case, one just graduated late. In the worst case, they stripped one's degree.
Five years of chasing that PhD went down the drain.
Not even a hint of gloating crossed my mind.
I just thought, sometimes karma hit harder and faster than one'd ever expect.
I had nothing to do with it.
I didn't even care how it turned out.
All I cared about was my own life now.
New apartment, new pace, new me.
No more pretending to be broke, no more holding myself back, no more hiding who I was for anyone.
*****
This month, I treated myself to a new car.
Not a supercar.
Just a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, over two hundred thousand dollars.
Low-key, but comfortable.
Over the weekend, I took it out for a drive around the suburbs.
Brian called me while I was out on the road.
"There's an industry summit next Wednesday. You going? It's at the city convention center," he said.
"How big is it?" I asked.
"All the top AI companies in the province will be there. Your company is one of the organizers," Brian said.
"You always went for me before, right?" I asked.
"This time's different. Some investors specifically asked to meet you in person," he said.
I thought for a moment.
"Alright, I'll go," I said.
"Alright, I'll get you a name tag. Should I put your real name, or..." Brian asked.
"Use my real name. Alex Carter," I said.
Brian paused for a second.
"What if you run into someone you know?" he asked.
"Then so be it," I replied.
I was done hiding.
Five years of keeping myself hidden, what did it get me? Nothing.
Time to step out into the open.
I, Alex Carter, Founder and CEO of MedVision Technologies.
My company was worth one hundred million dollars.
I didn't need anyone to vouch for me.