The Boy Who Dreamt High

Prologue

My name is Rich, Richie Webb Fortez, I'm 19 years old, and I'm Half-Filipino, Half-American, and these are the things that have happened to me that made me dreamt high!

My Mom is Lauren P. Webb-Fortez, and My Dad is Robert G. Fortez, I live in a small apartment here in Canada. It was my Mom's hometown when she was a kid before they eventually migrated in the Philippines.

But unfortunately 6 months ago, she died. She was planning a trip for us family to go back there to see if it's a great place to build a branch of our company there, but we were just so busy in school and Dad was also busy sa pag-aasikaso sa trabaho, so my Mom decided that she'll go alone, she said it was only gonna take her 4 weeks to figure out the place, so me and my Dad agreed.

When their plane was just about to land in Canada, the plane exploded, and that was the last time we saw her, because up until now the bodies are not yet identified.

348 passengers, together with its pilots, and cabin crew, including my Mom died.

So I was left together with my Dad in the Philippines. When my Mom got married to my Dad 25 years ago, they were just 20 years old, but still, they loved each other.

2 years after, they started their own little restaurant named "Richie's" which eventually turned into a very huge name into the food industry.

3 years after, I was given to them by God, and they named me after their restaurant, "Richie" and as I grew older and older, the business did too!

But sadly, last year around october, my Mom found out that my Dad was having an affair with another woman for almost 2 years already.

Guess what happened? She forgaved him the very same day that she had found about the affair. Well, her only reason to me was, she wanted our family to always be together no matter what.

--

I must say, the things that have happened over the past 24 months have been depressing.

A week after my Mom's funeral, her lawyer asked me to have lunch together with my Dad to discuss about the will.

And as we ate lunch, her lawyer read the things that my Mom left for me:
16 Land Properties, 8 vehicles, her position as chairwoman in our company, and the shocking 40% of her shares in the company.

Eversince they started their company, my Mom was the majority-shareholder already with 40%, my Dad has 20%, and as a son and the only heir and successor to their positions they gaved me 10% last year when I celebrated my 18th birthday, and the legal age.

But still I don't take things for granted, especially now that I'm the majority-shareholder of our company.

When my dad heard from the lawyer that my Mom transferred her shares to me, he exploded, he was very angry and shocked at the same time because he was not expecting that my Mom will give it to me instead of giving it to my Dad.

So, after a week of deciding, I decided to move here in Canada and live my life as I want it to be, because I know that my Mom would be happy if I do such.

I left my Dad in-charge of my position as Chairman in the Company, knowing that it'll be the best option for now, besides he's the best man for the position.

Since then, I knew that this life I am living right now is gonna be the best, and I would do everything I could do to make the best of it.

Since then, I wanted to be happy, and a compassionate, and a very hardworking man.

Since then, I was "The Boy Who Dreamt High!"