The boss peered out of his bunker as Mark, his trusted spy, sprinted into the dark, dense forest.
The old man let out a disappointed sigh as he descended into the bunker. "That lazy bum. Someone follows him into the forest, and he can't take care of it. He had the perfect opportunity. One of Alex Ambrose's friends chases after him and collapses. And what does this moron do? He doesn't even flinch. He runs right back to me with his silly little pictures."
The bunker was massive. It wasn't a typical bunker. It didn't look like the home of a crazed doomsday prepper. No, it was organized and practical. The space was sophisticated, sleek, and scientific. It was wired with state-of-the-art technology. However, there was a secret room in the bunker that was covered with photos, papers, and newspaper clippings. It looked as if it were the work of a private investigator trying to piece together a crime scene.
The stocky, old man entered the private room and reached into his pocket. His massive hands fumbled as he pulled out the spy's camera. "Well, I guess I shouldn't call his photos silly. This evidence will do us some good. Mark isn't totally useless, but he is work-shy. They just don't make 'em like they used to."
The boss set down the camera. Then, he looked at his wall of evidence. At the center of everything was a photo of Alex. The mysterious man snatched the picture off the wall and lamented. "Ah, Alex. Now that was a young man who knew the value of hard work. What went wrong? He was perfect in every way, until he became too perfect. How did he stray so far from the path?"
The old man looked back up at the wall. He thumbed over a photo of Alex standing next to himself. "What kind of grandson betrays his grandfather?"
The boss was Lincoln Ambrose, Alex's grandfather. Lincoln Ambrose was not a very honest man. Despite having an old-school, tough-guy attitude, he liked to cut corners, and he wasn't shy about taking the easy way out. He was no stranger to corruption, and he lacked the good-natured spirit that Alex had.
Lincoln had been a titan of Baltimore and the pharmaceutical industry. He was larger than life, a sturdy, bald giant with a fierce personality. With his booming voice and dramatic expressions, he captivated everyone he met. Everything he touched turned to gold, or at least, that was how it looked from the outside. When Alex came of age, he gained some agency in Ambrose Pharmaceuticals. He uncovered lie after lie, all told by his grandfather. After Alex exposed Lincoln, his empire fell, and Alex usurped his throne.
The old man stared at the portrait of Alex in his hand. He recalled everything his grandson had stolen from him. He clenched his fists, crumbling up the photograph, and then threw it on the floor. "I thought he was so strong, but he was too weak to follow in my footsteps. I was building a legacy my way, and this irresponsible, mindless kid thought he could waltz in and destroy my decades of hard work. He has no idea what it takes to be a business mogul in the city of Baltimore."
Lincoln ripped another family photo off the wall. In the picture, he stood with Alex and his parents. "He's just like his mother. He thinks the world is all puppy dogs and rainbows. I can't wait until it all comes crashing down on him, just like it did her."
The old man paced back and forth, scratching his head. "I thought sicking Riley on Alex would do him in. I guess the mistake was filling Riley's head with all of the thoughts of world domination. I should have never funded his super soldier initiative. He got too obsessed, too weak. He couldn't even capture Alex, let alone do him in." He sighed. "I'm sick of stalling. I want my empire back."
He picked Mark's camera back up and turned it on. He squinted as he looked at the thumbnail images on the camera's tiny screen. "Damn it. I can barely see these photos." He brought the camera closer to his face. "Okay, let's see here. Oh, this is good. Actually, this is great."
Lincoln's smile twisted into a menacing grin. Although the images were tiny, he could see that Mark caught Alex kissing Yvonne. He cheated on Debbie, and Lincoln had the evidence. "Whatever did I do to deserve such a lying, cheating scumbag of a grandson."
***
Outside of Alex's ramshackle home, things weren't looking up. Yvonne and Alex stood side by side. Tensions were still high after their kiss.
Yvonne could have sworn she heard something in the forest. "It was a clicking sound. Like a camera went off."
Alex, who didn't hear anything, rubbed his temples. He was irritable and disappointed in himself. "I think you're just imagining things, Yvonne. It's been a long night. I better head in and get some rest, if I can. After all, I am sleeping on the couch."
Alex walked into the house with his head down. Yvonne followed close behind him. She wasn't ready to let up on the situation just yet. "What if that was someone with a camera? Everyone knows where you live now. It could have been paparazzi."
Alex huffed at the woman. "I don't care if it was Yvonne. Just let it go, okay? It's over. Go to bed." He pointed to the staircase.
Yvonne crossed her arms. No matter how much she loved Alex, she hated how he was treating her. "Fine. Good night, Alex. Don't let the couch bugs bite."
Alex didn't respond as Yvonne walked away. But he did watch her. It was hard to ignore the swaying of her hips and the way her hair bounced when she walked. Alex took a deep breath. He knew he was being so harsh toward his ex because he was trying to suppress the feelings he had for her. He knew it was wrong, but he figured there was no other way. If he wanted to get Yvonne out of his system, he had to put his emotions aside.
Yvonne, on the other hand, was heartbroken. She couldn't help loving Alex, but she knew Debbie deserved better. As she walked to her room, she heard Debbie sobbing in her and Alex's bedroom.
Yvonne couldn't walk away. She knocked on the door. "Hey, Debbie. It's me."
Debbie sniffled. "Come in"
Yvonne did just that, closing the door behind her. She sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm really sorry about what happened."
Debbie wiped her tear-stained face. "I heard what happened downstairs."
Yvonne's eyes widened. "You, uh, you did?"
Debbie nodded. "Of course. You stood up for me. Thank you." She threw her arms around her friend.
Although guilt flooded her conscience, Yvonne hugged her back. She tried to remember what Alex told her to do. She tried to forget about the kiss. "Uh, sure. Don't mention it."
Debbie let go of Yvonne and flung herself back onto the bed. "Ugh! This is the worst feeling in the world. I thought he loved me. How could he cheat on me with Kylie Naysmith? What's wrong with me?"
"Absolutely nothing," Yvonne said immediately. "You're literally perfect. Look, you've been crying this whole time, and you haven't even smudged your mascara."
Debbie raised her hand to her eyes. "Oh, I actually don't wear mascara. My eyelashes are naturally very long and very dark."
Yvonne pursed her lips together and nodded. "Of course they are. And you know why? Because you're incredible, Debbie."
Debbie tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Why doesn't Alex see that, then?"
Yvonne grabbed Debbie's hand. "He does see it." While it killed Yvonne to admit it, she knew Debbie needed to hear it, and it was the truth. Alex told her himself. "He loves you more than anyone else in the world. No one could compare to you. He says that all the time. Yes, what he did was ridiculously stupid, but Debbie, I think he's telling the truth. He only screwed her to try and get information out of her. You could be mad at him, but you shouldn't think he doesn't love you."
Tears flowed from Debbie's eyes. "Really?"
Yvonne closed her eyes, trying to ignore the fact her heart was breaking into a million pieces. "Alex and I dated, and it didn't work. I couldn't be someone who was always there. I'm not the kind of person who is always cheery and compassionate. I'm not sweet and gentle. Alex needs that kind of person, and you're the kind of person, Debbie. Alex knows you're the one for him."
Debbie sat up. She wrapped her hands around Yvonne's. "That's a really nice thing to say. And, that's how I've always felt, but I feel so unsure now."
Yvonne blinked a few times to quickly rid herself of the tears building in her eyes, but then, she leaned closer to Debbie. "You shouldn't. Trust me. He loves you. He's an idiot. He shouldn't have done what he did. But he loves you."
A shy, soft smile spread across Debbie's lips. Then she frowned. "Okay, but I mean, Kylie Naysmith. I hate Kylie Naysmith and her big fake boobs."
Yvonne chuckled. "I know. She's horrible."
Debbie threw her head back. "She's the absolute worst. What was he thinking? Getting information from Kylie Naysmith? That's crazy! She can't be trusted!"
Yvonne rubbed her temples. "I know. Forbes Magazine may have deemed Alex the smartest man alive, but after this, they may need to revoke the title."
Debbie bent over in a fit of laughter. "I'm afraid you're right. Not just about the Forbes thing, but about everything. I'm still going to force him to sleep on the couch tonight, but maybe I'll talk to Alex in the morning. Thank you, Yvonne. You truly are the best friend I've ever had."
Yvonne flashed Debbie an unsure smile. Okay, Yvonne. No big deal. You are her best friend, because that kiss never happened. You never betrayed her. It's fine, she thought.
Debbie raised her eyebrow. "Yvonne, are you okay? You look…constipated."
Yvonne ditched the stupid grin. "Oh, yeah, of course. I was just thinking about how you are my best friend too, and I would never hurt you in a very personal, super upsetting way."
"Huh, okay. Well, that's an oddly specific way to put it," Debbie replied. Then she yawned. "Well, I hate to kick my BFF out, but it's been a long day."
Yvonne quickly stood up. "Yeah, I'm exhausted. I better hit the hay too."
Debbie rested her beautiful head on her pillow. "Nighty-night, Yvonne. Would you mind closing the door on your way out?"
"Yeah, I got it. Good night," Yvonne said as she quietly walked through the door, gently shutting it behind her.
Yvonne leaned her back against the wall. Then, she dropped her head into her hands. "I'm the worst best friend ever."
***
The next morning, Alex awoke to see the sunlight that poured through the windows of the charred living room. His whole body ached. He wasn't the type of man who usually spent the night on the couch, and he didn't enjoy it. He barely got any sleep. However, it wasn't clear if that was due to his discomfort or his guilty conscience.
He stood up and stretched. Typically, Alex would start his day with a brief workout and meditation, but it wasn't a normal day. He had no desire to hit the gym. He sighed as he glanced around the disheveled room. It was almost like a symbol of everything he and his friends had been through. The living room was a disaster, but somehow it was still standing. Well, Alex thought. Looks like it's a new day. Hopefully, that means it's also a new chance to make things right.
With that in mind, he shuffled into the kitchen.
Debbie was already awake, brewing a pot of coffee. She turned around when she heard Alex walk in. "How'd you sleep?"
Alex rubbed his eyes. "Like a baby."
Debbie pursed her lips at the joke. "Well, I didn't sleep well at all."
Alex looked down at his feet. "I'm so sorry, Debbie. You don't deserve this. I hope you can forgive me."
She grabbed two coffee mugs from the cupboard. "I had a chat with Yvonne last night."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "You talked with Yvonne?" He feared what she was about to say next. Did Yvonne actually tell Debbie about the kiss?
Without looking at Alex, Debbie nodded. "I did, and she told me about how you always say that you love me more than anyone and that you'd never do anything to intentionally hurt me."
His stomach churned. He felt more guilty than ever. He had to push his emotions down. Deep down. He had to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to lie, but he also didn't want to tell the whole truth. "I really didn't want to hurt you, Debbie. I do love you, more than anyone or anything. I was incredibly stupid."
Debbie poured the coffee into the mugs. "Yes, yes you were."
Alex bit his bottom lip. He knew he was in the wrong, but he had to fight to save his relationship. "It was a horrible mistake, and it's one I'm not keen on making again. I hope you can forgive me."
Debbie considered what Alex said. In the meantime, she fixed Alex's drink exactly the way he liked it, with a lot of cream and a little bit of sugar. "In time, I can forgive you. But for right now, I'm still really upset."
Alex gave her an understanding nod. "You should be."
She handed him his drink, then brought her hand to his cheek. "I love you, Alex Ambrose. I don't know what I'd do without you. I want to fix this."
Alex kissed Debbie on the forehead. "You don't have anything to fix. I'm the one that has to do the mending, and trust me, I'm going to do whatever it takes. You're the love of my life."
Debbie planted a warm, loving kiss on her boyfriend's lips. When she pulled away, Alex smirked at her. He was lost in her eyes. "So, can I sleep in the bed tonight? Or am I still sequestered on the couch?"
Debbie crossed her arms across her chest. She jokingly furrowed her eyebrows. "Alex Ambrose, is that all you care about?"
Alex pretended to limp as he hobbled toward the kitchen island. "It's all I can think about."
Debbie playfully pushed his arm. "Oh, you jerk."
While the two lovebirds rekindled the flames of their romance, Yvonne stood at the foot of the staircase, silently watching them.
She quickly wiped a tear off her cheek. Gosh, I know I shouldn't be crying, but I wish he were mine, no matter how wrong that is, she thought.