1. The Night of Haze Wilburn's End

Haze Wilburn.

That name was written on the white tag hanging by his neck. He took it off and tucked it into the pocket of his pants. Looking into the rearview mirror, he made sure to appear neat after ten hours of long, arduous work in the office. At the end of the week, the game he worked on was finally ready to meet its potential investor.

"Ready to meet the money bag now?"

Haze turned to face a man in a pink dress shirt donning a light blue suit jacket. "You sound like I'm about to volunteer as a tribute from district twelve."

"Maybe you are? I can see you holding a rusty sword against a gatling gun because you're too slow to move."

"Shut it, Derek. I don't want to mess this up now, when the company is only one signature away from receiving a one million dollar investment."

Derek Phillips nodded and put on a serious face. "Good to know you're such a responsible adult, because my company's future depends on your new game. If we screw this up, I'll be forced to announce bankruptcy."

"That's why I told you to stop gambling. But, hey, after the torturous high school and university years I have to spend with you, I won't let you live on the streets."

"Aren't you grateful to have me as your boss and your best friend at the same time?"

"Yeah, thanks for letting me work my arse off for you, Derek."

"No probs." Derek smacked his back hard. He beckoned them to enter the four-star restaurant where they would meet with their future big investor and seal the deal.

It was already time for dinner when they arrived. But after half an hour of waiting, their client hasn't shown up yet. Derek called the client's assistant, and they had to wait for another fifteen minutes.

When a tall blond dressed in white suit entered their private dining booth, Derek stood up and greeted the man. "Good afternoon, Mr. Randall." He flicked his eyes to the girl under his arm, taking into account that she was the investor's date for the night.

"I believe we'll work together from now on for a long time, so just call me Kain." The tall blond said, proudly smiling when he noticed that Derek's eyes flicked to the girl under his arm. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't notify you sooner, but I hope you don't mind me bringing along my girlfriend here?"

"Oh, of course, not, sir." Derek let them sit, welcoming them with a gesture.

But not Haze.

His eyes were locked on the girl under Kain's arm.

And Kain knew that. His smile stretched wider knowing it, as if he was very proud of the girl in his arm.

Frozen in place, Haze could only whisper the name of the girl in Kain's arm. "…Vicky?"

"Oh, you know him, honey?" Kain jokingly asked the girl, Vicky.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Wh-what are- what are you doing here?" Haze stuttered, still in disbelief at the moment. "I-I-I thought you were in your hometown, visiting your sick mother?"

"Maybe I did?" Vicky didn't sound convincing as she leaned further into Kain's arm.

"Oh, you really do know him?" Kain concluded, scoffing at Haze. "Who are you again?"

Haze's mind was running rampant, too distracted by the reality in front of him to answer Kain right away. Derek must step in to fill the silence.

"He's my best developer, Haze Wilburn."

Kain offered his hand for a shake. "I believe this is the first time we meet, Mr. Wilburn."

Haze slapped the hand away in a confused rage and shot a question. "What are you doing with my girlfriend?!"

"Your girlfriend?" Kain repeated, then chuckled in amusement. "She's right here in front of you, Mr. Wilburn. I believe you can ask her directly, with respect."

Haze's anger welled up as he looked at his girlfriend under another man's arm. "I don't respect cheaters."

Vicky scoffed in apparent disgruntlement, "I'm not a cheater if I already broke my relationship with you."

"What?! When?! You never–"

"Now."

"Huh?"

"I'm breaking up with you right now," Vicky sternly said, "So, don't call me a cheater again."

Haze's world seemed to stop on its axis. His mind couldn't process what his girlfriend was saying. “…what are you…”

"I'm done with you." Vicky stated clearly to him. "I'm done waiting for you to marry me. I'm done waiting for you every night, where we're supposed to go out but you bailed because you have work. If it's cheating, you're the one who cheated on me, Haze. Maybe you're really working late every day, or maybe you're fucking your colleague in the office. Who knows?"

"You know I'd never do something like that!"

"I don't know if I can believe you anymore."

"Of course, you can! Have I ever lied to you?"

Vicky shrugged again, meeting his eyes with a cold stare. "You said you'll take me on a holiday for our first year anniversary, but no. You didn't."

"Because I have to save my money for that diamond ring you want when I propose!" Haze's voice raised ever so slightly. "How can I buy you things when you want me to work less?"

"I don't know," Vicky merely grunted.

He was about to explode in frustration at this sudden turn of events, but Kain stepped in and said, "I see we have reached a conclusion here."

"…what?"

"You, Mr. Wilburn, cannot satisfy such a lovely girl like this, whether for her material or biological needs. I hope you know your place, because I can grant whatever my girlfriend wants right here, right now."

"Oh, Kain, I know I'm so lucky to be with you." Vicky kissed the young CEO's lips in front of Haze.

"Of course, honey. I'll get you everything you want. Just say please, and your word is my command."

It was a searing humiliation.

Haze's fists shook by his side, and he gritted his teeth to stop himself from punching the insufferable man kissing his girlfriend. But when he saw Kain's tongue enter his girlfriend's mouth, there was nothing holding him back.

Bhug!

Haze's fist connected nicely with Kain's face, right after he wrenched the young CEO apart from his girlfriend's mouth. Rage in his eyes, Haze moved to give his second punch, but it was stopped by none other than his own best friend.

"Let me go, Derek!"

"Did you forget who that man is?" Derek asked him urgently, "I have to stop you from punching our investor."

"I don't give a fuck–"

"I do!" Derek cut him. "It's my company. I built it from nothing, Haze. I will not let you ruin this big chance just because your ego is hurt!"

"But–"

"Oh, right…" Kain massaged his punched cheek, looking down at Haze with mockery. "The one million I want to invest…"

Derek's eyes were glued to the young CEO. "I will make sure we spend it wisely, Mr. Randall."

"Nah, I won't give it to you."

"I'm sorry?" Derek looked terrified. "I must have misheard it, but did you say–"

"You heard me right." Kain smiled coldly at them. "I won't give it to you. Not even a penny."

"But, sir–"Derek panicked. All the work he had done to get this chance of getting a one million investment would be for nothing. He couldn't let it end like this. "Surely you can reconsider it. My company is new, but with all the games we make, I promise you, my company will be–"

Kain cut him again. "I no longer care for your company. One million dollars is nothing for me. But, him," his eyes flicked to Haze, just before he looked at Derek again, "If you can make him beg forgiveness for punching me, then I can reconsider. I can even give you twice the amount if he gets down on his knees in front of me."

Haze would never lower his self-respect to kneel and beg forgiveness from the man his girlfriend cheated with. "I will never–"

Thud!

Before he knew it, Derek had pulled him down to the floor and kept him there with two strong hands.

"Say sorry," he told Haze, "Say sorry and ask for forgiveness!"

"No."

"Say it!"

"No!" Haze gritted his teeth and tried to push himself. But he wasn't as strong or muscled as Derek, so it was impossible. Down on his hands and knees, Haze was humiliated and betrayed at once.

He couldn't believe that his best friend would force him to do this for a big sum of money.

Looking up in anger at Kain and the girl whom he used to love, Haze promised one thing, "I will never forgive you for this."

"You're the one who should say sorry, bastard!" Derek frantically pushed him down again, terrified at the prospect of losing Kain's big investment in his company. "I will not let you ruin my chance! I don't want you to ruin my company!"

"Then you're just the same as her," Haze let the anger slip past his clenched jaws, "You only see money–"

"Yes, I do! So what?!"

Never would Haze have thought that he'd lose two important people at the same time. He lost his girlfriend and best friend to the same person – to the same cause.

Money.

Something he didn't have.

"Well, you know what," Kain mused through Haze's distress, "I'd rather make love to my new girlfriend than wait for a worthless loser to apologize to me. Maybe spend that two million for a cruise ship so no one will bother us tonight."

"That sounds so lovely, Kain! I love you so much!"

"Wait! Mr. Randall, please wait!" Derek called up, panicking in between. "I'll make him apologize! Please, my company needs your investment!"

Kain lingered and looked back, peering down at Haze with a mocking gaze. "I'll give you a week. If you can do what I asked earlier, I'll give those two million to you."

"Understood, sir," Derek said obediently, nodding as Kain and Vicky left the private dining booth.

Haze was still in shock, trying to process everything at once. How could he end up like thi–

Bhug!

A solid hit broke his nose.

"It's all your fault!" Derek pulled his hand back and shot, "It's all your fault, you fucking bastard!"

"Argh…"

Haze could only take the hits his once best friend gave to his face. Not only that, Derek also targeted his stomach, kicking his body to release the anger for the next minute.

Soon, the restaurant's waiters tried to separate them, as curious customers saw with hushed conversations between them.

He didn't care anymore.

Haze felt hands around his arms, bringing him out of the restaurant after the security guards dragged out Derek. Not knowing what to do, he merely brushed off the medical assistance the restaurant's waiter offered. Instead, he asked for permission to use the back door, not wanting to meet the mad Derek at the front door.

He bought two cans of cheap beer, an ice pack, and tissues at a convenience store. Then, he walked aimlessly while holding his hurting stomach and stopped at a park with flickering lamps. Sitting on the wooden bench, he lamented his life. The tissue didn't help, but the ice pack made his face numb, so it was fine.

Thankfully, he grabbed those beers. Now was the best time to drink. And feeling sad.

"How can my life turn to shit like this?"

Suddenly, a car skidded to a halt right in front of him. He was so surprised that the beer can almost slipped from his fingers. But what happened next surprised him even more.

From the car, a man got out of the driver's side.

It shouldn't be memorable nor catch his attention in the slightest. However, the stranger shared the exact, same face as he was, as if they were twins.

Impossible.

"I found you," the stranger who had his face said, voice wavering as if he was in pain. Three more steps and his knees buckled. His body dropped right to Haze's arms. "Now, everything is in your hand."

And the stranger who had his face coughed blood on him.

He was dying.