CHAPTER ONE: Best friends are always Partners in crime.

Fifteen years later, 

Joseph put his phone on speaker, placed it on a stool close to the tub and pulled off his underwear as he sank into the warm water. This was one feeling he loved, letting the warmth of the water calm him.

Closing his eyes for a second as he listened to his friends speak about their experiences last night.

Just like every Friday night, the boys partied. Taking cocaine till they were beyond high, sleeping with countless girls till they had let out all the trauma their families put them through, once they were sober enough, they'd become high again and look for more women to fuck.

"Mehnnnn, the blondie could not resist a little teasing. Few minutes laters and she fucked the redhead wildly." One of his friends narrated.

Chuckling, he responded to his friend, "I told you already. Those bitches would do anything for only two things: Dick and some dollar bills" 

"True bro. True". His other friend agreed.

Grabbing a washcloth, he began to wash himself thoroughly. He had another wild experience last night, he came home very early in the morning, too hungover to do anything but rest. 

After sleeping for most of the day, he woke up around six pm to take a bath and then fix something to eat.

"Boys! Are you guys up for it? I've got this little party on Sunday as early as 11pm", Omar chuckled as he said the last part.

"Hell yeah. I wouldn't miss it for anything. Joseph, are you still there?" Fyodor asked.

Bringing his head out of the water, he replied "What's the dress code?"

The trio had been friends right from their high school days. On the day that they had met, Fyodor was being bullied by some seniors for having a weird name. They had confronted the seniors but the trio were all then bullied together. 

A few months later, the trio had set a trap for their seniors, they poured raw eggs on those seniors on their prom day. Although they were punished by the school for their actions, the look on the senior's face as they had ruined their outfit was more satisfying.

Years had passed since high school and the friends still stood together.They had stuck to one another through thick and thin. They saw each other as brothers.

Joseph had met them and became friends with them when he moved to New York with his mother who is presently married to the man who calls himself his biological father- the man he had caught his mother with, fifteen years ago.

When they were all aware that they came from ugly families, the fact that they had no one else but themselves, tightened their bond. The three friends are three CEOs of their father's business.

Omar Asghar is from Dubai but was born and bred the American way. He is the one and only son of his father. After the death of his mother, his father got married to another woman barely three months after the passing of his mother. Like his mother meant nothing to her. Even though their marriage was not based on love, he could have mourned and respected her for at least a year or two.

Ever since then, he totally  disliked his father so much and said little to him but continued to receive his lessons to train him to be the heir of his father's business.

To top it all, the woman came to his father with a protruding belly. She was carrying a child who would soon be born. After all these years, his stepmother gave birth to five females all together, with zero male children. Leaving Omar as the rightful successor to his father's business.

The thought that she would be at the mercy of Omar, if Alhaji Asghar should give up the ghost, made Alhaja Asghar so bitter towards Omar. She hated him with every fiber in her. 

And she made sure to inflict pain in any way that she could. She had told countless lies to his father about the boy. But his sisters love him genuinely and he loves them in return. They always call him 'al'akh al'akbar'.

 Fyodor Babanin hails from Russia. He also immigrated to America in his childhood days.

When he came with his family, he could not even speak correct English and was made fun of by so many students in school.

He got bullied by so many students before he became friends with Joseph and Omar.

Unlike the other two boys, whose problems are either or both parents. His parents are   legally married and very loving towards him.

His only problem was his elder brother, who hated his guts. His elder brother is the typical 'overindulged' child. He got all he wanted, spent money the way he wanted and always got what he wanted at any time and any place. But he does not work at all. 

Despite being the younger child. Fyodor works his ass off at his father's company to pay for the frivolous lifestyle his brother lives. Yet, his brother is not satisfied.

His brother keeps complaining that he's the one that's expected to man his father's company when he retires and not his younger brother.

Their parents knew exactly the best decision for their company and knew that if they still wanted their company to keep its good  reputation-that it's kept for almost a hundred years- then they had to make the younger son as heir.

His brother has caused a lot of trouble for him right from their childhood days. 

Disconnecting the call, Joseph grabbed a towel and wiped his body clean, he put on a robe, grabbed his phone and put on his flip flops as he geared to the kitchen to grab his food.

Detaching the little note attached to the microwave, he read the note his housekeeper/cook left:

         

           Thought you had 

     passed away when you did not come down for breakfast. Enjoy your breakfast, lunch.      and dinner all served in one bowl. Lol

                     -M-

Maria is his housekeeper who is in her mid forties. She is a short but very humorous Hispanic woman.

Smiling, he grabbed his food and sat at the dining table and ate alone. 

He reminisced about the days when he used to enjoy his meals with the only father he will ever know, who would always dishevel his hair. The man who made him who he is today. 

After finishing his food, he threw the dirty plate into the dishwasher and did the cleaning.

Joseph preferred to live alone than to leave with his mother and her husband. When his mother took full custody of him with no conditions of visitation for his father, claiming that he was not the biological father, Joseph refused to stay with her but moved from one boarding school to another until he graduated and started to work in his father's company and saved enough to buy himself a comfortable place.

Although it's the family tradition that he eats dinner with them every Wednesday to which he's never looking forward to.

His mother keeps begging him to forgive them and let them live happily but he won't listen. His biological father, on the other hand, rarely talks so he hardly asks him to come home.

After his meal, he looked for an outfit to wear to the party tomorrow before sitting in his study to deal with work.

Life as a CEO is hectic and demanding.