That Fateful Day

Lee sat in his office, staring at the small clock on is desk. It was almost 11:30 in the morning. He was thinking about what happened earlier in the elevator with Josh but this time, he didn't smile. He felt pain every time he saw Josh. He remembered everything that had happened to them like it happened just yesterday.

Lee and Josh met when they were in college. They were both taking Business Management course. Lee was taking morning classes then but during his third year in college, he enrolled late so all the classes in the morning were already full. He didn't have any choice but to take one class during nights. That was when he met Josh.

Josh has always been in the night classes because he worked during the day to support his studies. He didn't come from a wealthy family, but he wouldn't call himself poor either. Both his parents worked hard so they could send him and his two younger sisters to good universities.

In the class that Lee and Josh were together, they became partners for a research project and that was how their friendship started. They grew closer, and Lee, being an only child, treated Josh like he was his brother. He would even go to their house and hangout there. He would bring food, sometimes he would bring beer. Although Josh's parents didn't approve of Lee because they felt he might be a bad influence to their son, Josh still let him hangout at their home because he felt sorry for Lee for not having anyone to talk to at home. Lee came from a wealthy family and his parents were always traveling, either for leisure or for business, sometimes for both. He would be alone in their house most of the time, with their maids and a driver. Lee had always been open with Josh about his loneliness at home, about how he wished he had a family like Josh's, and how he wished he could find a woman to love and would love him in return.

When they graduated, Lee landed a job at the Enriquez Group of Companies as an Assistant Supervisor. Josh on the other hand was still looking for work. After about six months of working there, the company opened hiring for two Office Assistants. Lee told Josh about it. Josh applied for the job and he got it. The other Office Assistant was a female, her name was Alynna.

Lee would frequently visit Josh at his floor. Lee also met Alynna who worked there with Josh. He and Josh became friends with Alynna. The three of them would have lunch and coffee breaks together. Josh and Alynna lived close to each other so that they would go home together. Lee would sometimes drive both his friends home before going home to his apartment that he rented when he moved out from their house after their college graduation.

After a couple of months, Lee started having feelings for Alynna. He told Josh about it.

"I think I'm in love with Alynna but I'm afraid to ask her out. Do you think she'll want to go out with me?" He asked Josh one day as they were hanging out at Josh's place, watching a basketball game on TV.

Josh was surprised. "I don't know. Why don't you just ask her?"

"I'm afraid if she rejects me, I'll end up losing not only her but our friendship as well."

"Well, it's a risk you will have to take, I guess." Josh said to Lee. He was also starting to have feelings for Alynna but because Lee was his friend, he decided to keep it to himself. "You and Alynna would make a perfect pair. I'm sure she will say yes." Josh assured Lee.

A week after that, Lee finally mustered courage to ask Alynna out.

"Alynna, I was wondering if we can have dinner tonight?"

Alynna thought it was just a friendly offer. "Sure! I don't have anything to do tonight." She smiled. Lee's heart was leaping inside him.

"Okay, great! I'll see you after work then."

That night, Lee took Alynna to a fancy restaurant.

"I thought Josh was coming with us."

"No, he had take care of something at work."

"I see," Alynna said. Lee sensed she was disappointed that Josh wasn't with them.

"How about we order now? What will you have?"

They ended up ordering the same food. They had fun talking for hours before heading home. As they were driving, Alynna kept talking about Josh. This annoyed Lee.

"Why do you keep talking about Josh? I'm the one with you right now. Can we please talk about something else?"

"I didn't know this was bothering you. I thought you and Josh are friends?"

"We are but I don't want to talk about him right now. I want to talk about us."

"What do you mean by 'us'?" Alynna was shocked.

"Alynna, I have feelings for you. I want to get to know you more."

"I'm so sorry, Lee. But I think there has been some misunderstanding here." Alynna looked at Lee. "I thought this was just dinner between friends?"

"It is. But I want it to be more. Don't you like me, Alynna?" Lee's voice shook but he didn't know why.

"I like you, Lee, but only as a friend. I'm sorry but I cannot give you more than that. I, I… I'm in love with someone else." Alynna whispered her last sentence.

"You're in love with someone else? And who might I ask is the lucky guy? Is it Josh?"

Alynna didn't answer. She looked away from Lee.

"Is it Josh?" Lee repeated, this time a little louder.

"It doesn't matter," Alynna finally replied.

"It matters to me," Lee said.

"Well, if you must know — yes. Yes, it is Josh." Alynna said, she was now close to crying.

"Why that son of a-! I told him I like you and what does he do? He goes behind my back!" Lee gripped the steering wheel so hard Alynna could see the hands on his veins.

"Calm down, Lee." Alynna touched Lee's arm. "Please calm down or we might get into an accident."

Lee wasn't listening. He stepped on the gas harder. They were driving so fast he could hear the engine whirr loudly.

"Lee, please," Alynna begged.

By this time, Lee just kept driving fast. His mind was racing, too. He thought Josh had betrayed him. He thought of ways to make Josh pay.

"Lee, look out!" Alynna screamed.

Lee snapped out. He stepped on the breaks but it was too late. The car spun out of control. The last thing he heard was Alynna's scream and the sound of metal crashing together. He felt his head hit something hard. He looked over at Alynna and saw that she was bleeding. He noticed the car door was open and then he passed out.

. . .

"He's conscious." Lee heard someone say.

"Let's get him out of here," another voice said.

Lee could feel he was being carried to an ambulance. He tried hard to speak.

"Where's the lady with me? Is she ok?" The man didn't answer.

"The lady with me, is she alive?" Lee asked again.

"She's breathing, Sir, but she is still in the wreckage. They're still trying to get her out. We will take you to a hospital to get you treated."

Lee passed out again. When he woke up, he was in the hospital.

"Can you remember what happened?" The doctor asked as he checked him in the emergency room.

"No, it's all a blur. The only thing I remember is that we were driving and then the next thing I know, I'm being carried to an ambulance."

The doctor took some notes and then gave it to the nurse.

"Later, the police will ask you for a statement. Will that be alright with you?"

"Sure," Lee replied. Then he remembered Alynna. "Is there any news about the lady who was with me in the car?"

"I don't have knowledge about that. Maybe you can ask the police later when they come in to talk to you. For now, get some rest. The orderly will take you to your room later. Also, please give the contact number of your family to the nurse so that we can notify them that you have been admitted here." The doctor went out of the emergency room.

"Who would you like us to call for you, Sir?" The nurse asked.

Lee pondered for a moment. His father and mother were out of the country and he didn't have any relatives nearby. He doesn't want to call their household help either. The only person he could think of was Josh but he hesitated. Josh was the reason they had an accident, or so Lee believed. But he didn't have any other person in mind so he gave Josh's number to the nurse.

After a couple of minutes, the nurse came back.

"Sir, we already contacted the person you gave us but he said he is with the female you were with in the car. Is there another person we can call for you?"

"No, there is no other you can call," Lee replied and looked away. "Just take me to my room please."

Lee felt tears flow down the sides of his face.

"Alynna called Josh instead of her parents," he thought. Now, more than ever, he believed that Josh and Alynna had betrayed him.

"I will make Josh pay for what happened here," Lee vowed to himself. He's determined to make Josh's life as miserable as he could possibly can.