Some wounds never heal

As I stood before the Italian-style mansion in the heart of New York's Hudson Valley, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust. The grand estate, with its terracotta rooftops and ornate stone carvings, seemed to mock me, its opulence a stark reminder of Stiff's betrayal. The mansion's sprawling gardens and manicured lawns stretched out like a verdant oasis, a testament to the excesses of the wealthy elite.

I remembered how Stiff had boasted about the mansion's custom-designed interior, its marble floors and crystal chandeliers.

He had spared no expense in creating his own personal palace, a monument to his ego and greed. The mansion's location, nestled in the exclusive enclave of Bedford Hills, only added to its allure, a haven for the rich and powerful.

To me, though, it was a symbol of everything that was wrong with the world, a gaudy display of wealth and status that had come at the cost of friendship and loyalty.

I stood before the grand mansion, my disheveled appearance a stark contrast to the opulence before me. From my side, my long time friend, and the best (only) philosopher I knew, Mindy, caught my eye, and I spared her a glance.

"Can you believe it's been so long?" Mindy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," I replied, shaking my head. "It feels like a lifetime ago."

We stood in silence for a moment, taking in the mansion's grandeur.

"Do you remember when Stiff first showed us this place?" Mindy asked, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"How could I forget?" I said, a bitter tone creeping into my voice. "He was so proud of himself, flaunting his newfound wealth like it was a badge of honor."

"And he expected us to be impressed," Mindy added, her eyes rolling. "Like we'd be okay with him selling out like that."

"Selling out is exactly what he did," I said, his voice rising. "He threw away our friendship, our trust, for a fat bank account and a fancy house."

"I know," Mindy said, her voice softening. "But he thought he could buy our forgiveness, didn't he? Thought he could just share the wealth and we'd forget what he'd done."

"Forget?" I repeated, incredulous. That was never considered, the betrayal had been beyond forgiveness. "How could we forget? He broke us, Mindy. He shattered our trust and left us to pick up the pieces."

We stood in silence for a moment, lost in thought.

"I guess some wounds never heal," Mindy said finally.

"No," I agreed. "But we are stronger for having survived them."

As we spoke, the mansion loomed before us, a constant reminder of the betrayal and heartache that had transpired within its walls. My gaze lingered on the grand entrance, my mind replaying the memories we'd shared, the laughter, the tears, the shattered dreams.

"It's hard to believe it's come to this," Mindy said, breaking the silence.

"I know," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "But here we are."

And with that, we stood there, two souls adrift, our shared past hanging precariously in the balance.

Ten years lost and now living in squalor because of the respectable Retd. Colonel George Frederick Stiff. I still remember when I first met the man. It had been when I was transferred to a special unit under his command, the Black Eagle special force. It was in Black Eagle I'd also met Mindy, Miranda Castle. We'd quickly struck a quick friendship after getting to work together.

We complemented each other so much that it was noticed. I was a wonderful field sergeant and Mindy was the best tech support one could ever wish for. I was so good at improvising and she had been an awesome strategist. I'd been talented in handling war machines and guns, a literal gunslinging powder monkey, and she had been trained in several martial arts forms.

Stiff had immediately taken note of us. He began to get close, beyond what we should have professionally allowed for a commander like him, but we'd felt lucky. For years we were one of the few subordinates who had the friendship and favor of a high ranking official.

And then came the day we woke up to an arrest for having been selling military hardware to smugglers and black market. Stiff himself testified against us in our court martial and provided evidence that saw him spend the next ten years in military jail.

He never visited until the day of our release. I'd stepped out of the facility to meet a car waiting for me. Mindy had been inside the car and the chauffeur had aid that he'd been ordered to bring us to Stiff. He'd brought us to this very mansion.

We'd met Stiff who'd greeted us like a decade hadn't gone by. Mindy hadn't been very tolerant of that and confronted him with some heated words.

According to the Colonel we had been a sacrifice for the greater good. He'd admitted to framing us for what he did, but had stated that all could be forgiven and looked past as we had a share in the empire he'd built since we were sentenced and he left the military. Apparently he'd done his best to lessen our sentence and then retired to form an international mercenary company, employing many former members of Black Eagle to it. He'd offered employment to us, leaders of zonal directorates. We'd rejected, of course, and Mindy had threatened to report but he'd simply scoffed and shrugged.

According to Stiff no one would believe her as he had friends in high places. We found out the truth of this the hard way. No one believed us, no one trusted us. To everyone we were formerly convicted ex soldiers who had betrayed our country. Our words and actions held no credibility.

After that we were doomed. Mindy at least had a sister who had been willing to take her in. Me, I'd lost everything and had nothing.

I came out of jail two weeks ago and fell right into homelessness.