THE FALL OUT

After the emotionally charged gathering, Dr. Raymond returned to his home, seething. The mansion felt colder than usual, the walls echoing with silence rather than the warmth it once knew. He walked into his office and shut the door firmly behind him, the sound reverberating like the closing of a casket. The fire in the hearth crackled quietly, throwing golden light across the room, but even that warmth couldn't thaw the coldness in his heart.

He slumped into his chair, his eyes scanning the dark mahogany desk where several documents lay open — untouched. He wasn't reading. He was lost.

His thoughts drifted painfully back to a time that felt like a different lifetime. He remembered the day of Alice's graduation. The garden was decorated with balloons and white tents. The aroma of fresh cake, laughter in the air, champagne flutes clinking, his daughters in white dresses twirling beneath the sunshine — Roseline smiling, radiant, alive.

Kennedith was still Alice's husband then, standing proudly beside her, arm around her waist. Pete had been Kennedith's best friend, constantly cracking jokes, keeping everyone laughing. That day, their family was whole. The mansion had been filled with life, with joy.

Now it was a shell.

And it all began to crumble when Jedidiah entered the picture.

His jaw clenched. He stood abruptly, pacing. "That boy," he muttered aloud, voice filled with venom. "He saw things he shouldn't have. Heard what wasn't meant for him."

Dr. Raymond's eyes narrowed Jedidiah had seen too much. He overheard things no one else was supposed to. He had witnessed shady deals and stumbled upon scenes that were never meant for his eyes. As he recalled the first time his trust in Jedidiah wavered — that unfortunate evening when Jedidiah had walked into a conversation about a government contract scandal involving fake environmental certifications. He had remained silent then, especially until after the death of Dr. Raymond's wife—the doctor's distrust of him only grew. Fueled by paranoia and guilt, he said nothing… but the look in his eyes had said enough.

Then came the incident. The one he couldn't erase from his mind — the one Jedidiah witnessed. A moment of betrayal, a personal crime. Jedidiah had seen it. Though he never told a soul, Roseline found out. That moment planted the seed of distrust that bloomed into hatred.

And yet, for the sake of appearances, Dr. Raymond had to pretend.

He sat back down, leaned forward, and whispered to himself, "Once everything is done, I'll chase Jedidiah out of my life. I won't have to see his face again. five more months… I just have to keep pretending for five more months. I can't risk him spilling my secrets or blackmailing me."

Four months passed.

Under Jedidiah's leadership, the company flourished. Everyone worked tirelessly, following his every instruction with his intelligence and unmatched dedication, contributed immensely to a collaborative project that promised to revolutionize their technological status. He even allowed Hayden to take most of the credit, hoping to smoothen relations after the scandal. Jedidiah played a key role in the engineering phase, and progress was evident.

That company proposed a collaboration — a revolutionary leap in tech innovation. Jedidiah began working with their engineering team, pushing boundaries, innovating at an unmatched pace.

But Hayden, ever envious, began to bask in undeserved glory. Despite knowing Jedidiah was the brain behind the progress, Jedidiah allowed Hayden to claim credit. He wanted to quiet the media storm that had followed Hayden's earlier scandal.

The company buzzed with progress.

One late evening, as Jedidiah exited his lab, he noticed lights in a conference room that were usually dark at that hour. Curiosity sparked, he walked toward it.

As he drew closer, voices emerged. Hayden. Aquileia. And a man with a striking presence — tall, sharply dressed in a white suit and polished black shoes, his voice deep and commanding. Through the glass, Jedidiah watched them speak intently over documents.

He stepped forward.

Hayden's face twisted in irritation. "What are you doing here? Can't you see this is a private meeting? Or do you just like sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?"

Jedidiah smiled coolly. "Apologies. I didn't know there was a meeting."

He glanced at the elegantly dressed man, whose eyes locked onto Jedidiah's with strange familiarity. Jedidiah gave a nod, turned, and walked away. Behind him, the man in the white suit gave a slight nod — permission to continue.

Aquileia hesitated. "Sir Lockwood… I know Jedidiah is brilliant, but shouldn't we slow down on this? We haven't done full simulations, and something about this feels rushed."

But the man cut her off. "Jedidiah is a genius—and a dangerous one. If we don't act now, he will figure everything out and stop your ascent. The fact that he saw us together already puts you at a 70% chance of failure."

The room fell silent. No one expected the man to know Jedidiah

Aquileia's suspicion grew. Hayden, however, seemed unfazed and shook the man's hand, sealing the deal. Later, both of them met with Dr. Raymond at his home. Aquileia explained the meeting's outcome, expressing her doubts.

"We should inform Jedidiah," she insisted. "He has more experience."

Dr. Raymond exploded, slapping her across the face. "It's my company! I'll run it as I please! I don't need anyone's permission."

Aquileia, hurt and humiliated, left the room. Hayden added insult to injury: "You always side with Jedidiah. How do I know you didn't orchestrate him seeing us?"

Dr. Raymond, now visibly pleased, shook Hayden's hand. "Well done. You're proving to be a fine future CEO. Let's launch the plan tomorrow."

The following day, the company was brimming with celebration. Decorations adorned the halls. Jedidiah entered quietly, observing everything. He walked toward the conference room but was stopped by Aquileia.

"Hello," he greeted.

She stood awkwardly. "Are you thirsty? We could grab some water."

"No, thank you," he replied with a smile.

"How about I show you your office designs?"

"No, thank you."

She kept asking questions, growing increasingly nervous.

He finally said, "You do realize I'm not a six-year-old, right? What's going on? Why are you trying to stop me from going in there? Is it about what I saw yesterday? Don't worry—I haven't said anything."

She looked around nervously, ready to confess something, but before she could speak, Hayden called them both in for the meeting.

Inside the room, Jedidiah noticed the man from the previous night—Sir Lockwood, introduced as the CEO of Lockwood Inc.

"Thanks to Mr. Lockwood's support," Hayden announced, "we'll be releasing our new gadget in three days. This project was perfected in just a week."

Jedidiah interrupted, "What gadget? And what exactly does it do?"

Hayden smiled. "It's a one-of-a-kind VRS—Virtual Reality Simulator."

"Has it been tested? Have you seen it?"

"No. But I trust Mr. Lockwood wouldn't bring danger into our company. His name is on the contract."

Jedidiah's eyes narrowed. "You didn't read the contract, did you?"

Hayden, furious, snapped. "I don't need to read it all. I'm next in line to lead this company. We've done more in two weeks with Mr. Lockwood than we did in six months with you. You're no longer needed. We'll take a vote."

The votes were cast. Everyone voted Jedidiah out—except Aquileia.

Jedidiah stood, calm and composed. He smirked at Hayden and then at Lockwood. "Well played, Lockwood."

To the board, he said, "VRS may seem like a fun simulator, but its features emit dangerously high levels of gamma rays—strong enough to kill. That's why Lockwood's company never tests it on their own people. They use desperate volunteers who sign away their rights. If you insist on proceeding, you'll document that I warned you and was voted out."

Hayden hastily ordered the paperwork. A stamped copy was handed to Jedidiah. He took it, smiled faintly, and left.

At Dr. Raymond's mansion, he sat at the dining table, reviewing documents.

Jedidiah entered.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the office?" he asked with mock concern.

"Drop the act," Jedidiah replied. "You're terrible at it."

Dr. Raymond's smile vanished.

"So you figured it out. Took you long enough. I've hated you for years."

Jedidiah's voice dropped. "You're that desperate?"

"Don't you dare—"

Jedidiah cut him off. "No. Now you listen. You want to sell a dangerous, untested gadget just for money. What happens when people die? Will you bury them like your secrets? Or take responsibilities which you have never done?"

Dr. Raymond's face paled.

"You broke Alice's heart. You betrayed your wife. You weren't even man enough to bury her. I did. So don't you dare blame me for your failures. I don't remember being the reason you became unfaithful or a killer. I've had to play nice for the sake of the company. Not anymore."

He turned to leave.

Everyone nearby—Kate, Sophia, Kennedith—stood frozen in shock. The truth had erupted like a storm.

Meanwhile, Aquileia, disturbed by the events, left the office and arrived at Dr. Raymond's mansion. Kate, surprisingly, told her where Jedidiah was. She found him at the airport.

"Thank you," Jedidiah said gently. "For your help over these last four months."

"You could stay. Try to fix this," she pleaded.

"I know we've had our differences—especially after high school—but hear me: leave while you still can. You don't know who Raymond and Lockwood really are."

He handed her a letter. "Give this to Alice."

He boarded the plane and vanished.

Back at the mansion, Hayden's fury exploded.

"Why are you following him like a servant? We voted him out and still—you run after him! You're a traitor. A cheat! You're fired—immediately. We're done! Personally and professionally."

Aquileia said nothing. She simply left, heartbroken.

Later that day, she dropped the letter at Alice's house with a handwritten note.

When Alice returned, she picked it up, went inside, bathed, dressed, ate quietly. Then she opened the letter.

Her eyes widened. Tears burst from them like a dam breaking. Her knees buckled. She collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably...