Author's Pov

Every coin has two sides, each displaying different pictures or symbols with various meanings. We can't see both sides at once. Similarly, every incident in our lives has multiple facets, which we cannot perceive all at the same time. Our understanding depends on daily activities, emotions, reactions, different situations, the motives of the people around us, and most importantly, our point of view.

For example, whether we are at home, on study premises, or at work, if we slip and fall on the floor, our first thought is usually that it was our own clumsiness that caused us to miss the water on the floor and get hurt.

It never occurs to us at first that perhaps someone might pour water on the floor intentionally to make us fall and get hurt.

We don't initially think that someone might want to harm us directly or indirectly. We cannot imagine that some people might harbor desires in their hearts to prevent us from living our lives peacefully and happily.

It was a perfect example that described Olivia's current situation. She believed that everything happening to her was a consequence of decisions she had made years ago, including her mistaken perception of her husband's true nature. Consequently, her old enemies seized the opportunity to exact revenge on both her and her father.

Actually, she had only been seeing one side of all the incidents. Unbeknownst to her, everything happening at that time was part of a conspiracy by certain individuals seeking revenge against her and her father. These people aimed to achieve multiple objectives with their actions, and had been plotting their destruction for many years.

Everything began 25 years ago when Mr. Ronaldo Whitley officially met Miss Evelyn Taylor to solve a serial murder case.

                                ***

                         25 Years Ago

"Ron, get out now! I can't handle it anymore!" a groaning voice came from outside the bathroom, accompanied by banging on the door.

"Just give me 2 minutes, DK. I'm almost done," the reply came from the bathroom, causing someone to lose his temper early in the morning.

"What the hell! You've been saying this to me for the last 20 minutes. What are you doing there? Are you sleeping while pooping? Open the door now, or I'll break it!"

"Calm down, DK, or you'll poop in your underwear," Ron replied, laughing.

"Fuck you! Ouch!" DK groaned, bending down slowly and placing his right hand on his stomach.

At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Ron emerged wearing a bathrobe, causing DK to widen his eyes in shock.

"You moron! I was about to poop in my underwear because of you, while you were leisurely taking a shower inside, leaving me standing outside for no reason!" DK's outburst was filled with anger, and his frustration was apparent in his features.

"I forgot to apply the new hair gel I bought last night. If you're not going to use the bathroom, let me know. I'll go back in to fix my hair," Ron teased, raising his left eyebrow.

"Get out of my way!" DK shouted, then entered the bathroom.

Ron chuckled as he headed toward the cupboard to get dressed. After opening it, he hesitated, pondering which outfit would make him look more handsome tonight.

"Which dress would be perfect for me to wear tonight? I need to look even more handsome than DK to lure my prey into my trap," he thought to himself. With determination, he began pulling out shirts from the wardrobe, trying each one on and examining himself in the mirror.

After several minutes of checking himself in the mirror, he grew frustrated and muttered to himself, "Oh God, why can't I decide which shirt will look better on me? Ufff, Mr. Ronaldo Whitley, calm down," he said aloud, taking deep breaths to steady his racing mind.

"It's true that you may not match DK's handsomeness. Sure, he was born with a silver spoon and spends lavishly to maintain his appearance. But remember, he is not as comfortable and confident as you are in front of any girl. This is your chance; he will never be able to impress her. So be ready tonight to catch your prey and secure your next promotion." he smirked at his reflection in the mirror as he spoke.

After returning all the shirts to the wardrobe, he chose a purple one to wear for the night. He then picked out a simple white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans to cover his half-naked body.

After putting on his clothes, he began to comb his hair. Just then, DK came out of the bathroom after finishing his shower and using the toilet.

"Are you already ready? Oh my God, what should I wear now? I don't have much time!" DK directed his words at Ron, his irritation clear.

"DK, let me give you a useful suggestion free of cost," Ron’s words were innocent, but he was chuckling inside.

"I don't want to hear any useless suggestions from you," DK replied, while he took out a light green shirt and blue jeans from his wardrobe.

"Without hearing any words, how can you say that my suggestion will be useless?" Ron's question carried an air of innocence, evident in his expression.

DK replied, "Because I know you very well!" as he zipped up his jeans."

"Fine, then don't blame me later for not wanting to give you useful suggestions," Ron said as he grabbed a medium-sized sling bag to pack his purple shirt and a denim jacket for the evening.

After a few minutes of thinking, DK cleared his throat to get the attention of his roomie.

"By the way, what did you want to tell me earlier?" he asked in a casual tone, making it seem like he was simply giving his roommate a chance to share his perspective. Little did he know, his roomie smirked instantly upon hearing the question.

Ron closed the zipper of his sling bag and turned back to DK, his gaze soft yet serious.

"I just want to say, in the future, if you want to avoid being late for work, try waking up earlier than me in the morning so you can use the bathroom first," Ron said before bursting into laughter.

"You thick-headed fool, what do you think of yourself? Am I a magician, or is my poop my dad's servant that it comes to me whenever I call? You idiot, you've ruined my mood early in the morning!" DK shouted angrily as he threw a wet towel at his roommate.

Ron caught the towel while laughing and went to the balcony, where he then put it on the stand to dry.

"Don't get mad at me, DK. I was just joking with you. By the way, I have another suggestion to lighten up your dull mood," Ron said, smiling ear to ear.

"You punk, I don't need any suggestions from you. Now get lost and order breakfast for us!" DK expressed his anger by throwing the comb at his annoying roommate.

Ron swiftly moved to his left, causing the comb to fall to the floor without hitting the target.

"Okay, I'm going; you don't have to raise your BP for me," he said with a laugh as he picked up his sling bag and left the room.

After his roomie left, DK shook his head and released a sigh of relief. Then he poured some sunscreen into his palms and started applying it to his handsome face and neck, humming his favorite song 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls. However, he stopped humming when he recalled something.

Then he asked himself in a curious voice, staring straight into the mirror, "Wait, did he really want to tell me something important in my favor? It's his hobby to irritate me before delivering important news. He has done this many times before. Could it mean he has a suggestion in my favor? Oh, no! What have I done?" saying that, he began to pat the dressing table in regret.

"I have to know everything as soon as possible," DK said hurriedly, and put his cell phone into his jeans pocket. Then, he went downstairs to find out the truth from his roomie, closing the door behind him and forgetting to apply his favorite perfume.

                                 ***

After coming downstairs, DK saw his roommate sitting in their regular place, busy enjoying his breakfast. He ran over and stood in front of him, then asked in one breath, "Whatever you wanted to say to me earlier, tell me now."

Ron put the sandwich back on his plate, which he was about to bite a few seconds ago. He then looked straight into his roomie's eyes and asked in a teasing tone, "But as far as I remember, someone told me that he doesn't need to know anything from me. Did I hear wrong, DK?"

DK sat down on a chair in front of him and took a glass of water to wet his dry throat. After drinking half the glass, he replied with a sense of defeat, "Can't you tell me anything without pulling my leg?"

Ron laughed at the question and answered in a taunting manner, "No, my friend, I can't. You are my remedy, keeping my puzzled mind fresh by teasing you!" His face was lit up with joy.

DK released a deep sigh in disbelief.

Ron got up from the chair and leaned toward his roommate's right ear. In a whispering tone, he delivered the news, "OK, now listen to me very carefully. I have found out where our prey will be tonight."

Upon hearing the news, a broad smile instantly appeared on DK's face. "Where?" he asked in a low voice into his roomie's left ear, his tone filled with excitement as they had been searching for their target for a long time.

Ron sat back in his chair and handed his cell phone to his friend. DK took it eagerly, smiling ear to ear as he began to read every single detail about their prey.

However, his smile quickly faded, disappearing like camphor, when he saw the location.

"Bar Harbor, Maine? Now we have to drive almost eight hours to get there. Damn! I don't know how many hurdles we'll face or how far we'll have to go to secure personal apartments for us in the name of promotion!" DK conveyed his irritation through his remarks.

"That's life, bro. We can't always get everything we want easily. We have to face numerous challenges to find happiness and achieve our goals. You might think it's too difficult because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. But for me, it's the greatest opportunity to fulfill my first dream," Ron responded with a positive attitude as he took a sip of his coffee.

"But dude, after driving for almost four hours, I won't have enough energy left to seduce my prey. Couldn't you have gotten this information at least a day earlier?" DK inquired, showing clear signs of disappointment.

After hearing his words, Ron grabbed his roommate's left hand and spoke in a soft voice to reassure him, "I know everything, DK. I know you got hurt on your left shoulder to save my life, and I'll be thankful to you for that my whole life. That's why I'll be the one driving us to our destination, so you can rest during the journey and set the trap for our prey easily."

"Thanks, buddy," DK responded, his face alight with happiness. "Let's eat quickly."

"Buddy? As far as I remember, you've been calling me several names since this morning. For example, 'moron,' 'thick head,' 'punk'," Ron teased him again.

"Oh, not again. Please shut your mouth, idiot. Eat your breakfast quietly and quickly," DK spoke in an annoyed tone.

Ron laughed again, and they both began eating their breakfast in silence, their minds busy making several plans at the same time.

After breakfast, they took the car provided by their seniors and set off toward their destination.

                                  ***

Around two-fifty in the afternoon, all of a sudden, the car made a loud, unsettling noise and came to a stop in the middle of the road. Ron and DK hurriedly got out of the car and discovered that the right rear tire had punctured.

"Oh God, why are you causing so much trouble in our way?" DK asked in a pleading voice, looking at the sky. Then he began to flail his arms and legs in the air, like a spoiled child.

"DK, stop your drama and start your work now," Ron's manner was soft but carried a weight of seriousness.

"Me?" DK asked in a fake, shocked voice, trying to divert his attention from the work.

"Don't play innocent with me. Change the tire quickly, or else you'll be washing dishes and our clothes for the next six months! The choice is yours!" Ron warned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay, you don't need to set any conditions for this simple task. I can fix it in just ten minutes and don't need anyone's help." DK stated his opinion with overconfidence. In response, Ron rolled his eyes at him.

Although DK said he would need only ten minutes to fix the new tire, in reality, it took him forty minutes. His roommate offered to help, but he refused, wanting to maintain his ego.

After replacing the tire and cleaning his hands, DK noticed that his shirt also had dirt on it. So he casually asked his roomie, "Give me my shirt."

After hearing his question, Ron furrowed his eyebrows and asked in confusion, "Which shirt are you talking about? I don't have any of yours."

"My black shirt! I bought it last week specifically for our special mission. Please don't tell me you forgot to put it in your sling bag!" DK exclaimed, widening his eyes in shock.

"DK, please don't get mad at me! I actually forgot to pack your clothes in my bag. Please forgive me, I'm really sorry!" Ron said in one breath, closing his eyes, knowing his roommate would unleash his anger as soon as he heard his response.

However, when he heard no response from his roomie, he cautiously opened his right eye to peek at his face. He saw that his roommate was furious; his face, ears, and nose had turned bright red with anger.

"DK, I'm sorry! Please calm down!" Ron spoke with an awkward smile on his face.

Without wasting a second, DK grabbed his collar and, in a furious tone while shaking him, demanded, "You never fail to tease and irritate me every single day, every fucking hour! How could you forget to put my shirt in your bag? What will I wear tonight? Is your grandpa going to come down from heaven to give me a shirt?"

Ron replied in a nervous tone, putting the same awkward smile on his face, "I have a good suggestion for you."

"Do you have another suggestion for me?" DK asked in a disbelieving voice and moved his hands away from his collar. Then he began searching the empty road, intent on finding something to vent his anger by beating him badly.

"Tonight, you can wear my shirt. Believe me, you will look handsome no matter what you wear. Please get in the car now, otherwise, we will be late getting there and miss the opportunity we've been waiting for eight months." Ron suggested to his roommate, his expression showing a desperate attempt to calm his anger.

"Fine, but I won't sit beside you!" DK shouted in rage.

"Okay, you can rest in the back seat," Ron said, releasing a deep sigh of relief.

Then both of them got into the car, and it started moving toward their destination again.

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