Chapter 1
Johnson glanced at his wristwatch hastily as an uncomfortable sigh escaped his lips. He was really behind schedule, and any further waste of time could be catastrophic to his job. Etiquette demanded his presence at the office before 8:00 a.m., but it was already a quarter past eight, and he was still at home. This was one of the consequences of late-night clubbing, which he was notorious for.
Without further wish to waste more time, he quickly picked up his file along with his keys, which he had carelessly dropped on the table the previous night, and proceeded to the entrance door. He opened and exited the room.
As soon as he locked the door behind him, there came a heavy bang on the gate. He turned instantly, only to see Matthew, his best friend, storming into the compound with a gun in his hand. Johnson froze for a moment, his heart skipping a few beats.
Matthew appeared drastically different from the person he used to be. His face smoked with dangerous anger, his eyes glowed murderously with the color of blood, his teeth were clenched tightly, and the veins on his body bulged visibly, especially those traveling through his skull just above his ears. On the left side of his forehead was an injury that made him look even more dreadful.
Matthew advanced closer, pointing the gun at Johnson. His furious voice followed.
“You monster! So your hidden agenda all this time was for her to die, right? Congratulations, you’ve successfully killed her! But you won’t escape this. I swear, you’re going down with her.”
Johnson cringed at his words. At the same time, he was overwhelmed by trepidation, causing him to instinctively step backward. Unfortunately, he stopped moving when his back touched the locked door. He was probably wondering what could have driven his best friend to such strange behavior.
“What is wrong with you, Matt? And where did you get that gun?” he asked in bewilderment.
“Don’t ‘Matt’ me! Do I look like a mat?” the aggravated man retorted. “In fact, you are a foot mat, and everything wrong is you!” he added.
“Calm down, Matthew. I don’t understand what’s going on,” Johnson said, gesturing with both hands.
“Wait until I put a bullet in your skull, then you’ll fully understand what you did,” Matthew barked.
The noise must have disturbed the neighbors, prompting two inquisitive men from different flats to step outside and see what was happening.
The building was a two-story structure, and Johnson lived in the ground-floor flat on the right-hand side. His entrance door faced the black gate, and his flat was the first one visible upon entering the compound. You could say his flat was likely the first to be robbed if there was ever a robbery.
Nonetheless, the two men kept their distance as they stared at the two friends, turmoil clearly written on their faces.
Meanwhile, Johnson still found his best friend’s actions unbelievable. Matthew was someone he could swear was the coolest, most harmless guy he had ever met—a gentleman who wouldn’t hurt a fly. What had come over him that morning? Johnson glanced at his wristwatch again. Time was ticking unkindly, and he really needed to get to the office to avoid harassment from his boss.
“Come on, Matt, is this a prank or what?” he asked, trying to push his fear aside. This only enraged Matthew further, like throwing gasoline on a fire.
“Prank???” Matthew snapped. “You still have the nerve to mention that word after the disaster you caused? In fact, it’s time you take your prank to the grave.” He cocked the gun as soon as he finished speaking.
The two neighbors gasped at this sight. Johnson, on the other hand, tried stepping backward again, forgetting he was already at the door. His head hit the door, and the file in his hand fell. Though painful, it was nothing compared to the current situation. He threw his hands into the air, pleading nervously.
“Please, Matthew, put the gun away. Let’s talk this over.”
“The only way to talk this over is by ending your life, just like you ended hers.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, man. Who is she, and how did I get her killed?” Johnson asked, frightened and confused. His arms were trembling with fear.
“Oh, you don’t know? You’re going to stand there and pretend you don’t know what you’ve done? Because of you, I’ll never see her again! It’s all because of you, Johnson! You deserve to die!” Matthew screamed, clutching the trigger tighter. At that moment, tears started streaming from his swollen, bloody eyes.
