Bitter Feelings
Bitter Feelings
Based on story idea and edited by Washer [ Mr.James Messina ].
I thank him for giving me such a nice story idea, which I haven't tried so far and is something new to me.
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Frank Willis and Edward Stallone were having a cup of coffee in a restaurant together. They had known each other for a long time. They could've been best of friends. But they had never liked each other. So they became best of enemies, with the passage to time. They always thought of how to ruin the other's life.In fact, they had succeeded in doing so to some extent.
"Tell me, Frank, could there be enemies like us in this world?" asked Edward, sipping coffee from his cup and looking at Frank.
"I don't know," said Frank. "But I can tell you one thing. My life wouldn't have been as exciting without you and I should thank you for that."
"Me too," said Edward, "my life would've been pretty boring without you, my best enemy."
Their lives were linked. It began some time ago, when Edward and Frank had fallen in love with the same girl, Julie Hanks. They didn't know it until she introduced them to each other one day.
"Frank, meet Edward," she said.
"Nice to meet you, Frank," said Edward, shaking Frank’s hand with an iron grip.
Later, when she had left, a conversation ensued. "Why should this happen every time?" asked Edward, "You seem to like whoever I do."
"Just the opposite,” said Frank. “It is you who seems to like whoever I like."
" I love Julie very much and I wish to marry her. So why don't you forget her and hunt for someone else." said Frank.
"Why don't you do that yourself?" asked Edward. "It is easier to give advice than to follow it."
"Alright, alright, let's not argue when there is no point." said Frank. "Let's both of us try and may the best man win."
"Ok, fine," said Edward. "Let's have a bet, shall we? Tell me, if Julie chooses me, then would you kill yourself?”
"Ok, I'll kill myself," said Frank. "How about you?"
"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, smiling at Frank. "I’ll do the same."
"That settles it, and you have my word," said Frank. "Promise me you won’t mention this to Julie."
“I won’t tell her about it."
Frank got an urgent call later that day, and he had to go to another city on some work for a week's time. He told his close friend, John Nelson to keep an eye on Edward until he came back. He would have decided to propose to her after coming back.
A few days later, when Frank came back, he found John. John appeared forlorn. Just then Edward walked to their table in the restaurant, and handed Frank a wedding card.
"You're too late, Frank," he said, smiling at him. "You have lost the bet. My marriage with Julie Hanks has been fixed on this coming friday. Are you prepared to die?"
He turned and started walking away.
"I am sorry, Frank," said John. "I tried...but I failed."
"By the way Frank keep yourself alive until Friday so that you can watch your best enemy's marriage," he said. "And if you have any difficulty deciding how to kill yourself, then let me know. It would be nice to know that even if I couldn’t help you in life, I could in death."
Frank tried his best to control his temper and remained silent. He decided to commit suicide. He wrote a note and planned to drown himself in St. Louis Lake. John tried to convince him not to, but Frank couldn’t be persuaded. John tried to be understanding about Frank’s honor, and agreed to be with him for the end.
They reached the lake by car.
"Good bye John. You have been my best and truest friend," said Frank, turning and looking at him.
"Bye...Frank..just think once again before you jump. I am going to miss your friendship, and this seems like a terrible idea" he said.
"Me too. But I have decided and that's final," he said, taking his right foot forward. "By the way, tell me, do you know how to swim?"
"No, why?" John asked.
"That's good. You can't come after to save me," he said, jumping into the icy cold waters of the lake. He was drowning, and his struggles were slowly becoming less violent. As he was about to die, John leaped into the lake and pulled him out.
"You said that you didn't know how to swim? Why did you save me?" he asked.
"I lied to you. I couldn't let my best friend die in front of my eyes," John replied.
“You know John, I have been thinking. Why should I commit suicide? Instead, I could make Edward’s life miserable.”
"You are right and it's a good idea," said John. "But Friday is just a couple of days from now."
"I know, leave it to me. A wonderful idea is taking shape in my mind. By the way, thank you for learning to swim," Frank said, smiling.
"It was my pleasure," he said.
Frank told Edward that he had decided to die on Friday after witnessing his marriage with Julie. He asked Edward to have one last drink with him. Edward agreed and went to his house after the wedding. Frank gave him a glass of wine, in which he had mixed powdered sleeping pills. Edward drank it and became unconscious.
Frank had hired a whore for the night, and she had been hiding in a closet. He took snaps of Edward with the whore from different angles, and varying degrees of dishevelment. Next morning, those snaps were on Julie's table. Julie's heart was broken, and she cancelled her wedding that was about to take place with Edward. Edward realized what had happened and he requested Frank to tell her that it was his doing.
"Tell me just one reason why I should help my best enemy in the world," said Frank.
"Because I love her and can't live without her," he said.
"Then you had better die, and I would love to see that," he said.
Edward thought that there was no point in trying to convince him. He knew that Frank wouldn't help him. Frank became close to Julie over the course of the next few months, and proposed to her. Julie agreed to his proposal.
"Edward, I have proposed to Julie and she accepted. Now, tell me when and how are you going to die? Shall I help you giving a gentle little push into St.Lious Lake or from top of that building ? Just tell me, how do you want to die?" asked Frank.
"I think that won't be necessary," he said. "Because, I won't let her marry you."
"Then try and see. All the better," Frank said, smiling at him.
Edward thought of the way to ruin his best enemy's marriage with Julie Hanks. Edward's best friend Tom found Frank's ex girl-friend, Evilene and she agreed to help Edward. Because once he had ditched her for someone else. She took her sister's baby and went to Julie's place. She told her that Frank was the father of that baby and had ditched her in favor of Julie. She even showed her the snaps she had taken with Frank sometime back, of the two of them together.
"I am sorry for coming and disturbing you. I didn't want it to happen to you. Who knows, tomorrow he might ditch you for someone else."
"Thank you for coming in time and opening my eyes," said Julie.
Later, when Frank met Julie, she slapped Frank's face hard and walked away. Julie left the lives of both Frank and Edward. Some years later, she decided to marry someone else and she gave them both her wedding card.
Frank and Edward were still the best of enemies, but put aside their agenda to discuss the recent development over coffee.
"How could that bitch would marry someone else?" asked Frank.
"Frank, no, forget it," said Edward. "Please don't try to ruin her life too because of our enmity. She is not going to marry me so be happy.” They both finished drinking coffee and they decided to pay the bill.
"Let me pay the bill," said Edward.
"No, I will.”
"No, I will.”
"Let this coin decide," said Frank, tossing a (insert denomination here) in the air. "What do you want?"
"Heads," he said.
The coin went out of control and landed in a cup of coffee, which a beautiful young lady was about to drink. They both went to her table and asked her not to drink the coffee. So that they see who had won the toss.
"Miss, are you married?" asked Frank, looking at her.
"No, why?' she replied.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" asked Edward.
"No, why are you asking me all this?" she asked.
They did not answer her. But they looked at each other, with wicked grins on their faces.
The End
