THE FOOL

----Continuation of Flashback 3 years ago---- "James!! What happened? Why did this happen to Alfi?!"Loren screamed, her voice breaking as she continued to cry uncontrollably, still holding her battered and barely conscious boyfriend tightly in her arms.Alfi's eyes could barely open, and his whole body trembled in pain from the brutal beating he had endured.

James, meanwhile, nonchalantly pulled out a cigarette from a crumpled pack tucked into his pocket.He lit it calmly, inhaling a long, deliberate drag before exhaling a thick cloud of smoke into the air.

"Alfi, Alfi," James began mockingly, shaking his head with a smirk."If only you had cooperated. If you hadn't caused a scene, none of this would've happened. You could've gone home peacefully."

James leaned back against the wall casually, as if the sight of Alfi's broken body meant absolutely nothing to him.

"It was simple, really. We just needed you to hand over whatever you had.A small payment, a little cooperation—and that would've been the end of it.You would've been free to leave," James said, sounding more arrogant with each word as he puffed on his cigarette.

"But no," he continued with a scoff, "you just had to make a big scene at the airport, didn't you?All it would've taken was a small fine, and everything could've been settled."

James shook his head slowly, wearing a disgustingly smug smile."You're the reason everything escalated, Alfi.You brought this on yourself," he said coldly, placing all the blame for their cruelty squarely on the man now barely clinging to consciousness in Loren's arms.

"James! Why? You've known me and Alfi for so long... Why are you doing this to us?" Loren cried out desperately, her voice shaking as she pleaded for answers from the man she once trusted so deeply.

"Blah, blah, blah," James replied arrogantly, his voice dripping with mockery as he looked down at Loren with a twisted grin.

"You know, I've been irritated with you two for a long time," James said, his tone growing darker.