Chapter 1: Charlie Sheppard

 

The office hums with excitement. We’re only months away from the release of the new expansion for our popular and best selling game, Aratheon. As I sit at my desk, working furiously to make sure everything runs as planned, I can’t help but get distracted by another big event going on in my life. In a few days, I’m about to get married to the woman with whom I’m deeply in love with. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, spunky, and full of life. She’s the type of woman that every man desires. She’s adventurous and I am beyond lucky to have her. 

To be honest, the younger version of myself never would’ve believed I’m going to marry a supermodel, let alone run a multi-million dollar media company that I started with my friends. I get up and look at myself in the reflection in the mirror on the wall. God who would’ve thought that fat nerdy teenager everyone picked on in high school would become the guy I see before me. I don’t even recognize myself. That red hair that used to be the root of most of my insults including but not limited to ginger, red-headed stepchild, soulless, daywalker, I could go on and on for days, but that red hair is now one of my best features. It has a silky wave to it now. 

Of course, the man in the mirror isn’t that fat little boy anymore. You can tell he’s hit the gym. Defined jaw with no second chin. A body chiseled with hours of hard work. I’ve got a light beard that makes my face look like a man and not that boy who was a pushover. Life couldn’t be better. 

A knock at the door pulls me out of my trance. “Come in.” 

“Charlie, what are you still doing here?” Marion asks, my assistant who’s going to retire soon. She’s been like a mother to me. Especially after my own mother passed away from cancer. She’s definitely old enough to be my mother, but she hasn’t lost any of her beauty with age even though she let her hair go white. She was there for me through thick and thin and deserves the best retirement possible. 

“You know I can’t leave with the upcoming release,” I say.

“Come on Charlie, we’ve got the best programmers on it. Even Roy’s been working with the writers to double-check for plot holes in the story. Go spend time with your soon to be wife,” she says. 

“I suppose maybe I can take an afternoon off,” I say. 

“Yes, go. Don’t make me get security to escort you out,” she says, pulling a laugh from my lips. 

“God, I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. Are you sure you want to retire?” I ask.

“For heaven's sake, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m getting too old for this. I love it here and I’ll continue to visit, but I need a beach, a good book, and some strong wine,” she says. 

“Well, you’ve earned it,” I say. 

She smiles. “Now leave! Go spend time with your fiance.”

I know she’s really trying hard to put on a good face. She’s never really approved of my fiance. She thinks she’s a golddigger. She doesn’t know her as I do. 

I finally relent and head out. It’s going to be so hard to find someone to fill her shoes. I’m really going to miss her. 

“Yo, bro!” I hear my younger brother Cody shout as he rushes up to me. “I was thinking, why haven’t we made a game based on the Solaris Night’s Forest of Horrors series? It’d be fucking epic to play a survival game in that setting.”

“Yeah, sounds like a great idea. Talk to Korbin and work out some of the details. We’ll see what we can make of it,” I say. It is a good idea, he gets a few of them every now and then.

“Right on. Hey, you better be ready for the bachelor party. I’ve been planning this for weeks,” he says.

“When have you ever planned anything weeks in advance?” I ask, laughing.

“Hey, I’ve spent a few hours here and there last week. And like an hour the week before,” he says. Cody is my brother, but we are complete opposites. Where I’m organized and efficient, he’s carefree and eccentric. But, it works out. He’s very creative. I’ll give him that. He’s also my best friend. “Well, I’m off to see the future Mrs.”

“Give her a good slap on the ass for me,” he says with a wink. 

“Alright,” I say with a laugh. “Later little bro.” 

God, I feel so happy right now. Only days away from our big day. I quickly stop and get her some flowers, white roses, her favorite. It’s not long before I’m pulling into my driveway. Hmm. Kyle’s over… Her best friend. I don’t really care for him much. He’s too handsy and I’ll admit he’s got the body of an olympian. I’m not jealous. But he is also kind of a jerk.

I put it in park and head inside. Music is playing off in the distance. They’re not in the living room or kitchen like I was expecting. I thought for sure she’d be busy with last-minute preparations for the wedding. I follow the sound of the music upstairs and I start to feel a little anxious. Everything feels wrong. 

The music is coming from our bedroom. What the…

I open the door and the flowers fall from my hands. I walk in to find Kyle pounding my fiance’s ass. Neither seems to notice me as they go at it doggy style on the bed. “Music off.”

The sound of this asshole pounding my future ex-fiance quickly comes to an end as they both turn to find me red-faced filled with rage. “Jesus Christ, Charlie, I didn’t think you’d be home so soon.”

“What the fuck?” 

“I can explain,” she says. 

“Yeah, I’d love to hear you try to get out of this.” I’ve never been so angry and hurt in my entire life. I thought she loved me.

“You… I… It just happened. I didn’t,” she stutters as she tries to untangle herself from Kyle, that fucking asshole. 

“You know what, save it. Marion was right. You’re nothing but a gold-digging whore. The wedding is off. And fuck you if you think you’re getting the honeymoon tickets. They’re in my name. Fucking bitch,” I say as I storm out of my own house. I get back in my car and speed away. What was I thinking? That fucking stupid cunt. I’m just as stupid for believing her lies. Was she really only after my money?