1 Best Friends

Damien Carostas was used to being a lone wolf except for his one best friend in this world, Victoria Kim or as her closest friends knew her, Kim Ji Woo. He built the world's foremost conglomerate known as Damien Industries Worldwide. He started as a simple college grad with a degree in psychology from an average school and decided to spice up his life by doing his MBA in Tokyo. After learning how to become a businessman, he put it into action and quickly rose to the top of the business world in 5 years at the age of 30.

Victoria was his best friend from his childhood. They grew up as neighbors and she treated him as her brother after his parents passed away. While Damien was in Japan, Victoria met a man by the name of Richard Corstair who would go on to become her husband. They were a passionate couple, but Richard was a man who kept secrets. Damien did not have the resources to learn more about Richard until he was established, but by then it was too late.

Victoria was expecting a child in December of 1993, and Damien had only begun to look into Richard in October. He had caught Richard talking to a person who looked unsavory, or so Damien thought. It set off alarms in his head, so he needed to learn more. Richard was involved in human and drug trafficking for the Tijuana Cartel. What Damien learned terrified him. He could not, in good conscience, let Victoria continue to stay with Richard. Damien decided to go to Victoria with the new information.

"Vicky, I'm truly sorry. I wish I had the ability to learn this earlier," Damien spoke sullenly.

"It's not your fault. I truly did not suspect that he was involved in drug or human trafficking, let alone both. I am sad to learn that my own judgement was not spectacular. I was caught up with the passion and the great times we had, but it was all just a fantasy of mine," Victoria couldn't help being depressed. She was expecting and learned that her husband had been doing terrible things. Who wouldn't be devastated? "Thank you for coming to me and telling me. I've always loved and trusted you to have my back and you've never once let me down."

"I'll always be there for you, Vicky!" Damien replied. He cared for his best friend and her feelings, but he knew that this relationship with Richard would be dangerous the longer it went on.

"You know what? I wish I had come with you to Japan. Left behind everything here so that I could have enjoyed some more of my life. I don't regret the little one that is soon to grace us with her presence, but I wish I had spent some more time enjoying life," Victoria lamented.

"After you divorce him and have the child, I'll take you anywhere you want to go in this world. Treat it as your playground. I have enough money for the three of us!" Damien only wanted the best for his friend. He knew he had lost his opportunity with her years ago when he had gone to Japan, but he would take every chance he could get now.

"Really Damien? You have money for the three of you! F*ck you! How dare you try to seduce my wife!" Richard barged into the hospital room and yelled at them.

"Richard! You think you have the right to stop us? After what you did?" Damien couldn't help retorting.

"What do you mean?"

"You think we don't know what you do for a living? I've spoken with Benjamin Arellano Felix. You are low level, but when I ask the questions, he won't hesitate to answer. You are a disposable piece of trash to him!" Damien attacked Richard verbally.

"What! How did you learn of the Tijuana Cartel? I thought I had hidden my work well?" Richard asked.

"While you did hide it well for almost five years, I caught you talking to a known trafficker. I chose to investigate you more closely then. You haven't forgotten my reach, have you? You cannot hide anything from me. Trust me when I say I'll take you down."

"Haha! You think that I'm only connected with Tijuana? Benjamin is just one of the people I work with!"

"You bastard! How could you do this sort of work? We have a kid on the way. How could you explain to her what you do for a living?" Victoria couldn't handle his boasting. She had always had a healthy respect for the law. Her family wasn't the best when it came to clean records.

"So what? I'd raise her to learn my business and take it over down the line. I expect her to grow my reach even further!" Richard believed he did nothing wrong. He was an opportunist at best, and a criminal at worst. He had hurt many people by getting them addicted to drugs and trafficking others.

"I will not accept a divorce. If anything, I'll just kill you and take our kid! Haha!" Richard laughed maniacally.

"How dare you! Damien please send him out!" Victoria yelled at him. Damien quickly kicked Richard out of the room.

"Don't worry. I'll inform the FBI. I'm sure they will be interested to know that they have a trafficker near a field office," Damien reassured Victoria. He had connections everywhere as he had grown his business.

"Damien, if anything happens to me, promise me that you'll take care of my child. I don't want that b*stard to raise my daughter.

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you. I'll make sure to get you a protective detail!" Damien was confident.

"I don't care! Promise me!"

"Ok! I promise you that I will take care of your child in your stead if anything happens!" Damien relented to Victoria's anger.