He frowned in disgust when the foul scent of unbrushed teeth, alcohol and regret slapped him in the face.

“Goddamn, is that my breath?” Jermaine asked as he cupped his hand over his mouth and blew into it. He gagged.

“I’m falling apart without you. This wasn’t supposed to happen to us,” Jermaine said as he stared at his and Eden’s wedding photo. With a heavy heart, Jermaine smiled as he thought back to his and Eden’s first encounter.

“Eve, I need your notes for the-”

Jermaine’s mouth dropped to the floor at the sight of the woman talking to his friend. The sight of her, light brown eyes, afro puff ponytail, and wide hips made him stumble. As cliché as it sounded, Jermaine couldn’t remember ever seeing a woman more attractive than the woman standing with Eve.

“Close your mouth. You act like you ain’t never seen a bad bitch before,” Eve joked.

“My mouth wasn’t open,” Jermaine lied.

“You know we can see you, right?” The woman joked making Eve burst into laughter. Jermaine joined in with the laughter because he knew the lie was pointless.

“Edy, this is Jermaine Shelton. He’s in my Hospitality and Tourism Management Class. Jermaine, this is my sister Eden, but we call her Edy,”

Jermaine shook his head. That simple conversation and interaction had brought the most amazing woman into his life. But his selfish ways now had him in shambles. He had messed up in more ways than one. He and Eve were genuine friends before he even met his wife, now their friendship was on the rocks because of this Envy situation.

“I should’ve known better than to fuck a bitch named Envy. Who would name their child Envy anyway. I messed my marriage up for some loose pus…What the fuck?!” Jermaine exclaimed when he caught a glimpse of his face in the mirrored picture frame. His appearance nearly sent him into cardiac arrest.

He knew that he hadn’t been tending to himself. He could feel the unusual roughness on his face, but seeing it was an entirely different story. He didn’t recognize this version of himself. Jermaine silently screamed as he stared at what he had become.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Raising his hand slowly, he touched his face. He didn’t want to believe that the face in the mirror was his, but he couldn’t deny that it was him, when he watched the man mimicking his every move.

His reflection horrified him. The face with droopy bloodshot eyes, heavy bags, and a struggle beard was a far contrast from the smooth-shaven polished man in the wedding photo. It had only been two weeks since Eden left and from the looks of things, he had fallen apart without her.