The Vitamin C Conspiracy

The orange tasted like regret—sour, pulpy, impossible to swallow. Marcus stared at the half-eaten fruit in his palm while Richard served another ace across the padel court.

"You're getting slow," Richard called out, smirking. That smirk hadn't changed in fifteen years. Neither had the expensive watch, the arrogance, or the way he made Marcus feel like a failed experiment.

They'd been friends once, before the startup, before the betrayal, before Richard made millions and Marcus made excuses.

"My doctor says I need more vitamin C," Marcus said, gesturing with the orange. "Boost the immune system."

"Your doctor sounds like a quack." Richard smashed the ball against the glass wall. "Remember when we said we'd never become corporate bulls? Remember that?"

Marcus remembered. They'd been idealistic twenty-somethings, plotting world domination from a garage apartment. Now Richard was exactly what they'd despised—wielding power like a weapon, trampling anyone in his path.

The padel game continued in silence except for the rhythmic thwack of balls and heavy breathing. Marcus's knee twinged. Forty-five felt older than it should.

"I heard about Linda," Richard said suddenly. "Sorry."

The divorce still felt fresh. "We wanted different things."

"She wanted a husband who wasn't married to his failures?" Richard's smile didn't reach his eyes.

Marcus gripped the orange until juice dripped down his wrist. "Why did you ask me to play?"

Richard shrugged. "Nostalgia. Or masochism. Pick one."

The ball rolled to a stop between them. In the glass reflection, Marcus saw two men who'd once been brothers, now separated by money, betrayal, and choices that couldn't be unmade.

"I'm starting a new venture," Richard said. "Come work with me. No bullshit this time."

Marcus finished the orange. It left sticky residue on his fingers, like the past—impossible to fully wash away.

"Some bulls never change their nature," he said. "They just get better at hiding it."

He walked off the court, leaving Richard alone with his empire and his expensive watch. Some friendships weren't worth saving. Some vitamins couldn't fix what was broken inside.