Asher continued, his eyes hard. "You are all talented individuals, but that is no excuse for carelessness. I expect you to be more careful, more thoughtful, and more professional in the future. This is not a game, and your actions have consequences. Do I make myself clear?"The room was silent, and everyone nodded their heads in understanding. Asher looked around one last time, then turned and told the leader of that department to come to his office to report. After that he left the room with Chris, closing the door behind him. The tension in the room was palpable, and everyone was silent for a long moment.Finally, one of the developers spoke up."You know, he's right," the developer said. "We were careless, and we need to do better. This is a serious job, and we need to take it seriously." The others nodded in agreement. "I know we've all been feeling the pressure lately, with all the deadlines and the long hours," another developer said. "But that's no excuse for what happened. We

Casey's mouth was full of bacon and eggs, and he was chewing happily. But he still managed to talk, even with his mouth full."Mom, this is the best bacon and eggs I've ever had!" he said, his words slightly muffled.Kiara laughed. "It's the same recipe I always use," she said. "But I'm glad you like it."She sat down at the table with her own plate of bacon and eggs, and they ate together, enjoying the simple pleasure of a home-cooked meal.The sun was streaming through the kitchen window, and the smell of bacon lingered in the air. It was a peaceful, happy moment, one that Kiara would never forget.When they were done with their breakfast, she started telling about the art exhibition which will be held in Chicago."Did you hear about the new art exhibition at the Art Institute?" she asked. "They're having a special show on Monet!""Monet, like the painter?" he asked, recognizing the name from his art lessons at school."That's right!" she said. "And they're going to have some of his

Her words were like a punch to the gut. He had thought that he knew her, but it was clear that he didn't. He wanted to ask her what had happened all this years, and where have she been. But he knew it was a delicate subject, and he didn't want to push her too hard.As she spoke, her voice was icy and distant, like a glacier. He could see the pain in her eyes, and he wanted to reach out and comfort her. But he knew that she wouldn't want that, that she needed her space.He was at a loss for words, not sure what to say or do. He stood there, awkwardly silent, as she looked at him with an unreadable expression. Chris got a call from Asher, so when he answered it, she heard Asher's voice but she didn't feel anything. Her face was still cold but when she heard Asher mention something about therapy, her emotions flickered a little. When he was done with the call, he looked at Kiara unsure of what to say, but Kiara beat him to that"So," she said, finally breaking the silence.A smirk spread

Chris shook his head as he put his phone down. He couldn't understand why Asher was being so cold and distant all of a sudden he knows his friend is an aloof man. They had always been friendly with each other before, but something seemed to have changed. Chris wondered if something was going on in Asher's life, or if he was just having a bad day. Whatever the reason, Chris hoped Asher would snap out of it soon. Meanwhile, Asher sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen. He was trying to focus on his work, but his mind kept wandering back to the call with Chris.Asher's fingers hovered over the keyboard, but he couldn't bring himself to start typing. His mind kept drifting back to the same thoughts. Why was he so distant with Chris? Did he really come off as rude and demanding? He knew he wasn't the most friendly person in the world, but he didn't want to alienate the people around him. He just wasn't sure how to change his behavior.He shook his head to remove those thoughts fr

Asher had felt like a weight was pressing down on his chest, and he had felt like he couldn't breathe. He had known he had made a mistake, and he had felt sick to his stomach. He had realized that he had hurt the one person he had wanted to protect, and he had felt like he had failed her. And now, he had to live with the consequences of his actions.He had known that he would have to find a way to make it up to her, but he had no idea how.Asher had curled up on the couch, his body shaking with grief and regret. He had whispered to himself, his words unintelligible even to his own ears. He had felt like he was falling apart, like he was losing his grip on reality.When Chris saw Asher's action on the couch, he was so worried that he stood up from his chair and tapped his shoulder.Asher looked at Chris with a bloodshot eyes and said"will she ever forgive me? ".As Asher looked at Chris, his eyes were red and puffy, and it was clear he had been crying. His voice was rough when he spoke