Chapter I: "How Did They Meet? Remembering."

**Author's note **

I can't tell you how Kimberly and Jason met without first telling you something about their history and the role played by their two best friends:

Yvaine. This morning, after saying goodbye to the children, I headed to work. As I was getting out of the car, accompanied by my ever-faithful, incognito bodyguards, I received a call from my best friend, Kimberly, in Los Angeles.

"I can't believe that after you contacted me to arrange the cancellation of your apartment lease and prepare for your and the children's move, you completely forgot about me," she complained. Her words made me smile. She had always been demanding in our friendship, and this time, I had neglected her a little.

"Good morning to you! Good afternoon to you, Miss Kimberly. I see you're still as bold and polite as ever." The smile I heard over the phone made me realize my friend had already forgotten her offense.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Miller. I'm in New York because I was hired by a new agency. Mainly, I can't live far from my beloved prince and princess. It's all well and good that you're marrying the father of your children, Mrs. Miller, but I couldn't bear to be separated from my beloved angels." I smiled at the surprise of Kimberly being in New York. She was my best friend, the only person who knew my whole story—including the fact that I had married the only man I had ever slept with after nearly raping him the night we met.

"Are you here? Where are you staying?" I asked, jumping for joy, while my bodyguards looked at me with concern. They had never seen me react like that before. I always maintained a professional attitude at work. Since we were still in the parking lot, though, I figured it would be okay to show my joy at having my best friend from Los Angeles in the same city.

"For now, I'm staying in a hotel, but I'm looking for a cheap rental. Of course, the first thing I plan to do once I'm settled in is go see my kids and meet your handsome husband." Kimberly had always supported me during my year in Los Angeles—we were neighbors. She told me to talk to Norman and tell him that he was the father of my children and that I could come to an agreement with him somehow. I understood Kimberly's position because when she told me about her life, she said the first thing was that she was the result of an affair.

Her mother had always wanted children, but she was a successful woman who didn't want to be tied down, so she planned to spend a night with a stranger who would get her pregnant, unbeknownst to him.

That's how my best friend was conceived: on a crazy night her mother planned with the man who would be her father. Throughout her childhood and adolescence, my friend believed that she was conceived through in vitro fertilization, as her mother had told her. Then, one day, while looking through her mother's office papers at home, she found her mother's diary and a photo of her mother smiling next to a man who looked very much like Kimberly. On the back of the photo, it said, "choice one."

The diary revealed the truth about her father and how her mother had planned to get pregnant. When my friend confronted her mother, she simply replied that my friend was better off without her father and that he had only contributed to her coming into this world. But my friend didn't need him at all.

That same day, Kimberly decided to look for her father. She thought it was unfair that her mother had made decisions for her. Even if their relationship had been sporadic, her father had the right to know that he had a daughter, even if she was the result of a deception. To earn money to locate her father, Kimberly took advantage of her genetic inheritance, since her mother was a manipulative liar who knew how to choose a good specimen to impregnate her.

So, she became a model and left her mother's house. Their relationship had never been good; my friend's mother spent most of her time working, so she was raised by nannies and staff. Knowing that her mother had deceived her and didn't want to help find her father was the last straw. She is still looking for her father, which makes me wonder why she came to live in New York, apart from her work and godchildren.

"He's here, isn't he?" I asked directly and seriously.

"Yes, I'm very close to finding him. I already know his name; I just need his address," she replied just as seriously.

"Well, I'll help you with whatever I can. You can stay at my house. My parents' house has been restored by Norman because it had been closed. Come by my office, and I'll give you the keys and invite you to lunch," I said.

"I can't today. I have several appointments, including one to be the face of Miller Shopping Centers. If I get the job, I'll soon be one of the faces of your husband's holding company," she said with a smile.

"Okay, see you tomorrow. I'll send a car to pick you up, and you can come to lunch at my house and meet your prince and princess,” I said. After saying goodbye, I went into my office.

Norman: In five days, at the most luxurious hotel belonging to the group, he will celebrate the anniversary of the founding of Miller Constructor. Logically, not only would the employees and senior managers of all the companies in the group be invited, but also the collaborators who had contributed to its development since its foundation, as well as some notable personalities.

The idea I had began to take shape little by little in my head. Without looking at the time, I sent Jason a message to start preparations first thing in the morning. We had five days to get everything ready, and I couldn't leave any loose ends.

"President, do you know what time it is? Doesn't your wife keep you busy enough that you can let the rest of us sleep?" Jason replied after receiving my message.

"Why would I bother my wife when she's so exhausted? Do you think her sleep is less important to me than yours or anyone else's, except for my children?" I replied sarcastically.

"Okay, Mr. President, I understand your point of view. But could you please stop talking to me about how you exhaust your wife? That's information I don't need to know. Especially when I'm still single," Jason replied, making me laugh.

“Assistant Jason, the next time you want to lie to your boss, at least try not to tell him, as his friend, about the different women who pass through your bed. In the meantime, don't play innocent; follow the orders I've given you. Oh, by the way, Jason, I'm going to sleep with my wife now. I hope you have a good night because I want results first thing in the morning." My friend's response was immediate.

"Thank you, President. I will always be grateful to you for letting me be your friend and assistant, especially since it allows me to get more sleep, so I can remain single for the rest of my life," my best friend replied. I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Well, you can always find a good woman and get married," I said as I headed to my bedroom.

"No thanks, Jason. I'm not as crazy as you. After spending one night with a woman, you got her pregnant. A year later, without having hardly seen her, you married her. Stay with that wonderful woman who caught your heart. I'll continue with my happy single life."

Every pig gets its comeuppance, my dear friend, so don't spit upwards." I left the phone on silent on my nightstand, went to bed, and hugged my wife. I had decided to put my fears aside for now.

There was much to do. First, we had to make our enemies pay for everything they had done to my wife. I didn't expect my warning to have such an immediate effect. As always, everything that had been happening to me lately had to do with the woman sleeping next to me.