Anabel's Best friend and her brother

On Friday morning, Anabel was eating her cookies and watching one of her favorite TV programs when she heard a knock on the door.

"Who is there?" She asked but didn't get any response. She sat up and headed towards the door to check who was that. Anabel was overjoyed when she saw her best friend, Stacey, standing in the doorway.

"Stacey!" Anabel exclaimed and rushed forward to envelop her best friend in a tight hug. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Anabel." Stacey replied with her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Anabel was very happy to see her best friend after what felt like an eternity. Stacey had just completed her BSc program in New York, and Anabel had been eagerly waiting for her return.

"You didn't tell me you will show up today." Anabel said. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I want it to be a surprise." She laughed.

"You look great!" Anabel stared down at her. "I can see you have added in perfect places. See your skin, your waist—gosh! Please come in"

She grabbed her small bag and escorted her inside. As Stacey stepped into the cozy living room, she was greeted by the warm, inviting aroma of freshly baked cookies.

"You made cookies!"

"Yeah." Anabel replied, and they settled onto the plush sofa, the familiar comfort of the room making Stacey feel instantly at ease.

She offered Stacey one of her cookies before they began to catch up on all the latest news, sharing stories and laughing about old times.

As they were talking, Stacey stared at Anabel's finger and confirmed that she had truly divorced Desmond. "So everything you told me is real. You guys really divorced."

"Yeah, and I'm not regretting it." Anabel replied.

"What if he comes back begging?" Stacey asked.

"He should not even think about it because nothing is going to work between us." Anabel stated.

"What about his child? You know, he will surely come back for it." Stacey reminded her.

"He will never know. To him, I'm a barren woman."

"He can still find out. It's not something you can hide forever."

"Can we talk about another thing? I don't want to talk about Desmond."

"Alright, what about your automobile company?" Stacey asked.

"It's doing well. I had some challenges a week ago, but I'm back on track now."

They continued to talk and laugh. Just as Stacey was about to recount a particularly amusing incident from her time in New York, the door to the sitting room creaked open.

Jethro, Anabel's brother, walked in. He was shirtless, and his broad, bare chest was in full view.

He was tall and muscular, with a confident stride that made it hard for Stacey to look away. Stacey's breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of him. He flashed a charming smile at the two beautiful young ladies.

"Hey, Anabel. Is she Stacey, your best friend?" He asked, his deep voice resonating in the room.

Anabel turned to Stacey and noticed her gaze lingering on Jethro a bit longer than usual. She couldn't help but smile knowingly. "Yeah, she is Stacey, my best friend from college. Stacey, this is my brother, Jethro."

Stacey managed to tear her eyes away from Jethro long enough to respond. "Yeah, I know. Nice to meet you again, Jethro."

She had known Jethro, but now, a lot had changed. The last time she saw Jethro, he was slim and shy. Now, he was looking manly and intimidating. He was now muscular and irresistibly attractive.

"The pleasure is all mine," Jethro replied, giving her a wink before leaving. "I'm coming back."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Anabel nudged Stacey playfully. "I caught you staring. Do you like my brother?" She teased.

Stacey blushed, unable to hide her embarrassment. "I couldn't help it," she admitted with a laugh. "He's... well, you know, the last time I saw him, he wasn't this attractive. I was surprised and stunned to see him in that shape. I'm sure he's not single."

Anabel chuckled. "Yeah, he's not, but...."

"But what?" Stacey asked in curiosity.

"He's been having some issues with his girlfriend recently." Anabel replied.

"Hmm, what kind of issues?" Stacey asked.

Anabel leaned in with a conspiratorial look on her face. "Jethro found a suspicious text message on his girlfriend's phone," she whispered. "He thinks she might be cheating on him."

Stacey's eyes widened in surprise. "What did the text say?" She asked. Her voice was very tiny, barely above a whisper.

Anabel hesitated before responding. "Apparently, it was from some guy, and all it said was 'Can't wait to see you tonight.' He had been going crazy, trying to figure out who the guy is and what is going on. Though he confronted her, and she claimed that the person was just a friend."

Stacey couldn't believe that a girl would be cheating on a guy as rich and handsome as Jethro. She thinks he deserves so much better than that.

"Poor Jethro," Stacey said, trying to sound sympathetic. "I hope he figures out what's going on and takes action."

Physically, she was feeling sympathetic for Jethro. But deep down, she was happy. She couldn't help but feel a thrill of hope that Jethro might soon be single again. The thought of him being free from his relationship was almost too exciting to bear.

As she tried to maintain a neutral expression, Stacey's mind began to wander. She envisioned herself and Jethro growing closer. She pictured them going on dates, exploring new places together, and maybe even sharing a romantic kiss under the stars.

The more Stacey thought about it, the more she realized that she was genuinely happy about Jethro's problems with his girlfriend. It wasn't that she wished ill for his relationship, but rather that she saw an opportunity for herself to potentially connect with Jethro. She felt a twinge of guilt for feeling happy about someone else's misfortune, but she couldn't shake off the excitement that had taken hold of her. As she continued to chat with Anabel, Stacey couldn't help but wonder what the future might hold for her and Jethro.