When the Brake Breaks

The sun was setting on a spring day. The only problem was that spring felt more like summer. Ace sat in his car, watching and listening to nature’s music, trying not to relive the tragic mistake he had made.

Ace was a kind-hearted person who did what he could, whenever he could, for everyone. He was always saying, “I got you,” or, “Sure, I can do it.” Despite all he did for others, people rarely treated him with the same kindness. They would thank him, but when surrounded by friends or coworkers, they treated Ace like scum.

One day, Ace was running an errand when he was cut off by a passing driver. Calmly, he switched lanes, trying to get around the reckless car. Ace was on his way to an important meeting he had been waiting on for quite some time.

The driver continued swerving in front of Ace and slamming on the brakes, forcing Ace to do the same. Before long, Ace received a call from his coworker asking where he was. Ace explained the situation he was dealing with on the road, but his coworker assumed he was making excuses. The call ended abruptly, and Ace continued toward the meeting.

Eventually, Ace managed to get around the reckless driver and arrived at the meeting just in time.

As soon as Ace entered the conference room, the atmosphere felt cold as ice. Everyone stared at him with tense expressions, as if they wanted to say something but couldn’t.

The man sitting at the head of the table spoke first.

“Ace, you’ve been with us for a long time now, and you’ve accomplished great things for this company. We’re thankful for all you’ve done.”

Like clockwork, the moment the man finished speaking, Ace’s assistant walked into the room carrying boxes and papers.

“Are you going somewhere?” Ace asked.

Before the assistant could respond, the manager answered.

“No. You are.”

Heads lowered around the table. No one could look Ace in the eye.

Confused, Ace looked around the room. “What do you mean?” he asked while reading the papers handed to him.

In bold letters, the documents read:

**SEPARATION DOCUMENTS**

The company he had worked for since graduating college—ten years of loyalty and endless “yes sir” behavior—was letting him go.

“In these documents, you’ll find everything you need,” the manager continued. “And I think we’re being generous by paying your salary for the next year. The company is evolving, and it’s time to clean out the dead bones.”

Those words hit Ace like a ton of bricks.

All he could manage to say was, “Okay.”

People around the table offered apologies, but Ace barely heard them. All he could hear was the sound of glass shattering inside his mind as he walked out carrying his belongings.

Ace drove home and parked the car, watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon. His thoughts echoed loudly in his head.

*Ten years of saying yes to a company that let you go the first chance it got.*

The only face he could picture was Alex’s smug grin as he spoke the words *dead bones.*

Alex and Ace had started at the company together. Once, they had been friends. But the moment power became available, Alex climbed above him without hesitation.

Ace was pulled from his thoughts by a phone call.

He looked at the caller ID, and the name alone pierced his chest.

**Alex.**

Ace answered.

“Sucks to be you,” Alex laughed through the phone. “After all these years of acting superior, you got let go. Ha ha!”

Laughter echoed through the speaker before Alex added, “Wanna grab drinks, buddy?”

*Buddy?* Ace thought. *A real friend wouldn’t laugh at another person’s pain.*

Ace looked into his rearview mirror, but the face staring back at him no longer felt like his own.

A cold, calm voice escaped his lips.

“Sure, Alex.”

Reaching the bay where they occasionally drank after work, Ace stepped out of his car and quietly walked behind Alex, who was distracted on his phone, basking in Ace’s downfall.

Alex ended the call and turned around, only to find the barrel of a gun pressed against his forehead.

“What’s going on?” Alex asked nervously.

“Taking pleasure in someone else’s demise isn’t the trait of a good friend,” Ace replied.

Then he pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot snapped Ace back to reality.

Blacking out was something he used to do often when he was younger. The difference now was that he remembered everything that happened during those moments.

He dragged Alex’s lifeless body to the car and placed him inside. After cutting the brake line, Ace sent the vehicle rolling toward the ocean.

The car drifted silently into the dark water until it disappeared beneath the surface.

Returning to his own car, Ace whispered to the wind,

“There’s no control when the brakes break.”

He entered his car and drove down the dark country road.