Resignation of Bien

Mission Accomplished

Several days had passed, and the absence of Christian at Bad Egg Productions was palpable. The usually bustling office had lost its rhythm. Axel and the rest of the team were growing increasingly worried. Messages went unanswered, calls were ignored, and when Anna had gone to his condo to check on him, Christian had turned her away without a second thought.

Desperation led Axel to seek out Matthew. Though he was reluctant, Axel's persistence and wit eventually broke through Matthew's resistance. Axel knew how to leverage Matthew's feelings for Bien, using them as a catalyst to spur him into action.

"Matthew, this isn't just about Christian," Axel argued. "Did you ever consider what Bien would feel if he knew how Christian's doing right now? Bien's probably going through hell right now, and Christian's will only make it worse by shutting down. If you really care about Bien, you need to help fix this."

Matthew's jaw tightened, his internal conflict clear. Finally, he nodded, realizing Axel was right. He needed to intervene, for Bien's sake if nothing else.

Later that evening, Matthew stood outside Christian's condo, a sense of foreboding washing over him as he knocked on the door. After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing Christian in a disheveled state. He looked like a shadow of his former self, with unkempt hair, red-rimmed eyes, and a bottle of alcohol clutched in his hand.

Christian glanced at Matthew with a look of indifference. "What do you want?"

Matthew sighed, pushing the door open further. "Can I come in?"

Christian shrugged and stepped aside, gesturing vaguely for Matthew to enter. "Sure. Want a drink?" he offered, raising the bottle.

Matthew declined, focusing on the task at hand. "Christian, we need to talk."

"About what?" Christian sank into his couch, the bottle still in his grasp.

Matthew took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. "Bien's going to Singapore. Mr. George gave him the offer."

Christian waved a hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter. He made his choice."

"It does matter, Christian," Matthew insisted, his voice rising slightly. "Bien's doing this because he thinks it's the only way to save your career, the company, and his family. He's sacrificing everything for you."

Christian scoffed, taking another swig from the bottle. "And what am I supposed to do about it? He made his decision."

Matthew's patience was wearing thin. "You're supposed to fight for him! You're supposed to show him that you're worth the risk, that your relationship is worth more than what Mr. George or anyone else thinks."

Christian's eyes darkened, the weight of Matthew's words sinking in. He wanted to dismiss everything, to drown in his misery, but he couldn't escape the truth. Bien was suffering because of him. For a moment, silence filled the room. Christian stared at the floor, the bottle forgotten in his hand.

Matthew pulled Christian's collar. "I just told you that he's going to Singapore! You're not gonna do anything about it?"

"What can I do!? He told me he's just..." Christian drank half of the bottle, just thinking that Bien didn't love him, that Bien only used him for the job felt like a stab right in the chest.

Matthew grabbed the bottle and threw it away as he yelled at his friend. "Bien loves you, you fucking moron!"

Christian paused. But why would Bien do that? Why did he intentionally hurt him?

Matthew pulled out his phone and played a video of the night when Bien broke up with him. "Do you see this?"

Reliving the moment, seeing Bien again, Christian's tears fell, his hands shaking.