Over the week, Daniel buried himself in his work at Apex Engineering and worked on a new high-rise in Midtown. But Frederick's shadow loomed larger, a reminder of his insecurity. Cindy mentioned him in passing amusing texts he sent, memories of their college days. Every mention was a pinch, not only for Frederick, but for Daniel himself, his fear that he would never amount to anything. His desire to be everything to Cindy clashed with her bond with Frederick, and the tension was unbearable.

One Thursday, Daniel arrived at Cindy's loft with sushi from her favorite restaurant in hopes of a quiet evening. He used the key she had given him, stepping into her cozy space filled with art. To his dismay, Frederick was there, sprawled out on the couch next to Cindy, both engrossed in a FIFA match on her PlayStation. And they were jabbering and laughing like teenagers, and throwing out insults, unaware of Daniel's presence.

"Goal! " Frederick leaped to his feet and performed a mock victory dance."

"It was pure luck!" she retorted, throwing a pillow at him, her laugh bright and unguarded.

Daniel was in the doorway, frozen, the sushi bags heavy in his hands. The ease between Cindy and Frederick, the shared joy, was a stab through his heart. "This is what I want with her," he thought, but his fear screamed: "You will never have it." The scene was a vivid reminder of his insecurity; the shadow of Frederick's presence was looming longer.

Clearing his throat, Daniel stepped forward. Cindy turned, and her face lit up with surprise. "Daniel!" She leaped off her chair and came across to hug him. "I didn't expect you would come by so early! Look! Frederick is here—we are just finishing a game."

Daniel returned her hug and breathed in her perfume but was still watching Frederick, who was now watching them with a smile.

Frederick stood to shake his hand and offer a warm smile. "Cindy was telling me about your high-rise project. It sounds intense". It was reasonable why they clicked, and this deepened Daniel's fear.

Daniel answered, "So far, everything seems to be going smoothly," as he placed the meal on her table. "I came by with dinner for you if you'd like to eat."

Daniel hugged Cindy tight when she responded, "Thank you, we were right at the end of this game. Frederick was already getting ready to leave."

Yet, Frederick stayed at the table and didn't hurry away. Instead, he went back to the couch, grabbed his controller and got back to playing.

"On second thought, I'd like to finish the tournament we've been preparing for," he told Cindy. It's tied two-two, and I'm not ready to let you think you're better at FIFA.

Cindy laughed and looked between them, clearly torn. "Baby, do you mind if we finish this game? Fredrick has been mouthing off and I have to shut him up."

Daniel wanted to say no, insist that they had to eat the sushi he brought and claim the moment as theirs. But his fear of seeming controlling won. "Sure, go ahead," he said in a flat voice. He sat at the kitchen table eating alone as Cindy and Frederick resumed their game, their laughter echoing through the loft. The scene cemented his resolve: he had to do something to shift the dynamic.

It was in that moment, as Daniel saw them laughing and touching without thinking much about it, that anger and jealousy hit him with a force he thought he wouldn't feel. It was obvious how easy they were around each other. It was an experience like someone watching a couple after many years together.

He didn't say anything as he finished his meal and felt awkward as a visitor in his girlfriend's place.

Humiliated with the PlayStation disaster, Daniel doubled his flawed plan. He was incapable of facing Cindy as it was clear by the reaction, and so he planned to outdo Frederick in an indirect way.

Two weeks later, Daniel met his friend James at a Midtown bar, over a few bottles of star beer, he spilled his heart “I can't compete with Fredrick," he admitted staring at his glass. Cindy is so happy with him I am losing her, man."

James leaned back, smirking. "Then level the playing field. Make her feel what you are feeling."

"I'm not sure what you're saying." Still, Daniel asked, because he had a strong idea of what was coming next.

"Find a female friend, someone who is beautiful and hasn't found a boyfriend yet. Try to make her jealous. Experience for yourself what it's like to see your partner connect with someone else."

The suggestion seemed manipulative and immature to him, but in his emotionally vulnerable state, it also sounded as though it might work. The idea of leveling the playing field, of Cindy having that same pang of insecurity that he used to feel when she was with Frederick, was enticing in a weird way.

"I have no single females as friends," Daniel replied. “All my female friends from university are either married or seriously involved with someone."

"Don't worry about that," James said as he extracted his phone from his pocket. "My fiancée has lots of single friends. I'm going to make some calls. "She will assist in shaking up things."

James called his fiancée and explained the situation to her who asked for some time to see how she could help. His fiancée discussed the situation with a friend, and this friend was ready to lend her assistance. Her name was Evelyn, she was twenty-six years old and was a public relations professional. According to James' fiancée, "She's exactly the kind of woman who would make any girlfriend jealous."

It felt like a sign. Maybe this was the solution Daniel contested for.

The following day Daniel called Evelyn, his heart pounding as he dialed the number James gave him. She had a warm and friendly voice, laced with confidence and humor, instantly putting him at ease.

"So, James' fiancée told me about your situation," she said after they had exchanged pleasantries. "You want to make your girlfriend jealous by pretending I'm your best friend? "

"I know it sounds crazy," He started, but she stopped him.

"So really, it doesn't sound that crazy at all," she said with a chuckle. "Some of these women ought to find out what men go through for a change. Your girlfriend needs to understand how her actions affect you. After all, James' fiancée told me good things about you, it would be my pleasure to help you."

They agreed to meet at a coffee shop in the Chelsea area the next day to finalize their plans. When Daniel laid eyes on Evelyn, he was taken aback by her beauty. She was tall and elegant, with sleek dark skin and natural hair that she sported in a chic afro. She carried herself with confidence just like Cindy, and he could tell right away why James' fiancée had suggested her for the job.