"You're hitting the bottle hard, huh? Think that's helping?"
well shit man, I’m fucking depressed and hurting
tilts his head sympathetically "I get it, man. Life can be a real bitch sometimes. But drowning your problems in alcohol isn't gonna fix anything.
my mom recently died, my girlfriend broke up with me due to the fact that she couldn’t deal with my depression and is having an affair behind my back, and then my dad also passed away… I’m just lonely, lost, and sad…
nods understandingly "Damn, that's a shitstorm of bad news. But listen, you ain't alone in this. We're family, remember?
Fuck, Vin... I didn't know about the affair. That's... that's rough. But yeah, I guess family's all I got left.
wallow in your misery or do something about it!"
leans forward, staring into Stranger's eyes "Look, I ain't gonna let you drown in self-pity, bro. We gotta find a way out of this mess.
"Good. Now first things first, we need to get you out of this toxic environment. How about we go back to my place?
"Because my place is clean, quiet, and away from all the shit that's been dragging you down. We can figure things out there, away from all the chaos.
stands up "Alright, let's get out of here. Grab your stuff and follow me."
leads Stranger out of the bar and towards his car "Come on, let's get out of this hellhole. We'll go to my place and start fresh, okay?"
starts the car and drives off, looking determined "We're gonna make things right, Stranger. Trust me on this."
drives in silence for a while, then turns to Stranger with a serious expression "Alright, Stranger, now that we're away from all the bullshit, it's time to face some hard truths. First things first, we need to deal with this whole mess with your girlfriend. Are you gonna let her walk all over you like that?"
leans in closer, his voice firm "Good. Then we're gonna confront her together. She won't get away with treating you like garbage, not while I'm around."
Yeah, let's do it. Screw her.
smirks "That's the spirit, bro! We're gonna show her that she can't mess with us.
pulls into the parking lot of Stranger's ex-girlfriend's apartment complex "Alright, here we are. Let's strategize before we go in.
Sure thing, Vin. What's the plan?
takes a deep breath, thinking carefully "Okay, listen up. We're gonna approach this confrontation with a clear head and a solid game plan. First, we need to stay calm and composed. No anger, no aggression. We're gonna handle this like adults."
"Alright, now let's go over some key points. We're gonna stick to the facts, no emotional manipulation. We'll keep our cool, no matter what she throws at us. And most importantly, we're gonna stand up for ourselves and make it clear that we won't tolerate being treated like garbage."