POWER STAGE : FAYE + YOKO (gxg)

Aftermath

As the first light of morning filled the room, I opened my eyes. The events of last night were replaying in my mind like a nightmare. My stomach was queasy, my head was pounding. I got up and went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face, but the images of last night would not be erased from my mind.

When I went down to breakfast, Yoko was already at the table. She looked up when she saw me, a wry smile on her face. That smile fanned the fire of regret and shame inside me even more.

"Good morning," I said, trying to hide the disgust in my voice.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," she said, her voice scathing. "How was last night? Were you able to pay for it?"

My face turned red with anger. "I fell for your trick, Yoko," I hissed. "I'll never forget that."

Yoko couldn't hold back her laughter. "A trick? Oh, Faye, you wanted it too. All that closeness, those looks... You can't fool me."

"I was just drunk!" I shouted, my anger now uncontrollable. "It wasn't anything more than that. You... you used me!"

Yoko's smile faded, her eyes cold. "Don't kid yourself, Faye. We both knew what you were doing. And you enjoyed the moment."

My tears were flowing now. "No, no..." I whispered helplessly. "I'm not like that." Yoko stood up, her anger engulfing her entire body. "You think so?" she said, her voice dangerously hoarse. "Then why did you kiss me last night? Why was your hand in the last place it should have been?"

I couldn't answer. Because I didn't have an answer. There was no explanation for what I did last night. I was just disgusted with myself.

Yoko stood up in a rage, her anger engulfing her entire body. As she stood up, she quickly pulled back the tablecloth, plates and glasses scattering noisily on the floor. At that very moment, the bitter melody of my phone echoed amidst all the chaos. It was Mon. Yoko shot me a look of hatred before turning around and walking away quickly. My phone was still ringing. Mon's voice was like a ray of hope in the midst of all this chaos. But right now, neither she nor the wedding preparations mattered. My heart was torn apart, my eyes filled with tears. Yoko's anger and disappointment had opened a deep wound inside me. Feeling like I had deceived her was devastating. Yet all I wanted was to make up for this mistake and regain her trust.

My head ached as the annoying sound of the phone pulled me out of the arms of the fight. I opened my eyes and looked at the phone on the table. It was Mon. A feeling of unease welled up inside me. His cheerful voice was the last thing I needed right now.

"Hello?" I said, the weakness in my voice obvious.

"Faye, what's going on at home?" Mon's voice was far from her usual cheerfulness. She trembled with anxiety. "The staff at home called me. They were really scared. There were broken things in the house, plates, cups and others. What happened there?"

My heart almost jumped out of my chest. The echoes of that terrible fight with Yoko were still lingering. The broken plates, glasses... they were all painful memories of that moment. Mon's worried voice made my conscience ache even more.

"I'm... fine, Mon," I said, swallowing hard. "It was just an accident. A few plates slipped out of my hands, that's all."

"Are you sure?" Mon asked, her voice still suspicious. "The staff are really scared. They think something's wrong."

I took a deep breath. "I'm really fine, Mon, don't worry. I'm just a little clumsy, that's all." I hated lying, but I didn't have the strength to tell her the truth right now.

"By the way, your agenda is pretty full today. First, you have a meeting with Mr. Tanaka at 10:00. Then, we'll be holding a press conference for the new product launch at 2:00 p.m. In the evening, we have a dinner planned with Ms. Suzuki." Mon's voice paused for a moment, as if he was considering what to say. Then, he continued in a slightly more reserved tone. "Oh, and... You and Yoko are supposed to do a magazine shoot together this week. It'll be a special interview before the wedding."