Shadows of Revenge

31. The Plan They Won't Speak Of

Tee, Irin, Kate, and Nam sat around a small table in a cozy corner of a not-so-busy restaurant. The dim lighting gave the place a relaxed atmosphere, but none of them were feeling particularly relaxed tonight. They were here for one reason, and one reason only: Freen.

"She’s living like a zombie," Nam said, taking a sip of her drink and frowning. “You’d think she died instead of John and his brother.”

“Or Sarah, for that matter,” Tee added, a playful smirk on her lips, though the underlying concern was obvious. “I mean, I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to out-brood Freen, but here we are. She’s taken it to a whole new level.”

“I miss the Freen who used to smile,” Irin chimed in, tapping her fingers against the table. “You know, the one Becky brought out in her.”

Kate snorted. “Well, that Freen is dead and gone. And if we don’t do something, the new Freen is going to stay buried six feet under with all her sadness.”

They all paused, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Freen hadn’t been the same since that night with Becky—the night everything came crashing down. Becky had walked away, and with her went the last piece of Freen’s joy. They had to do something.

“So,” Tee broke the silence, her mischievous smile forming as she leaned forward, lowering her voice like she was about to reveal the secret to world peace. “What’s the plan?”

Nam grinned, catching on to Tee’s tone. “I don’t know, but it’s gonna be good. It has to be. Freen deserves some happiness again. And let’s be honest, Becky is the only one who can make her smile like that.”

“Ugh, Becky,” Kate groaned, though it was clear she was more annoyed at the situation than the person. “Why did she have to go and make everything so complicated?”

“Because that’s what love does, genius,” Irin said, rolling her eyes dramatically. “But also because Freen and Becky are both so stubborn that they’d rather be miserable than admit they still love each other.”

“You mean, Becky’s stubborn,” Nam shot back, giving Irin a pointed look. “She’s the one who walked away.”

“Well, Freen’s no better,” Irin retorted. “She basically told her to leave. It’s like they’re competing to see who can be the most self-destructive.”

“Yeah, that sounds like them,” Tee said, laughing. “Maybe we should lock them in a room together and not let them out until they sort this mess.”

Kate raised an eyebrow. “You mean like you and Irin back when you two were fighting? Because I seem to remember that not ending well.”

Irin and Tee exchanged glances, both of them stifling laughs as they remembered their own turbulent past. “Hey, we’re fine now, aren’t we?” Tee said, elbowing Irin playfully.

“Barely,” Irin teased back, though her smile softened the jab.

“Alright, enough about our drama,” Nam cut in, waving her hand. “This is about Freen. We need a real plan.”

They all went silent for a moment, thinking, the air around them buzzing with shared determination and a bit of their usual mischief.

“Whatever we do,” Kate said finally, leaning in conspiratorially, “it has to be subtle. We can’t just force them back together. That would never work.”

“Yeah, because nothing says ‘romantic reunion’ like kidnapping,” Tee quipped sarcastically, earning chuckles from the group.

Irin rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. “You’re all hopeless.”

“But brilliant,” Nam added with a wink. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

They shared knowing looks, the kind only close friends could exchange, before breaking into mischievous grins. It was clear they were onto something—though none of them would say what that “something” was out loud.

“All we need is a little push,” Tee said with a gleam in her eye, leaning back in her chair like she had just solved a puzzle. “And a lot of luck.”

“Luck?” Irin scoffed, shaking her head. “We’re gonna need more than luck. We’re gonna need a miracle.”

“Or,” Kate said, raising her glass, “we just do what we always do: improvise.”

They all clinked their glasses together, smirking at the unspoken plan that hung between them. Whatever they had come up with, it was going to be fun—maybe a little chaotic, but definitely fun.

Nam glanced around the table, her eyes gleaming with determination. “Let’s just make sure this works. We owe it to Freen.”

“And to Becky,” Irin added quietly.

Tee nodded, her smile softening. “Right. For both of them.”

And with that, they dove into their usual banter, throwing playful jabs at each other as they polished off the rest of their drinks. The plan might be a secret, but the laughter around the table was anything but. In their own way, they were bringing life back into the situation—injecting it with the lightness and humor that had been missing for far too long.

They didn’t know if it would work. But if anyone could pull it off, it was these four. After all, they weren’t just Freen’s friends—they were her family. And they would do anything to see her happy again.

Even if it meant a little harmless meddling.

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