Love for One Night

Ch 2: Over-the-Shoulder Throw (10)

"What? Have dinner with them?" Sandra held a kitchen knife in one hand, the other on her hip, looking like a perfect stereotype fierce, nagging woman.

April dodged carefully and pointed at the shiny, intimidating knife. "Sandra, can you put the knife down first? It's really scary."

"Are you joking? Why would I go have dinner with them?" Sandra tossed the knife into the sink, the loud clanging of metal reverberating. The knife was made of fine steel; one could only hope it didn't damage the old sink. If the landlord found out, it would mean yet another expense.

"Ryo was really angry about what happened that day. He says you need to come forward and apologize to his friends," April said, while keeping an eye on her escape route, always ready to run.

"Why should I apologize?" Sandra protested. "He was the one making moves on you first!"

"True, but you did throw him down pretty hard. I heard he hurt his tailbone. He's already letting you off by not pursuing medical expenses."

Hearing that she had injured someone, Sandra's momentum faltered slightly. "The only reason he didn't go after the medical bills is because he has MSP. Aren't you worried they'll ask for something outrageous? We're not rich like them."

April reassured her, "Ryo said they'll cover the dinner; we don't have to pay."

That only made Sandra more suspicious. "Then there's even more reason not to go. Who knows what they're planning?"

"But..."

"No buts." Sandra's authoritarian ruling was final.

Sandra imposed strict rules on April, forbidding her from leaving the house unless for exams. Classes that could be skipped had to be skipped, and if they couldn't, Sandra would accompany her.

April, her innocent and naïve little lamb of a roommate, was bound to be eaten alive by that big bad wolf eventually. She couldn't let her friend make the same mistakes she had.

Of course, Sandra had her own selfish reasons too. She didn't want anything to do with that man. If April continued her relationship with Ryo, she would inevitably meet him again. What would happen then? Pretend not to know him? Impossible. After all, she had done quite the number on him. And there was no way she could stand in front of him without thinking about that night. Could she stay rational, or would she do something completely out of line? No one could guarantee it.

But fate has its way, and avoiding it was futile.

When Sandra returned home the other day, she immediately noticed two large boxes on the kitchen counter, tied with beautiful ribbons—one in peach pink and the other in fiery red.

"April, did you go out?" Sandra's expression darkened.

April, wearing pajamas and curled up in her computer chair, shook her head vigorously. "You just went out to take out the trash five minutes ago; I didn't even have time to change clothes."

Seeing Sandra's disbelief, April added, "I just downloaded a new online game. Right after you left, the download finished, and I started installing it. Look, it's only been installing for three minutes."

Sandra remained skeptical, pointing at the boxes. "Then where did these come from?"

"The landlord brought them here," April explained, though not entirely truthfully.

"What's inside?"

"I don't know either." This was the truth—April hadn't had time to open them before the game's download notification pulled her back to her computer.

Sandra thought to herself, The landlord wouldn't send a bomb, would she? Blowing up her own house wouldn't do her any good. Wait, does home insurance cover anonymous bombs?

She untied the pink ribbon, and April jumped down from her chair to watch.

"Wow..." April pushed up her glasses and marveled at the small dress Sandra pulled out. "It's a new design from Lanvin!"

Sandra, unimpressed, tossed the dress aside like a piece of trash, then roughly untied the red ribbon. When the box opened, a puffy dress popped out like a jack-in-the-box, startling them both.

"Wow, such a huge skirt," April exclaimed, now enamored with the new dress.

Sandra threw the lid aside, nearly hitting April.

"Hey, Sandra, be careful!"

Sandra glared at April fiercely. "You be careful. Don't sell yourself for a few small favors."

April's excitement immediately deflated under Sandra's scolding.

Sandra walked over to a single-seater sofa and plopped down, striking a boss-like pose. "Now, explain. What's going on?"

April shrank under Sandra's gaze and confessed, "Ryo sent me a message, actually."

In this digital age, you can trap a person but not their heart.

"He said he'd be sending a gift today. I didn't know what it would be!" April quickly tried to shirk responsibility. "And it really was the landlord who delivered them. She used her key to open the door, not me. She put them down and left before I could do anything. Then you came back."

Sandra remained expressionless as she continued her interrogation. She nodded toward the dress April was holding. "What does it mean?"

"Ryo said we're supposed to take these gifts and attend the dinner." April lowered her head but sneaked a glance at Sandra. "And he said... if you don't go, some people might end up with extra trouble."

"Trouble?" Sandra frowned.

"He said that if someone does something, they need to take responsibility for it."

A blatant, shameless threat.

Sandra didn't know if Ryo was referring to the time she threw Arden over the shoulder or the night she and Arden spent together. But it was likely the latter. They knew that she wouldn't want anyone to know about her connection with that man.

She cared, not because of morals or ethics, but because she didn't know how to face that situation herself. Well, girl, once you care about something, you have a weakness.

Impulsive mistakes come with consequences. In the end, you always have to pay for what you've done.