Vicious Habits

Chapter Two

Sometimes, I think to myself that these experiences remind us that we are mere humans conducting through life within this extraordinary universe. We try, we fail, we try again, and sometimes we almost succeed. Then, we stumble once more. But if we muster the courage to try just one more time, we might finally achieve what we set out to do. After all, we are simply humans, living the beautifully imperfect human experience. This doesn't make us inferior-instead, it reveals our incredible capacity to strive for growth, to reach for something new and better.

That reminds me of the next morning, which stood out so vividly. It was my first day as a newly single woman, and as soon as my alarm rang at 5:30, I rolled out of bed with a purpose. This was the day I was determined to look my absolute best-my ultimate revenge look.

I took a nice refreshing shower, styled my hair into gorgeous, voluminous curls, and accented perfectly with my Chanel headband. Instead of my usual clean, natural makeup, I opted for a bold and sultry vibe: semi-smoky eyes paired with mauve lips that oozed confidence. Once my hair and makeup were flawless, I remembered an outfit I had been saving for a truly special occasion. Today was the day it would finally make its debut.

The ensemble consisted of a powder blue tweed skirt and jacket, paired with a delicate white blouse. I completed the look with white knee-high socks and my black-and-white Miu Miu Mary Jane pumps. To top it all off, I added a touch of elegance with the Cartier jewelry I had splurged on just last weekend at the mall.

With everything in place, I felt unstoppable. I was ready to take on the world. Or should I say Andrew.

Which reminded me-I hadn't seen him at all yesterday, even though we dont have any clases together, He was nowhere to be seen, even during lunch, where we always sat together. Strangely, though, I felt a sense of calm after all the chaos from the day before. I had spent the night sorting through my thoughts, coming to terms with myself, and gaining a fresh perspective on how I'd been living my life.

I reflected on everything: Should I keep trying to be the perfect girl everyone admires? Should I continue to plan every move, striving to live up to expectations? These questions swirled in my mind, feeding my insecurities as I tried to make sense of it all. It felt like I was going in circles. But deep down, I knew one thing-I wasn't going to give up that easily.

As I sat down for breakfast with Cassie, my younger sister, she interrupted me before I could ask her about her grades.

"Where are you going? Why are you all dressed up today?" she asked, eyeing me curiously.

"What do you mean? I'm going to school, just like you," I replied, keeping my tone casual.

I didn't want to share too many details about what I was going through. She was my sister, yes, but I didn't want her to worry. So, I quickly changed the subject.

"I'm just trying out new outfit ideas, that's all. Anyway, how was your test yesterday? What grade did you get?"

Her face brightened. "I got an A! But it was harder than the last one. I almost forgot an answer and had to guess. I got it wrong, but I made up for it with the extra credit the teacher gave us."

As she spoke, I smiled, grateful for the momentary distraction from my own thoughts.

After breakfast, I decided to take my plan one step further. I wanted to take Daddy's new car for a spin. It was a limited-edition Lamborghini Sián, painted in a sleek bird blue grey-at least, I think that's what the color was called. Daddy had an impressive car collection, and while I could've picked something more expensive, I craved something exclusive.