SERENDIPITY

~10~ The News And Broken Heart ✔️

Recap: "You are nothing but an arrogant asshole, Daniel," I seethed, my voice laced with contempt. "For your information, I am not some object to be possessed, unlike yourself. I couldn't care less about your opinion of me, but one thing is crystal clear—we are finished. Stay away from me." With those final words, I swung open the door and left before he could stop me. Consumed by anger, I stormed into the kitchen and splashed cold water on my face, desperately trying to wash away the lingering toxicity of the encounter. That despicable man.

"My, my, my, look who we have here," a devious voice echoed, freezing me in place. "If it isn't that naive girl who foolishly believes she stands a chance with Daniel. How amusing." It was Joanna, the source of my heartache and yet another obstacle in my path.

Oh no, not her again. Must I confront this venomous presence once more?

...•...•...•...•...

"Look, Joanna, spare me your pointless banter for once, okay?" I interrupted, not even bothering to wait for her reply. I began gathering the ingredients for breakfast, my movements deliberate and focused. "Are you going to lend a hand, or will you continue standing there, giving me your trademark devious stare? Let me tell you, those eyes of yours hold no power over me. I hope you're aware of that little fact," I scoffed, rolling my eyes at her feeble attempt to intimidate me.

"And let me make something clear, I couldn't care less about whatever twisted game you and Daniel are playing. Frankly, I feel sorry for you. You know why?" With a chuckle, I stood with one hand on my hip, cocking my head to the side. Biting the inside of my cheek, I raised an eyebrow and continued my unscripted monologue. "You're far too beautiful to settle for someone I discarded. It breaks my heart to see you settle for leftovers. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You deserve better, my dear. But on the bright side, it seems like that's all you're capable of, settling for scraps. And to add some spice to the mix, you decided to sleep with him," I remarked casually, as if discussing the weather, while studying my unpolished nails with exaggerated interest, as though they were the most captivating sight in the room. "Ah!" I exclaimed, shaking my head in mock pity. "How truly disgraceful. My heart goes out to you, my dear. Truly, it does. But don't worry, all you need to do is prepare a bucket to collect your tears when your heart shatters into a million pieces. We wouldn't want those tears staining the floor we tirelessly scrubbed, now would we? That bucket will come in handy, my sweetheart."

"Okay, let's get to work, shall we?" I continued, my tone now cheerful and dismissive. "And do try to conceal that sour expression on your face. It's starting to remind me of a toad I encountered earlier this morning."

"You, you..." she sneered, her voice filled with venom.

"Oh, please spare me," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "Enough with the dramatics, will you?"

As if on cue, Mia burst into the scene with her infectious energy, twirling around in a complete circle, as if she had just inhaled something heavenly. Jess followed closely behind.

"Good morning, everyone! Isn't it just a beautiful day?" Mia exclaimed, radiating enthusiasm. Her behavior was unusually vibrant this morning.

"We're all set. Let's get to work," I declared, determined to steer the focus away from the tension that lingered.

"Absolutely," Mia responded cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the underlying dynamics. What was up with her this morning?

Following breakfast, I seized the opportunity to whisk Mia away into the serene embrace of the garden.

"Spill it," I demanded, my voice laced with a hint of urgency.

"Spill what?" she replied, feigning innocence, a mischievous twinkle dancing in her eyes.