"What's wrong?" Belinda asked as Daisy abruptly stopped talking. Belinda looked around to see if anything was amiss, but she couldn't see any cause for alarm.
"Oh, nothing. I thought I saw someone. I might have been mistaken." Daisy gave Belinda a reassuring smile. If her memory served her right, the woman she just saw was Coco, a famous movie star who showed up in a coffee shop with Jessica by her side not long ago. Coco was bad news. Last time they met each other, Coco took a strong dislike to Daisy. If Coco came over to pick a fight, it wouldn't surprise Daisy. But maybe she was just overthinking it, Daisy thought to herself. Not everything had to be a struggle.
"Everything all right?" Belinda was still worried. She could sense that Daisy must have seen something since all of a sudden Daisy's face changed and her mood got dark.
"Everything's fine. Excuse me for a moment. I need to use the restroom." Daisy said with her lips curved into a smile, then she rose to her feet and headed in the direction of the restroom. She was tall, slender and dressed in a stylish outfit, so naturally she attracted a lot of sideways glances as she walked.
The restroom was deserted. This coffee shop chosen by Belinda was quiet with only a few customers. But Daisy could see from the decoration and furnishings that this was an upscale coffee shop. There were white bowls for coffee and sugar, glass jars with coffee beans, cloth napkins, and gorgeous, homey paintings. There were some old newspaper clippings that were also framed and behind glass, and the tables and chairs were a perfect mix of rustic and modern. The music selection was usually independent folk artists, and there were speakers in the restroom so you didn't need to miss a particularly good song.
Daisy flashed a glance at her reflection in the mirror and lowered her head to wash her hands. When she finally looked up at the mirror, she was horrified to see there was another woman standing right behind her and glaring at her. Daisy ignored what she saw, got a hold of herself and walked towards the door.
"Wait. You are Daisy Ouyang?" Coco called out when she saw Daisy ignore her and head for the exit. Last time they met, Daisy was in her neat military uniform. But this woman before her was wearing a sexy outfit. Coco couldn't be sure if they were the same person. This woman looked almost entirely different, but the eyes gave her away.
Miss Coco, is there a problem?" Daisy was a little upset. She didn't want to speak with Coco, but she paused anyway. It was the polite thing to do.
You remember me. Just now I thought I made a mistake. But, your clothes! Aren't you a soldier? Why the sexy look?" Coco gave Daisy a disdainful glance from the corner of her eye. Last time they met, Daisy's uniform concealed the shape of her body. Daisy now wore something that showed off her beauty and her curves. Everything fit perfectly and accentuated every bit of her body marvelously. It surprised Coco that Daisy had such a perfect figure.
"Miss Coco, are you saying that soldiers shouldn't have personal lives?" Daisy didn't think her clothes were inappropriate. They were more casual, maybe a little wilder, but the clothing was still acceptable. She was modest anyway, and Edward wouldn't allow her go out in a dress that was too revealing.
"You don't have to be so nervous. I just said what I thought. Am I not allowed to have an opinion?" Coco warned herself not to piss Edward off. But it didn't mean that she would walk away if she got the chance to taunt Daisy.
"You can say whatever you want. I really don't mind. The law guarantees the right to speak but not the right to slander others. Be fair and watch your mouth." Daisy cast Coco a cold glance. Coco's clothes were way more revealing. But she didn't like to overstep her bounds and tell people how to live their lives.
What? Do my words hurt your feelings? "What about my cousin? Huh? What about her feelings? She'll never be able to be a mother again! Even her beauty was ruined because of you! Don't you feel guilty? Not even a shred of remorse?"
Coco said with a cold grunt. She hated the way Daisy looked. Daisy was always beautiful but cold. It was obvious that Coco and her cousin were more beautiful, but Daisy's coldness gave her a head start. This was what Coco envied most.
Oh come off it. I never look for a fight, but she managed to bring one after another to me. You wouldn't feel bad if I were hurt, so why should I feel guilty? Don't forget, I am the victim here." It was really annoying to be accused of something she didn't do, not to mention Coco said this in a way that made people think Daisy had committed some heinous crime.
"My cousin was the best choice if Edward wanted a wife. But you ruined it. You snuck your way in between them and destroyed any chance they had. No way in hell are you the victim!" Coco stepped forward, her pretty face darkened with anger.
"Back off! You obviously have no clue. Get one before you come at me again. I've never gotten in the middle of anything. She never had a chance with Edward," Daisy retorted derisively. This girl was so unreasonable and self-righteous. She thought she was doing the right thing to seek justice for others. But she knew nothing about the facts, and all she was doing was barking up the wrong tree.
"I know enough. Everyone in the city knows of the love between my cousin and Edward. You can't fool anyone but yourself. You may have your friends brainwashed, but everyone else knows the truth!" Coco was aware that some people coming in and out began to take notice of what was going on here, but she didn't care. She got some secret pleasure from crushing Daisy under her feet. She had wanted to do this for a long time.
"It's pathetic, actually. All you saw was the superficial things. You don't have the slightest idea what the truth is. I never think I have the power to brainwash people. But if you had any brains, you wouldn't say this to me." Daisy's face went cold. That was why she frowned when she saw Coco earlier. Coco and Jessica had the same personality. They were full of themselves and used to blaming others for everything that went wrong.
"What is the truth? The truth is my cousin lost everything and you are riding high! But that makes sense. That is how a woman like you do it. You delight in others' pain. You take pleasure in denying others' pleasure." It fueled Coco's anger when she thought how her cousin brooded and cried all day. The fury made her want to tear Daisy's calm face into pieces but she didn't dare. She learned the lesson from her cousin's bloody experience.
"I'm not discussing this with you anymore. It's a waste of breath. The records are easily found -- I am Edward's wife and we married legally long ago. Your cousin is lucky I didn't press any charges against her. She did try to wreck a military officer's marriage, after all. I'm a good person, but I'm no pushover. I wish you'd just learn to leave well enough alone."
As Daisy spoke, she moved toward the door. She had no obligation to answer Coco's questions about her personal life. If not for the pity she had for Jessica, Daisy wouldn't even waste a glance on her.
"What? Are you going to run away? You realized how weak your case is? No matter when you got married, you are a hubby-thief to all of us who know the truth. You don't really love him, and that marriage license you tout so proudly means nothing. Get out." Coco gave a mocking smile as she saw Daisy's face darkened. She thought Daisy could keep her composure all the time. It turned out she did have feelings.
So your just playing dumb with me. You're not actually stupid as you look. Even if I were a... what did you call it? Even if I werea hubby-thief, that's between Jessica and me. This has nothing to do with you, unless you have a thing for Edward. So just shut up and spare me your stinky breath!
Cocowas getting on her nerves. If Daisy's temper hadn't improved a lot, she wouldn't have paid any attention to her, wouldn't have stopped to talk to her. She would have pushed right past her and left the restroom.