Kolleen's arched brows shot up as if they were trying to flee from the confines of her forehead. Her voice dripped with pretended surprise as she addressed me. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Zara. I must say, what a delightful surprise. Tell me, have you taken up the prestigious job of housekeeping in this motel?" she uttered with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Her red lipstick was smudged and smeared across her lips like a child's finger painting gone wrong. Her hair, once carefully styled, now resembled a bird's nest in a wild storm. She tightly gripped a lit cigarette with her narrow fingers.
By the way that she was staring at me, I got the idea that she was putting me in a lower status than herself. Despite the fact that I wanted to give her a nice whack in the face, I kept my cool and asked, "Where is he?"
With her lips plumped up like a pair of inflatable pool toys, she expertly wedged the cigarette in between them and took a puff. She casually inquired, "Who?"
As best I could, I restrained my fury and said, "The person this T-shirt you are wearing belonged to." Kolleen did not reply; instead, she crossed her arms and moved aside.
Arlo emerged from his hiding. His eyes darted nervously as he desperately tried to think up an explanation. With a voice that trembled like a leaf in the wind, he stammered, "Zara. Please allow me to clarify. I deeply regret my actions, and I swear it will never happen again."
He stammered, "It's just a physical fling, a meaningless affair that holds no value. My heart, my soul, my entire being, they belong solely to you, my love."
His gaze darted from right to left, left to right, trying to evade any eye contact. As he stood before me, his fist clenched tightly, I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. The lengths he was willing to go, the lies he was going to spew to manipulate my emotions! But little did he know I wasn't the same old Zara.
With an indifferent blink, I stood there, taking in the scene before me like a seasoned observer. His desperate attempts were like a comedy routine, and I was the audience, ready to be entertained.
In that fateful moment, a realisation struck me like a bolt of lightning. It was clear that the treacherous snake before me, with his deceptive cunning ways, was not deserving of my forgiveness.
That was the end; I was done with him. He was so disgustingly repulsive that I couldn't bring myself to look his way. I felt nauseous and had the urge to throw up.
Arlo was overcome with guilt, Kolleen acted as the innocent sacrificial lamb, and all I could do was watch. Together, our three bodies made the shape of a triangle. Quite the love triangle. Almost like comic relief in the midst of heartbreak.
It felt like the dark storm clouds that had been looming above me were finally starting to dissipate, allowing me to see things with greater clarity clearly. My intuition never failed me, not even once. Yet, I was so utterly smitten with that insufferable jerk that I foolishly chose to ignore it. The air grew thick with an uncomfortable silence.
Finally, a buzz broke the silence, and it was unmistakably the sound of my phone ringing. It was the seamstress. I shifted my focus and turned around to respond. A glance at the clock caught my eye. It was almost 8 o'clock. I missed the last bus back to my hometown and still haven't picked up the wedding gown that I paid for.
I didn't even bother to glance back at them before walking away. It didn't bother me that they were having an affair, and I wasn't interested in the wedding anymore.
As I made my way down the dimly lit street, a sense of discomfort surrounded me. The night was cloaked in a haunting silence, broken by the faint sound of my footsteps echoing against the pavement. I really wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
I managed to pick up the wedding dress from the tailor just in time, and then I headed back to Elite Oak Resort to fulfil the commitment I had made to Mrs Cha. She was adamant to see me in my bridal gown.
I might as well give the dress a go and envision myself as a bride had the wedding taken place. The dream wedding I've always wanted to have has been put off for a few more years, and there's always the chance it won't happen at all. There is a growing possibility that I will never marry and wind up a spinster who is cynical about life and spends her days engaging with her animal companions as I refuse to tie the knot unless I find true love.
As I stepped into the housekeeping room, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. It was as if time had stood still, preserving every detail just as I had left it. The familiar scent of cleaning supplies filled the air, mixing with the faint aroma of freshly laundered linens. Everything looked exactly the same as when I last saw it, but the emotions I experienced back then and now couldn't be more contrasting.
Mrs Cha's delicate porcelain cups remained undisturbed upon the table, and Besides the cups, a plate of cookies lay untouched.
I tried to dig a hole in my heart and hoped that burying my grief there would make me forget about it.
I carefully slipped into the wedding dress. As I sat there, motionless, a sense of surrealism encased me as if I had been transported into a time capsule. The space seemed to fade away, leaving me alone with my thoughts and emotions.
My eye fixed upon the reflection in the mirror, eyes meeting the image of myself. Yet, there was something different about this version. The reflection appeared to capture a vulnerability, a rawness that I had never seen before. It was as if the mirror held a portal into my innermost self, revealing the depths of my soul. In this stillness, all that mattered was the woman I had become.
My eyes fluttered open, and my vision blurred as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The sound of my name repeated in my ears with a voice that was filled with concern and urgency. Slowly, I emerged from my trance-like state.
Mrs Cha was settled in the seat beside me. Tears streamed down my face, my sobs echoing through the room as I took comfort in her embrace.