Rita locked eyes with Linda, her gaze sharp and piercing.
"Why in the world would I be mad? Jefferson's my boss, nothing more. He's got his own life to live. How's it my place to butt into your business? And you, Linda, you're just someone I used to work with. I'm honestly baffled why you think you need to spill this to me. It's your personal stuff, right?"
Even though Rita felt a storm of emotions churning inside her, she was well aware she was just an onlooker in this drama, powerless to change the course of Jefferson's love life.
Linda, on the verge of losing her cool, raised her voice, "Rita Ted, you really gonna stand there and play dumb with me? I'm telling you, I've got the dirt on you and Jefferson!"
Her voice boomed so loud that it turned heads throughout the café.
Rita's heart skipped a beat; the last thing she wanted was for this café crowd to get wind of her secret ties with Jefferson.
But as Linda stood there, smirking, sure she had Rita cornered and ready to spill her guts, Rita knew she couldn't let Linda dictate this game.
She smoothed out her expression and replied with an even tone, "You're calling me Mrs. Ted? Honey, you better back up your claims with some real evidence. Why you always stirring the pot with your baseless stories? And you've got the wrong gal, just so you know!"
Linda's confidence wobbled, her thoughts a jumble.
"Could I have gotten it all wrong? Maybe Neo wasn't talking about Rita that day? And the way she didn't even flinch at those pictures... She doesn't seem to be faking..."
Linda's mouth hung open, words failing her.
Rita, seizing the moment of Linda's silence, decided it was time to make her exit.
Linda wasn't about to let Rita slip away without answers.
She quickened her steps until she was walking right alongside Rita.
"Hold up! I've seen you with Jefferson, living together and all. Don't try to play me for a fool. Even if you're not Mrs. Ted, you've gotta have something going on with Jefferson!"
Rita kept her cool and shot back, "You mean when the boss stopped by my place to pick up some documents? You're really reaching here. Does it tire you out, being so suspicious all the time?"
Linda felt a wave of relief wash over her at Rita's explanation.
"So, my dream guy is actually single? But then, what about this Mrs. Ted that Neo mentioned..." She gave a sheepish grin and prodded further, "So, do you have any idea who Mrs. Ted could be?"
"Nope, never heard of her. You might've got it twisted. And hey, if you're so eager to dig into the boss's love life, why don't you ask him directly?" Rita suggested.
Linda stood there for a moment, her mind racing.
"I guess it's just my crush on Jeff messing with my head. Rita's not involved with him... I can relax now!"
She then turned to Rita with a stern look. "Alright, I'll ask him myself. But just so we're clear, keep your distance from my man. He's mine, you got that?"
Rita just nodded; she had no time for this drama.
When Rita got home, she made sure she was all alone.
She locked herself in the bathroom and let the tears flow.
"Why does this hurt so much? Do I actually think I'm Jefferson's wife? Snap out of it, Rita! He's just playing with you like you played with him three years back! And why'd he have to mess up his marriage for this? It's not like it's a big deal; he could divorce me anytime! But why's he out there with other women? It just feels so wrong! I really fell for him at the start, even dreamed of having a happy family with him once we got married. What was I thinking?"
After a good hour of crying, Rita felt like she'd let it all out.
She dried her tears, and by the time Jefferson came home, she acted like nothing had happened.
Jefferson noticed something was off the moment he saw Rita's slightly puffy eyes.
"You look like you didn't get much sleep, everything okay?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
Rita, who had been determined to keep her composure around Jefferson, suddenly felt a surge of irritation at his seemingly caring question. She brushed him off, acting as if he hadn't said a word.
Jefferson, puzzled by her cold shoulder, stepped closer. "Rita? Did you hear what I said?"
"Yes?" she responded, her tone flat and disinterested.
Jefferson was thrown off by her standoffish behavior, so different from her usual demeanor at work. He thought to himself, "Things have been pretty smooth between us lately. What's gotten into her?"
As Rita turned to head to her bedroom, Jefferson blocked her path. "Hold on, you've got to tell me why you're acting so weird today."
Rita couldn't help but let her sarcasm slip through. "Well, maybe you should just move out, then you won't have to put up with my 'weird' face every day."
But Jefferson wasn't deterred by her sharp words or her attitude. He remained calm and pressed on, "Can you at least tell me what happened after you left work?"
"Why do you want to know?" Rita snapped back, her patience wearing thin.
"I'm trying to figure out what could've happened to make you so upset," he explained, his voice steady and patient.
Jefferson could sense the tension in Rita's voice as she reluctantly mentioned her encounter with Linda.
He leaned in, concern etching his features. "Did Linda do something to you again?" he probed gently, recalling past incidents where Linda had been less than kind to Rita.
Rita let out a humorless laugh, the sound tinged with bitterness. "Oh, she did quite the show-and-tell today. Flashed a photo in my face, claiming it's proof that she is your lover," she said, the words laced with a mix of anger and exasperation.
Jefferson's brows furrowed, a mixture of annoyance and disbelief crossing his face. "A photo? What kind of nonsense is she spreading now?"
Rita shrugged, her arms folded tightly across her chest.
"The usual. But it's not just nonsense, is it? She's not entirely wrong, after all."