Katherine's heart nearly stopped when she realized who she had collided with. Miranda. Of all people, it had to be her. The woman who had taken everything from her, the woman Leonard had chosen instead of her. For a moment, Katherine felt as if the ground had been pulled from under her feet. She didn't know whether to feel anger, sadness, or frustration—perhaps a mix of all three.
Miranda seemed equally stunned but quickly regained her composure, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits. She looked Katherine up and down, her lip curling in disdain. "Well, isn't this a surprise?" Miranda's voice dripped with superiority. "Still can't manage to keep yourself together, I see."
Katherine straightened up, her back stiffening as she met Miranda's gaze head-on. "I could say the same thing about you, Miranda. But I guess some people never change."
Miranda's eyes flashed with irritation, but she quickly masked it with a smirk. "I expected more from you, Katherine. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to find you working in a place like this."
Katherine's stomach churned, but she refused to let Miranda's words get under her skin. She could feel the other customers' eyes on them, and she knew she needed to maintain her composure. "It's honest work," she replied nonchalantly, "something I'm sure you wouldn't understand."
Miranda scoffed, her perfectly manicured fingers tapping against her designer handbag. "Honest? Or just what's left for you? I mean, really, Katherine, have you fallen so low?"
Katherine's eyes narrowed, but she kept her voice calm, keeping her cool in the face of Miranda's provocations. "Fallen low? I don't see it that way. I'm standing on my own two feet, earning my living. That's more than some people can say, Miranda. At least I don't need a man's money or his pity to survive."
Miranda's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly masked it with a dismissive laugh. "Survive? Is that what you're calling this? Scraping by with a waitress job? You used to be married to one of the richest men in the country, Katherine. Now look at you—reduced to wiping tables. It's pathetic."
Katherine felt a flicker of anger, but she refused to let Miranda see how much her words stung. Instead, she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a low, icy tone. "I'd rather scrape by with my dignity intact than live a lie. Leonard may have money, but that doesn't make him a better person. In fact, it seems like all that wealth just blinded him to what really matters."
Miranda's eyes flashed with irritation at the mention of Leonard. She had always prided herself on being the woman who had Leonard's heart, the one who had him before and after Katherine. "Leonard made his choice, Katherine. He chose me."
Katherine's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Did he? Or did he just settle for what was familiar? Tell me, Miranda, does it ever bother you that Leonard had to go through a whole marriage with someone else before coming back to you? You weren't his first choice then, and maybe, just maybe, you still aren't."
Miranda stiffened, her confidence starting to crack. "You think you're so clever, don't you? But you're the one who's alone, Katherine. While Leonard and I—"
Katherine cut her off, her voice sharp as a knife. "You might have Leonard, but that's all you'll ever have—a man who left his wife because he couldn't face his own failures. I don't envy you, Miranda. I pity you. Because deep down, you know he's not the man you think he is. And one day, you'll realize that all the money and status in the world can't buy you the love and respect you've been so desperate to win."
Miranda's face reddened with anger, but before she could respond, Irene, who had noticed the commotion from her table, quickly approached. Though Irene unaware of Miranda's identity, she could sense the hostility radiating from the woman.
"Is there a problem here?" Irene asked, her tone sharp as she stepped beside Katherine.
Miranda rolled her eyes dramatically, clearly unimpressed. "And who are you? Her bodyguard?" she sneered.
Irene didn't miss a beat. She squared her shoulders, her eyes locking onto Miranda's with fierce glare. "I'm her friend," Irene stated firmly, her voice laced with a warning. "And I don't appreciate the way you're talking to her."
Katherine placed a hand on Irene's arm, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalated further. "It's okay, Irene," Katherine said softly. "She's not worth it."
But Miranda wasn't one to back down easily. She turned her attention to the manager, who had noticed the commotion from across the café and hurried over to see what was happening. Miranda's eyes gleamed with malice as she addressed him. "You might want to reconsider your hiring choices," she said with a smug smile. "Your staff here is clumsy and downright rude."
The manager, Mr. Jenkins, a middle-aged man with a kind demeanor, looked from Miranda to Katherine, then back again, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "I apologize for any inconvenience, ma'am," he said. "How about I offer you a complimentary coffee for the trouble?"
Miranda's eyes flashed with irritation. She clearly wasn't satisfied with this response. "No, thank you," she said coldly. "I don't need anything from this place." She shot Katherine one last venomous glare before turning on her heel and marching out of the café, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.
As the door swung shut behind her, the tension in the café seemed to melt away. Katherine turned to Mr. Jenkins. "Mr. Jenkins, I'm really sorry about that," Katherine began, her voice tinged with worry. "I didn't mean for things to get out of hand. I hope I didn't cause any trouble."
Mr. Jenkins waved a hand dismissively, offering her a reassuring smile. "Katherine, don't worry about it. Customers like her think they can do whatever they like just because they have money."
"But I—" Katherine started to protest, but Mr. Jenkinsshook his head.
"You don't need to apologize," he said firmly. "You've been doing a great job here, and one difficult customer isn't going to change that. Some people just aren't worth the trouble. Keep your head up."
Katherine nodded, though the encounter with Miranda had left her shaken, but she knew she couldn't afford to let it show. Not here, not in front of everyone. "Thank you," she murmured, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
Irene, still bristling with anger, watched Miranda's retreating figure with narrowed eyes. "Who the hell was that?" she asked, her voice filled with disdain. "She was unbearable."
Katherine hesitated for a moment, the weight of her past bearing down on her. She had never wanted to burden Irene with the details of her failed marriage, but now that Miranda had reappeared, she knew there was no avoiding it. "That was Miranda," she finally said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "She's the woman Leonard chose over me."
Irene's eyes widened in shock, and then her expression hardened into one of fierce protectiveness. "That was her?" she practically growled. "The nerve of that woman!" She shook her head in disbelief. "If I had known, I would've done more than just speak up. I would've—"
Katherine managed a small, appreciative smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know, Irene. But it's okay. She's not worth it."
Irene wasn't so easily convinced. "Not worth it? Katherine, that woman is the reason—"
"I know," Katherine interrupted gently. "Believe me, I know. But what good would it do to cause a scene? I've moved on, and I'm stronger now. I don't need to waste my energy on someone like her."
Irene huffed, clearly still upset on Katherine's behalf. "I just can't believe that after everything you've been through, she has the audacity to talk like that. Unacceptable."
Katherine sighed. "Irene, Miranda wasn't just anyone to Leonard. She was his first love."
"Who cares if she was his first love? That doesn't excuse anything. Leonard must have been blind to choose that awful woman over you! What does that say about his judgment?"
Katherine couldn't help but let out a small, tired laugh at Irene's fierce loyalty. "Maybe he was, but it doesn't matter now. Let's just forget about this, Irene."
Irene shook her head, her expression resolute. "Fine, for now, but if she ever dares to pull something like that again, I swear I'll make her regret it. I don't care if you try to stop me, Katherine. No one treats you like that and gets away with it."
Katherine looked at her friend, feeling a mixture of amusement and gratitude. She knew Irene meant every word. "Alright, fine," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that."
"Let's hope," Irene agreed, though the determined glint in her eyes suggested she was more than ready for a confrontation if Miranda ever crossed the line again.
As Irene continued to vent about Miranda's audacity, Katherine couldn't help but retreat into her own thoughts. The encounter had rattled her more than she cared to admit. The last thing she needed was to have her history dug up, especially when she was working so hard to move forward.
I really hope I never run into her again...