SELENE
I eat and drink like I have a bottomless pit, savouring every bite and sip. In my past life, I was expected to eat only what the chef prepared for me. My diet was strictly controlled, and I couldn't drink or smoke. But now, I indulge myself without restraint. The flavours burst in my mouth, and the beer flows freely, a stark contrast to the rigid restrictions I once endured.
As the night wears on, everything starts to blur. I see doubles of everything and everyone. I blink, trying to clear my vision, but it only makes things worse. Suddenly, everything goes black.
When I open my eyes again, June is holding me up. The cold breeze hits my cheeks, making the heat from the alcohol evaporate. I hug her tightly, our bodies swaying unsteadily.
"I love you, Ju Ju. I love you so much bestie," I slur, my words tumbling out in a drunken confession.
"Stand straight. Otherwise, we'll fall. Ahhhh," June says, struggling to keep us both upright. I feel something hit my forehead, and everything goes blank again.
ROAN
I stand by the pool, talking to my mother on the phone. The water's reflection dances on the surface, casting ripples of light across the tiles. I press my chest, feeling a slight soreness. Maybe I should ease up on the exercise, I think to myself.
Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. "Mum, I'll call you later," I say, cutting the call. I walk inside and open the door, only to be met by three pairs of eyes and a drunk Selene slumping on Levi's shoulder. My expression turns cold. I know all three of them, but we've never met formally. Kirk and June are glaring at me, while Levi is the one who speaks first.
"She's a little drunk, so we brought her home," he says.
I step aside with an impassive expression. June asks, "Can we put her in her bedroom?"
I don't let anyone into my bedroom except the housekeeper I personally trained. "Leave her on the couch," I say, my voice firm. I'm still grappling with the fact that Selene is sharing my room with me in the first place, so why would I let her friends inside?
Kirk, Levi, and June exchange glances. Levi says, "This was a bad idea. Let's just take her back to the apartment."
Kirk is about to pull Selene up when I press her shoulder down. "She has to stay. You can leave," I say. I was already forced to stay married to her for a hundred days so there was no way I was adding that to a year.
Kirk's face visibly darkens. He steps in front of me with a fierce expression, but I stare him down, not at all intimidated. June and Levi rush to pull Kirk back.
"If anything happens to her, I won't let you go," Kirk warns.
"Interesting how far you will go for another man's wife," I reply with a hostile aura.
Kirk smirks. "Only for the next hundred days. Actually, no, ninety-five days."
I clench my jaw. "Until that day, she will be sleeping in my bed. Now show yourselves out."
Kirk is visibly irritated as he is pulled out of the penthouse. When the door shuts, I exhale, realising something is wrong with me. I don't even care about Selene or who she is close to, but Kirk made me so annoyed that I engaged in a childish squabble.
I walk towards Selene, who is sleeping on the couch, and tap her foot with mine. "Selene, get up."
She mumbles something but doesn't move. I tap her foot again, but she still won't wake up. I tap her shoulder, and her eyes suddenly open. She grips my collar, the strong smell of alcohol assailing my nose. I try to pull away, but she slurs, "Oh, it's my useless husband."
I almost fall on top of her, grasping the backrest of the couch to stabilise myself. I try to pry her fingers open, but her grip is surprisingly strong. My pendant slips out from around my neck.
"You bastard, you let me get run over by a car. You are a waste of a husband," she says, her voice fierce and her eyes resentful. She lets me go, and I take a step back, my brows creased. I can't understand what she's talking about.
Selene gets up and walks up the stairs, holding onto the rail. I stand at the bottom of the stairs, ready to catch her if she falls.
When I hear the door shut, I go into the kitchen to get some water. As I drink, I can't help but wonder how my dream of Selene being run over by a car coincides with what she said. This matter bothers me so much that I pull out my phone and call Conrad.
When the call is answered, I say, "Find out if Selene has been in a car accident before."
"Yes, sir," Conrad's voice comes through the phone.
I'm about to say something else when I hear a noise coming from upstairs. I cut the call and reached the bedroom. I push the door open and find Selene on the ground, laughing. I am baffled, especially when I notice she's wearing my pyjamas.
"Those are my pyjamas," I say.
"So what? Do you want me to take it off? If you want to see me naked just say so you, pervert," she replies, her tone defiant.
Who exactly was the pervert between us was irrefutable. I watch Selene struggling to get up, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. This woman is invading my life, taking over everything.
Folding my arms, I decide not to care about her, but when I see her flopping around like a cockroach with its legs up in the air, struggling to turn over, I can't help but feel a twinge of pity. After watching this pathetic scene for too long, I step forward to help her up, though I can't stand the sight of her distasteful purple hair.
As soon as I reach out, she smacks my hand away. "Don't touch me. I can get up by myself," she snaps.
I step back, folding my arms again, watching her struggle to crawl into bed. "Don't you have to call your precious sweetheart and tell her all about me being an embarrassment? She would love to hear how much I make a fool of myself," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
My brow creases. "Sunny is not as devious as you," I retort.
Selene covers herself with the quilt and waves me off. "Yes, yes, yes. Sunny is perfect, and I am just her evil sister. Don't bother me anymore."
Suppressing my annoyance, I step out of the bedroom. The door clicks shut behind me, and I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
This woman, with her defiance and her relentless spirit, is driving me to the edge. I head to the kitchen, needing a moment to collect myself. As I pour a shot of whiskey, I can't help but wonder when this nightmare would finally be over.
SELENE
I sit at my desk, my head throbbing from the hangover. I lay my head down, resting it on the cool surface, hoping it would soothe the pounding in my skull. A soft knock comes from the door, and I mutter, "Come in." Before the person can speak, I cut them off. "Don't you dare say anything right now? I feel terrible."
Last night, I went all out, and now I'm paying the price. My forehead is swollen, and the hangover is relentless. I hear Roan's voice, cold and unyielding. "This is just the consequences of your actions."
I raise my head, glaring at him. "What did you do to me last night?" I point at my slightly swollen forehead, accusingly.
Roan sneers. "I didn't touch you. You are the one who wore my pyjamas and cursed at me."
I don't believe him. After everything, I can't imagine Roan wouldn't be malicious. "Never mind. What do you want?"
"I'll get straight to the point. Did you have anything to do with Lulu Games' gameplay leaking?" he asks, his eyes narrowing as if trying to read my thoughts.
I prop up my head with my fist. "I have nothing to do with it."
Roan stares at me, searching for any sign of deceit. I keep my face straight, unwavering. "If there's nothing else, the door is right there. Use it."
Roan unfolds his arms. "We have a meeting with Durleigh tomorrow, so make yourself available."
I wave him off and lay back down on my desk, groaning. Another knock comes from the door, and I sit up, ready to snap again. "What now?" But it's not Roan. It's Conrad.
"Is this a bad time?" he asks, hesitating at the door.
I soften my expression. "Oh, I thought it was your boss."
Conrad looks down at the turmeric tea he's holding, clearly unsure. I notice his hesitation. "Is that for me?"
"Yes, it's for your hangover," he says, walking in and placing the mug on a coaster.
"Did you make it for me?" I ask, surprised.
Conrad clears his throat. "Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you," I say, taking a sip. My lips quirk up in a small smile. "It's good, thanks."
The warmth from the tea spreads through me, lessening the throbbing in my head. "It's really good. You are so thoughtful, unlike that mean boss of yours."
I take another sip. It's so delicious, and for a moment, the world feels a little bit brighter.
I sip the turmeric tea, feeling its warmth spread through me, cosy and comforting. The taste is delicious, a perfect blend of earthy and spicy. As I take another sip, a memory flashes in my mind—a pendant I lost a long time ago. It feels like I've seen it recently, but I can't remember where. I tsk and brush the thought away.
When lunchtime arrives, I head out to swap lunches. As I enter the break room, I'm surprised to see Mr. Marc of Lulu Games sitting there, looking like a wet cat. His hair is dishevelled, and he seems desperate. It appears he's here to seek Lynx Corp's help in finding the person who caused his company to lose a lot of money and drove them to the brink of bankruptcy in just one day.
I fix my expression and greet him. "Mr. Marc, good to see you here."
Mr. Marc looks a bit surprised to see me. He opens his mouth to say something, but Conrad interrupts. "Mr. Marc, you may enter."
The man hurries inside, as if afraid Roan might change his mind. I smirk, knowing I wouldn't have dared to go after Lulu Games if I wasn't confident in my craft. Even with Roan's help, there's no real evidence linking me to the leak. All those who wronged me and those who helped them ruin me will pay for their sins.
Back at my desk, I enjoy the extra pieces of stir-fried chicken in Roan's lunchbox. My eyes crinkle into a smile, thinking that when Millie isn't trying to poison anyone, she's actually a good cook. The flavours are rich and satisfying, and for a moment, I forget about the chaos around me.
***
A few hours later, I sit opposite Roan in silence, the clock ticking in the background, each second stretching into an eternity. We're waiting for Durleigh to show up in the private room of the restaurant. The atmosphere is thick with unspoken words and tension.
My phone rings, breaking the silence. I take it out and check the caller ID. It's Levi. I intend to tell him I'll call back later, but when I hear the bickering between Levi and June in the background, I can't help but smile. They're arguing over a chocolate bar that Levi ate, which they were both eyeing earlier. An argument erupted when June found it missing.
I laugh softly. "Do you need me to come down there and mediate?"
June's voice comes through the phone, exasperated. "He is so greedy!"
Levi retorts, "Did it have your name on it?"
I glance up and meet Roan's curious gaze. My expression turns cold as I ask Levi, "Is that why you called?"
"No," Levi replies. "I found the designer diamond-studded chain. Do you want me to send you the information?"
"Send it to me," I say before hanging up the call.
Roan's eyes narrow. "Is it about Lulu Games?"
I run my fingers through my hair, maintaining my composure. "It's none of your business."
Roan leans back in his seat, studying me. "What game were you playing these past few days? The one you played on your phone and laptop."
I keep my demeanour cool. "Do your chest muscles feel sore lately? Are your emotions all over the place?"
Roan furrows his brow. "It's none of your business."
I sneer. "Likewise. My business is my business, and your business is yours. Understood?"
The tension between us is palpable, but I refuse to let him see how much he gets under my skin. The clock continues to tick, each second a reminder of the distance between us, both physical and emotional.