A few days after finding out about her boyfriend's affair, Mila decided to confront the girl, Stephanie. They all worked together at the same place, so she didn't want it to be awkward when they met. The first time Mila had a weird vibe from the girl was during the company dinner.
Stephanie, a slim, tall brunette girl with that coquettish smile, was the receptionist at the same hotel, and everyone wanted to be friends with her. During that company dinner, Stephanie had played a game with Ken that led to them almost making out.
Mila confronted Ken about it and how it was a blow to her ego since she was present, but Ken waved it off. His exact words were:
'Baby, Steph is just that free-spirited city girl. She doesn't even think of me in that light. Also, she knows we are together.'
Now, Mila was so confused. Who seduced who? Her boyfriend from the countryside or the free-spirited city girl?
"Are you really planning on asking Stephanie about it?" Zoe, Mila's roommate, asked, standing by the door with her head resting on the wall.
Mila nodded while fixing her golden locs in front of the mirror. She picked out a pink hair band and tied her hair in a ponytail.
"Don't tell me you're going to, like, fight her or something," Zoe frowned, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "You know it's a workplace, and you need to be professional. It's already inconvenient for two lovers to date in the same company; don't complicate things."
Mila chuckled softly. "I won't be fighting with her," she said, walking away from the mirror, picking up her bag, and trotting towards the door.
Zoe's eyes followed Mila. "Then what? You need an apology, or you want her to seal off her pussy?" She scowled, shaking her head slowly. "Look, girl, it's either you come to terms and accept that Ken cheated on you with Stephanie and forgive him, or you break up."
Mila stared at her ring when Zoe said those words, and it hit her like a home run. Did she really forgive Ken? Was she going to move past this so easily and act like it never happened? That easy?
The truth was, after Ken had apologized to her that day, Mila went home and cried her eyes out. Every time she closed her eyes, she could only imagine the wildest scenarios, and they all had to do with the sounds Stephanie made when Ken pleased her and how the affair had even begun.
Now here she was, back to reality. Ready to go to work with this question in her heart: Could her relationship with Ken go on as it used to?
"You see, Mila," Zoe began, folding her arms across her chest. "From my experience, Ken isn't cheating on you. He's now going out with Stephanie, but he doesn't want to hurt you, so what he's doing now is like a conscience-soothing behavior."
Mila gripped the hand of her bag tightly, pressing it to her chest.
"Or maybe he's actually cheating. Stephanie has always been that way." Zoe twitched her lips. "Way before you got employed, there were news about her ruining relationships and marriages."
That was a start. Mila nodded to herself, picking out her flat black shoes. If Stephanie was a homewrecker, then it meant Ken wasn't the problem. The young girl tried to convince herself.
Mila slipped her small feet into her shoes, pulling her skirt down to her knees.
"You're really a strong woman, going to work like you didn't just find out your man cheated," Zoe sighed, stepping away from the door so Mila could pass.
Mila flipped her hair to the side. "Sometimes it's hard to be a woman," she said in reply.
"You're right, so please, 'Miss Hard to Be a Woman,' studio rent is due this week, and the landlord won't take an excuse."
Mila palmed her face. "That's true." Her rent was due.
"You wouldn't have to worry about this if you were living with Ken. I mean, you could save the cost of rent and also save yourself from women like Stephanie." Zoe raised her hands in a dramatic pose.
Mila bit her lower lip. She and Ken had agreed to live apart. Among the reasons was that they wanted to avoid premarital sex and also make sure their director didn't find out about their relationship.
It was Ken who had suggested that Mila live with one of the hotel stewards as roommates in a studio her salary could afford.
"I'll send you the money this weekend," Mila said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. The truth was, she no longer had any savings. She had used it all the previous weekend to get groceries for Ken.
Zoe waved. "Sure. Have a fun day at work today. And please, make sure you don't fight."
Mila nodded as she stepped out of the house, making her way to the nearest bus stop. She had just passed her apartment when she felt something under her shoe.
Raising her leg up, Mila found the sole of her shoe detaching like social distancing.
"No!" she cried. "It's Monday, please," she begged the shoe like it could hear her. Though she also felt pity for the shoe, since it had been the same one she used every day to work, buying a new shoe wasn't on her to-do list because rent dominated.
Mila decided to drag the shoe just across the road so she could sit at the bus station. When she got to the hotel, she would quickly run inside and change into her flats.
When the traffic sign turned green, Mila took a step forward to cross but was dragged back. She turned and saw Zoe behind her.
"What are you doing?" Mila asked, trying to wriggle herself free.
Zoe pointed forward. "The blue bloods are doing us a favor by passing."
"What?" Mila furrowed her brows. When she turned, she saw the traffic sign had turned back to red. "How? How can- is that even possible? How can anyone change the traffic sign?" Mila turned to look at Zoe, obviously shocked at what she had just witnessed.
Zoe shrugged. "Because they're born in and from old money, honey. Impossibility becomes foreign even to them," the girl replied.
The first car passed. It was a red Dodge Challenger.
"That one should be the actress and singer Rosita Villani," Zoe introduced as the car zoomed past them with great speed.
Mila gasped. "T-that speed! The cops? Where are they?" She looked around, ready to call the cops, when another car zoomed by at the same speed. It was a blue Chevrolet Camaro.
"Oh that's Roman Beckfrist, every woman's heartthrob. A doctor and a gentleman. He just took over his father's hospital but is still as humble as ever. Always helping others," Zoe's voice became soft when she spoke about him. It was clear she had a crush on this said doctor.
Mila wasn't interested at all, she wanted to know why her day had been paused to watch cars of different colours.
ZOOM!
"Oh Lucas Villani," Zoe snapped her fingers watching as the purple Mercedes-maybach Exelero zoomed past. "Yep, he's Rosita's brother. A model and a dick too, I heard his parents won't let him take over the Villiani Cleef,"
Mila threw her head up and sighed, "How is any of this my-"
"Sh!!! Here comes the Lord of them all, The Montclair!" Zoe wasn't the only one who started acting like a fangirl. Mila could see other girls retrieving their phones.
She was fast enough to catch the silver car that had a plate number with the word Montclair crested on it.
"Zyran Ciro Montclair, " Zoe introduced as the porshe cayman drove past them. "It's really him!!" She clapped her hands excitedly until the car had passed then the traffic sign quickly returned to green and people started moving.
Mila couldn't believe this, did four persons just put a stop to the lives of so many people. "Unbelievable!" She exclaimed.
"Same girl!" Zoe nodded, her words meaning different from what Mila was thinking.
Mila turned to her roommate, "And what are you doing here?"
"You left your phone," Zoe raised the phone she had brought. "Here you go, and I'm lucky I followed you so I could witness the Kings and Queen of San-Destro,"
Mila rolled her eyes, she has never seen her roommate this way before. "They're just being a nuisance, "
"Tch," Zoe scoffed, "What will a country girl like you know. Mila, they own this city and can be whatever they choose to be. You'll learn about them soon,"
Mila grabbed her phone and put it into her bag, "I don't want to know about people who throw their wealth in people's face and just bring their wealth into my world out for brag sake."
"Bold of you to assume that its your world. Honey, it's their world you just happened to crash into and this is just another day for them." Zoe demonstrated dramatically.
Mila couldn't agree more, seeing how even the cops didn't show up but it wasn't her problem.
"I'll be leaving for work now, I'm late thanks to your kings and Queens," Mila said in a mock tone.
Zoe twitched her lips, "Just one queen," she corrected. "Bye, country girl. I wish to live in your plain world too,"
Mila sneered, dragging her feet she crossed over and at the same time the bus arrived and she entered leaving for work and leaving behind the memory of the blueblood she had just witnessed.