CHAPTER 27

Something had to have happened to me at that party, maybe I had hit my head on something had without knowing, or even taken a sip out of a drugged drink, I don’t know what it was, but something had happened, there was a shift in the atmosphere in a way that made me feel good, and I liked it.

For the first time in a long time, I woke up early, made breakfast, took my time in the shower, and even turned in early for work. It felt like Saturday night didn’t happen at all and that made me feel somewhat content with myself. I had successfully cut myself from all the drama that was Reeves and Daisy, alongside, Emilia and Stephen; Stephen was given direct order to not contact me until he had squashed his issue with his girlfriend, because trust me, I knew that had a lot to talk about after I left that party. Just because I hated Emilia, and girls like her, doesn’t mean I didn’t have a little humanity in me. I am a lot to handle, that’s a given, but when people knew the right buttons to press, it would reveal that I’m very easy to please.

Stephen had been very good to me since his return, so much that it felt like the time we had cut contact didn’t happen at all. We had clicked instantly just like we did before, so I owed him something, which a paid back by putting his girlfriend in check. Stephen loved the girl in a way that made me feel like I’d want that at some point in my life; he was unapologetic about his love for her that it made me wonder “WHY HER?” and that only made what they have special enough for me to want to protect. I’m not a good person, never claimed to be, but when something is meant to be, and is, it shouldn’t cease from being just that, and even my cruel heart knows that.

Speaking about what’s meant to be, Reeves and I were not meant to be, mostly because I wouldn’t allow it, but he and Daisy weren’t meant to be either. I’m not even talking about this from a hateful point of view, but it’s just the way it is. Whoever he is meant to be with though, is lucky, because Reeves was a good person behind all his mean demeanor and high walls. This was one of the few times I felt sentimental towards something that is not money, and that’s saying a lot.

Work felt easier, and I was able to do it faster, which got me lots of praises from Jared, as I should, even though those busy bodies at work, who found it amusing to try to talk me down concerning what had happened that night, would like to differ. I have to give it to the employees though, they were really creative with the insults and back talk this time, but knowing me, I didn’t give them the time of day. Nothing they ever did or said about me fazed me, not even once, and the reason why is quite obvious: I am better than all of them put together; not one of them came close to me in anyway, and I’m talking about quality of work.

The day was coming to an end, and even though I had enjoyed working so much that I was willing to stay back and just work, but that wasn’t me or my character at all. I enjoyed working, but it is not enough to keep me in my office after working hours.

I ordered dinner before packing my things to leave the office, and while I locked my doors to leave, I got a text from Stephen, asking to pick me up from work. Normally, I’d say yes, because I liked this drama free life I was having, and I didn’t really feel like talking to him or any one for that matter, I just wanted to be. So, I texted him back saying I was just getting off work and I didn’t want to bother him. I really thought my reply was enough to let him realize that I really didn’t want to socialize, but he didn’t get the memo, because when I stepped out of the building, there Stephen was, with a huge smile on his pretty smooth face, and some white roses. I’m not big on flowers, so whatever they meant, didn’t concern me; the flowers looked pretty elegant though.

“Before you say anything, I want to start off by saying, I’m sorry, and thank you,” Stephen pulled me in for a hug.

“This is probably something you don’t want to hear, but I also want to apologize on behalf of Emilia,” Lord knows I was just about to pick offense as those words left his lips.

“She should be here apologizing then,” I folded my arms, but my purse made it kind of hard.

“That’s the thing, Mel, she is here,” Stephen motioned to his car, where I noticed a head, looking at our direction.

“What are you trying to pull this time, Wang, have you forgotten what happened when you tried this back in school? How badly it ended?” I questioned Stephen, because I knew what this was, many tried and failed. Stephen didn’t say a word; he just kept looking at the car until Emilia got the message that she was supposed to come meet us. Emilia walked towards us with a lot of thoughts in her head, it was obvious in her eyes, and one of them was that; she was thinking twice about what she was about to do. I guess her pride ran deeper than I remembered.

“Melanie, hi.” Her high-pitched greeting was further proof that she really didn’t want to be talking to me. I sized her up first; she had dressed up like she went to work, which was strange because she didn’t work in the city. She had a straight black knee-length skirt, with a burgundy dress shirt tucked in, and her hair in a sleek bun, pairing it off with black cover heels.

“Hi, Emilia,” it wasn’t my most pleasant voice, but what can I say? Emilia brought out my dark side.

“Look, I understand that you don’t want to be standing here, having this conversation with me, since we’ve tried it in the past, but what you said to me the other night really stuck. Even your actions, what you did that night showed me that you were right; you weren’t a threat to my relationship I was. I realized I was a threat to what you have with Stephen. I guess you can call it jealousy, but I wanted what you guys had, and it hurt me that I couldn’t get it, so I thought the best option would be to take him far away from you as possible. Stephen didn’t want to move, but I made him—no, you made him move—and now, I feel awful for that,” Emilia started.

“When Stephen told me his plan of coming back here, I knew it was for work, but I couldn’t help but think and play different scenarios of your meeting in my head, and none of them made me feel good in the slightest. On Saturday, you looked out for him, made him stand out, and even protected him from me while I was blinded by the idea of the both of you I had made up in my head. And only then did I realize how very foolish I had been, and for that, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry Melanie,” Emilia apologized. What did I say about being easy to please? I was pleased with Emilia’s apology, but that didn’t mean we were going to become friends or pretend to be because of Stephen. Mentally, I knew I wasn’t ready for that drama.

“Apology accepted. As long as you know you were in the wrong, and you’ve accepted it and was even bold enough to apologize for it, who am I to reject your apology?”

“I hope you know though, that just because you’ve apologized doesn’t mean we’re going to be friends or anything close. It’s going to be just like how it always was with us. You’re water, and I’m fire. We don’t mix, we never will, and that’s because I’m still holding on to a lot of your shit, including the Saturday night incident.” I smiled sweetly at her, earning me a nudge at my side by Stephen.

“What? I don’t want to lie or be a hypocrite. It’s just how I feel about the whole thing. I mean she did embarrass me in front of a lot of people, including the one person that I was trying to avoid all night,” I voiced out my concerns.

“I understand, I didn’t come here with the expectation that we were going to become friends after all,” Emilia said, but it was quite obvious she had come to me with that expectation.

“Good, now if this is all, I’d like to get home before my dinner does,” I smiled at them, albeit fake, but it was a smile, and got into my car and went on my way.

A part of me told me that the reason why I couldn’t get over what she did that night was strongly because of Reeves, but it wasn’t, at least that what I said to it.

I didn’t feel some type of way about Reeves and how we ended things, and I guess that had something to do with the lightness of heart that I was feeling. It was a new day of a new week, and the rich keep getting richer, the hustlers, hustle, and the gold diggers, dig that bitch. The world is a gold mine, and you don’t expect that a gold digger would be bawling her eyes out for some rich dude, who she still got money and a lot of gifts from, when there are other rich dudes, ripe and ready for digging. Like I said countless times, Reeves was a challenge, and I conquered that stage. Thank you, next.