The moment I stepped forward and walked towards them, I could feel the tension rise. From the smirks on their faces, I knew I had walked into their trap. Mohandia and her friends were waiting for this, ready to humiliate me in front of everyone. They wanted to show how powerful and untouchable they were.
I stayed calm. I kept a smile on my face, refusing to show any fear. Liza and Kaitlyn stood behind me, ready to support me, but the air around us was thick with anticipation. Everyone in the canteen was watching. They expected a showdown, a fight between me and Mohandia to see who would come out on top.
I could see it in the eyes of the maids. Many of them hoped I would humiliate Mohandia, that I would put her in her place. But they didn’t believe in me. Mohandia looked strong, intimidating with her towering physique and harsh demeanor. They feared her, and it was written all over their faces.
“How dare you interrupt my business, Kimberly? What gives you the audacity to speak against my wishes?” Mohandia growled, her face twisted with anger. “Speak now, or I will crush you.”
I smiled, keeping my stance firm and balanced before I responded. “Have you ever asked yourself who you really are? If you’re so strong and mighty, why are you here with us, serving as a slave in a pack that isn’t your own?”
The words hit her like a slap. Her eyes widened in shock, and she stared at me, speechless. She hadn’t expected that. She wanted a fight, but instead, I gave her something far worse-a question that cut deeper than any blow.
“You have no right to ask me that, you rat!” Mohandia spat, her voice dripping with anger and disdain. Her eyes locked onto mine, burning with fury.
I took a breath and stood my ground. “That’s exactly my point, Mohandia. If no one has the right to question you, why do you expect anyone here to respect you? You demand people give up their seats for you, but what have you done to earn that respect? Do you think fear is the same as respect? No one respects you, Mohandia. They’re just scared of what you might do to them. Even your friends-they don’t respect you. They’re just afraid.”
As I spoke, I could see something change in her eyes. Her tough exterior began to crack. She turned slowly to look at her friends, searching their faces for reassurance. But even though they tried to hide it, the truth was there. They didn’t respect her either. They were only following her out of fear.
Mohandia’s face twisted in anger and hurt. She turned away from her friends, her fists clenched, and without another word, she stormed out of the canteen. Her friends started to follow, but she spun around and screamed at them, “Stay away from me, you devils!”
The whole canteen erupted in cheers. This was the first time anyone had stood up to Mohandia, and I could see the relief on everyone’s faces. She had been untouchable for so long, and now she had been defeated, not with fists, but with words.
I walked back to my seat with Liza and Kaitlyn, my heart still racing. The whispers around the room grew louder as the maids talked about what had just happened. I could feel their eyes on me, but this time, it wasn’t out of fear or curiosity. It was admiration.
Liza leaned in, grinning. “Kimberly, that was incredible! I never expected you to handle her like that. Where did you learn to talk like that?”
I smiled, trying to be modest. “Thank you, but I didn’t really learn it from anywhere. I just spoke what came to my mind.”
Kaitlyn, still looking serious, spoke up next. “You know she’s not going to let this go, right? Now that she knows her friends don’t truly stand by her, she’s going to be more dangerous. She’ll be desperate.”
“You’re right,” I nodded. “She’ll be more dangerous because she’s afraid of being alone. That’s why she always surrounds herself with others. But now that she knows she doesn’t have their trust, she’s powerless. We’ll just have to keep an eye on her and her friends.”
Our meals arrived, and we ate in silence for a while. My mind was racing. I knew this wasn’t the end of Mohandia. She would come back, and when she did, she would be more determined than ever to get her revenge. I would need to stay one step ahead of her if I wanted to survive.
*I need to deal with Mohandia before she becomes too much of a distraction*, I thought to myself as I chewed on my food. *I can’t let her get in the way of my plans.*
After lunch, we left the canteen, and everyone returned to their rooms.
—
A month passed without any direct confrontation from Mohandia. Since our last encounter, she had become a shadow of her former self. She no longer surrounded herself with friends, and she barely spoke to anyone. She did her work in silence, ate in silence, and returned to her room without a word.
But I knew better. She was planning something. I had been watching her closely, and there was a tension in the air whenever she was around. She wasn’t done with me yet.
One afternoon, I saw her sitting alone under a large tree, her back to the world. She was staring off into the distance, lost in thought. This was my chance to find out what was going on in her head.
I walked towards her, though part of me felt that it might not end well. But I had to try.
As I approached, she noticed me coming and turned her head slightly. Once she saw it was me, her face darkened. She didn’t say a word, just turned away, refusing to acknowledge my presence.
I sat down next to her on the ground, the silence between us heavy.
“Greetings, Mohandia,” I said, keeping my voice calm and neutral.
She turned to look at me, her face filled with hatred. I could feel the intensity of her anger. She despised me, and sitting this close to her, I could sense that she was barely holding herself back from lashing out.