SARAYA’S POV;
I opened my eyes and realized it was another weekend. I used to look forward to them but now they just remind me of how empty things have become.
After spending too much time staring at the walls, I decided to take a walk to the grocery store. I didn’t need much, but I needed to get out of the house.
I threw on some jeans, a plain shirt, and a sandal before heading out. As I walked down the stairs, I heard footsteps coming up. I looked up and it was Evan.
He was coming up the stairs with his hands in his hoodie pockets, his head down. We hadn’t really spoken since… well, since things got weird. Every interaction now was stiff, awkward, and heavy.
“Hi,” I mumbled, barely loud enough to hear myself.
“Hi,” he replied, his voice low and rough. He didn’t stop walking, just kept going like we were strangers passing each other on the street.
I hesitated, then turned slightly. “Do you… want to grab some ice cream?”
He stopped, and for a moment, his expression softened. His eyes lit up, like he liked the idea. But just as quickly, his face changed. The light faded, and he looked away. Without saying anything, he kept walking.
I stood there for a second, letting the awkwardness sink in, then sighed and kept going.
The grocery store was busy, as it usually was on weekends. I grabbed a basket and wandered through the aisles, picking up things I didn’t even need. Bread, milk, a random pack of cookies.
That’s when I saw her, all the pains I’ve been trying to number camping rushing like an open wound.
Matilda.
She was standing near the apples, her hand hovering over a bag. She looked the same as I have recalled her to be. Calm, always smiling, put-together, like nothing in her life ever went wrong. The complete opposite of how I felt.
“Coming here was a bad idea, I should leave here.” I told myself
Our eyes met and we both froze, neither of us said anything at first. I thought about turning around, pretending I didn’t see her, but she spoke before I could move.
Matilda waved at me. “Hi Saraya.” She smiled.
“Oh damn, I hate her smile.” I thought to myself as I could feel rage brewing inside me.
She raised her eyebrows at me as I didn’t say a word to me.
My mouth suddenly went dry, I felt tongue tied that moment but managed to murmur a low tone “Hi.”
“Are we going to pretend we don’t know each other?” she asked. Her voice was gentle, but there was a sharpness in her tone that made my chest tighten.
I shrugged, gripping the handle of my basket a little tighter. “If you’re asking, I’d rather pretend we do and shop quietly. Does that work for you?”
Matilda tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It doesn’t, actually. I’d like to talk about what happened at Arlan’s place.”
I felt my stomach twist at her words. “I’m not interested,” I said flatly, turning back to the shelf in front of me, pretending to look for something.
But Matilda wasn’t the type to be easily dismissed. I should have known that. She closed the gap between us, standing so close that I could feel her presence looming over me. “It’s in your interest that we talk,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.
I clenched my jaw, refusing to meet her gaze. “My interest? Oh, I see, I haven’t apologized for intruding your private moment.” I finally said with some attitude that exuded confidence. “I’m sorry, ma’am but I’m not sorry.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll like to excuse myself.” I added.
“Don’t twist things, Saraya,” she snapped, her calm demeanor cracking for the first time. “You think ignoring me, avoiding this, will make it go away? It won’t, girl. You know it won’t.”
I slammed my basket onto the shelf, startling a man a few feet away who quickly turned and left the aisle. “What do you want from me, Matilda?” I hissed, finally looking at her. “An apology? Forgiveness? Closure? Because I have nothing to give you.”
Her expression softened, and for a moment, I saw a look on her face-regret, maybe? Or pity? I hated it. “I don’t want anything from you, Saraya,” she said. “I just think you deserve to know the truth.”
I folded my arms and took a step back, trying to put some space between us. “What truth, Matilda? What could you possibly say that I haven’t already figured out?”
“I guess that should make our discussion brief.” She said in a stern voice. “Arlan is mine and mine alone, stay away from him.” She warned.
Her words rubbed off on me wrongly. “And if I don’t?” I challenged.
Matilda chuckled.”You really should watch out for yourself, Saraya.” She said with a confident look on her face. “The odds are stacked up against you, you’re still facing a fraud allegation and your position in the company is not yet solidified. What do you think Alex would do if he finds out his daughter is his best friend bitch?”
I clenched my fist hard, trying hard to stop myself from slapping her across the face. She must have noticed how much I was holding back.
“Easy there, tigress.” She taunted me. “You look like you’re about to explode right now.” She shoved her hair with her hand. “But what can you do? Arlan can only be mine.”
“If he was yours like you claimed, why did he run after me leaving you behind?” I asked and the expression on her face gave me great satisfaction.
Matilda’s smirk faltered, just for a second, but it was enough to make my chest swell with a twisted sense of victory.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, her voice low and icy. “Arlan’s loyalty is to me. Whatever you think you have with him is nothing but a distraction. You’re a phase, Saraya. Temporary.”
I stepped closer, closing the gap she had so boldly created earlier. “Funny,” I said, keeping my voice calm, though my blood was boiling. “If I’m just a phase, why are you so threatened? Why do you feel the need to warn me off like some insecure schoolgirl?”
Her jaw tightened, and I could see the storm brewing in her eyes. Matilda was used to being in control, used to people bending to her will. But I wasn’t about to let her intimidate me, not when I’m trying to heal.
“You think you’re clever, don’t you?” she sneered. “But you don’t know what you’re playing with. You don’t know Arlan like I do. And you definitely don’t know what he’s capable of when he’s pushed.”
“Maybe I don’t,” I said, my voice steady, “but I know one thing for sure. He made his choice that night, and it wasn’t you. So, if you’re done with your little power trip, I’ll be on my way.”
I turned to leave, but she grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. “This isn’t over, Saraya,” she hissed, her voice venomous. “You’ve been warned.”
I yanked my arm free and gave her a cold stare. “And you’ve been ignored,” I said, my voice sharp as it could be.
Without another word, I walked away, my heart pounding in my chest. The rage and adrenaline coursing through me made my hands shook, but I refused to let her see how much she had rattled me.
As I step out of the store, I walked hastily to my car like I was being chased. Once I was alone in my car, I felt my chest tightened. “Why does it hurts so much?” I broke down.
MATILDA’S POV:
I hit the steering wheel hard, the sound echoing in the quiet car. “How dare she talk to me like that?” I spat, my voice shaking with anger.
My chest felt tight, and I could feel the heat rising to my face as I gripped the wheel so hard my fingers ached.
I hadn’t just run into Saraya by chance, I had followed her. I’d been keeping tabs on her ever since she caught me in bed with Arlan.
Today, I saw her heading to the grocery store, and I decided to taunt her to know what was going through her head. More than that, I wanted to get under her skin, remind her who she was dealing with.
But it didn’t go the way I planned. She didn’t back down. Instead, her words hit me like a slap across the face. “If he was yours, why did he run after me?” she had said, with that smug look on her face.
“That God damn bitch.” I cursed out loud, slamming the brakes harder than I needed to as I reached a red light. Who the hell did she think she was? After everything I’d done, after everything I’d built with Arlan, she thought she could just show up and take him away from me?
I clenched my teeth, my mind racing. “I’ll make you regret the day you ever met me,” I muttered, my voice low and filled with venom.
The light turned green, and I drove off, my hands trembling on the wheel. Saraya didn’t know what she was up against. “If she thinks she can challenge me and go scot free, then she is a joker.”