Anna’s brows arched, her hand pausing mid-motion as she adjusted her hair. "Excuse ?"
Fiona tilted her head, the mocking grin widening. "Oh, don’t play innocent. First Ethan, now Mr. Clafford himself — it seems you’ve got quite the charm, despite being..." she trailed off, pretending to look her up and down, "ordinary."
Her words dripped with venom, but Anna didn’t flinch. She’d seen this side of Fiona before — the jealousy, the need to poke, to provoke.
"Is that all you ca to say?" Anna asked coolly. "Because if so, I’d appreciate it if you left. I don’t entertain nonsense here."
Fiona’s smile faltered for a split second before she let out a soft laugh, the kind that hid irritation behind amusent.
"Oh, co now. You don’t have to pretend. I can see right through you, Anna. You think I’m blind not to notice what’s going on between you and Mr. Clafford?"
Anna froze, her heart skipping for a mont. Did she find out...?
Fiona caught that flicker of hesitation and stepped closer, confidence flooding back into her tone. "I know exactly what you’re doing. Trying to lure him in so he’ll favor you. You’re clever — using that helpless charm of yours to gain sympathy."
Anna’s brows knitted, but instead of anger, a faint, almost amused smile curved her lips. So this fool actually thinks I’m trying to seduce my own husband?
"Tell sothing, Fiona," Anna said softly, standing now, her calmness unnerving. "Did your charm work on him?"
Fiona blinked, caught off guard.
"Because as far as I know," Anna continued, voice laced with quiet mockery, "Mr. Clafford made it pretty clear that you aren’t his type."
Color drained from Fiona’s face.
Anna took a step forward, her tone still deceptively calm. "You see, the thing about spreading rumors is — they tend to co back and bite when the person you’re gossiping about tells you sothing different to your face."
[Flaskback]
Anna stared down at the folded letter in her trembling hands, her lips curving into a nervous, hopeful smile.
"Fiona... do you think he’ll accept it?" she asked softly, her voice almost a whisper.
That day, she had gathered every ounce of courage she had to write that note — a simple thank-you to Ethan, the boy who had stepped in when others bullied her. It wasn’t much, but it ant everything to her.
Fiona, sitting across from her with an unreadable smile, leaned back and crossed her legs. "You think too much, Anna. Of course he’ll accept it," she said sweetly, her tone calm — too calm.
But deep down, Fiona knew the truth.
Stupid girl, she thought bitterly. Does she really believe soone like Ethan would care about her? With that timid voice and that face? She’s always been the class joke.
Anna clutched the letter closer to her chest, her eyes glimring with a fragile kind of courage. "It’s just... the last ti I saw him, I couldn’t even say thank you. I turned and ran away like a coward."
Fiona tilted her head, her smile widening — the kind that pretended to comfort but only mocked.
"Well, if you’re that scared," she said smoothly, "why don’t I give it to him for you?"
Anna blinked, hope flickering in her eyes. "Really? You’d do that?"
"Of course," Fiona replied, her voice honeyed, her fingers already reaching out. "That’s what friends are for, right?"
Without waiting, she snatched the letter from Anna’s hands and stood, slipping it into her bag.
"Don’t worry," Fiona added with a reassuring smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m sure he’ll be touched by your words."
Anna’s face brightened instantly. "Thank you, Fiona. I don’t know what I’d do without you."
Fiona waved her hand dismissively as she turned away, her expression shifting the mont Anna couldn’t see. That fake warmth lted into irritation, and by the ti she reached the hallway, the smile had turned into a sneer.
"Pathetic," she muttered under her breath, pulling the letter back out. The pink stationery slled faintly of lavender — delicate, hopeful, and pure.
"’Thank you for helping that day,’" she read mockingly. "’You’re really kind.’"
Her lips twisted. "Kind? He probably doesn’t even rember your na."
With one cruel motion, she tore the letter into pieces and dumped it in the nearest bin, brushing her hands off before walking away — satisfied.
Back in the classroom, Anna sat waiting, her fingers anxiously fidgeting as she stared at the clock. She thought maybe after reading the letter Ethan would repond to her. However Fiona’s response instead shocked her. Because she told her that Ethan dump that letter in the trash
[Present]
Fiona’s lips parted, her face twisting in disbelief. "You— You were listening?"
"Oh, absolutely." Anna folded her arms, leaning slightly against the table with an infuriatingly serene smile. "I was standing right by the door when he told you to deliver a ssage to your father — sothing about not being interested in his daughter."
The mory of Daniel’s cutting words hit Fiona all over again. The humiliation burned through her veins.
Anna tilted her head, eyes gleaming with quiet satisfaction. "So tell , Fiona. Did you deliver that ssage yet? Because as far as I know, you are really close to your parents. Am I right?"
She knew—if it hadn’t been her mother, then it had to have been Mr. Stewart who’d fed Hugo the news about her trying to act. The Stewarts were a family of schers; everyone in town knew that. It was why her parents had always kept them at arm’s length.
Fiona stamred, still rattled, as Anna closed the distance between them. The girl in front of her no longer trembled or begged. She was steady. Quiet. Dangerous.
"Listen carefully, Fiona," Anna said, each word asured and low. "This is your one and only warning. Try to stir trouble in my life again and I won’t hesitate. The ek Anna you toyed with back then is gone. Don’t test what I’ve beco."
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