CRIMSON

An unfamiliar girl? Laleen questioned herself repeatedly as she observed the couple from behind the counter.

So far, their date was progressing much better than yesterday's. Mr. Degavon barely spoke, taking sip after sip of the black coffee she had served, while the new girl spoke from time to time.

She seemed remarkably at ease with him, causing Laleen's eyes to narrow unknowingly in jealousy. Both displayed a shared familiarity, even devoid of Mr. Degavon's usual look of disinterest.

"Shane," the blue-eyed girl called him. Laleen nearly scoffed. She calls him by his first name?

"Hmmm," he hummed in response, finally looking up to meet her eyes. Laleen's own eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

He actually answered. He barely spared a glance for the rude girl from yesterday, but today...

He responded to this girl as if it were nothing!

Laleen bit her lip hard, realizing they were familiar with each other.

If yesterday's date was a blind one, then this was the complete opposite.

A certain cloud of unease settled above her head at the realization. She didn't know this man at all. And now, he was going to marry this girl who called him by his first name, and they'd have cute babies.

All sorts of thoughts filled her mind, each intensifying her sense of dread. A small cry escaped her lips as she buried her face in her hands, completely lost in her own thoughts.

Her bitter cry caught the attention of the two people in the cafe.

All Shane had to do was raise his gaze, and she was in plain view. His expression remained unreadable but then he blinked. Not that he cared, but he couldn't help but wonder if she was in her right mind.

She seemed to notice their gaze as she gasped and looked up from her palms, her eyes instantly locking with his dark ones.

She flickered her lashes continuously at him, as if in a trance.

Somehow, locking eyes with the man she was previously ruminating about filled her with a gradual calmness she currently needed.

This was the reality in front of her.

He wasn't married, and there were no babies! At least, not yet.

A soft breath of relief escaped her lips. However, her eyes drifted to the girl sitting in front of him. Blue eyes stared at her in question, displaying a hint of displeasure at the interruption.

That was when it finally clicked. God, she felt so stupid!

"I-I am truly sorry," she stammered amidst the silence that had settled over the cafe, bowing apologetically.

Trouble magnet , Shane thought lazily to himself as he looked away from the girl who had her head bowed.

***

Multiple sighs escaped Laleen's lips as she walked home that afternoon. Remembering what transpired earlier left her feeling a strange numbness. It was him again... with a different girl. And they seemed so...

Laleen immediately shook her head, which hung low in a sadness she was yet to realize.

If he and his rude date the other day looked lovely together, then his date today... they looked perfect.

Laleen's nose scrunched up in distaste as a certain thought crossed her mind. Was he a playboy? Could that explain the different dates?

She clicked her tongue as she shook her head in disbelief, her legs coming to a pause. He didn't seem to be the kind of person to interact with people willingly, so why would he be a playboy?

Immediately dismissing the thought, she resumed her walk home. It was currently 2 pm, and the bright rays of sunlight hit her face. Due to the cafe being rented out for a single date, she had returned much earlier than usual.

Turning a corner, her home building came into view. She walked towards the gate and pushed it open with a slight, rusty creak.

It was a three-story building house, and Laleen and her parents' home occupied the third floor. It wasn't a fancy house, so it lacked special elevators, requiring them to climb the stairs.

As she ascended the dusty stairs towards her part of the house, she silently hoped a certain someone wouldn't emerge from their door, as was usually the case. Continuing her tiptoeing, a small smile appeared when she passed the door she dreaded.

Another step forward, and the door flung open, revealing a short yet chubby middle-aged woman with her hands on her waist, questioning with a disapproving look, "Are you hiding away from me, Stephanie?"

Laleen immediately froze as the smile initially gracing her face fell. With a sharp turn, she swiveled to look at the person in front of her, instantly plastering a sweet smile on her face.

"A fine afternoon to you too, Mrs. Victoria. Of course not! Surely you jest," she said sweetly, finishing her sentence with a dismissing wave, as if what the woman said was pure nonsense, but deep down, both knew it was true.

Laleen couldn't stand the woman in front of her. Mrs. Victoria was persistently trying to arrange a marriage between Laleen and her son, who happened to be a fawning idiot. It took every drop of effort and some blessings from the heavens to continue avoiding his gaze at every encounter. If he was such a fawning idiot without her spell, then how much worse would it get when he looked directly into her eyes? The thought alone had her shivering. And Mrs. Victoria was no angel herself. The woman was an excellent gossip, known for poking her nose into matters that were not her business — the exact kind of person Laleen wished to avoid.

"Is that so?" Mrs. Victoria echoed challengingly. "What's with this getup then?" She questioned as she crossed her arms, staring suspiciously at the young woman in front of her. Laleen could only offer an awkward smile as she pulled up the dark shades she was wearing.

"This?" She pointed at the sunglasses sitting prettily atop her head. "This is the new fashion," she declared with a reassuring smile. There was no way she could admit to wearing the sunglasses to hide her eyes now, could she?

"It has nothing to do with avoiding you at all."

The older woman arched a brow suspiciously, regarding her words with a doubtful hum.

Brushing the matter aside, a smile crept up the woman's face as she took hold of Laleen's hand and started walking towards the Lance's side of the house.

"Madame Victoria!" Laleen called out in surprise, but the older woman continued to walk, paying her no heed.

"You know, I heard from your father that Laura, your mother is ill. As a good friend that I am, I just have to come see how she's doing" She finally spoke as she continued her walk while pulling Laleen with her.

Laleen rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what was running through the woman's head. She was just looking for a new thing to gossip about, was she not? 

Laleen made to pull her hand away from the cunning woman's grasp but her snoppy neighbor had already gotten to the door of their house. Knocking softly, she noticed the door was not locked as it slowly slid open.

Laleen's eyes immediately furrowed. Wasn't her mother supposed to be home? She would never leave the door unlocked especially since she never fancied impromptu visits from nosy neighbors like Madam Victoria

And wait...

Mrs Victoria's words suddenly dawned on her. Her mother was ill?

The sight that greeted her when the door slowly creaked open was her mother falling to her knees with her back against them breaking into a series of coughs that sounded painful to her ears.

An unknown emotion gripped Laleen as she swiftly released her hand from Madame Victoria's grip. 

Her legs worked quicker than her hands running to her mother as she bent beside her.

"Mother" She wanted to say but the word immediately got stuck in her throat.

Her mother was coughing into a white handkerchief, her shoulders shaking with every cough.

The handkerchief was stained with blood.