Forgot How to Function

As Kate scrubbed, her mind churned. She thought of calling Ella, of telling her about Joanne's sudden enthusiasm for a baby shower.

But as her hand paused mid-wipe, Kate let out another sigh. She hated Joanne, sure, but she couldn't ruin this for Ella. For all her faults, Joanne had stumbled onto a good idea. Ella deserved something special, and Kate wouldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of that.

"Fine," she muttered under her breath. "I'll let this play out. But I'm watching you, Joanne. Closely."

---

Joanne's POV:

Pulling into the driveway, my heart sank the moment I saw the sleek black Mercedes parked outside. I froze, gripping the steering wheel tightly, before muttering, "You've got to be kidding me."

It was my parents' car.

Didn't they say they'd be back in a week? I groaned, grabbing my phone from the passenger seat.