Besty whispered back, “Don’t worry, I just need to find the right moment.”
As Stella became engaged in conversation with others, Felipe recognized his moment slipping away. “You better act fast, Besty.
Don’t miss this chance.”
He turned his gaze back to Stella, who was now at the center of the crowd, his lips pursed in frustration.
Amid the chatter, questions about Stella’s personal life began to surface. “Stella, how did you and Matthew meet? Who pursued whom?”
Maintaining a polite yet forced smile, Stella answered succinctly, “Our families arranged it, and things just naturally progressed from there.”
She wasn’t comfortable with her private life being the subject of gossip and quickly shifted her focus back to her juice.
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After a short while, seeking an escape, Stella announced, “I’m going to the restroom, excuse me,” and stood up.
Seizing the opportunity, Besty quickly chimed in, “I need to use the restroom too. Let’s go together, Stella.”
Glad for the company, Stella agreed.
Exiting the restroom, Besty hesitated, gathering her thoughts to broach the subject she had been dreading. Just as she was about to speak, their conversation was abruptly cut short by a sudden, sharp scream.
“Stella, is that you?”
Stella whirled around and found herself face to face with a woman who seemed to mirror her own age. The woman’s features were striking.
Long, curly hair cascading down her shoulders and lips painted a bold red.
Recognition dawned on Stella slowly. The woman was Nola Vaughn, a former colleague from her first job.
The realization brought an immediate, visceral reaction of repulsion within Stella.
She had no desire to engage, so she feigned deafness and spun around, attempting to fl
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ee.
However, her escape was thwarted by Besty, who seized her hand and gestured towards Nola. “Stella, didn’t she just call out to you? Why didn’t you say hello to her?”
Stella bit her lip, inwardly cursing Besty’s naivety.
Of course, she had heard Nola, but her desire to interact was nonexistent.
“Stella, is that really you?” Nola’s voice rang out again, this time laced with certainty.
Cornered, Stella reluctantly swiveled back, plastering a forced smile on her face. “Long time no see. What a coincidence.”
Nola had been a thorn in her side during that first job, harboring a blatant crush on Stella’s boyfriend at the time and going out of her way to make Stella’s life difficult.
These memories were ones Stella preferred buried, and encountering Nola was the last thing she wanted.