Freya processed Everly's words for a full minute, face cycling through emotions like a broken slot machine before settling on completely unreadable.
Meanwhile, Everly spent that minute demolishing the cake in front of her with aggressive bites, eyes laser-focused on Freya's face like a predator studying prey.
She'd dropped the system bomb deliberately—if Freya was like her and Jeremy, maybe she'd be honest to her. If not, Everly could pivot to "oh you look like someone who reads system novels, that's what I meant!"
But then Freya calmly cut her cake with a spoon, answering with eerie composure. Too calm.
"What are you talking about, Everly? I don't understand."
Everly stopped mid-chew, tilting her head. Time to test with something unrelated.
"Have you considered getting divorced before or have you been putting it off since you're pregnant now?"
"PFFFTTT—WHAT—cough!"
The whiplash question hit Freya like a truck—she choked, accidentally spraying cake directly at Everly's face.
