"I thought I was already favoring you," Nathaniel said, his breath brushing against Clara's face.
Clara's mind froze for a second.
"Answer me, Clara," he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Weren't you already my favorite?"
He leaned in a little closer, clearly enjoying her reaction.
Clara pushed him back gently, her cheeks warming. "Yeah, sure—whatever you say. I'm your favorite," she said quickly, trying to sound casual even as her voice betrayed her. She hadn't realized Nathaniel could be this much of a flirt.
"Yes, you are," he said, laughing under his breath.
"I'm going to the restroom," Clara muttered, pouting as she turned away. It annoyed her that, even though she was technically older, she was still the one flustered.
In the restroom, Clara leaned toward the mirror, carefully touching up her lipstick.
"What do you want, Laura?" she asked, not bothering to turn around. It was always the jealous best friend or sister who showed up to ruin the night—or so it went in every story she'd ever read.
But she was wrong.
"Oh, I'm not Laura," said a soft voice behind her.
Clara froze for a moment, her hand stilling midair. She looked up and met the stranger's gaze in the mirror—a woman she didn't recognize, standing just a little too close, her expression polite but unreadable.
The woman looked to be in her early fifties. Her dark hair was twisted neatly back, a few strands softening her delicate face. A gentle, almost familiar smile touched her lips, and her gray-green eyes carried a quiet warmth that instantly put Clara at ease.
"My bad," Clara said quickly, forcing a small.
"It's alright, my dear," the woman said smoothly, her voice warm and gentle. "We all make mistakes… or assumptions."
Just as Clara was about to leave, the woman called softly, "Oh… and congratulations," a gentle smile lighting her face.
As Clara stepped out of the restroom, she couldn't shake a weird feeling—not because the woman seemed shady, but because her smile felt strangely familiar, almost comforting.
When Clara left the restroom, Nathaniel wasn't where she left him. He was talking with a few colleagues across the room.
A waiter approached with a tray of drinks. Clara took one, and just as she was about to sit, Laura appeared, acting as if nothing had happened minutes ago.
"Hey, Clara," Laura said, grabbing a drink from the waiter before sliding into the seat next to her.
"Congratulations." Laura said.
Clara scoffed, it was now she decided to congratulate her after insulting her.
Sometimes she wondered whether Laura was stupid or Laura just thought she was stupid to fall for her every trick— she was not anymore and she still needed to find out how Laura was able to attend this gathering.
Clara took a slow sip of her drink and glanced at Laura, raising an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she asked, her tone calm but pointed. "I would've come with you."
Laura gave a small, tight smile, pretending to think. "Oh… I don't know. I just thought I'd drop by," she said, her voice light, too casual.
Yeah right she just happened to stop by, she even knew about the event before her and Nathaniel didn't tell Laura anything.
Clara studied her for a moment, catching the faint edge of something behind Laura's smile. "Really? You just happened to show up here, at an event that had nothing to do with you" she asked, letting the words hang between them.
Laura shrugged, feigning innocence. "Yeah… I guess I just decided on a whim."
Clara's lips pressed together. She knew Laura was lying, but she didn't need to push too hard—sometimes letting someone expose themselves was more satisfying. She gave a small, knowing smile. "Hmm. Sure. Whatever you say."
And she was going to enjoy watching Laura ruin herself.
Laura's hand tightened slightly around her glass, the mask slipping just enough that Clara noticed.
They were quiet for a few seconds before Clara remembered something she wanted to tell Laura.
"Oh, Laura," Clara said casually, swirling her drink, "I want you to leave. I want to spend some time with Lily alone."
Laura stiffened, shock flashing across her face, quickly replaced by anger.
"What?" Laura asked, tone rising.
"Pack out of my apartment, leave." Clara said, voice calm.
"What do you mean? You said I could live with you!" she accused, her voice sharp.
Clara sighed softly, unbothered by the edge in Laura's tone. "I know, and that was back in uni. But now we've graduated—you can find a job and rent your own place." She took another slow sip of her drink, ignoring the frustration written all over Laura's face.
This was the first thing she should have done after her rebirth
"That's not fair," Laura protested, her voice cracking slightly.