Chương 17: [Bonus chapter]Back on Track

'Distractions... distractions…' Cynthia thought to herself as she groaned loudly.

*Sob!*

"Nanny, I swear, if you're going to keep this up and cry right over my head, I'll ask you to go out,"

Cynthia was sitting on the cold floor of the bathroom right next to the toilet. She had been there for a good fifteen minutes now.

There was nothing to throw up really, but it didn't matter. She had a nervous stomach. She always had.

"Why now? Why? You shouldn't be getting cravings when your pregnancy is about to end!"

"…"

Cynthia knew that this had nothing to do with her pregnancy, but she absolutely did not want to go there again.

She would do her best to forget what the heartless detective told her in that museum. After she got dizzy, she picked herself up and walked over to the exit without saying a word to him. And instead of taking the hint, he shouted from behind her, telling her that he took her silence as a (yes).

"Ugh, hck!"

It was a good thing that Ben was always on standby mode, he helped her inside the car and they flew back to the mansion. She would've felt horrible if she threw up in the Tesla.

Now she could throw up without anyone bothering her. She was lucky that George was in the company now.

George, the detective.

"Distractions, distractions…"

"Cinty, how about a shower now, huh? It will make you feel better,"

Mrs. Edinburgh was right. Cynthia started taking off her clothes while she was still on the ground. Her nanny helped her out of those and then into the shower. The water that ran down her neck and back felt so good, she felt that it was washing away what happened today.

She made a small fist and hit the wall next to her.

"How could I let them distract me like that?"

Cynthia didn't confine her freedom for months to get sidetracked like that! She didn't have time to deal with these interruptions, she still needed to take care of a few things before she embraced her revenge.

Her plan was divided into two sections, after all. She had items and sub-items that she needed to cover before her delivery date approached and other items that were for after.

'Yeah, she's up next on my list,' It was time to pick the lowest hanging fruit that would be begging for Cynthia's attention right about now.

Nothing was going according to the newest Mrs. Green wishes! It was the perfect timing to get her hopes up. The higher Cynthia allowed the bird to fly, the harder it will fall.

"Nanny, send out word to Sally Green, tell her that she is invited to a private tea party this evening, and tell her there will be strawberry cake, she'll get it,"

(Strawberry cake) was a code Cynthia and Sally used between them when they wanted to keep something for themselves and not have Henry find out about it. It was mostly girl talk back then. But today, Cynthia was throwing her ex-best friend a bone.

Cynthia made sure that Sally was about to lose her mind before asking her to come over.

Sally's dream wedding was ruined, and Washington DC's high society rejected her entrance altogether. Tabloids classified her as a homewrecker and paparazzi were on to her every move. She was desperate enough to try and ignore them, an impossible task.

"Tsk, tsk,"

Nanny clicked her tongue once she got out of the room. She mumbled disapproving words under her breath when Cynthia asked her to send out the invitation but Cynthia was immersed in her own thoughts and she didn't hear anything.

Cynthia sighed and got out of the bath then got into her fluffy towel. She didn't want to upset her nanny. But she had something urgent to do right now.

"Let's see if the homewrecker can keep her mouth shut," she mused.

If Henry or Sylvia found out about the invitation, they'd never allow Sally to attend. But Cynthia made a small bet with herself.

She knew her ex-best friend more than the new Mrs. Green knew herself. She pushed her into a corner. And as she always did. She would want to run into Cynthia's arms.

Cynthia's bet was simple.

She was betting that her ex-best friend would want to reconcile.

"Hahaha!" Cynthia laughed out loud at that.

'Let's see about that,' she thought to herself.

***

Cynthia was feeling as fresh as the cucumber slices that were placed on her eyes while she was receiving her massage in her private spa.

Her ex-best friend never responded to the invitation, which was a good sign.

"There will be strawberry cake, after all," Cynthia thought out loud while she was having her hair and makeup done.

She went all the way for her look this evening.

Her long locks were straightened into perfection and then pulled up into a deliberate messy bun. And her Smokey makeup had her eyes all but sparkling like two stars that just fell off the sky.

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

"Come in nanny,"

Cynthia was trying to choose between two dresses.

"Ms. Evans. Your guest has arrived,"

Cynthia smiled wickedly.

"Red it is then, help me out, nanny,"

Cynthia's nanny eyed her pink satin belted night robe. Cynthia didn't need any help removing that or putting the one she chose on. And the old woman that raised the mischievous angel knew that it was Cynthia's way of comforting her nanny's heart.

She came closer and helped her. When they were done, Cynthia planted a kiss on her nanny's cheek.

The nanny straightened up. And both women nodded at each other.

It was show time.

They went out of the room and descended the stairs together. Cynthia ordered to have the guest placed in the piano room. It was her first hit.

The room a house owner received the guest in represented just how close they were. And the piano room code?

Strangers.

Cynthia grinned when she spotted her ex-best friend's face from afar. She was wearing white, and she looked like she was sitting at someone's funeral.

'Well, she is dead to me,' Cynthia mused.

Once the ghostly woman spotted Cynthia, she stood up. She looked at Cynthia up and down, then her eyes were two pools of unshed tears.

"Oh, Cynti! Thank you so much for the invitation!"

Cynthia's grin widened.

"Oh! Thank you for accepting it!"

The guest and the host sat facing each other, the tea table in the middle between them.

"I was going to send you the same message!" Sally squealed.

'Lies,' Cynthia thought. She smiled at her ex best friend sweetly, giving her the courage to carry on.

"I'm really here to congratulate you on the engagement…" Sally eyed the huge rock on Cynthia's finger. It made the rock on Sally's finger look pathetic.

"It is really the right thing to do, you two belonged together. And now everyone can finally move on," She choked on her last few words. Two crocodile tears fell from Sally's eyes. She was determined to put an end to the feud between them today.

She'd cry a river, no problem.

But Cynthia knew what was really going on in her friend's bird brain. She was probably all but peeing her pants now that she knew a boy was going to be born for her new husband.

But she was delusional. Revenge was Cynthia's.

"Move on," Cynthia repeated Sally's words monotonously. And to that, Sally nodded eagerly.

'Not before you curse the day you were born in,' Cynthia's smile was genuine, she loved the idea. And she had many bombs to throw at the newly wedded bride.

But those weren't for today. This evening was all about letting the bird fly high.

"Oh Cynti! May I hold your hand? The way I did for all those years!"

Five… six… seven crocodile tears.

"Sorry! I'm allergic!" Cynthia said, looking sad about it.

Sally was confused, a sense of dread filled her. She knew that Cynthia was allergic to strawberries already.

"But I don't have any products with strawberry ingredients on me,"

"Oh, no, you misunderstood me!" Cynthia grinned, "I'm allergic to trash." She glared at the homewrecker.

The shocked expression on her ex-beastie's face was so worth all the preparations she made for today.

"Once you leave I'll get that chair you are sitting on disinfected. Unless you want to take that too? Since you're a fan of my used things,"

She chuckled when Sally bit her lower lip.

Cynthia's hand twitched right after, begging her to slap the pathetic look off the face of the woman she called her best friend one day.

'All in good time, hand,' Cynthia thought to herself.

"…I wanted to confront you earlier, but Henry kept on postponing it," Sally said with her head down.

'Lies,' Cynthia thought once more.

Sally wanted to keep everything a secret. She wanted to have Cynthia's man and keep Cynthia's friendship for as long as she could.

"Hmph," Cynthia scoffed.

The look on Sally's face changed, "…Then why… why did you ask me to come here? After ruining my wedding day…I thought that we were even now," Sally's voice was low, she was finally speaking what was really on her mind.

Cynthia lost her mask as well, snarling at Sally, "I asked you to come here to offer you a deal,"

Sally shivered.