FIVE

It had been a week since I met that arrogant man who called me a liar and a cheater. A week had passed, but the impact of what he told me was still there; I still couldn't forget it. I knew I shouldn't pay attention to it because, as he had said, I judged him, so he simply retaliated.

But what I didn’t understand was why his words felt like the truth to me. Not the part about being a liar and a deceiver, but the idea that writers are cowards who hide behind words and letters. I felt like that was exactly what I did every time I wrote—hiding behind the stories I created.

I peeked out the window just to look outside and saw Mum talking to her flowers, smiling and nodding. She really believed her flowers were responding to her. They were facing my window, and it felt as if they were greeting me good morning. But instead of making me happy, the thought only annoyed me more.

To me, they looked like they were mocking me. I felt like Mum had intentionally planted them just to annoy me every day. She knew I hated flowers, yet she still did this. 

I slammed the window shut, went back to bed, and brooded over it. When a wicked idea suddenly popped into my mind, I laughed and immediately stood up. 

I opened the window again and peeked at Mum's plants. If my plan went well, Mum would surely mourn, and her precious plants would vanish like bubbles.

I fixed myself up first before heading downstairs. One must look presentable when committing a crime. I needed to look composed so it wouldn't be obvious that I was planning something bad, making me an instant suspect. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of my upcoming success.

I calmly went downstairs, walked through the kitchen, and went straight to the restroom to retrieve my weapon. When I got hold of what I was looking for, a smirk formed on my lips. I initiated my plan and slipped through the backdoor into Mum's mini garden. Hiding the item behind my back, I watched Mum leave.

'Later, all of them will die. Those ugly smiles will look like expressions of disaster once you drink the poison of death. Let me see what you will look like when you all wither.'

I waited for a few moments until I saw Mum get up and enter the main door, and then I immediately marched toward the pots. I scanned the area first to make sure no one was looking. Once I was certain the coast was clear, I proudly waved the bottle of Clorox in front of the flowers, grinning. I wanted to laugh because those once-annoying flowers now seemed to be begging for mercy. It was as if they were bending over, weeping, and crying out for help.

I wanted to laugh at the sight. They looked utterly hopeless in my eyes.

"What are you now, you swindlers?" I whispered to the flowers with a wide smile.

I was about to unscrew the village chief when someone suddenly appeared behind me, making me jump out of my skin.

"What are you doing?"

I quickly hid the bottle of Clorox behind my back and turned to face the one who spoke. The arsehole who had been keeping me awake for a week was now standing right in front of me, so I shot him a deadly glare. 

"I'm asking you, what are you doing?" he repeated.

Did he see what I was holding? And what on earth was he doing here in Mum's garden? 

To deflect from my malicious plan, I immediately went on the defensive. "What do you care about what I'm doing?" I snapped back. "This is our house, so you have no right to question me. You, what are you doing here in our yard? Are you planning to steal?” I accused him, giving him my fiercest look.

"It's really second nature for you to be judgemental, isn't it?" he asked dryly. “You seriously thought I didn't see what was behind your back? You're hiding Clorox, and you plan to pour it on your mother’s plants.” 

I was left speechless. Did that mean he actually saw it?

"If you already know what I'm holding, then why did you bother asking?" I retorted, though I was secretly shaken. "Besides, no one will believe you even if you report what you saw. So leave before I scream that there's a thief here and have my dad call the police." I threatened him, waiting for him to back down.

“Then scream. Do you want me to scream with you?” he challenged, completely unbothered. This made me even more disgusted.

A brief silence stretched between us. I caught him smiling and noticed that he had a dimple. This man was quite older—probably ten years older than me—but it wasn't obvious from his looks. Well, I didn't care about him because he wasn't important. I just realised how close he was standing to me.

"What now?" he asked. "We can shout together so we're both happy," he added mockingly.

"Oh, Jr, you're already here. How long have you been waiting?" I saw Mum come out carrying a vase. The arrogant jerk smiled at me before turning to face her.

"No, Ma'am, I just got here to bring the vase that my mother wanted to give you." 

It was only then that I noticed the vase he was holding. He flashed another smirk at me before approaching Mum, making me raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, is that it? This is also the vase that I will exchange for your mother's. I went out because I thought she was the one who came, but it was you. Please tell her thank you," Mum said warmly. “And please don’t call me 'Ma'am', just 'Auntie'," Mum added.

The arsehole nodded at Mum as a sign of agreement and respect, then set down what he was carrying to receive what Mum handed him.

"I'll head out now," he said, bidding Mum goodbye once he got the vase.

"Have a snack first," Mum offered.

"No, thank you, Aunt, but I'm still full." He declined, and I secretly rejoiced. It was a good thing he refused. But before he finally walked away, he leaned in and whispered to me, "You owe me one, Hija. I'll collect it later; just wait." 

The animal—who clearly thought he was incredibly handsome—even winked at me. He looked like a monkey.

The arsehole finally left, and Mum went back inside. I knew that if he had snitched to Mum earlier, I would have been in deep trouble. She would definitely have believed me, especially with the Clorox still in my hand and her knowing how much I despised her flowers.

"Oh, Mia, what are you still doing out there?" Mum asked when she noticed I hadn't followed her inside.

"Just inhaling some fresh air. Why is it not allowed in your garden?" 

She did not answer, so I turned around carefully so she wouldn't spot what was hidden behind my back. As I turned, I faced the flowers again. They seemed to happily stick their tongues out at me, teasing me that my plan had failed. They looked like children dancing at a disco, like an AI flower and fruits I saw in reels mocking me.

‘Just enjoy yourselves for now. Your time will come.’