Chapter 2 Playing the Fool

"Wow, the meat stew smells amazing," Lillian commented with an exaggerated sniff.

"Maddie's cooking is always the best," Isabel chimed in.

I looked at their fake smiles and felt my stomach churn.

"I made it without scallions because I know Cece doesn't like them."

"You really know me best." Cecelia beamed.

"Come on, eat before it gets cold." I sat down and picked up my cutlery.

"Maddie, the landlord said we need to pay next year's rent on the first of March," Cecelia said casually between bites.

"What? Didn't we always pay every six months before?" I asked, surprised.

"The landlord said this place is in a great location, so he's not worried about finding tenants. There are plenty of people willing to pay even more, and they all pay a full year upfront. This time, he's only keeping the price the same because of me.

"However, we'll have to pay for a full year."

My hand paused mid-air as I was serving myself some food.

The messages from the group chat flashed through my mind. Nevertheless, I decided to play dumb and go along with it for now.

"Okay… I only prepared for half a year. I'll have to figure something out," I said, lowering my head as I quietly ate, not wanting to look at her.

"That's good. I was worried you wouldn't be able to afford it," Cecelia sighed. "I'm living paycheck to paycheck. Honestly, I can barely afford dirt at this point. Just the thought of paying a whole year's rent gives me a headache."

"Seriously, money's hard to earn these days," Lillian echoed.

As I listened to them whine about being broke, all I could think about was the cash drops flooding that group chat.

I'd been paying the rent, so they'd been practically living here for free.

The meal tasted like cardboard in my mouth, but they ate with relish. They even finished the stew down to the last drop.

Cecelia collapsed onto the couch after dinner. "Ugh, I'm so full. Maddie, do the dishes, will you? I still have an episode to finish."

…

Meanwhile, Lillian and Isabel slipped back into their rooms without a word.

My eyes fell upon the mess covering the table. Yet, I said nothing and quietly started clearing the dishes.

The water from the sink was cold, but it wasn't as cold as my heart.

Once everyone had retreated to their rooms, I closed my bedroom door and locked it. I closed my eyes and leaned against it. As a long sigh escaped my lips, I pulled out my phone, put on my earphones, and opened the video I had just recorded.

The group chat was like a blade. Each message cut straight into my heart.

The memory took me back to before Christmas in 2025.

We had agreed to do a full apartment cleaning. Yet, that morning, Cecelia had been curled up on the couch, clutching her stomach and rolling in pain. "Maddie, my cramps are killing me. I can't get up."

When I saw how pale she looked, I went out of my way to brew her some ginger and turmeric tea and told her to rest.

Not long after, Lillian called, saying her boyfriend couldn't make it back. Then, Isabel texted me saying her company had suddenly assigned her group a major project and everyone had to work overtime.

I was the only one left in that huge three-bedroom apartment for four tenants. In the end, I had no choice but to clean everything myself as the holidays were just around the corner.

Yet, what did I get for my contributions? All I got was Cecelia posting a photo of me kneeling and scrubbing the floor in the group chat.

'Look at our free maid working so hard.'

'Haha, she was born to be on her knees,' Lillian replied instantly.

'I'm at the mall right now. Do these shoes look good?' Isabel sent a picture.

'They look great. Send me your location. I'll come check them out too,' Lillian responded.

'Having someone wait on you feels amazing,' Cecelia added a smug emoji.

I stared at the photo on the screen, my nails digging uncontrollably into my palm.

That day, I had been so exhausted I didn't even eat dinner. Meanwhile, they mocked me freely in the group chat.

I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, and kept scrolling.

Last Thanksgiving, I had been burning with a fever of over 102°F. My whole body had been aching so badly that I couldn't even get out of bed.

I had sent Cecelia a WhatsApp message, asking her to pick up some fever medicine from the pharmacy at the complex entrance…