Chapter 9

But if there was one thing Audrey wanted, it was for her mother to be happy. After everything she had sacrificed for them, she deserved that much. And as long as her mother was happy, Audrey would be fine.

With a tired sigh, she got up and headed into the bathroom for a long, relaxing bath.

Soon, she stepped out of the bathroom and slipped into a pair of black shorts and a red crop top with a large heart-shaped design across the chest. She walked over to the bed, lay flat on her back, and grabbed her phone. She scrolled through social media for a while before sleep slowly took over.

Audrey woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring loudly in her ears.

“It is morning already,” she muttered, stretching her arms and legs before sitting up in bed.

It was her day off, so she could spend the entire day at home.

“Good morning, sis! Hope you slept well,” James called from downstairs.

Audrey got out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she reached for the door handle and pulled it open. She then made her way downstairs.

“James, when did you get back?” Audrey asked as she walked down the stairs.

“Not long ago. You were still sleeping like Sleeping Beauty,” James teased.

Audrey chuckled. She went straight to the kitchen counter and poured herself a glass of water.

“What are we having for breakfast, Sleeping Beauty?” James asked, giving her an annoying smirk.

“I do not know. Maybe I will make some creamy pasta,” Audrey replied, placing her glass back on the counter.

“Please, add enough eggs. I need lots of protein because I have a match with the boys later today,” James said.

Audrey rolled her eyes and headed back upstairs.

She went into the bathroom, picked up her green toothbrush, applied some toothpaste, and began brushing her teeth. She rinsed her mouth with water and spat it into the sink. When she was done, she returned her toothbrush to the holder on the wall.

Her hair kept falling into her face, so she gathered it into a ponytail. She then bent over the sink, cupped some water in her hands, and splashed it onto her face. Afterward, she grabbed her face towel and gently dabbed her face dry before stepping out of the bathroom.

She went over to her bed, picked up her phone, and scrolled through her social media accounts. After replying to a few messages and comments, she tossed the phone aside and headed downstairs.

She went straight into the kitchen to prepare her pasta. Apart from painting, cooking was the one thing Audrey loved most.

Growing up, she had always helped her mother prepare meals for the family and had learned most of her cooking skills from her. She had also heard stories about her grandmother, whom she had never met. Her grandmother had owned a small eatery where people often lined up to buy her food, until the government took the shop away from the family.

Audrey’s mother had learned to cook from her own mother, and Audrey had naturally picked up those same skills from her.

She often teased her mother about opening her own restaurant after finally achieving her lifelong dream of owning an art gallery.

Soon, Audrey finished cooking. She dished out the pasta, carried it to the dining table, and placed the plates on it.

“Come down for breakfast!” she called out to James.

“I will be right there!” he responded.

They ate in silence for a while, but James kept glancing at his phone as though he were waiting for an important message. The moment he heard a notification, he quickly grabbed the phone, typed a reply, and set it down before returning his attention to his meal.

“Seems like someone is texting someone,” Audrey teased, looking straight at James.

“I am not texting anyone,” James denied.

“Okay, let me see.”

Audrey reached for his phone, but he quickly grabbed it and placed it on his thigh beneath the table.

“I said I am not texting anyone!” James snapped, shooting her a sharp glance.

“Fine, then. Let me see your phone.”

“Why would I let you do that?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because I am asking for it,” Audrey replied sharply.

James chuckled. “Yeah, right. I am not letting you go through my phone, miss. Please focus on your meal.”

“I can see you have found yourself a new crush,” Audrey teased.

James remained silent, gulping down his food.

“You have finally decided to move on from Bianca,” Audrey added, making James choke slightly on his food.

“Who is Bianca?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, wow! So you have actually moved on and forgotten about your crush? The girl you cried over because she was sick and did not show up at school for a whole week back in high school.”

Audrey laughed softly before continuing.

“You know, I was two grades ahead of you, but I still managed to get information about everything happening in your class.”

“That was because you and those two friends of yours had nothing better to do than listen to all the gossip in school,” James shot back, making Audrey burst into laughter.

“Thanks for the meal,” James said as he stood up and carried his empty plate toward the kitchen.

“You are welcome,” Audrey replied.

“But you still have not told me who you were texting,” she teased.

“I told you it was no one!” James called out loudly as he hurried upstairs, knowing Audrey would not let the matter rest.

“I will find out, do not worry!” Audrey called after him, laughing.

She placed her empty plate in the sink before heading upstairs. Once inside her room, she closed the door behind her, pulled out the chair tucked under her desk, and sat down.

She picked up her phone, opened I*******m, and began scrolling through the reels.

Suddenly, Audrey’s eyes widened as she stared at the image on her screen.

Why was he suddenly showing up on her feed?