Chapter 7

‘Shit.’

Audrey was cursing herself when she couldn’t find her phone in her bag nor her pockets. “Ah! Where is it?” She rummaged through her things inside again, and she wasn’t contented, she poured everything in her bag on the ground. “I’ll be doomed if I can’t find it. After all, I don’t want to ring the doorbell and let that guy act like he’s the house owner,” she murmured while picking her things up, one by one, and putting them back.

“Found it!” she happily exclaimed when she saw her phone lying on the surface. In fact, it wasn’t in her bag earlier. It fell from her pocket while she was busy looking for it. After accompanying Nathan to his apartment which happened to be nearby, he drove her back. She insisted on getting off at the main gate to take a walk. Nathan agreed and went back to his place to arrange the interior, so they bid their goodbyes. She made sure to ask him about the passcode before getting out of his car. And he told her that he’ll send it through text message, so she won’t forget.

“What? So this is it?” she mumbled and entered the numbers.

(Clank)

She smiled proudly after hearing the clanking sound of the opening door. Her smile disappeared when her eyes caught her husband kissing another woman in the doorway.

“What the heck?!”

Audrey’s voice roared within the concrete walls. She felt the heat rising to her face, turning red in an instant. She exhaled to calm herself down and the carbon dioxide she emitted seemed to burn her nostrils as it felt like smoke coming from steam inside her system.

“What are you doing?” She said every word with emphasis. She glared at Shane who immediately wiped his lips with the back of his hand while looking away. Audrey had finally convinced herself that giving up on their marriage was always the right thing to do.

“Who are you?”

Audrey raised a brow and looked at the lady whose makeup was all over her face. “No, who are you?” she asked her back without batting an eye. She was pissed, extremely pissed to the point she imagined throwing her out of her house and dragging her by the foot to the gate.

“I’m Shane’s girlfriend. Other than that, you should have seen me in TVs,” she gave her a funny look from head to toe. “…unless you haven’t seen a TV before since you don’t look like you could afford to even refurbish one. Well, I’m Stephanie Solis. Remember that name,” Stephanie said in a way Audrey found displeasing.

‘Oh, so this is what you actually looked like in person. You only have your singing voice and layered makeup,’ Audrey dissed her inside her mind.

She promised herself not to be looked down upon anymore. She tried her best to change. But she just got insulted by a stranger who knew nothing about her inside her own house. “Oh, you must think that you’re so famous and expect everyone to recognize you in one glance.” Audrey tilted her head to the side with a pity look in her eyes.

“Tell you what, I could buy a dozen of television anytime but if it means giving you a chance to appear on the screen right before my face, I rather buy a truck of tissue for you to wipe those thick, uneven, and dull-colored makeup you wear,” she straightly said like it was a speech she memorized for a long time. “It seriously made you look ugly. Do you usually cake up your face like that? I guess you should stop it,” Audrey continued.

“Pfft!” She drifted her gaze on the man who was trying not to laugh. ‘He still had time to laugh after what he had done? Shameless.’

“Shane, you heard what she said right? She’s insulting me!” Stephanie stomped her feet while pulling Shane’s sleeve. Audrey just watched. She managed to calm down after talking back. Running her mouth like that once in a while became her stress therapy.

“Stephanie, just leave. About the kiss, forget it. I was trying to confirm something and I think I got the answers I’m looking for,” Shane muttered. He held Stephanie’s arm and guided her to the door.

‘Right, kick her out already, so we could talk about ourselves.’ Audrey silently watched by the side as Shane forced the lady outside.

“Shane!”

They were both surprised when Stephanie yelled. ‘Perks of having good looks,’ Audrey shook her head and walked to the living room.

“Stop right there, you bitch!” Stephanie’s words echoed through her ears. That was the cue, Audrey could no longer keep her cool. She was trying to be nice and let her off easily, but she dug her own grave.

“Who are you calling a bitch?” her voice suddenly became low. “Get out,” she ordered, pointing to the door ahead. “I said, GET OUT!”

“Stephanie, just go,” Shane pulled the lady, but she was stubborn. Stephanie got off from his grip and ran towards her. It was something that Audrey expected, and so she dodged, letting the angry singer kiss the floor.

“Ah!” Stephanie wailed like a maniac. She looked pitiful in her state. Audrey understood her, maybe she didn’t know the whole story but in her opinion, the lady was trying to get someone she wanted and failed. She decided to always remember Stephanie’s helpless face in case she’d forget how she would look if she kept loving the man who would never love her back.

“Why Shane? Is she the reason why you don't want me back? Why aren’t you protecting me?”

Audrey rolled her eyes when Stephanie began portraying the protagonist role of her very own dramatic love story. Of course, in Stephanie’s eyes, she’s the villain. “Are you just going to stand there? You brought this mess into my house so you should clean it up,” she said, staring at Shane’s eyes. “If you want to practice some scenes in your soap opera, don’t get me involved. Just get her out of MY HOUSE.”

“W-What is she talking about?” Stephanie asked Shane, confused.

“Stephacake, this is my house. So if you don’t want me to call the police station and report you for trespassing private property, get on your feet and leave. But you don’t care about being called a celebrity who barges in someone else’s house then you can choose to stay hugging the floor until the cops arrive,” Audrey smiled at both of them. “What do you guys think?”