Diana's POV:

[Two weeks later] [20:35]

... Beep... Beep... Beep...

" Hey~ Diane~..." Lily finally answered her call.

"Where the hell are you not answering your phone?!" I asked, irritated.

-"Em~ I'm on my way home~ Sorry~ My phone was silent~..."

+"Where have you been that you're coming back this late?!"

-"I took a walk after work."

+"Alone?"

-"Yeah~... Oh! The bus is here~ See you soon!..."

I threw the phone on the couch after the call and muttered, "She's lying to me."

Faith was sitting on the couch, sipping her beer can with potato chips. "What makes you think so?"

"It's obvious, Faith! She's acting strange these days!" I groaned and sat next to her.

She looked at me and said, "Like what?"

+"First, her phone keeps buzzing with notifications, which means someone is definitely messaging her all the time! Second, she's coming late often as if meeting someone before coming back home! Third, she keeps avoiding eye contact while I'm questioning her!..."

Faith chuckled, "Oh my~ You sound exactly like a person whose wife cheats on them~ haha~"

I glared back at her, "Can we be serious for once?! You told me she liked me, Faith... And I confessed to her with that hope in my heart, but she ignored my confession. And look at my situation right now, I can't do anything if someone has already stolen her heart!... Like that annoying guy!"

-"I don't think she's dating someone, Dee... Just corner Lily against the wall. Ask about it and confess to her again... Next, 'Baam'... 'Kiss her'... And we're done~... I'm sure she'll give in to your wildness."

+"What if she comes to hate me?"

-"Girl! Stop being a coward because it doesn't suit you! You always get whatever you want! Plus, you're like a goddess to her... Just have faith in me."

+"Having faith in 'Faith'... Sounds like a scam..."

She smacked my head. "Don't mock my name!"

I rubbed the back of my head, "I swear to God if she's dating someone, I'll kill you!"

"Fine! Let's make a bet! I'll get 100$ if my assumption is true, and if it isn't, you can kill me!" She grumbled.

+"Fine!"

-"I've gotta go now. Good luck anyway~ Bastard~"

+"Thank you! Scammer..."

~

[21:03]

I was sitting still, trying to distract myself from my negative thoughts with a boring TV show until Lily finally arrived and opened the door.

"Hiii~ Dianeee~ " She said cheerfully.

I gritted my teeth in frustration and kept my gaze on the TV screen. "Hey."

Lily placed her bag and stuff in the bedroom and walked to the bathroom. Her phone was on the side table next to the bed and rang continuously for a while.
So I got up and grabbed her phone. Looking at its screen, "John" was the one who kept calling. I frowned and swept the green button to answer, "Yes."

He didn't speak for a few seconds and then said, "Why are you answering her call?"

+"Because you can't get when someone doesn't pick up your call for the first time, it means they can't answer at the moment." 

-"Huh?! Are you trying to pick a fight with me again? I should have sued you for what you've done to me!"

+"Heh~... I ain't no fear, kiddo. Why do you keep calling her?"

-"I wanted to make sure she got home safe."

+"She's been with you?!"

-"Oh! She didn't tell you! Haha~ Well... yeah..."

+"Haven't I warned you to stay away from her?"

-"I don't care about your threats~ Plus, I think I should actually thank you for what you did to me! Because it helped me get closer to her more~"

+"huh! Shut that little mouth of yours before I rip it next time I see you."

-"It's a fact, though. I'm not giving up on her just because you like her. She'll be mine and panting hardly beneath me~"

+"You! son of ..."

Before I could say more, he hung up the phone on me...

I huffed angrily and placed her phone back on the table as rage haunted me again. I texted my cousin right away to fire that perverted guy so that he wouldn't touch Lily.

I returned to the living room and slumped on the couch, staring at the TV.

Lily came out of the room and walked towards me. "Is everything okay? You look down somehow~"

"What do you think?" I turned my head toward her and glared.

She sat next to me, crossing her legs on the couch. "Sorry for worrying you. I won't be late again."

I just smirked and continued watching TV. Lily placed her head on my shoulder and linked her arm to mine. "What are you watching with this much focus?~"

... God, I'm hella mad... I'm not sure what would happen if I opened up and we fight... I really don't want to hurt her feelings by telling her how sick that boy is... I'm not sure what to do...

I pulled back and got up. Walking to the kitchen, I said, "I need some water."

I grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and gulped it down in one shot, "Uhhh~"

She was frozen in her place, probably noticing that I was pissed. But I knew she also didn't have the courage to ask me more about it.
I put the empty bottle on the counter and walked away without saying a word. I stepped into my office and slammed the door shut.

~

Lily's POV:

[Flashback to 2 weeks ago]

When I returned to work after my two days off were done, the first thing I did was to talk with John and apologize to him properly so that he wouldn't make any trouble for Diana.

Then John said, "It's okay, Lily. I won't do anything against her because I respect you."

I let out a sigh and said, "Thank you genuinely."

"However, on one condition~" He said with a hint of a smile on his face.

"What condition?" I asked, confused.

He replied, "Have dinner with me for ten nights."

I said anxiously, "Em~ I'm not sure~ Because I can't get late at nights~..."

"Oh, come on! It's just ten times, Lily! Ain't we friends?" He whined.

Actually, I was bewildered by his sudden request and hesitated about how to respond. I thought, however, that I had no choice since he literally had the power to do something legal against her.

After fidgeting nervously for a minute, I replied, "Okay~... I'll have dinner with you~..."

He stroked my hair as he grinned, "That's a good girl~" And he then left...

As a spur of the moment, I felt uncomfortable with his attitude. I wasn't sure whether it was because of Diana's words or something else...
However, I didn't feel right...

"I shouldn't let Diane know this~..." I mumbled to myself...

~

[Back to the present time before returning to Diana's apartment]

From that day on, we've had dinner dates together almost three times a week. After dinner, we'd take for a stroll around somewhere and keep chatting.
Hanging out with him was fun up to some point until he suddenly told me something that made me surprised.

"I'm actually interested in you, Lily. I want us to date..." He said as we were walking in the park.

I stopped there and stared at him in wonder, "What?!"

"Why do you look so surprised? I thought you'd figured it out already..." He said.

+"Eh?! John, I'm sorry but actually I like someone else."

-"I know."

+"You know?!! How?!"

-"It's obvious from the look of your face. I found out that day."

+"Is that so?!~"

-"Um~ But you know what, Lily?"

+"..."

-"I think she isn't interested in you at all... So liking her will end up causing you heartbreak..."

Having heard what he said to me, I felt a pang of sadness.
Then he stood in front of me and lifted my chin up by his hand, "How about forgetting her and coming to me instead? Hm~"

I stepped back frustratingly and muttered, "I'm sorry, John. But it's not that easy~ I see you only as a friend."

"Haha~ Well~ Let's see what happens. Maybe you'd change your mind someday..." He replied.

~

After we parted ways, I arrived home around 9 P.M. Diana's expression was pretty colder than her usual self, and I could've felt that she was angry at me because I kept getting late these two weeks.

I took a shower after I said hi to her and walked to the living room nervously. I stopped a foot apart from her and asked, "Is everything okay? You look down somehow..."

When she glared at me and said, "What do you think?" I got chills down my spine. I sat down next to her anxiously, "Sorry for worrying you. I won't be late again." But there was no response from her.

My heart was beating so fast as I got more anxious, and I leaned my head on her shoulder while wrapping my arm around hers. "What are you watching with this much focus?~" I asked, but she pulled back and walked away...

I could've shivered in fear since she seemed much more angry than I expected...
Diana headed to her office and slammed the door shut, which made me flinch in shock...

I suddenly remembered John's words, "She isn't interested in you at all~..."

I clenched my fists as I was overwhelmed by my mixed feelings...

~

After half an hour, I knocked on her door nervously. "Diane?"

"Come in." She said coldly, and I grabbed the knob, twisting it to swing the door open slowly.

I stepped in as I held my breath, and she turned her seat towards me while crossing her arms. She then asked, "What do you need?"

I twirled my finger. "Are you mad at me?~..."

"I am." She said, irritated.

+"I won't be late from now on~ Please don't be angry~"

-"Do you think that's the only reason?"

+"Then~... What is it?~..."

She got up and approached me as her expression became darker. "Don't you have something to tell me?"

I flinched, and my eyes flickered on her face anxiously. "Tell you what?~"

She pushed me against the wall and she grasped my arms tightly. "Don't act dumb!"

I started to tremble in fear, "I'm~ not sure~ What are~ you talking about~..."

Diana smirked with her eyes narrowing, "Okay. I'll tell you... You're hanging out with that trashy boy, and you've been lying to me all this time..."

I averted my gaze by turning my head to the left from her scary expression, "I~... I~... "

My heart was beating so fast that I wasn't able to catch my breath and talk.    Then Diana grabbed my face with one hand and forced me to face her, "Look at me when we're talking!"

"I'm sorry~... I thought you'd get mad at me~... So... I couldn't bring myself~... To tell you~..." I muttered flusteredly.

Her grip on my face and arm became tighter. "So... You like that fuckboy... Huh!..."

My eyes widened in response, "What?! NO!... He's not like that~..."

"Don't try to lie again! You two are dating and telling me that you don't like him?! I can see how you keep taking his side!.." She snapped at me.

"We're not! I'm telling the truth! He said he liked me~ But~ I..." I wanted to tell her about my genuine feelings, but I was afraid to.

She loosened her grip and said, cruelly cold, "Well... It doesn't have anything to do with me... Do whatever you want. You won't even listen to me..."

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I reached out my hands to her arm, "Diane~..."

However, Diana yanked my hand and pushed me out of the room. "I'm sorry, but I can't handle myself now. I don't want to hear your voice anymore... So just go to bed... I'll stay here tonight..."

Then she shut the door in my face and locked it...

I was crying hard as I was slamming on the door, "Dianaaaa~... Please~... Listen to me~... "

But she did not respond, so I wailed desperately, "THE ONE I LIKE IS YOU~... DON'T DO THIS TO ME~... I'M BEGGING YOU~... I FUCKIN LOVE YOU~... WAAAHHH~... I LOVE YOU~..."

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