Chapter 4 The Snake Woman

• Cecilia half-shoved the glass door to her office, making it slam loudly. Her long legs strode quickly across the room, bringing her to her desk in seconds. Her hands moved fast, stuffing her things into her bag.
• Her emotions were in shambles, and the presence of those three troublemakers had made her decide to leave early. But suddenly, someone appeared—rekindling the fire in her chest.
• “Why are you in such a hurry?” Bertha Stone asked casually, curiosity lacing her voice as she strolled into Cecilia’s office.
• Cecilia didn’t answer, choosing instead to steady her breath. But her eyes were already glaring daggers at Bertha—a look that made her former friend instantly aware.
• “You seem angry with me,” Bertha guessed, closing the door behind her and folding her arms as she walked in.
• “Get out!” Cecilia snapped when she saw Bertha about to sit in her chair. How dare she.
• “Aren’t we supposed to talk? I can’t stand being on bad terms with you for long,” Bertha said, ignoring Cecilia’s outburst. “We’re friends, right? So we should talk. Tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll listen.”
• Bertha’s attitude was relaxed, but she no longer resembled the friend Cecilia had known. Now, she was showing her other side—the dark, cunning side Cecilia had only recently discovered.
• “Stop calling me your friend, Bertha Stone,” Cecilia warned, her voice a sharp hiss, anger threatening to explode.
• Bertha kept her mouth shut, waiting for Cecilia to continue.
• Finally, Cecilia was ready to erupt again. “A friend would never sleep with her best friend’s fiancé. I never thought you could stoop so low, Bertha!” she spat.
• “What do you mean?” Bertha feigned ignorance.
• Cecilia let out a bitter laugh. “Stop playing games with me, Bertha.” Her jaw clenched, eyes hard. “I saw the sex video of you and Evan on your laptop.” Her hand gripped the strap of her bag slung over her shoulder.
• Bertha’s sweet smile widened—a look that made Cecilia’s anger boil over. “I already knew you knew. So what?” she replied, utterly unfazed.
• Earlier, Evan had already told Bertha that their affair had been exposed after Cecilia accidentally saw the video on Bertha’s laptop. So Bertha didn’t bother pretending anymore.
• “You’re not even going to deny it?” Cecilia shot back. Even with the truth staring her in the face, part of her still wanted to deny it.
• This time, Bertha let out a short laugh. “You already know,” she said coolly, sitting in Cecilia’s chair and crossing her legs.
• “How dare you, bitch!” Cecilia was so angry she could barely speak. Her teeth clenched, eyes stinging, cheeks burning.
• Bertha finally stood up, but didn’t move closer. Her eyes were mocking. “No need to waste your energy being angry. Save it. Soon enough, we’ll be working together as partners,” she said calmly. “We are partners.”
• “I refuse to be your partner! You—” Cecilia’s words caught in her throat. She exhaled sharply, then took a long, deep breath.
• “Come on, I just slept with your fiancé. What’s so wrong with that?” Bertha said, clearly trying to provoke her.
• “It’s your brain that’s wrong!” Cecilia snapped.
• Bertha rubbed her temple briefly. “Ah, nothing’s wrong,” she replied, still completely unbothered. “If anything, it’s you, Cecilia. Evan always told me you wouldn’t have sex with him, so I gave him a hand.”
• Cecilia was disgusted by Bertha’s tone. But unleashing her anger seemed pointless—Bertha was truly heartless.
• “It’s just sex, Cecilia. These days, it’s not taboo. Evan and I just give and take,” Bertha continued. “But it seems Evan’s been wavering lately, spending more time with me.” She laughed, a sound like a death knell.
• Cecilia’s left hand clenched into a fist.
• “Too bad his heart still has your name in it—his useless fiancée,” Bertha sneered, her eyes flashing.
• “You know, I’ve been completely deceived by you! You’re a real piece of work, Bertha!” Cecilia seethed.
• “Thank you for the compliment. You know me so well. You really are my best friend, Cecilia.” Bertha’s sweet words only fueled Cecilia’s fury.
• Seeing Cecilia frozen, face red with rage, Bertha stepped closer. “I’m glad I have a friend like you, Cecilia.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You shared so much with me—including your fiancé.” Her sweet smile widened again.
• Cecilia’s breath came in ragged gasps. She wanted nothing more than to slap Bertha across the face. “All this time, I’ve been friends with a snake,” she hissed.
• “Oh, you just realized?” Bertha replied, feigning surprise. “What a shame. I thought you were smart, but you’re actually naive. That’s why you only found out after my little slip-up. After years and countless attempts to bring you down.”
• “That’s really low, Bertha!” Cecilia’s mouth tasted bitter as she said it.
• “I know, thanks, Cecilia,” Bertha shot back.
• They stared at each other, eyes blazing with hatred. Then Bertha spoke first.
• “Since high school, I watched you achieve everything. You were always the best, always got the attention, always loved.” She stepped back, arms crossed, eyes boring into Cecilia’s flushed face. “I used to admire you, even idolize you. But as time went on and I finally stood beside you, I realized something.”
• She paused, savoring Cecilia’s furious expression.
• “I realized I was always behind you. You were always ahead. I always lost to you, always overshadowed!” Bertha’s tone sharpened, her breath quickening. “It hurt, Cecilia.” She let out a bitter laugh.
• “So one day, I changed my dream—from becoming someone like you to becoming someone who destroys you!” she finished, laughing loudly.
• “And now, Evan has fallen into my arms.” Bertha hissed with pride, her eyes looking down on Cecilia.
• “You’re disgusting, Bertha!” Cecilia finally exploded. “You slept with my fiancé! Where’s your brain? You stabbed me in the back with your filthy affair!”
• “You! You’re the one who’s brainless!” Bertha shot back. “You’re naive and stupid. That’s the weakness I saw and used to destroy you! I did it, didn’t I? I finally beat you!”
• “By giving your body away for free?” Cecilia’s shout echoed even louder, her breath coming in sharp bursts. “You chose that filthy way to bring me down?”
• “That’s exactly how I destroyed you! If I wasn’t cruel, I wouldn’t have had the guts to do it!” Bertha snapped. “But I didn’t have the patience to keep watching you up on your pedestal. Now you’ve fallen, Cecilia. You’re ruined. And I’m happy.”
• Every word hit Cecilia’s ears like a knife, fueling the fire of hatred for Bertha in her heart. The pain, anger, and disappointment nearly brought her to tears.
• “There’s something wrong with you, Bertha.” Cecilia still glared at the woman, who looked completely unbothered.
• “You’re the one who’s wrong, Cecilia!” Bertha shot back, flipping the accusation. “You’re just human, not perfect. Proved by the fact that your fiancé chose me over you! You have a flaw—my beauty outshines yours!”
• Cecilia’s hand was ready to slap Bertha, but Bertha caught her wrist mid-air, her grip strong. Cecilia quickly yanked her hand away.
• “Stop thinking you’re so great, Cecilia. From now on, I won’t stop until Evan is completely mine,” Bertha declared, her eyes burning with hatred. “I’ll take everything from you, as much as I can. Remember that, Cecilia!”
• With that, the provocatively dressed woman strode out, leaving Cecilia seething with rage.
• “Fuck!” Cecilia cursed in frustration.
• She inhaled and exhaled three times before storming out of the office. The space that was usually cool and calm now felt stifling and toxic—like a dungeon filled with poison gas.
• All the way to the lobby, Cecilia couldn’t extinguish the fire raging in her chest. Not even a little. She ignored everyone she passed, and any greetings thrown her way. It was as if she’d gone deaf, her mind drowning in emotion.
• “Cecilia!” called a familiar voice, making her glance up.
• A man ahead waved at her, his gaze fixed. Evan was calling her. But Cecilia only glanced briefly, seeing Evan sitting on a sofa with someone beside him.
• Charles Langston.
• Cecilia quickened her pace, eyes fixed straight ahead as she spotted the two men. She pretended not to hear, forcing Evan to give up calling after her.
• “Ah, she ran off,” Evan said, disappointed. He straightened up, turning his attention back to his uncle.
• Charles only smiled faintly. “You seem disappointed.”
• “Of course,” Evan nodded quickly. “I wanted to introduce her to you again, with a different status this time.”
• “What status is that?” Charles asked, reaching for his still-full coffee cup, his eyes catching Evan’s broad smile.
• Evan leaned in closer to his uncle and whispered carefully, “She’s my fiancée, Uncle.”
• Charles suddenly froze, his coffee cup raised to his lips. His expression stayed blank for a few seconds before a mysterious smile appeared.
• “Cecilia is your fiancée?” Charles repeated, confirming.
• Evan nodded, smiling. “Yes, Uncle. She’s my fiancée. She works here at my request.”
• Charles fell silent, mulling over his nephew’s words. A sly grin formed on his face, his gaze fixed ahead—watching the shadow of Cecilia as she’d just passed by.
• Very interesting, Charles thought.