"MADWOMAN"

CRYING while trembling with anger Patricia consumed all the wine in her glass. Then she stare again at the new issue of a magazine with the face of her most hated woman in the world on the cover. None other than Lana.

It's been a month since she and Andrew last spoke in his office and just as the young man told her. He has not even renewed his contract with the agency.

Patricia sniffed and then wept as she refilled her glass. She knew everything Andrew said was true. She knew she couldn't be angry with the young man no matter what else he did. But she is in so much pain and she can't blame everything on the man for how much she loves him.

"There's only one person to blame for all this. And that’s you, I hate you! I hate you so much, whore!" her furious shout that referred to Lana then threw the glass she was holding.

She wanted to be hysterical, she wanted to kill someone, and she wanted to retaliate right now. That's why her hand seemed to have a mind of its own when she took a pair of scissors out of the drawer of the sideboard. And then angrily broke Lana's face in the magazine.

"Fuck you! I hate you so much! You are nothing but a cheap fan! Whore and stupid sonofabitch! I'll kill you! Andrew is mine! He's just mine!" her furious cries eventually turned to sob. "You took Andrew from me! I'll kill you! I swear I will do everything to kill you!"

*****

"It's good that you agreed to meet me today," Lana said with a beautiful smile as she handed a wedding invitation to Marius.

Her best friend smiled and then accepted it. "It's important to me that we're together Lana. I love Andrea too, that's enough for me to put aside whatever I feel for you," Marius replied.

Lana shrugged her shoulders then laughed softly. "I’m sure when the time is right you would be able to meet someone who may surpass me in your sight, I know that. You are kind and handsome, smart, it's all in you. It’s just that we cannot dictate our hearts so that’s all that I can give you,” the young lady replied.

The smile that tore from Marius's lips was understandable because of what she said before she opened her mouth to speak.

"I know, and I understand that. In many cases, I can understand you, Lana. You know we grew up together, don't you? So, it's not hard for me to understand you always."

The young lady nodded at what Marius said.

"Thank you because you didn't leave me during the times when I really needed you. I can't afford to lose you in my life because for me you are a brother. Even if we are not blood-related but, in my heart, you will always be the brother that I never had," that was true inside Lana, and she couldn't help but get emotional because of what she said.

It was then that Marius laughed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Now that your family will be whole, and you will be able to give Andrea a so much better life because Andrew will always be with you, there is no reason for you to be sad and cry. That's what you've been dreaming and praying for a long time, isn't it?" he stared at her in amusement.

Laughing, Lana wiped her tears and then jokingly glared at Marius. "I'm sorry," she added.

"Andrew's sister would be my partner?" Lana felt amusement at what her best friend had said.

"Yes," she said as she picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip. "She did tell me that you met by accident a month ago?"

Marius nodded. "Yes, she's very beautiful. The very image of Andrea," Lana couldn't escape hearing the intense admiration at the tone of Marius's speech.

"You have a crush on her, are you?" when she could not bear it, that was what Lana said teasingly.

That was when Marius stared straight into her eyes. "Is it okay if I ask her out on a date just in case?"

Lana sighed. "Why don’t you ask Sam instead of me?" she said chuckling.

A weak laugh ran down Marius' throat and then he consumed the remaining coffee in his cup. "I have to go, I still have work to finish," he said standing up afterward.

"Be careful driving," she reminded him and stood up then planted a simple kiss on the young man’s cheek.

"Aren't you going home yet?" Marius asked.

She shook her head. "A little later, Andrew will pick me up," she replied.

Marius just nodded then left her. A few moments later, Lana felt like someone is approaching behind her. She looked at it only to stop after recognizing who it was.

"Rhyza?" she said unable to believe the visible aura on the woman's face.

A stingy and shy smile tore from her lips. "Can we talk?" she asked in an almost whispered tone.

When she felt the sincerity in Rhyza's voice and she also saw in her eyes so she just nodded. "Sure," she replied.

"Would you like another cup of coffee?" Rhyza asked as she sat down.

Lana shook her head and smiled sparingly. "No, I'm good. I've been drinking too much coffee for the whole day," she replied in a tone of a joke but true what she said was true after all.

Rhyza also laughed softly. "Maybe that's the way it is, especially if you have a lot of work to finish. Coffee will help you stay awake," she added.

Lana nodded and smiled as well. "What are we going to talk about?" she asked taking off.

That was when Rhyza sighed and then looked down. "I just wanted to apologize for everything I've done. Especially lately," she said in a low tone.

Lana didn't speak so Rhyza continued. "You're right, I'm not pregnant and right now that's the last thing I want to happen to me," the woman began.

Lana just kept listening while staring at the beautiful face in front of her. Because of that Rhyza's lips twitched again and continued.

"Then during our last conversation, I realized what I was doing was wrong. You know, I'm a smart person, I'm a beauty queen, so I don't have to lower myself by chasing a man who's been out of life for a long time. He's not the only handsome person in my life, so I thought I could forget him too. If I just wanted to, and I did," at the last thing Rhyza said, Lana felt the pleasure in her voice.

"I'm happy for you," that was true in her heart.

"Yeah, I'm not like Patricia, I'm not as cheap as her. Tell me, is she still harassing you?" Rhyza finally asked in a tone that seemed like they were very close.

The young lady just shrugged her shoulders. "Hopefully her silence will continue," was all she could answer.

It was only a matter of time before she saw that Rhyza had put the strap of her bag to her shoulder. "I should go, thanks for the understanding," she told her then held out her hand.

Lana accepted the woman’s handshake. "Thanks to you too," she replied.

*****

With a dark face, Patricia's sight followed Andrew's car exiting from the very gate of Scott's Cafe Head Office. She also followed the young man using her new car for a few days so that the man would not recognize her. But in all those cases she did not get a chance to carry out her plan.

After all, what is the point of waiting when in exchange for it is the death of the woman who caused all her suffering?

If Andrew isn't hers, he can't go to anyone else. That’s good, no one will benefit.

She followed the young man's car and a few minutes later she realized that the route he was running was towards a mall.

Then intense anger engulfed the girl's heart. For sure if he doesn’t buy a gift for that woman, he will probably pick her up at the mall.

"Oh Lana, you really are one hell of a flirtatious whore and a sonofabitch in a whole package! I will kill! You took Andrew away from me, I will kill you!" her furious shout then spontaneously tightened her grip on the steering wheel of her car.

*****

"I'M close to where you are, sweetheart," Andrew said on the other line.

"All right, I'll go out, so you don't have to park. I've already bought something for your princess," Lana replied in a hurry with a box of assorted donuts for Andrea.

"You'll just have to cross the pedestrian lane at the mall exit, sweetheart," her boyfriend on the other line.

"It's okay, I'm already here at the exit, I'll hang up this phone," she said after their conversation.

When Lana got out of the exit door of the mall, she immediately saw Andrew's car. And just as she usually feels whenever she sees the young man, she has in her heart intense excitement and happiness.

Lana first made sure there were no oncoming vehicles before crossing the pedestrian lane. That is why she was shocked when a black sedan suddenly appeared from somewhere.

The young lady was stunned and did not know what happened next. Because she was thrown away by the impact when she was hit by that rushing vehicle which continued to run fast and seemed like nothing has happened.