Chapter 174 - 1 (1/2)
”The sky is so pristine blue with soft white clouds. The weather feels like a gentle ċȧrėss of summer without the fiery heat. The Lake mirrors the sky above. A soft breeze rippled her long wavy hair. Eyes close, she smells the fresh dew of the morning droplets. She opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. Meters from her stood a log cabin, inviting her with its homey vibe and the comfort it provides under its roof . . . and she thought . . . maybe she could live here . . . it's not so bad . . . or maybe––ouch!”
Lilybella rubbed her reddened forehead. Her cheeks puffed as she looked at Daniel, who just flicked her forehead.
”What are you mumbling there like an idiot? Hurry up and help clean the house. We have a lot of work to do. Stop daydreaming,” Daniel said and fixed the firewood in his hands.
Lilybella grinned. ”Ehehehe. I'm just narrating what teacher feels at the moment.”
Not far, Evangeline stretched an eyebrow and carried the basket packed with washed plates in her arms. ”I'm thinking of how to murder you and get away with it,” she said and walked past Lilybella into the cabin.
”Just pushed her in the lake, and you won't hear anything from me,” Daniel chimed and followed Evangeline inside.
As usual, Lilybella's optimism reflected Evangeline and Daniel's foul mood. She followed behind them, skipping as she went.
Inside the house, Eric was swiping the clouds of dust and changing the fabrics of the furniture. Satele was cleaning the appliances while Asher was very busy bossing them around.
”You keep at it. Continue what you're doing. Move like a turtle, and we'll probably finish by tomorrow,” Asher said, munching on a chili barbecue chicken leg as he made himself comfortable on the couch, raising his feet on the table.
Satele rolled her eyes. ”Try helping, and we might be able to finish much early.”
Asher sneered, ”I've been helping you since the very beginning.”
”By being annoying?” Satele countered.
Asher frowned and got up on his chair. ”By directing you all what to do. Honestly, if I weren't here, you guys wouldn't be able to finish one-fourth of the things that need to be done.”
Satele huffed an exhausted sigh. Her eyes rolled to the ceiling. Her irritation was reaching its peak. Since morning, the laborious cleaning made her skin itch, and the summer weather and bags of dust in the house caused her patience to thin.
And the thin line holding her emotions together broke when Evangeline came in, holding the basket full of plates in her hands.
”Here,” she said, voice and face blank.
And like her brain had disappeared, she just dropped the basket on the floor. The plates bounced and shattered to pieces.
”What are you doing?!” Satele shouted, voice loud than the shattering of broken plates. She went on her knees and inspected the dishes before she glared at Evangeline.
”Are you an idiot?!” she almost screamed.
Everyone's eyes zeroed on Evangeline and Satele while the latter barraged insults at the former.
”Why did you just dropped it on the floor? Don't you know that it's breakable?” Satele stood on her feet and faced Evangeline. At first, she didn't care about her, but everything changed since the park incident.
”Since this morning, you're nothing but trouble,” Satele continued, pointing at Evangeline, ”you broke the plates. The TV. The door in the toilet and you even misplaced our food, and you're not even sorry.”
Satele shifted to one foot and crossed her arms. ”You know what, you'll give everybody a favor if you'll just step out and come back after we finished setting everything up.”
. . .
. . .
Everybody expected that Evangeline would retaliate. Eric and Daniel even hurried to break them apart. But instead of Evangeline's retaliation, audible gasps pierced the stillness as Evangeline retreated into the forest without saying a single word.
. . .
. . .
Asher faced Satele and looked her in the eyes. ”You don't have to be so rude to her.”
Satele recovered from being shocked that Evangeline didn't fire at her, but Asher taking Evangeline's side made her temper flared ever than before.
”Says the guy who drags me here against my will,” Satele spat and bumped Asher's shoulder as she went away.
”What?! You're my woman, so it's only natural that you're here because I am here,” Asher defended and went after Satele.
. . .
. . .
Lilybella clasped her hands and looked at Daniel, breaming with smiles. ”Everyone is getting along well.”
”Are you blind?” Daniel scoffed and placed the wood in the fireplace.
”Well, without argument, there could be no reconciliation. And without reconciliation, there could be no progress. And Lilybella thinks that arguing is a good thing. It proves that relationship is not stagnant and is moving forward.”