Pathetic. She felt truly pathetic.
Cuddled up in the blanket that the stranger had given her after entering her home, the anxious woman could do nothing but smile sadly as a mug was offered to her.
"Is this okay for water? I wasn't sure where you kept your glasses?" She was being nice to her, too nice. Something had to be awfully wrong.
Mona felt so bloody pathetic, having a panic attack in front of her ex-husband's mistress and having said mistress take care of her distraught self for ten whole minutes.
It was the emotions of seeing her there on her doorstep that made her act erratically, she was now embarrassed beyond her wits and her point of being incomparable to the younger girl was proven.
She was nowhere near as posed as Dove Culpo and she knew she could never be after the hysterical performance she had given.
"No, this is absolutely fine. Thank you so much again." Her voice didn't even sound like her own, watching as she sat on the loveseat sofa opposite her.
She sounded wounded, like someone had shot her and she was struggling breathe.
Dove nodded awkwardly, feigning the smile that carved onto her stunning features. She was seriously genetically gifted, Mona noted.
She had a heart shaped face, those light eyes that gleamed youthful and freckles dotted over her supple skin. Her hair was glossy too, she wondered how many products she used or if she used any for that matter.
And that her heart felt tight again as she imagined him touching her face, tracing over her freckles like they were a map and running his hands over her perfect hair.
Mona's heart broke even more when she heard that sweet accent sound through her ears.
As if noticing his owner's panic, Otto brushed up against her bare leg reminding her that he was still there. She was sitting there in a towel still, but the fluffy large blanket helped cover her shoulders and chest away from her visitor's curious gaze.
"I know I'm probably the last person you expected to see on a Sunday evening, but I feel like we've been meaning to catch each other for the longest. It was the neighbourly thing to do." Really? Mona paused, lodging the sob back in her throat.
She said her next words with a lot of strength, surprised that she could even defend herself. "You've been sleeping with my husband for many years now, I would hardly call this a neighbourly visit."
"Ha, good one." the girl laughed dryly, glancing quickly down at Otto's wagging tail and hiding the disgust in another smile. "Let's call it a much needed intervention then."
"Intervention? Oh, oh no, I don't think anyone here is in need of an intervention. Did I fail to mention that you're free to use his community dick whenever you want to now? I'm not here to hold you back anymore, not that I ever was in the first place for you two." She muttered, not wanting to dig but it came out as that anyway.
Dove's laugh became more piercing, scoffing quickly. "I don't need your blessings to fuck him, sweetie. Don't you worry."
"I'm not." She replied with as much fake niceness.
"Sure. You're not worried about me, but you couldn't look me in the eyes without nearly dying?"
Dying. She could hardly call her panic attack something that theatrical.
A grin wound on the Palestinian lips, touché. "There's no need for us to put each other down over a man as stupid as Heath Callahan. If you've come here to declare your undying love for him, then please don't bother. I don't have anything to say to you about him. I simply don't care enough."
She was lying straight through her teeth. She cared too much to hear anything related to Heath and her.
Why the fuck couldn't she not care? Why couldn't she leave him and act like he didn't exist anymore?
He didn't deserve her care, he lost it the second he was disloyal to her.
She needed to tell herself that so that she didn't forget.
"I'm not here for that, Mona darling." Christ, her name sounded revolting coming out of those lips. Perhaps it was due to the fact it sounded so condescending and outright mean. "I'm here because I wanted to talk to you, get some one on one talk. You know, like a girls chat."
Ever so crucial, the thirty-year-old took a sip of her water and eyes the girl with inquisitive eyes. "Somehow, I'm positive you have enough friends to do that with."
"Hm, I do, but none of them have Heath in common like we do." She said with a mocking pout, a sickly sweet smirk flipping up.
How fucking unfortunate for them, she wanted to reply. She wished she could say the same.
"Otto, down boy!" Mona scolded, ushering the muddy dog to get down from the sofa. He knew he wasn't allowed on there when he was dirty from the outside.
The dog immediately whimpered causing her to sigh softly and reach down to stroke his fur.
She glanced at perfect Dove again, and rose a brow. "Well? Did you ever want to tell me the reason you dropped by after five years of living next to each other in silence?"
It seemed the young girl was too focused on something else though, shaking her head a little to snap her out of her current daze. And when she followed her jaded eyes to see what she was staring at, that bile in her stomach returned.
She was staring at the picture frame that was set out on the wooden coffee table, it was an old one. She must've been around twenty four in it, six long years ago. It was of her, Heath and a small puppy version of the same good boy she was currently petting.
Heath was kissing her right cheek from behind, both of their dark eyes trained on the camera whilst she held the puppy in her arms with a proud smile. They were at an dog adoption centre, in the background the shop sign was written in bold.
"I, uh, I still need to redecorate this place." Feeling the need to explain herself, she leaped forward to shove the picture frame down on its front. "It's just been so hectic around here lately."
The reply she got was bitter sounding. "Yep. You really do. Everything in here needs a revamp in my opinion."
Nice to know.
"Alright, I can't hold it in any longer. I feel like now is the best time to just say it." A dramatic declaration came about, and Mona pursed her lips in joy. "You're being evicted from your farmhouse, I'm so sorry!"
Like that, her face fell like clockwork.
Only for a moment though and she was letting out a little laugh. "What?" She spluttered out, unsure of what the younger girl was talking about.
Another patronising sad smile, and she heard her say, "I know right! I told Daddy not too but he was hell bent on his decision. When Daddy's up his mind, there's no stopping him."
"What are you talking about? Why would your father be evicting me? He can't. I own this place."
That was enough to make the girl giggle, pouting her lips. "Oh but you don't. Did Heath fail to mention that he signed a contact with my father when he first joined the company and bought the place off us? Heath works for my father and after this whole messy breakup, he's really made me rethink everything. I need the extra space, I've decided to build my own stables."
He what? Her eyes widened, the entire situation starting to make more sense in her lost mind.
"I don't think it works like that, you can't revoke something without a notice or something. Besides, this place has been bought outright, no mortgage. It's all been paid off."
"And by who do you think did that? Me, duh. Golly, you sure are a dense little thing, huh."
Her family had done that because they thought their daughter would use the farmhouse with her? She could barely understand what was going on.
"Daddy wanted you out straight away, I mean after you basically kept me and my man apart, he thought you deserved as much. But I..." she said it in a snooty way that made it seem like she was doing her a favour, "I begged him to let you stay for at least a week until you found something. Obviously, I forgot I would be so busy this week so I haven't been able to tell you until now."
The devilish look on her face said enough and Mona sat up alert. "How long do I have?"
"A day. Well, twenty hours at most until you're officially kicked out. My bad." Dove held up a manicured hand to her face, giggling. "Oopsies?"
Oopsies? Oopsies!
She nearly lost her shit, shaking her head. "I can't leave everything in a day. What about all the animals, how am I going to pack all of my things?"
"Aw. I don't know, that's actually a good fucking question. How ever will you do it? I can keep your animals for you Mo, but for your stuff, it's gonna have to get donated. I'd never be caught dead in that ugly plaid thing you were wearing the other day in the grocery store, no offence."
She left after dropping that bombshell with a cheery farewell, and Mona could do nothing but stare at her living room ceiling in shock.
She had no idea what this meant for her, all she knew was that she needed to make a plan fast.
〆
"—What about Dalia! What about all the animals that need taking care of everyday, I've never met a bigger asshole than you! This is all your fault, you fucking did this! You promised I'd get the farmhouse, but clearly, you failed to mention that you bought the place off her fucking father!"
Heath listened to her scream and shout, after crying into her hands for an hour, she was now packing. She tore her clothes out of the walk-in closet and moved back and forth to her suitcase and the racks.
He was following after her, trying to keep up.
"I didn't realise that's what she wanted. Believe me, I didn't know she'd do this. I still think it's bullshit, you don't have to pack everything."
She turned around, flailing her arms angrily and shooting him a deathly glare. "Why the hell would I listen to you? So I can get kicked out with half of a suitcase and nothing more?"
"Mo," she started to spit cusses at him under her breath. "Mona, listen to me. You're acting irrationally."
"Irrationally would be me thinking you were a good person to marry and trust you to take care of me forever. I didn't finish school because you were doing so well. You asked me to let you provide for me and I seriously believed you!" Mona spat loudly, cried out and now in the stage of anger. "You bought this fucking farmhouse from her father, Heath! How long have you known her for?"
Despite not seeing her for what felt like forever, she looked and sounded the same.
"I didn't know that was her dad all those years ago. I would have never signed the lease if I knew."
"I don't believe you anymore. All you do is lie to me!"
This time she didn't make it far from her closet rack when he came in front of her and planted his rough hands on her shoulders, holding her in place.
"You're not leaving, alright? I'll sort this out."
"You won't."
Her eyes were in narrow slits, a mean edge to her tone.
"I wouldn't take anything she says seriously, she does this to get under people's skin." Trying to get through to her, he found her eyes. "Baby, come on. Look at me."
She scoffed. "Stop fucking calling me that, Heath!"
Still, she looked up at him, and he was able to take the clothes out of her hands and throw them on the floor.
"I'll fix this." He promised, causing her to sneer at him sarcastically.
"Oh yes, because you're so good fixing things. That's exactly what I need to hear right now."
Heath could feel her wrath coming out of her freaking ears, rolling his eyes. "I thought someone had died or something with the phone call you made. You made it sound like that was it."
Instantly, her frown deepened, and that wrath was dissipating. "This isn't funny, you fucking dick! This is the only place I feel safe and your stupid little girlfriend came over to tell me she was kicking me out. What was I supposed to think?"
"That maybe she's trying to intimidate you. She can't change a contract I signed and read ten times over. We own this land, well now you own it. She can't change that unless you decide to sell it."
Oh. Her mouth shut and she seemed to be realising her overreaction.
She had almost graduated in medicine and her common sense was somehow gone. Mona was a very smart person and yet somehow she had let her fear take over.
"It's still not funny, I couldn't stop thinking about Dalia's life and how it would go without me. You know she has attachment issues."
"Dalia isn't going anywhere, our little bird still has its mother." He said, reassuring her.
Now that her foolishness was done with, she pouted as he cupped her face in his hands with such care.
"I haven't seen you in nearly a month. You look good, baby."
She was the one to roll her eyes, placing a firm hand to his chest and pushing him out of the closet.
"And you look horrible. Thanks but you're not needed here anymore, see you in another month."
He let her push him out and grunted when she shut the door in his face. It was worth a try, he thought, feeling glad that he was able to see her in the first place.
He heard her shout to him through the shut door.
"Can you write her a note and tell her that I'm not leaving tonight or ever for that matter? I just don't really want anyone waking me up early in the AM and tearing me out of bed with pitchforks and devil horns coming out of their heads."
His chuckle was light as were his words.
"It's such a good thing you're not gullible or anything, hayati."