"I'm sorry... Who are you?" Alya didn't look like she knew the guy either, but that was just the plan.
Stephanie realized—Chloe had paid a random guy to come make up a fake story about him and Alya. It was a total Chloe move. She should have seen it coming.
"Now you're going to pretend you don't know me?" The boy frowned. "You literally threw yourself on me. By the way, who's that guy beside you? Your brother?"
"No! This is my boyfriend, and I don't know who you are!" Alya yelled again. She sent Stephanie a glare. "You planned this, didn't you?!"
"Her? Plan what?" The boy looked at Stephanie, before looking back at Alya. "I don't know who that girl is."
"Of course you would say that!" Alya looked over at Stephanie, and this time Stephanie could actually see the hurt in her eyes. It made her stomach do a summer-sault.
"I know you're not happy..." Alya yelled, "but that doesn't mean you have to ruin someone else's happiness!"
Stephanie backed away. She had actually not seen Alya this mad and upset. Maybe she really had taken it too far, and all for what? A guy that wouldn't even return his feelings back to her.
But I told you I wouldn't give up. What did you expect? For me to take a step back and let Nino have a girlfriend that's not me?!
"There's so many things you could have done to fix your sadness, Stephanie! Does making me upset bring joy to your heart?!" Alya growled. "And besides..." Alya stepped forward and whispered in her ear. "Even if you did get rid of me... What makes you so sure that Nino would like you?"
"Listen," Nino took Alya's arm as he pulled her closer to him. "I'm not going to believe a random guy over my own girlfriend. If you have proof, then stop wasting my time and give me the damn proof you got!"
"I..." Stephanie looked over at Chloe, who was far away from her. Turns out that the trust between Alya and Nino is pretty strong. Nino is believing Alya over anything.
"I said this... And I'll say it again... I really thought with everything that happened, you would try to change. See what hanging out with those kind of friends have done to you?! Before you used to be this nice, sweet girl, then you turned bad. I still had hope for you, but then... You've turned into this?!" Nino had a disgusted look on his face. "No matter how hard you try to separate me from Alya, Stephanie... All you're doing is digging a deeper hole for yourself. Karma always comes back right at you!"
Stephanie opened her mouth to speak, but she had no words. She looked down at Raphael, but her own brother refused to look at her. She looked up at the random guy, but saw him walking away with a wade of money, counting them one by one.
The plan had totally failed. What's worse, was that she was even more hated. Like Nino had said... She was only digging a bigger hole for herself.
"You lied to me!" Raphael looked up, finally looking at her. "You told me Chris would be here, but he's not. You told me Nino was your boyfriend, but he's not! What other lies have you fed me with! Just because I'm 7 years younger than you, you think it's okay to do this to me?!"
"Kid, you can come see Chris anytime," Nino started waving at Raphael as he was walking away with Alya. "It's been a long time. I'm sure Chris would love your company."
Raphael waved back, before Nino and Alya disappeared into the crowd. Raphael looked at Stephanie, before looking and walking away.
"Lets go home!"
Stephanie sighed. She headed towards Chloe and handed her phone back to her.
"So, was my plan excellent or amazing?!" Chloe laughed. "I totally saw Nino looking angry, so I assume he was angry at Alya."
"No! Chloe, your plan made everything worse," Stephanie turned around. "But I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming myself for ever believing that I could have Nino to myself."
"Steph, I'm so sorry. I really thought this would work. I mean.. I read in a book that a way to make a couple break up is to get someone to act as if he slept or made out with one of the couple."
"Well... Alya and Nino's relationship was that strong." Stephanie shook her head. "It's never going to work."
She started walking to the exit, where Raphael was waiting, non-patiently. She pushed the door opened, but before she could step outside, her phone started ringing.
"Ugh!" Raphael rolled his eyes as he walked outside while Stephanie stopped to pick up her call.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Is this Veronica's daughter, Stephanie?"
Stephanie frowned. "Yes, it is. Any problem?"
"Yes, I'm afraid there is. Can you please come to the hospital right away?"
"S-sure, I'll be there!" Stephanie shakily put her phone away. As if in luck, Nino and Alya just happened to be heading out of the exit as well.
She grabbed Nino's shirt without thinking. "Please help me!"
"Hey!!"
"My mom is in the hospital. Can you please drive me there? I didn't come with my car, and the hospital is a long way from here," Stephanie begged. "I'm sorry, Nino, but you gotta help me!"
Nino took a look at Alya, as if asking her if it was okay. Alya nodded.
"I came with my car today," Alya started walking out. "We can use it."
"T-thank you!" Stephanie sniffed, wiping her eyes. She didn't even know why Alya was helping her even after everything that had just happened, but she didn't question it.
"What's going on?" Raphael asked, but nobody answered.
Stephanie looked away. "Oh gee, I hope it's not that serious!"
They arrived at the hospital in 30 minutes. Stephanie thanked them once again, before grabbing Raphael's arm and dragging him out of the car.
"Wait..." Stephanie bit her lip as she turned back. "Is it okay if Nino comes along? I really need someone here. I swear, I won't try anything!"
Nino quickly shook his head. "I have places to be. Alya, drive."
"Okay then, bye. Thanks again!" Stephanie waved at them, before walking inside of the hospital with Raphael.
💘💘💘
- Before This Happened -
"Stella is just a huge, giant, big, fat liar!" Hannah yelled once again, maybe even a little too close to Kathleen's face. "And you're being stupid for believing her! I mean... What if I really do find out that Stella was behind all this, but then we won't be able to do anything, because she would be gone by then!"
"Hannah, suppose it was really Stella's fault Andy cheated... Well, it would also be Andy's fault because he wanted to cheat!" Kathleen explained in the calmest voice possible. Dealing with Hannah was way harder than she thought it would be. "Besides, don't forget that Andy literally kidnapped two little girls."
"Forget about that stupid kidnapping! I mean, the kids were found, so it doesn't matter!" Hannah growled. "But Stella lied about Andy forcing himself on her. Stella made Andy sound 10 times worse, when he really isn't."
"Hannah..."
"And now you're just going to let her leave like that?!" Hannah pointed at the stairs, leading to Stella's bedroom in the basement. "She's down there, packing up her stuff. Besides, they say most kids' actions comes from their parents. If Andy really forced himself on Stella, then that means he learned it from someone!"
Kathleen sighed.
"And if he did learn it from his parents, all these bad stuff, then it's not really Andy's fault. It's your fault for not raising him up properly!"
"Just shut up!" Kathleen had had enough. "Just accept the fact that you and Andy were never meant to be. I've tried so hard not to lash my anger out on you, I've been nothing but nice and patient with you! I'm done!" Kathleen turned around to walk away. "Since you have so much disrespect, why don't you start packing up as well and leave my house?!"
"You know what?!" Stella shouted. "I never even wanted to live in this disgusting place! I will leave, and I will try to burst Andy out of jail because he doesn't deserve it. He was probably forced by that other man to help him."
"Look at how you're trying so hard, but what for? Even if you find out the truth, burst Andy out of jail, what makes you think that he would like you again?" Kathleen challenged. "What makes you think that Andy won't go off to get a richer, much nicer-looking woman."
Hannah gritted her teeth. "Shut up! You're just jealous because I've had so many years with Andy by my side, yet your own husband divorced you to go off to a much younger woman!"
Kathleen gasped. She dashed over to Hannah and swung her hand across her cheeks really hard. "Never say such words again! Hannah, you've gone too far. Go pack your bags and get out of my sight!"
Hannah didn't think about it twice. She rushed upstairs, as if she was getting grounded by her own mother and had to stay in her room. Reaching to her door, she opened it, went inside, and banged it closed, not caring if the door was going to break by how loud the bang had been, and most certainly not caring if Kathleen was angry by it either.
Stupid people! They won't believe me. Well fine, I'll just get out of here and live on my own. Let Kathleen rot in her lying life, and believe a witch over me, and let Stella rot in hell when I'm through with her! Later on, they will know I was right all along, and nobody messes with me!
After packing in her bag what she needed the most, and leaving behind the things she didn't need, or the gifts Kathleen had given her before, Hannah started heading downstairs. Stella had on a straight face, but Hannah could tell that she was amused by the whole thing.
"It's a good thing I'm moving out," Hannah said, speaking out loud on purpose, so Kathleen would hear her. "After all, I don't want to live with a woman who doesn't believe me and another woman that does nothing but lie all day."
Kathleen rolled her eyes as Hannah walked up to the door with her three bags. She opened the door, and stepped out, being a little hard for her to walk down the stairs with her bags.
"Here, let me help you," Stella quickly rushed to help her with one of the bags, but Hannah instantly pushed her away. Stella suddenly tripped on one of the stairs, and tumbled down. Hannah wanted to point and laugh at her, but seeing Kathleen made her keep a straight face.
"Hannah, you witch! You never appreciate the good things that come to you!" Kathleen snapped. The woman grabbed one of Hannah's bag and threw it as far as she could away from them. "No wonder Marinette hated you!" She ran towards Stella, asking her if she was okay.
Hannah stayed in her spot, the memory of when she was adopting Marinette suddenly coming to mind. After she had found out that she couldn't have kids, she had convinced Andy to adopt a baby, and he had agreed. One thing that made Hannah love Andy more; he would do anything to make her happy.
When they had gotten to the adopting center, they had noticed a short woman, who was shooing a little girl away. They could tell that the woman was wanting to leave the child, and at that moment Hannah had actually felt bad for the little girl. Why give birth to a baby when you're just going to want it adopted by someone else, she had asked herself, and she had gotten angry at the woman.
"Marinette, no! Stay here! Don't go anywhere!" The woman had said, trying to make the little girl not follow her.
Marinette didn't listen. She ran up to the woman that was leaving. She wrapped her little arms around the woman's leg as if her life depended on it. Hannah started walking towards them, wishing she could just stop the baby's crying. Andy was following her close behind.
"Don't.... Go..." The little girl cried out, and Hannah's heart ached. Suddenly she had gotten the feeling that this one was it. The was the baby she wanted to adopt.
The woman bent down and picked her up, as if giving her one last hug. She then walked back to the curly blonde-haired woman that had been calling for Marinette.
"I'm sorry I have to leave her with you." She handed Marinette over to Mrs. Curly Blonde, before turning away. "Marinette, maybe in the future we'll meet again, but don't let this ever bring you down. Promise me you'll try your hardest to succeed in life?"
Hannah couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that this woman was leaving her child, and then telling her not to let this moment bring her down. Hannah clenched her fists, but held her anger and started walking over to Mrs. Curly Blonde
Marinette stared at the woman hard. She looked like she was about to cry. She wiped her eyes, taking a huge sniff, then she looked up again, only to see that the woman was gone.
"I... Pro...mise!"
Hannah shook her head. She touched the baby's face, before turning to Andy. "I found the perfect daughter!"
"Hannah!... Leave!"
Hannah got back into reality. When Marinette was just so young and little, she had been so sweet. But as she grew, she became so distant, so cold, so rude and so ungrateful. It made Hannah wish that she had never adopted her in the first place. She thought having a daughter would be a blessing, but it turned into the absolute opposite.
"Alright, I'm leaving!" Hannah threw her hands up in the air before taking her two bags that were right next to her and walking towards her car. After putting her bags inside, she headed towards the third bag that Kathleen had thrown away.
Before stepping inside the car, she looked behind her to see Kathleen and Stella walking inside the house. Stella turned around, sticking her tongue at her. Hannah took the chance and gave Stella her middle finger and then got inside the car, driving away from the house.
That day turned horrible so fast, as in the next 20 minutes, the next thing she heard were the sirens getting closer to her, and asking her to stop the car!
~~~
Word Count: 2479 (excluding this)
- Edited -