The shop assistant brought a bowl of fresh pierogi. Allison took one bite, then frowned and pushed it aside.
“These pierogi are not even fully cooked. How can they be eaten?”
The assistant quickly replaced it with another bowl. She complained again, saying it was not the shepherd’s purse filling she wanted.
The third time, she mixed the soup and was still not pleased, still very picky.
Zariah knew she had come on purpose to trouble her, so the fourth time she handled it herself.
She did not plan to speak, but as she turned, Allison stopped her.
“Zariah, do you know? The one not loved is the mistress. Now you are that mistress. When do you plan to step aside and leave space for me? I am not the kind to accept another woman besides Denzel.”
Zariah did not look back and only said in a calm voice, “Then I hope you get what you want.”
Those words made Allison smile with even more pride.
“You probably still don’t know, right? Before, Denzel fell for me the moment he saw me. To ask me to be with him, he was willing to give up everything. And you? What do you have? From the start until now, you are just someone he easily let go. Really pitiful.”
Zariah’s lips formed a slight cold smile. Her voice stayed steady and cold. “I don’t know what way you used to win him. I just hope you look after yourself.”
After speaking, she turned around and left, without looking at Allison again.
Behind her, the sound of plates and bowls breaking followed.
Zariah kept walking. Only her fingers holding her apron became a little tighter.
They were only unimportant people and matters. Not worth it.
That afternoon, the diner was busy. The door was suddenly pushed open.
Denzel came in front of her. His voice was tense and mad.
“Zariah, why do you add medicine to the pierogi? Allison eats your pierogi, and now her throat is poisoned, and she loses her voice!”
Zariah had not yet reacted when she was pulled to the diner entrance and made to kneel on the ground.
A part of the stone tile at the doorway stuck up. Her knees hit it hard. Small pieces went into her skin, and the pain made her sight turn dark.
But Denzel did not notice at all. When he saw she did not lift her head, he thought she was acting out again, and his anger grew stronger.
“Kneel and bow to Allison and say sorry. She has an event today. You make her lose her voice, so she cannot go on stage.”
Before, when she once hurt her hand while fixing flowers, Denzel would feel pain for her every time. He would put medicine on it, wrap it, and act like a child feeling upset.
Now her blood stained her clothes red. No matter how clear it was, he did not see it.
Forget it. Zariah’s lips formed a faint mocking smile. She no longer hoped he would care.
But before she could speak, Allison gently pulled the man’s sleeve and handed him her phone.
On the screen was a line: [Let’s forget it, Denzel, I didn’t think it through. I shouldn’t let Miss Ambrose say sorry in public. I’m fine… It’s just this event is very important to me…]
After he read it, Denzel spoke in a lower voice, his tone heavy in a way never heard before.
“You should know how much it hurts to lose your voice from poison, yet you make Allison go through it once? How can you do that?!”
“Allison is thinking about you with all her heart, but since you refuse like this, don’t blame me.”
At that moment, Zariah felt completely stunned. She lifted her head and looked at him in shock.
In his eyes, there was no sign of love, only dislike and displeasure toward her.
“Hold her, make her bow three times to Allison.”
With one command, two bodyguards held her arms from behind, forced her head down, and made her bow three times.
Allison still looked unsatisfied, her face showing no emotion.
Seeing this, Zariah was pushed down again, forced to bow again and again.
More and more people gathered around, many pointed at her and spoke for Allison.
Her pride was crushed, low like dust.
Zariah slowly became numb until the ninety-ninth time. Allison suddenly smiled and signaled the bodyguards to stop.
