''Your daughter? I don't understand'' Ever asked after the man told her she looked just like their daughter who was in junior high school.

''Yes, when you all got down from the car, my wife noticed you first because of your eyes. You briefly looked up and had a smile on your face, it caught my wife's attention.

''I see'' Ever said.

''You must be wondering where our daughter is right? She is probably at home alone. Growing up, she has always had a fast bodily development and even though she is in junior high school, she is already well developed in every area. She is a loner and feels awkward among her friends, so she has stopped hanging out with them''

''What is the name of your daughter?'' Ever asked the man.

''She is call Chi. I don't know if this is right for me to say to you but, as someone who has a child just like you, I can understand your fears. You look down on yourself and wished you could be slender like other women but you shouldn't think that way. Everyone is unique and you are beautiful just the way you are''

Listening to the man, Ever clasped her fingers together nervously. She felt like she had been stripped bare by the man.

''If you have time, you can visit us before you leave for the city. You are not from here, right?''

''Yes, I work at Saint hotel, the main branch in D-City''

''You work as a..?

''Pastry chef but I also do deserts''

''You are a chef, that's good. You must visit us before you leave, okay?'' the man insisted and Ever nodded her head.

''I will, well, I have to go. My colleagues are waiting. I will look for you tomorrow before I leave''

''Yes, yes, go ahead'' the man said and turned back to his wife who was busy washing the used dishes.

''Aunt, I will visit you tomorrow before I leave'' Ever said to the woman and she nodded with a smile before she went over to the car to join the rest.

''The old couple must really like you, Miss Ever'' the man who sat next to her when they were coming said.

''I guess so'' Ever said as she joined him at the back seat.

.....

When they arrived at the hotel, everyone got down from the car.

''Thank you for taking us out, CEO''

''Thank you, CEO'' the men said sincerely.

''You are welcome. Because of your hard work, I will give you a bonus at the end of the month'' Jayden declared and the men became excited.

''Thank you, CEO''

''Thank you, CEO. We will take our leave now. Miss Ever, Miss Ann, see you later''

Both ladies nodded their heads.

''The government officials are gone, right? I can have the room to myself'' Ever said and turned to Jayden.

''Yes, they are gone but why do I feel that you are in a hurry to get rid of me?''

''That's right, I am in a hurry to get rid of you''

''Then, I'm not going anywhere. This whole place is mine anyways''

''Jayden, the government officials are gone but there are still little vacant rooms left, I managed to get a suite room for you, but, I couldn't get a spare room for myself. I wonder if Miss Ever would mind sharing her room with me for the night?'' Ann said and looked at Ever.

''I don't mind, is just for a night, isn't it? You can bring your luggage in when you are ready, my legs are tired. I will be going to bed first'' Ever said and walked away.

''You must be tired, go and get some rest, Ann'' Jayden said to her and walked away.

....

Ann entered the room and saw Ever sitting on the bed drinking her digestive drink. She thought back to the day Cody asked Jayden to buy Ever a bottle of digestive drink. She walked to the other side of the bed and placed her blue luggage down and sat on the bed.

Quickly picking her toiletries, she went into the bathroom completely ignoring Ever. Her behaviour was contrary to how she acted in front of Jayden. Even with that, Ever knew she was a typical white lotus and didn't want to interact with her anyway.

After drinking her digestive drink, she dumped the empty bottle into the dustbin that was at the porch and went to the bed and laid down, closing her eyes even though she didn't feel like sleeping.

The bathroom door soon opened and Ann walked out. She saw Ever on the bed and went to the other side of the bed and started applying her face pomade on.

''Are you not going to ask why I was in Jayden's shirt that time? You must be curious as to what happened between us?'' she said as she looked at Ever's back view. Her question was met with silence but that didn't stop her from going further.

''Well, you broke up with him afterwards, so I am guessing you already know what happened between him and I. But, do you know what he said to me after that night? He said it was a mistake and that we should pretend it never happened''

''You must have a lot of free time on your hands to be telling me bedtime stories''

Ann's smile froze after hearing Ever's sentence. It was like everything she said didn't bother the other person.

''I thought you were going to ask me considering the fact that we were once classmates and friends''

''A friendship that took one's whole life to build can fall at any time not to talk of a friendship that lasted three seconds''

Ever sat up with her back still facing Ann as she continued, ''Ann, you want me to ask you so that you can at least have an excuse to tell or maybe even blame it on me but I won't ask you. Not today, not tomorrow or even in the future, so continue to live with the guilt of betraying someone who was kind to you, someone who sent your mother to the hospital and waited on her for two days until you returned from school abroad. I will never ask you why you slept with Jayden or why you betrayed me, so keep feeling guilty about your own crimes for the rest of your life''

''What?''

''Don't think I am the same Ever. I have changed and I'm not so kind anymore, so next time you want to mess with me, make sure you can bear the consequences. Starting with the contest, I know you have a hand in it but let me warn you Ann Sanchez, don't mess with me because I can make your life miserable with just a phone call away. You shouldn't sleep in this room''

''Ever, are you asking me to leave the room for you?''

''No, I am telling you to leave the room for me because I can't guarantee that you will still be alive by tomorrow morning, so if you cherish your life, better leave while I am telling you nicely'' Ever said and looked at her coldly before going back to bed.

For the first time, Ann felt a chill down her spine and was afraid. Many people didn't know but she and Ever were once friends. she was the one who approached Ever first but that was because she was attracted to Jayden and knew that they were good friends, so she got closer to Ever and also developed a friendship with Jayden.

Been intelligent, Ever felt her talents were going to be wasted because her family couldn't afford tuition for her, so she applied for Saint Group scholarship for Ann which made it possible for her to continue her education and to pay her gratitude, she told Ever she wanted to work for Jayden as his secretary.

Ever was always na?ve and never thought evil or bad of anyone. She thought she was helping a friend but she didn't know that friend had a motive for being with her all those years, carefully plotting her way into Jayden's bed.

When she heard the door opened and closed, Ever opened her eyes and saw that she was now alone in the room. Her tears fell from her eyes as she cursed herself for being stupid and na?ve. She couldn't even differentiate between someone good and bad. Remembering all the things she did for Ann while she was away studying, her heartstrings pulled and she felt excruciating pain from it.

One time, Ann's mother was sick and had collapsed in their apartment. She went there to visit her and found her unconscious. After calling the ambulance, she had followed her to the hospital before calling Ann who took two days before returning because she had exams to write. To think she did all this for someone who was so ungrateful like Ann, Ever really pitied herself. She should have known better that she was just a tool in her hands.