Independence

Paul kept quiet. To him, food was merely something he needed to replenish his energy. It didn’t matter how it tasted. “I’m done washing the vegetables.”

Miranda took a glance at them. The washed red bell peppers and lettuce were arranged nicely together. It was evident that Paul was a neat freak.

“What are you smiling at?” Paul seemed puzzled.

Miranda cleared her throat. “It’s nothing. You can leave the rest to me.”

“Sure.” Nodding, Paul wiped his hands dry.

Miranda whipped up a good number of mild dishes. They were all Christine’s favorites and food that she could eat in her condition.

“To think you still remember…” Christine sighed.

After lunch, Miranda took the initiative to tidy up the table. Paul also helped her out on his own accord.

Under the glow of the yellowish light, he seemed taller. From where Miranda stood, his well–defined side profile reminded her of the statues from ancient Romenia with sharp jawlines.

Christine stood by the kitchen door. “Mimi, how did you come to know Paul?”

Paul was her prized student, while Miranda was the student she favored most. She’d wanted to introduce them to each other all along. She hadn’t expected them to get acquainted before she could do so.

At that moment, a voice came from the doorway, shouting, “Dr. Young, you have a visitor!”

Christine turned and went to the living room.

Smiling, Tina rose from the couch. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Young. I’m Tina Johnson. I visited you at the hospital a while back and consulted you about the postgraduate program recruitment this year.”

Christine nodded. “I remember you. Please have a seat.”

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Tina’s smile widened. “I heard you’re still recovering, so I brought you some supplements.”

Christine silently glanced at the gift basket on the end table. It contained specialty tea, gourmet honey, saffron, and many things. Her smile faded slightly.

Tina continued, “About the spot for the postgraduate program-‘

Christine interrupted, “Thank you. I appreciate your kind gesture, but you should keep those supplements. As for the postgraduate program, I recruit students every year. Competition for the spot is fierce. Whether you can stand out or not depends on your own abilities.”

Tina was dumbfounded. That wasn’t what Christine had said when they’d met in the hospital. She’d said that Tina had a chance and could give it a shot. She’d even encouraged her. But now…

“Dr. Young, I-

“Apologies, Ms. Johnson, but I have guests. I won’t keep you any longer. I’ll get Wilson to help you carry that gift basket back to your car.”

She clearly wanted Tina to leave, and there was no way the latter couldn’t sense that.

Tina didn’t know what had gone wrong. As she left, feeling down in the dumps, she accidentally bumped into someone.

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“Miranda?” she exclaimed. “W–Why are you here?”

Miranda wore a simple white t–shirt and a tacky apron. She was also holding a black garbage bag.

She was surprised to see Tina, too. However, she quickly put on a smile and greeted her. “What a coincidence.”

She didn’t dislike Tina. The latter was proud and squeamish, like any typical young lady from a well–to–do family. However, she wasn’t arrogant to the point of annoyance. Instead, she was well–mannered.

Still, that was as far as their relationship could go. Miranda would never be as

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close to Tina as she was to Winter.

“You…” Tina sized her up. She asked, “Why are you working as hired help. now?” Miranda was baffled. Tina continued, “Hasn’t Hansel given you any allowance?”

Miranda was too stunned to speak.

“Oh my gosh! How low! This won’t do. This is unacceptable of him…” As Tina spoke, she marched out, her heels clicking against the ground.

She pulled out her phone. It wasn’t that she thought Miranda was receiving unfair treatment, though. Miranda deserved it since she was so keen on sucking up to Hansel.

Tina just thought that Hansel’s behavior was too embarrassing. It was akin to leaving a restaurant without handing out a tip! She felt humiliated.

When the call got through, Tina was ready to give Hansel a piece of her mind. “Hello. Hansel! I have to say, you-”