A Good Hand Of Cards
The voice calling out my name was simply too familiar to me—Camille. Without even a backward glance,
I continued striding toward my residential area.
Ugh! Why must she hound me endlessly? How irritating!
Despite my fervent desire to be rid of her, she was simply persistent at pestering me. Right then, she had
already caught up to me and blocked my path.
“Liliana, I want to talk to you.”
I ignored her as though I didn’t hear her. Moving around her, I continued forging ahead.
However, Camille again raced up to me and grabbed me. “Liliana, I…”
Shaking her off, I pushed her away and snarled testily, “Are you sick in the head? I’ve got nothing to say
to you, nor do I want to listen to anything from you, so stop blocking my path!”
Every single time Camille sought me out, I always expressed my detestation of her loud and clear.
However, she was simply like a burr which I couldn’t shake off no matter how hard I tried.
This situation now was the perfect example of that. I had already put things bluntly; yet, she was still
blocking my path.
My head started throbbing, and aggravation assaulted me. “That’s enough, Camille Madison! What the
hell do you want?” I barked.
A faint smile bloomed on her face, and she earnestly asserted, “I have no malicious intentions. I just
want to talk to you.”
“I really can’t figure out what’s going on in your head. What do you think there is to talk about between
us?”
Camille’s gaze abruptly dimmed, and she even appeared a tad cautious. “Are you and Dom… Have you
both gotten back together again?”
At her question, I was startled for a moment.
Can she tell? But that isn’t surprising since Dominic doesn’t seem to have any intention of keeping things
discreet before her.
While I detested her, I still felt a smidge guilty toward her at her current expression. Indeed, I only agreed
to Dominic’s stipulation of being friends with benefits because I had no other choice, but it wasn’t a
virtuous thing to do at the end of the day.
“You think too much. We’re not together,” I clarified.
“But the two of you were together that night at the resort, no? Dom didn’t come back the entire night, and
I’ve seen you with him more than once.”
At Camille’s frank remark, my face started flaming out of embarrassment.
I castigated her for carrying on with Dominic while he was still my boyfriend then, but how are my actions
now different from hers?
All of a sudden, I didn’t quite know what to say. I was at a loss for words, and sheer distress slammed
into me like a sledgehammer.
“We…”
Just when I wanted to speak, Camille cut me off in a choked voice. “Liliana, I know your relationship with
Dom was very close back then. Although I have no idea why you two broke up, I don’t mind backing out
if you really want to get back with him. The two of you… The two of you don’t need to sneak around
behind my back.”
I was taken aback before I instinctively frowned.
What does she mean by having no idea why we broke up? Back when I caught her with Dominic, she
spotted me alright. And when I asked Dominic for a breakup later, she even phoned me and thanked me
for setting him free, her relish and smugness were clear as day! Yet, she’s now telling me that she
doesn’t know why I broke up with him?
“Putting aside the issue of whether Dominic and I are together now, you know full well why I broke up
with him back then, no? I didn’t want to pursue it because it made no difference, but don’t you think it’s
too much for you to feign ignorance and innocence?”
My voice inexorably turned cold, and every single shred of guilt I had harbored toward her earlier had
now faded.
Without warning, Camille started sobbing. She clutched at me tightly with both hands, and her voice
shook as she spoke. “I… I love Dom. I love him very much! However, you’re more important to me.
You’re my best friend, so I’m willing to back out for your sake. But… Liliana, I hope you’ll treat him well
this time and not hurt him anymore.”
My headache turned into a migraine, and I truly couldn’t stand her anymore. Ugh! Isn’t she tired of
putting on an act all the time?
“Alright, you should really stop acting while you’re ahead. I…”
Before I had finished my utterance, I was suddenly shoved away. When I was steady on my feet, I swung
my gaze to the person who pushed me, only to see that it was Dominic’s mother—Milena.
She hugged Camille with a distressed expression and even wiped the tears off her face. “Camille, you’re
really too kind for your own good. What’s all that talk about backing out? The daughter-in-law of the
Hartnell family can only be you. Don’t cry anymore, okay? I’m here, and I’ll stand up for you!”
Camille shook her head profusely, tears streaming down her pale cheeks steadily.
“Milena, Liliana is my friend, and she’s very important to me. I have very few friends, so I don’t want to
lose her. She likes Dom as well. She’s actually a very nice girl. You’ll definitely like her after spending
more time with her. Milena, please… please accept her and allow her to be with Dom…”
While comforting her, Milena shot daggers at me with resentment written all over her face.
Seeing that turn of events, my heart clenched tightly. I knew that I had been set up by Camille once
again.
“Mrs. Hartnell, I know you probably won’t believe me no matter what I say now, but I have no intention of
getting back with Dominic. As such, I don’t need anyone to back out. Also, I’m no friend of hers.”
I had nothing else to say besides that, and I preferred to put the episode behind me.
Thus, I moved around them to leave. Milena, however, refused to allow me to leave. “Stop right there!
I’ve got something to say to you!”
I hesitated for a moment, but still, I halted in my tracks. Feeling trapped in a sense of helplessness, I
turned back around.
She swept a glacial look over me and uttered a few words to Camille in a low voice before stalking
toward me with a frosty expression.
When she reached me, I started, “Mrs. Hartnell…”
Slap! She struck me right across the face. Caught off guard by the blow, I instantly fell into a trance.
“Milena!”
With a tear-stained face, Camille dashed over, following her exclamation. She wedged herself between
Milena and me.
“Step aside, Camille.”
Milena pulled her away and regarded me with a grim look in her eyes.
“The same trick will only work once. Do you think it’ll still work for a second time? You may be able to fool
Camille with reverse psychology, but not me. I never expected you to be so cunning despite your tender
age. Camille wants the best for this so-called best friend of hers, but you don’t appreciate her sincerity in
the slightest. Worse still, you keep taking advantage of her. Liliana, I’m warning you today that I’ll never
let you off easily if you again take advantage of Camille’s kindness to play tricks and pester Dom.”
Then, she went on to declare, “A crafty, despicable, and shameless woman like you is not at all worthy of
my son! The Hartnell family doesn’t welcome you either!”
At once, my hands clenched into fists. Camille has truly played a good hand of cards!
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