''These aren't mine,'' Maxim gazed at the panties and bra with an accusatory gaze.
''Of course, you don't look like someone who would have special hobbies as such... I know you that much,'' she replied.
Diana slowly pushed herself to her feet. Her knees trembled slightly and she held the couch for support. Her legs felt numb from kneeling for so long.
She was not usually this weak but yesterday's climbing down from the windows and all other stunts that she pulled have inadvertently taken a toll on her health. Her body was aching in places because she was bruised while climbing down. The Chen Manor was huge after all.
''No, that's not it,'' Maxim frowned, taking a step towards her, ''What I mean is... these... these...''
''I didn't ask you anything,'' Diana blinked.
''You can ask.''
''Anything?" She raised her head to look at him.
He quirked a brow.
''If you are giving me a chance to ask you anything, then I would not waste the question on stupid things like these,'' she said. After all, what had his private life got to do with her, right...? ''So, can I still ask you a question?"
Maxim's flustered expressions were gradually replaced with his usual nonchalance as he thrust one of his hands inside his pocket, "What is it?"
Diana wet her bottom lips. She brought this up quite courageously but now at the last moment, she was hesitating about asking this question to him.
Their equation was not the same as it was before. They were not even on the same page and she did not know if it was idle to bring this topic up.
But... if she did not ask him about it, it would keep bugging her mind inside.
So, it was best to let it out because she had other parasites to eat her mind at the moment.
''When I asked you if we are still friends, why didn't you say yes? What changed?" she looked at his face with determination.
His calm gaze faltered for a split second but nothing could be read from his face.
He shrugged, ''We grew up.''
Diana's lips parted. She took a step back from him.
She felt like she just laid a delicate part of her heart bare in front of someone despite her insecurities and they ruthlessly stomped on it.
We grew up? And hence, we are no longer friends? All of what we had was just easily forgettable. Is that what he was trying to say? That those 8 years of friendship were worth nothing to him...
Maybe, she should check her horoscope. The month must be an unlucky one.
Without responding to him, she turned around to leave.
''Diana...'' he called out to her.
Her footsteps came to a halt.
''What were you here for?"
''I was here to ask you whether I need to feed the same formula milk to the baby once she wakes up but I will check it on the internet,'' Who was she deceiving earlier when she came here? Formula milk was just an excuse for coming here. Their broken friendship was badgering her and she just wanted to talk to him about it. Who could have known that it would end up like this?
Before he could say something, she turned around and bowed slightly, ''I apologize for disturbing your sleep. I was leaving when you asked me to get lost.''
''It wasn't meant for you,'' he replied almost instantly, his fingers curling into a fist which she did not notice because she had her head lowered.
It wasn't? Diana straightened up, ''It doesn't matter really,'' she waved her hand awkwardly, ''Have a nice day,'' With that said, she turned around and walked out without looking back at him.
The door closed with a soft 'click' and Maxim raked his fingers through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.
...
Diana locked the door to her room and glanced at the baby who was peacefully sleeping on the bed with both her hands thrown up.
Her gaze drifted away from the baby and she walked towards her bag that was lying in a random corner of the room.
She opened the last chain and looked into the hidden compartment of the bag before taking out a black diary.
Despite the urgency of the situation yesterday, she was glad that she grabbed this bag on her way to climbing down the Chen Manor from the window.
In their family, they did not have anything such as privacy. Their parents knew where they went, what they did, and who they met but despite this crazy system, she managed to make a small bubble for herself, be it by using the extra phone that she kept with her or the diary that she wrote in when life got at her.
Or be it the friend that she made in her younger days.
All of it was forbidden to her but... one cannot help it when it's the forbidden things that provide you with the comfort that you crave.
Diana glanced at the pin lock system on the diary. She twisted the numbers and arranged them as '0017'.
The thick diary opened with a 'click'.
Almost 3/4th of the diary was filled and she flipped the pages until she reached a blank page.
'9th August 2022
Dear Diary,
I met him again. On the worst day of my life, I met him again in this familiarly unfamiliar place. I was so elated to see him and I was so relieved that it was him that I met yesterday but, he has changed....'
*Flashback*
Chen Manor.
''Diana, look at me,'' Master Chen frowned.
The 12-year-old slowly raised her head.
'Pak'
The papers slapped her face harshly as they flew in her father's study room before dropping at her feet.
''Do you know how disappointed I am with you?" The man approached her.