Both of them were lying on the sun lounge, wearing matching bikinis and sipping coffee. The maid who brought them breakfast near the pool was the one taking their photos that Tiffany would post on her social media.
"Hey, aren't you going to reply to Lilly's message?" She put down her cup of coffee and grabbed a croissant.
She exaggeratedly heaved a deep sigh, rolling her eyes. "I don't want our dear Lilly to get an answer from me in a snap. I'm not one of her slaves, yeah know."
Susan rolled her eyes back at Tiffany. She's being such a drama queen. She and her boyfriend, Andrei had already been back in each other's arms, and Andrei explained that there was no reason for Tiffany to get jealous but she still wouldn't stop using the excuse of her jealousy to exclude Lilly from their small group.
She couldn't wait for her to enter the university because she would be going to a different school from Tiffany and she would be able to meet other people other than her.
"But we are here for you," she eyed Susan who was stuffing her face with food and she could not help but grimaced inwardly. "Are you ready to tell Lilly that your parents are getting a divorce?"
The word divorce made Susan lose her appetite. She put down the piece of bread that she was buttering and pursed her lips.
"She will know about it sooner and later. And if she has something to say, we should listen."
She came to Tiffany's place to hide away from her parents who were trying to have an 'adult talk' with her. But she didn't want to listen to them because their idea of the talk was nothing but bullshit. They had already deposited money in her bank account for her studies. Her parents just wanted to talk to her because they were being obnoxious. They wanted to prove their point that they didn't mean to end their relationship with a divorce but it was better for everybody.
How could it be better with everybody when they have young kids? She's not going to be a problem since she's on her way to college. She didn't need to choose where she would like to stay after the divorce. But her two younger siblings would be subjected to those stupid choices because of their parents' selfishness to be a better person without their other half.
"If you wanted to open up to Lilly about what's happening at your house, then let's meet her. Where do you want us to go?"
Susan slowly turned her head to face Tiffany and gave her a grateful smile. Tiffany can be a bitch but she could be this person too that would have your back.
"Can we just stay at home? Let Lilly come here." She said with a small grin on her face. She has no energy to put effort into putting on clothes, fixing her face, and meeting Lilly outside. If she could just plaster herself in this sunbed all day long she would.
"Okay," she said, typing a reply to Lilly's invitation to hang out. "We're all going to college and won't have plenty of time to hang out. We should just take this opportunity to just be together."
She nodded in agreement before closing her eyes and dozed off. She had cried a lot last night and didn't get any sleep, that's why she was too sleepy.
When she woke up, it was already lunch.
"Lilly is already on her way."
Susan slowly opened her eyes and saw Tiffany looking down on her, her arms were in akimbo and she had already changed. She pushed herself up the sunbed and got up.
"Where could we talk?"
"Let's just do it in my room."
"Okay." Her voice was still heavy with sleep as she grabbed her things and headed back to the main house with Tiffany.
***
"Are you going to be fine?"
Pete arrived early in the morning at Matthew's house. She didn't expect that her father would keep his word and let Pete continue to work for her.
"I'll be fine, Pete," she said with a nervous smile on her lips. She wasn't okay. She's scared shitless with what she's going to do but there's no way for her to delay things anymore. She's already living in Matthew's house and she can't keep her marriage a secret to her friends for long.
Pete nodded and he let the silence stretch between them before he asked another question.
"How was Matthew?"
Lilly blushed and glared at Pete in the rearview mirror.
"I was just asking because I'll be living under his roof too. I just want to know if there are things that I should avoid."
"I'm the wrong person to ask. I also don't have any ideas about my husband." She cringed deep inside when she said the word husband. It feels strange. "We barely talk at home. We sleep in different rooms. This morning when she got out of her room, Matthew was about to leave for work. She wasn't able to talk to him about their setup at home and her plans.
"You don't sleep in the same room?" Pete arched his brow in disbelief. "I don't expect it from Matthew. He looks like a hot-blooded male."
Lilly exhaled a deep sigh and folded her arms over her breast. "I'm not his type."
A peal of laughter erupted from Pete. "Little Rosé, it's not a matter of type. You're a woman and he's a man. You two are husband and wife, living under the same roof." He cocked his head to the side. "Why won't he sleep with you? Is he insane? You're one hell of a woman!"
Lilly chuckled and blushed. "You don't have to patronize me, Pete. My marriage is not a conventional one." She shrugged her shoulders, trying to downplay her marriage situation but deep inside, she also wondered the same thing. Why won't Matthew sleep with her?