The Queen's Back

13

On the second floor, Maxwell's business partner noticed he seemed distracted, staring intently at something downstairs. Worried that the deal might be going south, the partner was about to offer more concessions when Maxwell suddenly sweetened the deal even further. The partner couldn't believe his luck and glanced down, only to see two women who were absolutely stunning with every smile and gesture. But Maxwell wasn't the type to be swayed by looks. Oh well, as long as the deal went through, that was all that mattered. Downstairs in the café, Mona and Ava were chatting over coffee, Mona was letting off steam about Teddy's arrogance. "Can you believe it? He actually thinks I'd just forgive him like that!" she huffed. "I'm starting to wonder if it's my own fault for boosting his ego back then." Ava looked at her skeptically. "Mona, are you really over Teddy?" It's no surprise Ava had her doubts, considering how obsessed Mona used to be. Back then, she'd drop everything to pick Teddy up in the middle of the night, even in freezing weather, just to cover his tab and drag him home. No complaints, no questions. And when his parents got on his case for being a slacker, she'd jump in to defend him, scared he'd get upset. Noticing the doubt in Ava's expression, Mona couldn't blame her. Honestly, if someone had told her in the past that she'd one day stop loving Teddy, she wouldn't have believed it either. But now, she nodded with conviction. "Yep, I'm really over him. I'm marrying Maxwell in just a few days."

Ava almost choked on her coffee. "Wait, what? You're actually marrying Maxwell? Are you serious? You're not just doing this to stick it to Teddy, are you?"

Mona felt like knocking some sense into Ava. "What's going on in your head? Why would I throw away my happiness for that loser? Of course, I'm marrying for love! You wouldn't get it, Miss Single."Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

As she said this, Mona couldn't help but remember how, in her past life, Ava had fallen for the jerk who ended up taking her heart-literally. This time, Mona was determined to stop that from happening. Ava still wasn't buying it. "You're talking like you and Maxwell had some epic love story. Let's be real-this is totally a flash marriage."

Mona brushed it off. "Say what you want. I'm marrying Maxwell because I feel like it. Anyway, if you find someone you're into, make sure you tell me! I'll check him out and see if he's worth your time."

Seeing Mona's serious face, Ava felt it was a bit over the top. Just because she might start dating doesn't mean she'd jump straight into marriage like Mona. But with how sincere Mona looked, Ava just nodded along. "Alright, fine, I'll let you know."

After lunch, they headed to the mall, ready for some serious shopping. But just as they got to the parking lot, they spotted Barbara's car. That probably explains Teddy showing up out of nowhere at the café earlier.

Once they hit the stores, Mona went full-on shopping mode. What woman doesn't love a shopping spree? "This one's cute. Wrap it up. And this, and that, and those too." She pointed at everything that caught her eye, not even blinking. With a stack of cash and Barbara's half-year allowance in hand, she was more than ready to splurge on herself.

Ava couldn't help but admire her. "Mona, your style's really leveled up."

Mona chuckled. "My style's always been on point. I just went along with Teddy's cheesy taste because he was into those Barbie-pink looks. But now that he's history, I can finally dress how I want." She picked out a few outfits for Ava as well, casually telling the staff to wrap them up without a second thought. After some shopping for themselves, Mona dragged Ava up to the men's section on the second floor. She wanted to get something for Maxwell but was totally clueless about what to pick.

IIL

As they wandered through the stores, Ava couldn't hold it in any longer. "Mona, don't jump from one bad relationship to another. You're getting way too caught up in Maxwell already."

Mona chuckled. "Teddy's a jerk, no doubt, but Maxwell's different. I'm leveling up-becoming the sweet little wife of a bossy CEO. Now, let's check out this store." They strolled into a boutique called ELL, known for its great reputation.

After browsing around, Mona spotted a silver-gray suit on a mannequin. Her heart raced-it was just perfect for Maxwell. She could already picture him in it, with gold-rimmed glasses. He'd look so irresistible she might just want to pounce on him herself. "Excuse me, could you show me that suit?" Mona asked the salesperson. Before they could respond, a sharp voice interrupted. "Wrap that up. It's mine."

Mona turned around and immediately recognized the girl-it was Quinn Hart, the same brat Teddy always called his "little sister."

In her past life, Quinn had been a real thorn in Mona's side. Every time Mona tried to buy Teddy a gift, Quinn would swoop in first, often using Mona's money to pay for it. 'I must've been such a rich and gullible fool back then!' Mona thought. Quinn sneered at the staff. "Didn't you hear me? I want that suit! I know Mona's planning to buy it for Teddy anyway. Since I'm having dinner with him tonight, how about I give it to him instead? I'm sure Mona won't mind, right?" Her attitude was so arrogant like she didn't even see Mona as a challenge.

Ava clenched her fists in frustration. 'Poor Mona's been through so much for Teddy. Why does she always get treated like this?' she thought.

Mona remained unfazed and shot Quinn a cold look. "Miss Hart, aren't you being a bit too pushy? When did I ever say I was buying this suit for that jerk Teddy?" She then turned to the salesperson and said, "Wrap it up. I'll take it." The staff, knowing Mona was the first customer, quickly started wrapping the suit.

Quinn looked puzzled. "Mona, if it's not for Teddy, then who's it for? It's definitely not for your dad-it wouldn't suit him at all."

Mona smiled coolly. "It's for my fiancé-Maxwell." She paid for the suit, grabbed the bag, and walked out, not bothering to give Quinn another look.

Quinn watched them leave, seething with rage. "Mona, aren't you worried I'll tell Teddy what you said? You're just asking for trouble." Mona waved her hand dismissively. "Go ahead."

Fuming, Quinn stomped her foot and quickly texted Teddy, adding her own dramatic spin to the story. Things were about to get interesting.