"She had it coming if she didn't leave, she will be in jail by now," Taesha said with a cold sneer. The casualness with which she spoke of Willow's potential incarceration sent a fresh wave of shock through Karson.
He hadn't realized the depth of Taesha's resentment, the simmering anger that lay beneath her usually placid exterior. He'd always perceived her as detached, almost indifferent, but this… this was something else entirely.
"Tae, don't be petty, we will postpone our engagement," Karson retorted, his voice strained and pleading.
He was clearly grasping at straws, desperately trying to salvage the situation and maintain the image of control he so desperately craved.
Taesha let out a short, brittle laugh, devoid of any warmth or humor. The sound echoed in the sterile office, amplifying the tension that hung heavy in the air.
"I am petty? You know what Karson, let's not postpone the engagement. Let's break it off, also I am breaking up with you," she stated, her voice regaining its usual measured tone, but now laced with an undeniable finality. Then, with a swift, almost theatrical gesture, she ripped the admission letter into tiny shreds and flung them at Karson like confetti. The paper rained down on him, a symbolic representation of their shattered future.
And then she turned and walked out of the office, leaving Karson standing amidst the wreckage of his carefully laid plans. The door slammed shut behind her with a resounding echo that reverberated through the entire building.
The jarring confrontation with Karson still echoing in her mind, Taesha descended the grand staircase of Stargaze Group headquarters, her steps brisk and purposeful. She pulled out her phone, intending to lose herself in a mindless mobile game, a temporary distraction from the turmoil swirling within her. But as she reached the first floor lobby, her attention was abruptly snagged by a familiar figure standing directly in her path.
It was Willow.
The sight of her triggered an immediate surge of irritation within Taesha. Willow radiated an almost theatrical air of innocence, a carefully cultivated persona designed to elicit sympathy and manipulate those around her. She was dressed in a saccharine yellow summer dress that did little to conceal the smugness radiating from her every pore. Her long, golden-brown hair was neatly tied up in a ponytail, completing the picture of manufactured vulnerability.
"Sister don't be angry mom, and dad plus our other relatives wanted me back;" Willow began, her voice dripping with a practiced sweetness that grated on Taesha's nerves. She took a deliberate step forward, attempting to close the distance between them, her expression carefully calibrated to convey a wounded fragility.
Taeisha ignored her, her gaze fixed on a point just beyond Willow's shoulder. She recognized the manipulative tactic instantly – the calculated attempt to evoke guilt and play the victim. It was a performance she'd witnessed countless times before, and she refused to participate in it.
"Sis, I know you are upset but Brother Kar and I grew up together and my love for him is true," Willow continued, pressing her advantage. A flicker of triumph sparked in her eyes – a fleeting glimpse of the calculating strategist beneath the facade of innocence.
Willow's words were met with a chilling silence. Taesha finally turned her gaze to Willow, her expression a mask of icy indifference. The casual dismissal was a deliberate tactic, designed to strip away Willow's carefully constructed defenses and expose the manipulative core beneath.
"Willow? If you're going to act, go and grab a script? Do I look like I give a shit? Second of all, I dare you come closer, I will smack you black and blue," Taesha snapped, her voice laced with a venomous coldness that sent a shiver down Willow's spine. The words were blunt, unapologetic, and utterly devoid of any pretense of familial affection.
Willow's carefully constructed composure shattered. Her face contorted in a mixture of shock and indignation, and she stormed forward, her eyes welling up with tears.
She reached out to grasp Taesha's hand, attempting to pull her into a display of manufactured reconciliation. But Taesha recoiled instantly, her hand snapping back as if burned. The sudden movement caught Willow off guard, and she stumbled forward, losing her balance and falling heavily to the polished marble floor. She landed awkwardly, her hand striking the ground with a sharp crack, and immediately burst into a theatrical display of distress, clutching her cheeks and sobbing dramatically.
"Sister! I know you're angry but how can you do this…?" Willow wailed, her voice trembling with feigned pain and betrayal. The performance was flawless – the tears streaming down her face, the anguished expression, the carefully timed sobs – all designed to elicit sympathy from any onlookers.
Just then, Karson emerged from his office, having finished a phone call.
He witnessed the scene unfolding before him – Willow sprawled on the floor, clutching her face and weeping, and Taesha standing over her, radiating an unsettling calm. His carefully cultivated image of Taesha as a detached and harmless outsider shattered instantly. He saw now, with a chilling clarity, the ruthlessness that lay beneath her cool exterior.
Without hesitation, Karson rushed forward, his face contorted with anger. He shoved Taesha roughly aside, knocking her slightly off balance. "Tae! Why hit, bully, and push Willow? She is so innocent!" he snapped, his voice laced with outrage. The accusation hung in the air, amplified by the concerned murmurs of the lobby staff who had stopped to observe the unfolding drama.
Taeisha's eyes narrowed, but she didn't respond with anger.
Instead, a slow, almost predatory smile spread across her face. The shift in her demeanor was so sudden, so unexpected, that it momentarily silenced the onlookers.
"I bullied her? I hit her? I pushed her?" Taesha asked, her voice deceptively mild. But the glint in her eyes betrayed the simmering rage beneath the surface. She moved with a speed that belied her calm exterior, swiftly grabbing Willow's hand and, with surprising strength, dragging her towards the nearby restroom.
Willow struggled weakly, attempting to resist but finding herself completely overpowered by Taesha's unexpected force. Karson, still sputtering with indignation, tried to intervene, reaching out to pull Taesha back. But she anticipated his move and swiftly kicked out, connecting with his shin with a sharp, precise blow. He yelped in pain and stumbled backward, momentarily incapacitated.
She shoved Willow's head forcefully into the toilet bowl, the sudden submersion eliciting a choked gasp and a frantic struggle. The porcelain rim pressed against Willow's forehead, and the stench of disinfectant filled the air. Taesha held firm, her grip unwavering, ignoring Karson's increasingly frantic protests.
Karson, recovering from the kick, lunged forward again, desperate to stop her. But Taesha was too quick. With a swift pivot, she planted her foot firmly on his chest, pinning him against the wall. He grunted in pain and frustration, unable to move.
She lifted Willow's head out of the toilet bowl, revealing a face contorted with disgust and rage. Water streamed down Willow's cheeks, mingling with fresh tears of humiliation. Her eyes burned with a raw hatred that Taesha met with an unblinking gaze.