Chapter 760
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
She nodded and blocked my way with a smirk. After a brief deliberation, she said, âI recommend that
you make yourself decent before heading in.â
I blushed automatically. âWhy? What is it?â I stammered.
Linda coughed and spoke in as normal a voice as she could muster. âAshton has⦠a way with women,
based on how he looks. You donât have to make it so obvious, weâre all adults after all.â
Confused, I pulled out my compact mirror to take a look. Oh, God! My lips were swollen, hair in a
tangled mess, and even the hickey, which was originally quite subtle, now pulsated an angry red.
Without thinking further, I rushed off to a washroom in the base to clean myself up.
Linda followed me close behind, her smile wide with glee. âDonât be embarrassed. Itâs normal!â
âThen why did you look at me in that manner earlier on?â I was speechless.
âIâm here to remind you that there is a large group of older men inside the base,â Linda giggled. âIf you
went in there looking like this, it would be even more awkward!â
I blended the hickeys in with my skin tone as best as I could, but they still showed up like angry boils. I
began to panic. âLinda, help me out here. Itâs not going away.â
She rummaged through her purse and handed me a bottle of liquid foundation. âTry this. I get eyebags
from staying up late at night, and this helps to hide them.â
She was right; it made my hickeys almost invisible. However, my swollen lips still made me anxious.
âWhat about my lips? I canât hide them!â
âWhy donât you wear a mask?â Linda suggested.
It was an excellent idea. âWhere would I find one here in the base, though?â
Linda chuckled and procured one from her purse. âItâs yours for the day.â
âThank you, Linda! Youâre a lifesaver!â She had everything I needed!
As we came out of the bathroom, we ran into Rachel again. She was clad in black from head to toe and
looked very cool. Her makeup was heavier than it was in the restaurant.
The cold look of disdain she had when she caught sight of me only intensified her haughtiness and
made her look even more beautiful.
As Rachel walked past, she passed a scathing remark. âItâs one thing to pretend to not want it but
another to deliver yourself. You should be ashamed.â
This hurt me deeply.
Linda was well aware that Rachel was referring to me. âThere are different ways of throwing yourself
into a manâs arms,â she chimed in. âSome of us can throw ourselves into Mr. Fullerâs arms without
clothes, and he still wouldnât be interested.â
âWho exactly are you referring to?â Rachel demanded. She withdrew all pretences at the sting of
Lindaâs comment.
âMs. Linda, youâd better clarify what you mean. Feeling brave by the presence of your friend here, are
you? Not the usual little b*tch that you are?â Rachel shouted at Linda shrilly.
Linda wasnât a pushover and preferred to settle matters with fists rather than words. She swung an arm
at Rachel. âWhoâre you calling b*tch, b*tch?â
Rachel returned the blow. âYou are, you b*tch!â she yelled.
The two women exchanged progressively vicious threats as they yanked at one anotherâs hair.
I was too flabbergasted to react. When their voices became too loud to ignore, I came to my senses
and attempted to break up the fight.
Linda was pinned to the floor by Rachel, who grabbed fistfuls of her hair and screamed at the top of her
voice. Impulsively, I grabbed Rachel by the hair, pulled her off Linda, and began to claw wildly at her
body.
She was a strong woman and did not take my assault lightly. She wriggled with all her might, all four
limbs flailing wildly in every direction as curses and insults spewed from her mouth.
Rachel screamed curses at us and our families. Foul words which we did not know existed were used
with great ardor in her rage.
On the contrary, I was not as eloquent as her. âRachel, you gold-digging b*tch!â
I recalled that Nora had once mentioned that Rachel could appear very demure and innocent but
actually had a never-ending thirst for ambition and status.
No matter what profanities she employed, I always called her the same thing, because I knew that she
was exactly that.
At last, even Linda had had enough. âScarlett, you dimwit! Donât you know any other foul words?â
I myself did not know how I held back my laughter. She was right â it was always the same insult.
This battle between us had only ended when Linda came out from the bathroom and emptied a
container of water over Rachel.
She sat drenched in the pool of water, weeping and screaming curses at us. Her coolness and dignity
disappeared completely.
Linda threw the container aside and stood over Rachel. âListen to me closely, Rachel. Donât think that
men are interested in you just because you are good-looking. There are many beautiful women like you
in the world whose lives are not going well, but they know their place and keep to themselves. They
donât get involved with other peopleâs spouses because that will only degrade themselves.â