Shonee's POV

The next day...

I poured myself a glass of orange juice and leaned against the kitchen island, checking my messages.

It was a little after nine am, and Mirasol was currently having her violin classes, giving me some free time. Gerta had just gone grocery shopping, and Vincent was in his office, having a Zoom conference meeting, even though it was a Sunday.

Not too long ago, Mrs. Denver arrived with Ben in tow. Nancy had probably given her son to her mother yesterday so she could put all her focus on her late-night shenanigans. Thinking about it again made me laugh. Honestly, the whole thing felt like I was watching a scene in one of those over-exaggerated Mexican telenovelas. It was super dumb of Nancy to think she could win Vincent back by seducing him. He already wasn't giving her the time of day, and I wondered why she thought parading around in his favourite lingerie was going to change that.

Speak of the devil...

Ms. Seduction walked past the kitchen archway with bed hair and yawned. When her eyes landed on me, they immediately narrowed as she walked to the fridge.

I tried my best to hide my chuckle by sipping my orange juice, but Nancy heard it and stopped.

"What's so funny, slut?"

I snorted, "Funny you're calling me that. I mean, I wasn't the one cheaply throwing myself at someone who obviously didn't want to be with the likes of you last night."

She appeared stunned for a minute, then quickly switched to playing dumb. "I-What-I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Oh really? Perhaps this will jog your memory." I stood upright and gave her a twirl, reenacting one of the scenes from last night. "You like? This was your favourite lingerie set." I dramatically battered my eyes.

Nancy's face immediately turned to stone, and I couldn't hold back my laughter anymore.

"You sneaky little bastard!" She snarled, drawing close to the island. "You were watching us the entire time?"

"Hey, you can't blame me for that." I put my hands up in mock surrender after brushing away tears of joy from my eyes. "Your whole performance wasn't exactly discreet. But it was super fun and entertaining, I'll give you that. You, my dear, deserve an Oscar."

Nancy's glare could have incinerated me on the spot. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the island's granite surface, and I could almost see the steam rising from her ears. "You think you're so clever, don't you? Acting like you're untouchable, but we both know you're just a second-rate replacement!"

"Oh, sweetheart," I cooed mockingly, "if being 'second-rate' means Vincent actually enjoys my company and not yours, then I'll wear that crown proudly."

Her nostrils flared, and before I could react, she picked up my glass of orange juice and tossed its contents straight into my face.

The cold liquid splashed over me, dripping down my cheeks and soaking into my shirt. For a minute I just stood, blinking rapidly until I brushed the juice out of my eyes. "Oh, that's how you want to play it, huh?"

Nancy crossed her arms confidently, lips tipping up in a smug smile, but it soon disappeared the moment I planted a harsh slap on her cheek.

"Augh!" She staggered backwards, cradling her cheek; her face twisting into an expression of pure fury. "For someone who comes from nothing, you've got a lot of nerve!"

"That's why I'm a thousand times better than you." I cracked my knuckles.

Then Nancy lunged at me with so much force that my back hit the fridge. Her hands latched onto my throat and pressed so hard that my head felt like it was about to explode. "I wonder what Vincent will do when he finds his precious little wench lying dead on the kitchen floor!" Her lips stretched into one of her sly grins.

"Huukh! That's not going to happen," I spat, twisting free and shoving her back against the island. Without hesitation, I swung my fist in the air, connecting squarely with her nose.

Nancy let out a shriek of pain as her hands flew to her face. Blood began to trickle from her nose, staining her fingers. "Oh!" Her blazing red eyes landed on me. "You'll pay for that!"

We collided again, a flurry of arms and legs as we grappled, knocking over a bowl of fruits and sending it clattering to the floor. Nancy clawed at me, managing to yank on my hair, but I fought back, pushing her into a row of hanging pots and pans.

"What the—Stop it, both of you!"

I barely had the chance to register Mrs. Denver's panicked voice because Nancy had picked a tray and swatted it against my head. Her arms were up, poised for a second hit until I grabbed her left arm and twisted it so hard that she yelped and dropped the tray.

"This is ridiculous!" Mrs. Denver yelled at the top of her lungs. "Stop this madness this instant!"

"Get away, you old cow!" I snapped, then grabbed a fistful of Nancy's hair and pushed her to the ground before pouncing on her. Despite her desperate attempts to push me off, my hands locked on her neck, squeezing with all the might I had to offer. "Who's lying dead on the floor now, huh?"

"Get off her, Shonee!"

All of a sudden, Vincent's voice cut through the chaos, and in one swift motion, I found myself being yanked off Nancy. She didn't waste a second scrambling backwards, wheezing and coughing. Her hair was dishevelled and her fancy satin nightie had a ripped hole in it, exposing her stomach and part of her left boob.

I had no idea how that happened, but the fact that my clothes were intact, and hers were in tatters with blood still dripping from her nose had me feeling like a winner. I freaking won! Now, she'll think twice before picking a fight with me.

"Oh, my dear." Mrs. Denver got on her knees, cradling Nancy's face.

"What. The. Fuck. Is wrong with both of you?" Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly pissed off.

"She started it!" Nancy shouted, pointing at me.

"And she attacked me like a lunatic!" I shot back.

"Enough! Both of you!" Vincent yelled. "What are you, twelve?"

Before Vincent could say more, oblivious Gerta waltzed into the kitchen, carrying a bunch of grocery bags and humming a cheerful tune until she froze, mouth dropping at the scene before her. "Oh my God! What happened here?"

That was when I allowed my eyes to flutter around. The island stools had all collapsed on the floor. Several pots and pans were scattered on the countertops along with shards of broken ceramic bowls and runaway fruits. Fuck, we really trashed this place, and I immediately felt guilty about it because Gerta was my friend, and this was where she worked.

"What happened doesn't matter. What matters is getting this place cleaned up. Call Audra and the other house staff for assistance," Vincent instructed Gerta before turning to Nancy. "Are you ok? Do you need any help?"

"Yeah," Nancy mumbled then added a dramatic "Ah! My ankle hurts real bad. I don't think I can walk."

Liar!

But Vincent believed her. He bent down, scooping her into his arms, bridal style.

Nancy hooked an arm around his neck, securing herself, then shot me a vindictive grin as Vincent carried her out of the kitchen.

I was just about to march off after them when Mrs. Denver appeared in my path, her eyebrows pulled into a nasty frown. "You better watch yourself, young lady." She shook her finger in my face. "You might have won my granddaughter and everyone else over with your witchy charms, but remember, you are not invincible. The next time you lay a hand on my Nancy again, I'll make sure you're disposed of like the trash you are."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen.

******

A loud knock reverberated through my bedroom door and I sighed.

After his outburst in the kitchen, I didn't feel like talking to him right now. But I also didn't have a choice because he wouldn't stop knocking.

"Alright, it's open!" I snarled, then tossed my orange juice-stained shirt into my laundry basket.

In a blink of an eye, Vincent let himself in. "What the hell happened back there, Shonee?"

Here we go.

"I can't believe you beat Nancy up like that!" He fired. "Just yesterday, you were the one telling me not to let her get under my skin, now look at you!"

My eyebrows furrowed. "How can she not get under my skin when she was doing everything in her power to seduce you last night?"

"Really? Is that what this is all about? Nancy's lame-ass attempt to seduce me? It didn't even work!"

"But she's not gonna stop!" I fired in return. "You said it yourself, Vincent. She has a problem with accepting the truth. The truth that you don't love her anymore. She won't let this one attempt discourage her. She's gonna keep coming, and trying over and over again."

"And I'll reject her over and over again. Seriously Shonee, I don't know what you're so worried about."

"I'm not worried. I heard everything you said last night, and I don't doubt it one bit. It's just..." I released a pent-up sigh. "I'm tired of Nancy. Ever since she came back it's been one hurdle after the other. First, she threatened me and almost strangled me to death, and then Mirasol went missing because of her. Not long after, she trashed Jordin's apartment, strangled me again, ruined Mirasol's birthday cake, and now this?" I frustratedly pushed a hand into my hair. "She's fucking driving me insane!"

"I know, I know, Shon. Believe me, I know. But there isn't much we can do about it now." He took my hands in his. "We'll figure this out. Together. Nancy might be relentless, but she's not stronger than us, not stronger than what we have."

I looked at him, my frustration melting slightly under the warmth in his eyes. "You really believe that?"

"I don't just believe it. I know it," he replied, letting his voice drop to a whisper. "And I'm not going to let her or anyone else tear us apart."

Before I could respond, his lips were on mine, capturing them in a kiss that was both passionate and grounding. His hands cupped my face, pulling me deeper into the moment, and for the first time all day, my mind was at peace.

When we finally broke apart, his forehead rested against mine.

"I love you, Vincent."

He pecked me on the lips before responding, "I love you even more, sweetheart."

For a moment, we just stood there, breathing in sync, our foreheads pressed together. I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth and sincerity of the moment. 
*****