Meeting You Was Fate

"Not bad." Mandy bit her lips, not daring to look at Madeline's eyes. She hadn't been good at lying ever since she was a kid. To know she was lying, her tell sign was always the fact that she refused to look at the person she was lying to.

"You haven't changed at all, Mand. You're still a bad liar." Madeline took a sip of her coffee, her face scrunching at the bitter taste it left on her tongue.

"Mom, I didn't lie." Mandy looked up at her mother, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I went to your hospital last night, wanting to ask how your blind date went, only to hear from your colleague that you weren't in the hospital these last few days." Madeline set down her coffee cup with a loud 'thump.' Mandy knew that to be a sign that her mother was getting impatient.

"I... I'm living with my colleague now since it was uncomfortable living in the hospital. Her house isn't that far, so she asked me to live with her." Her voice was trembling now, and her fingers fidgeted around the fabric of her clothes.

"Really? Which colleague of yours? A man or a woman?"

Madeline shot an eyebrow up in the air, leaning forward. Mandy didn't answer.

"How did your blind date go? I heard someone was calling you sister-in-law. Who is your husband? Why didn't I know?" Madeline clenched her jaw when Mandy continued to be silent. She had worked tooth and nail to give her daughter the best education and made sure that she had everything she could've ever wanted or needed, and here she was, lying to her right in her face.

Mandy paled in an instant after hearing the sharp intonation of her mother's voice. She bit her lip, lost as to what to say or do.

As the silence persisted, Madeline scowled, her grip tightening around her cup. She knew Mandy better than anyone else did. If she found herself trapped in a lie, she'd just keep silent, just like what she was doing now.

"Tell me!" Madeline slammed her hand on the coffee table.

The atmosphere around them started to tense up as Mandy lowered her head. As much as Madeline was angry at her, she really couldn't find it in herself to say what had really happened, and what she had gotten herself into.

forced a smile into her lips, acting

man who had called you his sister-in-law?" Madeline questioned

she protested. She really didn't know who that person was, so the expression her face was

with then?" her mother forced out, trembling

so angry with Mandy ever

my colleague," Mandy stated

Madeline pronounced each of the last words for emphasis. Madeline stood up. Her face was red, and her voice was near to screeching. Mandy couldn't bring herself to look her mother in

"I didn't do anything!"

loud sound echoed in the office as Mandy's face was whipped around upon impact.

had done. She had done everything, she had asked everything, yet Mandy was still lying to

her fight with Nathan the other night, and here

time we meet, I prefer a better explanation than your bullshit lies!" Madeline always had a sixth sense when

the office. She sniffled, pushing through the people that blocked her path. In all her life, her mother

she had almost escaped

murmurs and mutters from the employees of the Zhou Group. However, Mandy couldn't care less as she pushed through the

as she ran down the sidewalk,

found herself an inch away from being hit by a car. The car screeched to a halt as the driver stuck his head out of the window.

down her cheek. At that moment, the driver was

her mouth, and she could taste the bitterness of what

middle of walking crowds and chasing cars. She didn't really care. Suddenly, a strong

that she had fallen into a warm