After ditching Chelsea Creek, Samantha beelined for the kindergarten. Snatched up the kiddos and hit the road to the restaurant where she and Yurika were supposed to meet. Oh, and she dropped a pin for Karen, too.
Rolling up to the private room, Yurika was already holding it down. Spotting Samantha, she motioned for them to take a seat and slid two gifts across the table to Charlotte and Noah. "I was totally unprepared yesterday, so these are my belated gifts for you guys."
Noah, Mr. Manners, took the gifts and gave a low-key thanks. Charlotte, on the other hand, tore into hers like it was Christmas morning, finding a Barbie doll. Ecstatic, she plants a smooch on Yurika, "Thanks, Godmother!"
Yurika's all mushy for these adorable little rascals, giving Charlotte's head a loving rub. She can't help but gush, "If I could have a cute daughter like this in the future, that'd be the dream!"
Charlotte, quick as a whip, fires back, "Aren't I your daughter?"
Yurika's in stitches, "Haha, absolutely, you're my daughter too!"
Samantha's heart swelled with contentment as she watched Yurika having a blast with Charlotte. With her kids, grandpa, Yurika, and Karen all around, a wave of fulfillment washed over Samantha. No regrets, just a moment of pure joy.
The door swings open, and in walks Karen, grinning like a Cheshire cat, followed by Justin.
And then, the vibe in the room freezes.
Noah's giving Justin the stink eye, Yurika's got flames in her eyes, and Samantha's caught in the middle of it all. Only Charlotte's blissfully unaware, playing with her new Barbie.
Justin's eyes zero in on Samantha, and he's not even trying to hide it.
Karen, pretending she's clueless, says, "What's up with the awkward silence? Did I miss something?"
Yurika's boiling over, "Karen, seriously, bringing a dude to our girls' hangout? Not cool."
Truth be told, Yurika never even wanted Karen there. If it weren't for not wanting to upset Samantha, she wouldn't have invited Karen either.
Karen's face turned red, biting her lip, feeling embarrassed. She lowered her head and said, "Justin and I grew up together. I thought... I thought..." After a pause, she continued, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she bit her lip, holding back from shedding them. She appeared like a wronged little woman.
Seeing her like this, Yurika was infuriated. She wanted to expose Karen's true face. "Karen, can you stop pretending? Seeing you like this makes me sick..."
Before she could finish, Samantha, who didn't want her to upset Karen, pulled her sleeve and whispered, "Yurika, what are you doing?"
"She..." Yurika pointed at Karen, wanting to expose her true nature.
Seeing through her intentions, Karen interrupted her with a cry, "Yurika, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Don't be angry. I'll let Justin leave now..."
Yurika laughed angrily.
She knew Karen was hypocritical, but she didn't expect her to be this good at pretending. Not only did she deceive Justin, but also Samantha.
"Karen, what kind of person are you? You know it yourself. Samantha and Justin might be falling for your act, but not me. I'm telling you, if you have feelings for Justin, compete fairly with Samantha. Don't play tricks behind her back. Even if you're sneaky, I see it all clearly."
Karen, caught red-handed, couldn't muster a defense. She hung her head, tears silently streaming down her face.
Justin, taking the shield, stood in front of Karen and said to Yurika, "Come on, Yurika, we're all friends here. Your words are a bit harsh."
Even though he wasn't Karen's biggest fan, he couldn't stand others humiliating his fiancée like this. It felt like a slap in the face.
Seeing him defending Karen, Yurika boiled with anger. "Justin, have you lost your mind? How can you protect her like this, especially in front of Samantha? Aren't you worried about her getting hurt and misunderstanding?"
Justin shot a meaningful look at Samantha, but she turned away, refusing to meet his gaze. His heart throbbed painfully.
In a move of defiance, he held Karen's hand tightly, boldly declaring, "Karen and I are tying the knot next month, on the 8th. She'll be my wife soon. I hope you can show some respect to my future wife."
Samantha's heart sank at this revelation.
Next month, on the 8th.
Less than twenty days away.
This date was chosen hastily.
Upon hearing Justin's revelation, Yurika exploded.
"What? You're getting married? Justin, you scum! How can you treat Samantha like this? Didn't you vow to marry her in this lifetime? And now, you turn around and marry someone else!"
Justin kept his eyes fixed on Samantha, desperately hoping to glean some reaction. But Samantha remained composed, showing no signs of distress.
His heart sank. Hope shattered once again. It felt like a piece of his heart was being cut out, bleeding profusely.
Before Yurika could unleash more fury, Samantha intervened. Standing up, she suppressed the pain in her heart, smiled, and reached out to Justin. "Congratulations to both of you. I'm already married. Although I can't fulfill the promise to be Karen's bridesmaid, I will definitely attend your wedding."
Her smile, however, pierced Justin's eyes deeply. His throat tightened, and his fingers pressed together in anguish. It felt as if his soul was being ripped away.
Yurika, wide-eyed, exclaimed, "Married? Samantha, when did you—"
Before Yurika could finish her sentence, Karen deliberately interrupted, "Yurika, why do you hate me so much? Is it because Justin is going to marry me, and you're upset? I know you also like Justin. I'm sorry for taking him away, but Justin doesn't like you. It's impossible between you two."
Samantha stared at Yurika, shocked and confused. Did Yurika also like Justin? Why didn't she know? Her thoughts laid bare, Yurika blushed with embarrassment.
"Nonsense, Karen, don't try to frame me. I've got brotherly feelings for Justin. I'm not as dirty-minded as you, eyeing my best friend's man..."
Even if she had feelings for him in the past, that ship had sailed. Once Justin and Samantha made things official, she buried any lingering affection deep in her heart. Surprisingly, Karen seemed to see through it all along and never brought it up.
The more Yurika thought about it, the angrier she became. She felt the urge to rush over and give Karen a piece of her mind. Karen, sensing trouble, immediately hid behind Justin, trembling with fear.
Unable to stand by, Justin intercepted Yurika's incoming hand, coolly stating, "Yurika, Karen and I are getting married. Whatever you say won't change that fact."
Shifting his attention, he continued, "If our presence is unwelcome, we'll leave."
With that, he released Yurika's hand and, without looking back, exited with Karen. Noah, who had witnessed the entire drama, pursed his lips, his expression filled with disdain.
He had warned them about Karen not being a good person! It seemed Yurika shared the sentiment.
What's that woman's deal? Acting all chummy with Miss Samantha, what's her real game?
Yurika couldn't stomach them leaving like this. She dashed to the door of the private room, hollering at their retreating figures, "Justin, the day you see Karen's true colors, you'll regret it. Don't come crying to Samantha then..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, an abrupt chill swept in.
***