[Flashback]
Penny idled by the mezzanine with Lola, watching the men on the ground floor. Zoren and Atlas were talking over drinks while Slater chatted with Allen.
"Sis, why do you think my brother will dump you?" Penny asked, turning to Lola as they leaned against the railing. "The chances of you dumping him are higher, but I’m curious."
Lola blinked. "Penny, can’t you see your brother?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Both women turned toward where Zoren and Atlas were seated.
"Just look at him," Lola continued, eyes on Atlas. "Just on physical traits alone, God must have taken extra time molding him to perfection. Those sharp eyes, that pointy nose, those thin yet firm lips... that sharp jawline. Even his Adam’s apple is attractive. Like, there’s really no pore on him that isn’t perfectly placed."
As Lola described Atlas, Penny’s face twitched. She was staring at her brother too, but she couldn’t see what Lola was talking about. To Penny, her brother was just... a block of ice. A literal block of ice that talks.
"Really?" Penny asked in disbelief, watching Lola nod.
Lola propped her elbow on the railing and cupped her cheek. "Can’t believe he’s my boyfriend. I always thought I was meant to suffer in this life. But look at me now. If suffering means I’d be rewarded with such a prize, I think I’d survive literal torture and a death sentence."
"Wow." Penny’s awe grew. "You really like him that much?"
"Heh." Lola bit her lip to stop herself from smiling like a fool. She looked at Penny and shrugged.
"Why?" Penny pressed. "You know you can have better options, right?"
"Do you want me to marry your brother or what?" Lola said, half-teasing.
Penny paused and weighed her options. She liked Lola enough to warn her about Atlas — to tell her he was [X], meaning bad news — or to say Lola had eye problems and should get them checked. But Penny was selfish enough to put herself first, as she always had.
"No, I’m happy for both of you," she said with a wide grin. "And I’m not saying this because I want to hold a wedding when my children can finally walk a straight line. It’s really not because of that. I think you guys are a match made in heaven... or hell!"
Lola chuckled. "But yeah," she sighed. "I liked your brother even back then. You know, I once confessed to him and he rejected me."
"Huh?"
"You don’t know?"
"No."
"He rejected me simply because I wasn’t a member of your fan club," Lola said casually, as if it no longer mattered. "That’s why I’m still a member to this day. I stuck around because the club’s mission and the fan club president’s charity aligned with mine. So I often donate to her causes."
When Lola turned to Penny, her smile froze. All she saw was a burning woman. Lola’s face twitched; her hand reached toward Penny, then stopped mid-reach as if afraid she’d be scalded.
"How dare he... use me... I will kill him next time," Penny hissed through gritted teeth, furious at the story she’d never heard. "I’m sure they did that to make me suffer back then."
Fame wasn’t what Penny wanted as a child. If anything, she wanted three things in life: peace, wealth, and... more wealth. School hadn’t been peaceful — one reason was the fan club her friends founded out of affection for her.
"All this time, I thought the fan club was huge because of Lily," she breathed. "I knew it. He really hated me back then."
I think... it’s cute, though.
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