The theme tune of a new program had just started playing on the big screened television, when rampant knocking came at the front door.

Mariam let out a frustrated groan.

Trust someone to come and ruin her day off. Despite the annoyance she got off the couch and padded across her flat, opening the door.

She barely got time to see who it was, before a body crashed against her slim one, violently sobbing and shaking on her shoulder.

It took a good hour to calm Anne down, with an endless supply of tissues and sips of water that Mariam had to coax her into taking. Between violent fits of rage and tears, she came to find out exactly what led her best friend to her doorstep mid-morning.

"Are you sure they weren't just, I don't know, getting a coffee or something?" Mariam said.

Anne shot her a deadpan look. "This is Mina we're talking about. She sleeps around with taken men like some sort of hobby. And who meets for coffee at seven in the morning?"

Mariam couldn't argue with that, so she nodded.

"Damn, I know you two don't get along, but that's a new low." She shook her head in disbelief.

To say that was an understatement. Mina hated Anne. She had followed in her mother's footsteps the minute she came out of the womb, both determined to wipe her off their father's life completely like they had done to Anne's mother before. It was the classic tale of an evil step mother and sister.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Mariam asked.

Anne just shook her head, sniffling into another tissue.

"Right, let me get you something to eat first. You can't be handling this on an empty stomach." She stood up, long legs reaching to the kitchen next door in seconds.

In her best friend's absence, Anne turned to look at the television screen , where a korean drama had been playing amidst her breakdowns. The story was about a woman in a happy marriage, who finds out that her husband has been having an affair with the aid of all her best friends. Attentively, Anne watched the woman as she inched closer to the cheating bastart, a sharp object glinting in her hands which moments later was lodged into his chest.

Mariam returned as the man fell onto the ground, with unashamed hurt in his eyes.

"I should do that." Anne murmured, imagining Daniel's handsome face contorted with pain in place of the actor's.

"Yeah right," Mariam snorted, pushing a plate with shop brought pancakes towards her. "As if you could hurt a fly."

She was right. The Anne that everyone knew was passive and sweet, and could do no harm. But there comes a time when even the kindest hearts are twisted enough to take to the dark side.

Pushing down a few bites of pancake and water, the two women stayed on the couch, silently watching the drama unfold before them. Very often, Anne found herself sympathizing with the main character, finding a sense of satisfaction whenever she hurt her husband and his mistress.

Around early afternoon, her phone rang.

Daniel.

She wanted to ignore it, but Mariam told her otherwise.

"Make it seem like everything is all right until you figure out what to do." She said.

So Anne picked up, her voice surprisingly steady even to her own ears.

"Babe, where are you?" Daniel said.

A glance at the square clock hanging on the wall behind the couch told her it was around the time he usually came home. And she was always there to greet him at the door.

Her mind could not conjure any story,  and Mariam noticed this too so she caught her attention with the snap of a finger. At first she just pointed at her chest, leaving Anne confused, but then drew her hand up and dramatically swiped her finger across her cheeks, as if she were wiping tears.

"Ah y-yes, I erm," Anne said, when finally got the message. "Mariam called this morning, she was crying and stuff, so I came over."

"Oh, is she okay?" He asked, if he had noted how out of character that would of Mariam, he didn't say it.

"Yeah, yeah, she's good now." Anne said.

"Are you gonna stay over?"

And that's when the rage bubbled over in the pits of her stomach, threatened to wrench apart any sanity she had when she realised how hopeful his voice was.

Anne questioned whether Daniel was simply happy to not see her for a night, or whether his optimism came due to other reason.  Had he ever brought Mina over in her absence? Had they shared passionate moments in her bed?

"Babe?" Daniel called back her attention.

"What?"

"I asked if you're staying over. Well?"

The images in her head were getting more vivid, more violent, more heartbreaking. She knew that if  she gave Daniel and Mina what they wanted, they wouldn't know any better.

"Yeah, I'll sleep over." Anne lied.

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Editing the last part, I'll put it back up soon dw. Do you guys like the story?