When fate plays its hand

Susan knew Miranda lived in the same building, but it hadn’t occurred to her that Miranda was Paul’s next- door neighbor.

That was why there had been no sign of a woman at Paul’s place. With their apartments so close, they could see each other whenever they wanted. He could just walk a few steps and be at her door for a date.

No wonder Miranda had been careful to leave no trace for Susan to find. As these thoughts crossed her mind, Susan eyed Miranda closely.

If Susan had been somewhat ready for this encounter, then Miranda was completely unprepared.

The woman standing before Miranda, who came out from Paul’s place, was the same wealthy lady who had attended her tea appreciation class and who she had bumped into in the hallway before

At that moment, Miranda couldn’t help but wonder about the relationship between Paul and Susan.

Just then, Paul rushed out of his apartment. “Mom, you forgot your bag!”

“Wait. Mom?” Miranda was taken aback.

A heavy silence settled over the trio, and the mood immediately became tense.

Miranda could feel Susan’s sharp, suspicious gaze on fier. At the same time, Susan noticed Miranda’s lack of formality. A slight flicker of irritation flashed in her eyes, though her face remained calm.

Paul, unaware that the two women had already crossed paths, decided to break the silence. “Mom, this is my neighbor and friend, Ms. Miranda Sutton.”

He turned to Miranda and added, “And this is my mom.

Susan nodded and gave a faint smile as she studied Miranda.

Miranda returned the smile and spoke in a calm, measured tone. “Hello.”

And that was all.

Susan blinked and was puzzled by her response. Wasn’t Miranda trying to be with Paul and hoping for a good outcome? Shouldn’t she be putting in some effort to charm her future mother–in-law?

A simple “Hello” and nothing more? No compliments, No gestures of affection? Maybe she didn’t have that sort of thing in her. But at the very least, A friendly smile, perhaps?

Instead, Miranda only offered a polite, restrained smile, and her face remained otherwise unreadable.

She wasn’t naive and could see the hostility in Susan’s eyes. She didn’t know where it came from, but why should she bother to earn Susan’s approval if she looked down on her?

Had she been unkind to Evelyn over the past six years? Miranda had been nothing but sincere and had never held anything back.

The fact that she’d gone to the hospital every time Evelyn was sick–at least five times–had to count for something. But what had Miranda gotten in return?

Evelyn threw insults and endless curses her way. She also constantly attempted to drive a wedge

between Miranda and Hansel. Some people, no matter how good Miranda was to them, only see her

kindness as a weakness to exploit.

After her breakup with Hansel, Miranda came to a crucial realization–she couldn’t make everyone like her, and she shouldn’t force herself to like everyone, ether.

People had their own preferences, their own likes and dislikes, loves and hates. It was important to accept that some people wouldn’t like her, and it was okay for her not to like them in return.

Relationships were about connection, and today, it was clear that she and Susan simply didn’t have one.

So, Miranda kept things polite–just like she would with any stranger she met for the first time. She felt this response was enough.

“Dr. Jefferson, I’ll take my leave now. Goodbye.”

With that, she smiled and closed the door behind her.

Susan stared at the door as it slowly closed in front of her, and her eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn’t even left yet, and Miranda had the nerve to close the door like that?