Julia arrived earlier than usual that morning. The city was barely awake, the quiet of dawn still lingering between the buildings. She stood outside Sarah's loft door with a bright smile, her knuckles tapping lightly against the wood.
"Sarah? Are you awake?"
Inside, Sarah froze. She had just finished combing her blonde hair when the knock came. For a moment, she stared at the door as if it might open by itself. Of all people, Julia was the last person she expected to see.
Her chest tightened. She couldn't let Julia see her like this. She looked down, then quickly took off her blazer. The knocks came again as Sarah tossed her office clothes behind the couch. "Damn it!" she cursed irritably.
"Sarah!" Julia knocked again.
Sarah peeked through the peephole and then clenched her jaw. It was the same Julia she had trusted for years, and yesterday she saw her half-naked in Keith's bed. Now she looked innocent. Sarah closed her eyes for a moment while her hand grabbed the door's handle. The memory was still raw, still sharp enough to cut through her composure. But when she opened them again, her expression was calm. She took a deep breath before opening it.
"Julia?" Sarah forced a small look of surprise. "You're here early."
Julia grinned, stepping inside without hesitation. "Surprise!"
She looked around the loft as if nothing in the world had changed. Then she turned back to Sarah, who kept standing, holding the door's knob.
"I was nearby and thought I'd stop by. You weren't picking up my calls."
Sarah forced a smile and gave a small giggle. "I was asleep," Sarah replied evenly.
Julia studied her for a moment. "You look like a mess."
"I worked late," Sarah added, then nodded.
She didn't want her to know. It was better to keep it quiet. Julia nonchalantly threw herself back onto the couch while Sarah walked toward the small kitchen counter and poured herself a glass of water without offering one to Julia. She kept her back to Julia, letting the silence stretch just a little longer.
Julia didn't notice anything unusual. Or maybe she didn't want to.
"Actually," Julia said, smoothing her hair behind her ear, "I came for something."
Sarah's fingers tightened around the glass. She turned and forced a smile.
"Of course you did," Sarah thought cynically.
"What is it?" she asked, pretending not to know.
Julia smiled again, that same bright smile she always used when she wanted something.
"The design," Julia said. "The one that Keith asked you to review for the tower project. He called me and asked me to get it from you and bring it to him." Julia shrugged as if it were a simple, usual situation.
Sarah felt something cold settle inside her chest. She scoffed through a smile, then sipped her water again.
"Why you? I mean, he could ask me to bring it," Sarah asked, as if baiting her. Julia let out an awkward giggle before stepping closer.
"Well, I'm just helping. What's the matter, honey? You've looked odd since yesterday."
Julia stretched out her hand to touch Sarah's arm, but Sarah shoved it away quickly. Julia looked surprised, her eyes widening, and then she giggled oddly.
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing!" Sarah answered quickly.
She almost couldn't contain her anger. The fury could not hide behind the fake smile. The design was hers. The one Julia had begged her to help polish, only to present it as her own work later. She was going to take the credit and go back to Keith's bed to celebrate. Sarah remembered the countless nights she had spent sketching, revising, and perfecting every detail, while Julia only appeared at the end to collect the praise.
No. Sarah would never want to relive those disgraceful moments again. Julia had the nerve to come here again. But Sarah's conscience quickly reminded her. She must act like a good friend to catch a betrayal.
"Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I mean, I'm still working on it." Sarah's lips curved faintly. She kept smiling while hiding her nervousness. Regardless, that was a lie, because the truth was far more satisfying.
The design was no longer in her possession. Now it belonged to SJ Corp. But Julia shouldn't know about it, so Sarah kept playing her role.
Julia frowned slightly. "Still working on it?"
Sarah nodded casually and set her glass down.
"But Keith said—"
"It needed some changes and… I couldn't finish it yet. I need more time."
Julia crossed her arms. "You didn't send me any updates."
"I've been busy."
That much was obvious. Sarah's desk was scattered with sketches and fabric swatches. Julia glanced toward it, but Sarah shifted slightly, blocking the view. Something flickered across Julia's face. She was suspicious, and Sarah could feel it.
"You're acting strange," Julia said slowly.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What? No!"
"Yeah." Julia studied her carefully now. "You're not usually this vague."
Sarah forced a small laugh, then shook her head.
"I just woke up, Julia."
Sarah's patience was thinning. She didn't want Julia here. Not today, on her first career day at SJ Corp. No, she didn't want to share the moment, not after everything.
Sarah glanced at the clock on the wall. It was eight fifteen. She was going to be late. Her shift at SJ Corporation started soon.
She sighed heavily, then brushed her hair, pretending that she needed time. "Look, I didn't shower last night, and I'm stinky. Could we talk about it later?" Sarah avoided her questions and tried to usher her out gently.
"Yeah." Julia looked disappointed, but she didn't move toward the door.
Instead, she glanced again at the desk. Sarah followed her gaze. She didn't like it. Before, Sarah couldn't see anything of her cunning. Now she worried that Julia would scam her again. No, it couldn't happen, absolutely not.
If Julia walked over there, she might see the empty folder where the design used to be. She winced slightly as she glanced at it, but Sarah quickly interrupted. She stepped forward quickly.
"I'll send you the revised version later," she said smoothly, guiding Julia toward the door.
"When? Keith asked me—"
"I will talk to Keith… soon."
Julia gave another awkward giggle. "Okay." She had no choice but to retreat.
Sarah opened the door, and Julia turned to her with a bigger smile. "Actually, about your birthday. Really, I have a surprise for you, but… what do you think about having fun tonight? It's been a long time since we went out, right?"
Sarah laughed bitterly in her mind. Regardless, she showed only a thin smile, neither agreeing nor rejecting, not even nodding.
"I'll talk to you later. Sorry, I really need a bath." Sarah pouted her lips, trying to convince Julia that she couldn't prolong their conversation. Julia smiled back and then nodded.
"Bye." Sarah quickly closed the door, leaving Julia with narrowed eyes and a wrinkled forehead.
"What the fuck—" she cursed lightly. Her emotions turned sour and furious once the door closed. It was so different from a minute ago, when she would say nice to her best friend.
Sarah took a deep, satisfied breath. Once she peeped through the peephole and saw Julia leave, a smile curved across her face. Sarah waited until the sound of her footsteps disappeared before reopening the door. She went back inside with great relief, at least for now. But her glance at the clock made her gasp.
"Oh my God, I'm late!"
It took Sarah less than 15 minutes to reach the front lobby to catch a cab. She was going to be late, which would be bad for her early career.
"Taxi!"
A yellow cab slowed as she raised her hand. It rolled to a stop in front of her, tyres brushing the edge of the curb. Just as she reached for the door, her phone vibrated inside her bag.
Sarah got into the car before grabbing her phone. After telling the driver her destination, she checked the caller. She was stunned, staring at the screen.
The screen lit up again; it was Keith. Her stomach dropped. He had been calling since last night, after she came back from dinner. Every time his name appeared, it felt like someone tightening a rope around her lungs. She ignored his call last night; now she had no choice. Her brain was working hard to come up with an excuse.
Sarah stared at the screen as it continued to vibrate in her hand. Yet she couldn't run. She took a deep breath before answering the call.
"Hello?"
"Why did you just pick up my call? Where were you?" Keith sounded angry.
Sarah didn't answer him right away. There was a brief pause on the other end. Then Keith's voice came again, low and tense.
"Sarah."
Her chest tightened at the sound of it. It felt really uncomfortable. She felt disgusted. Yet, she forced herself to sound normal.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Why didn't you pick up my call?" he grunted, and Sarah could feel that he was clenching his fist. If Sarah were there, Keith probably would have turned into a demon.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep," Sarah answered as calmly as possible. She didn't want to draw more suspicion from him.
Keith didn't answer her. There was another pause.
"I need to talk to you."
The words were simple, but something in his tone made the back of her neck prickle. Sarah looked out the window as the taxi pulled into traffic.
"About what?"
Keith exhaled slowly on the other end.
"About last night."
His voice was getting lower, yet it didn't soothe Sarah's heart. Her fingers tightened around the phone. The city moved past her window in a blur of buildings and headlights.
"What do you mean?"
There was a short pause.
"Did you come to my apartment two days ago?"