When fate plays its hand (Miranda)

Chapter 0002

At the dining table, Hansel didn’t seem eased with what had been served for breakfast. “Where’s my pumpkin soup?”

“You mean cream of vegetable soup?”

“Cream of vegetable soup?”

“Yes, I know that Ms. Sutton makes that all the time. It’s the one made with pumpkin, potatoes, onions, and celery, right? Um, I don’t have as much time to prepare all the ingredients for that.

“The pumpkin, potatoes, onions, and garlic have to be roasted and freshly puréed beforehand; it’s best if it’s slow cooked the night before. And then the soup has to be stewed and slowly brought to a simmer over open fire for hours after that..

“I don’t have the same amount of patience that Ms. Sutton has to always be checking on the fire every few minutes. Also, what I make will probably still taste different from what she makes. On top of that

“Bring me some marmalade,” Hansel interrupted.

“Coming right up, Mr. Johnson.”

”

“Why does this taste so different?” Hansel glanced at the bottle packaging The packaging is wrong.”

“That jar is empty now. We only have this brand left.”

“Go and get two jars of the other one at the supermarket, then.”

“It can’t be found anywhere, Mr. Johnson.”

Hansel wasn’t amused, “Why not?”

Martha smiled rather awkwardly. “Ms. Sutton made the marmalade herself. I don’t know how wait, Mr. Johnson! Aren’t you going to finish your breakfast

first?”

“No.”

Martha watched in bewilderment as Hansel stormed up the stairs. Why did he lose his temper all of a sudden?

“Hey, you lazy bum, it’s time to get out of bed!”

Miranda flipped over in bed and didn’t even bother opening her eyes. “Shut up. I want to sleep a while longer…”

Winter Jefferson, Miranda’s best friend, had already put on her makeup and was in the midst of choosing a purse to go with her outfit.

“It’s going to be 8:00 am. Don’t you need to rush home to make breakfast for your most beloved Mr. Johnson?”

Miranda used to stay the night at Winter’s place from time to time, but she’d always leave before the crack of dawn to make her usual cream of vegetable soup for Hansel, who was extremely prone to gastric problems.

The mere thought of it had always rendered Winter speechless. Was Hansel paralyzed? Or was he too dumb to order delivery on his own? Why did he have to go and make life difficult for Miranda?

he’d just

from bed. She shook her hand at Winter and said,

planning on

Miranda didn’t answer her.

now, and I won’t be back for

Miranda woke up

outside the windows. She

2/6

+15. BONUS

done with breakfast, she changed her clothes

cash out the check for 50 million dollars. She

into the second bank next door and said, “I’d like to speak to your private

bank manager himself, who offered her a considerable annual interest

rate by a little

million dollars in each of them, managing to get interest rates

last bank as the new owner of three black cards with 30 million dollars‘ worth of

it after all.” She’d become a

signed up for their membership, which was worth 2,000 dollars. She was immediately treated like a VIP and was allowed

others.

brown hair

you’ve taken such good care of your hair. You

He said he liked how it felt. Every time they had sex, he’d always thread

also meant she always had to spend a lot of time grooming herself because of her long, brown

at the hairdresser and said, “Please cut it short, straighten it, and

was still a toy, no matter how pretty it was. She wouldn’t stop anyone. from looking like a doll,

of the hair salon, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her

walk past a clothing boutique that had a sale on, so she walked in and bought herself a white T–shirt

them straight out of the shop. They matched the sport shoes she was

found herself outside Bedford College. She watched as the students rode their bicycles in and out of the gates as the sun set in the sky, gradually falling

“Sol! We’re here!”

young man suddenly whizzed past Miranda. “What are all of

visiting Dr. Young together,

Solomon Hall said. “Here, I’ll just take the two of you along

Bioinformatics.”

Bioinformatics? Dr. Young?

She hurried forward and asked the students, “Who did you say was

looked at the pretty young lady talking to him. He was tongue–tied for

“Dr. Christine Young?”

“Yes.”

hospital is she

“Westerton Hospital.”

“Thank you.”

are you from? Are you alto one of Dr.

answer Solomon’s question. Instead,