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?

other words, he’d just been

still reluctant to get up from bed. She shook her hand at Winter and said,

are you planning on staying broken

Miranda didn’t answer her.

I’m going to work now, and I won’t be back for dinner because I’ve got a date tonight.

woke up

sandwiches Winter had left for her and stared at the sun shining outside the windows. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in and woken

2/6

+15. BONUS

with breakfast, she changed her clothes

cash out the check for 50 million dollars. She wouldn’t be able to rest until she had

to speak to your private banking account manager, please. I’d like

her

little bit, and he

Miranda went to two other banks and deposited ten million dollars in each of them, managing to get interest rates that were higher than the previous bank she went to

as the new owner of three black cards with 30 million dollars‘ worth of savings and 20 million

was worth it

their membership, which was

others.

brown hair and large curls. This was the first time she hated how

of your

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

she always had to spend a lot of time grooming herself

said, “Please cut it short, straighten

wouldn’t stop anyone. from looking like a doll, but she was done being

salon, feeling like a weight had been lifted

that had a sale on, so she walked in and

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

rode their bicycles in and out of the gates as the sun set in the sky, gradually falling

“Sol! We’re here!”

man suddenly whizzed past Miranda.

visiting Dr. Young

so many people in at the same time,” Solomon Hall said. “Here, I’ll

Bioinformatics.”

Bioinformatics? Dr. Young?

hurried forward and asked the

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

“Dr. Christine Young?”

“Yes.”

is she

“Westerton Hospital.”

“Thank you.”

are you from? Are you alto one of Dr. Young 1

question. Instead, she turned around

after she reached Winter’s condo, she still