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 been

bed. She shook her hand at Winter and said, “I’m not going back. We

you planning on staying broken

Miranda didn’t answer her.

now, and I won’t be back for

woke up due

for her and stared at the sun shining outside the windows. She couldn’t remember

2/6

+15. BONUS

she was done with breakfast, she changed

had to do was cash out the check for 50 million dollars. She wouldn’t

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

to the bank manager himself, who offered her a considerable annual interest rate. Miranda tried negotiating

the rate by a little bit, and he

two other banks and deposited ten million dollars in each of them, managing to get interest rates that were higher

black cards

worth it

was worth

others.

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

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

he liked how it felt. Every time they had

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

“Please cut it short, straighten it,

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

feeling like a weight had

a clothing boutique that had a sale on, so she walked in and bought

of the shop. They matched the sport shoes she was wearing today,

outside Bedford College. She watched as the students rode their bicycles in and out of the gates as the sun set in

“Sol! We’re here!”

Miranda. “What are all

of visiting Dr. Young together,

at the same time,” Solomon Hall said. “Here, I’ll just take the two

Bioinformatics.”

Bioinformatics? Dr. Young?

of her reverie. She hurried forward and asked the students, “Who did you say was sick just

the pretty young lady talking to him. He was tongue–tied for a few seconds.

“Dr. Christine Young?”

“Yes.”

is

“Westerton Hospital.”

“Thank you.”

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

Instead, she

reached Winter’s condo, she still