Ego's Trap | ✔

10 | He's Mine

☆☆☆ Chapter 10 ☆☆☆

He's Mine

The room was dark, but because of the light from outside of Daniel's room and his window, it was bright enough for him to see the outline of my body shape, and slightly beyond.

Daniel was speechless for an entire awkward minute, but within that minute, Teresa and I had an entire conversation with our glares. We were out for each other's throats, but definitely not for the same reasons.

Nobody moved 'til Daniel finally shook his head and almost stuttered his way into saying "damn."

I breathed in deep, and let my lungs deflate themselves slowly. Of course I'm bound to make him lose all sense of pride with just one look at my gorgeous and nearly nude body, but why do I have to be the one to feel all warm and tingly from the inside? Actually, it might just be from embarrassment. I never show myself to people like this; I never had the need to demonstrate my dominance in beauty, after all (except for now). I know it's obvious that I'm not embarrassed of my body, but I think I'm feeling the way I am simply because I have to stoop so low to make Daniel understand he shouldn't look at Teresa.

A piece of Paradise (me) had to be shown to him so that he could see the light in the dark tunnel of Teresa's corruption.

"Well, Daniel, what're you thinkin'?" I asked as the corners of my lips curled. My eyes narrowed, too, clearly out to show Teresa that there was no longer even a small ray of hope for her. The rest of my body, though, was burning up.

Daniel tilted his head with a set of lingering eyes. "You're a work of art," he began, "but I don't understand why you're doing this to yourself, and this includes you too, Teresa. This is not good for me either. I respect women," said the pervert.

"Shut up!" I suddenly growled, biting my lip.

I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with Daniel looking at me, no longer can I just call it embarrassment. My entire body's feeling warm and I don't like it, not one bit── but I do recognize it's my fault for coming to his bedroom like this. I should go soon, but before that I need to get Teresa out of here.

"But you just asked me what I was thinking," Daniel whined. "All I did was tell you what I was thinking."

Just as I was 'bout to respond to Daniel, Teresa stood up from the bed and stormed her way towards me. For a few seconds I thought that she was gonna slap me, but all she did was stand right on my face, flailing her arms about like an ogre.

"Ane, you're so annoying!" she snapped. "Grow up, will you? I'm tired of you trying to paint me like some ugly, dumb whore when you know quite clearly that we're both on the same boat! And let me do as I please, will you? If I want to try and get in Daniel's pants, just let me alright? He's mine. Besides, you don't even like him! Let him move on. As for you, you need to let go of the ridiculous, arrogant facade that you pull out of your ass already! It won't solve anything and deep, deep down in your heart you know it!"

Folding my arms, I looked right back at her with the same attitude she spit at me. "You just sleep with others to hide and dull away your own demons. It makes you no different than any other street whore. We are not on the same boat."

"This... this is different!" she half-whispered, with a wild look in her eyes.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Well, I── "

Neither Teresa nor I had the time to listen to Daniel. Almost in sync, we stormed out of the room, slamming his door shut behind us, biting each other's throats with words that stung.

"Why are you making things harder for your big sister, Ane? You knew I liked him from the very start, yet you never fail to pin me down and try to get in the way. If you don't like him, why are you interfering? I even knew about you hanging out with him at his friend's house and about all those kisses you've rejected from him, aside from many other things! It's not fair you know!" Tears were running down her plain face. "At least give me a proper reason, Ane. Don't just try to make me the devil of your story."

Her eyes glistened with the lights outside the large window behind us, and it tugged at my heart. In that moment, I realized more than ever before that she was leagues taller than me, and it frightened me to the core because for the first time in a while, I felt childish.

"Working here has made me realize one thing, Ane, and it's that Daniel really likes you── that you, and only you, are the reason people think he's the neighborhood's friendly creep. How I didn't put the pieces together before is a miracle, but it doesn't matter right now, because the truth is out. I hear it from everyone here. Of how the light in his eyes have never been as radiant as they are now, of how excited he was when you accepted the job offer. I mean, it's obvious at this point that he has been in love with you since forever, so I understand I won't have his heart anytime soon, but it doesn't mean I'll stop trying, unless someone else, like Honey── " she paused, sobbing weakly, stopping herself from continuing for a few moments. "You are one lucky bastard to have someone like that, but you're not even taking advantage of that. Instead, you're hurting him and keeping him around for the stupid sake of your ego. You'll realize that one day when you're all alone from distancing everyone around you, when it is far too late to fix anything."

That last comment from her lousy mouth stopped me from feeling like a child. Instead, it felt as if she set me on fire. "Well that's too bad for you, Teresa. You'll never find someone for yourself 'cuz I'll be charming them all away without even trying." I leaned in to her and jabbed her in the chest with my index finger. "I'll always be one step ahead of you, even if I'll be all alone. Nobody deserves me anyway, and I mean that in a good way, unlike your ugly, slutty self."

Before giving Teresa the chance to respond to what I just said, I swiftly turned and walked away triumphantly, leaving her gawking self on a lonely corner.

She will never beat me in my own game.

Daniel is mine, not hers. There's simply no competition between her and me. I won that guy from the very start of this maid stuff, and I'll make sure he remains mine.