Bittersweet Obsession

Beauty seemed completely pointless when no one cast a glance her way, and for Tamara, this was a constant reality. She blended into the background, an invisible presence as people bustled past her without sparing a second look in the crowd.

She compared herself to a fallen tree in a secluded forest, making no sound, crashing soundlessly, and unnoticed by the world. The isolation had become a familiar companion, and she couldn't remember the last time someone other than Erica and Aaron talked to her after class. It had become a distant memory, fading like a long-forgotten dream.

There were good things about being like a shadow. No one cared that her hair was often unkempt as she was always on the go. Her worn-out sneakers went unnoticed, the way she was sweating more than usual kept them away, and she could move around without drawing attention. People felt safe around her because she didn't act like she was anything extraordinary, without feeling threatened by her presence.

During the break following the afternoon's grueling exam, Tamara found herself seated across from Erica in a secluded corner of one of the bustling cafeterias on campus. As usual, the cafeteria was packed with students indulging in their meals, making a lot of noise in the background.

While she patiently awaited her order, Tamara idly swung her legs under the table, taking a moment to look over her surroundings.

To her right, a girl was dipping a piece of chicken tenders into a small dish of spicy buffalo sauce, while her friend was sipping on a milkshake and another one nonchalantly cleaned her teeth with a toothpick. Across from them, a fat dude was carefully using a fork to twirl spaghetti onto his plate and then devouring it with gusto.

At another table, a group of friends had gathered around a large pizza. They were enthusiastically grabbing slices adorned with various toppings, from pepperoni to mushrooms, and engaging in lively conversations.

Forks and knives clinking against plates and the delicious smells of grilled chicken, roasted veggies, and herbs made Tamara even more hungry.

"Sit tight. I know you're hungry, but at least try to sit still," Erica said, putting her hand on Tamara's leg to stop it from moving and making the table shake. But Tamara swatted her hand away.

Erica cast a stern gaze at Tamara and swiftly gave her leg a light pat to make her point clear.

"Why is it so hard for you to sit still? You're eighteen now, Tamara, and you're still as fidgety as ever. Why can't you be like other girls your age? How do you expect to become a well-behaved young woman in the future?" Erica complained with a heavy sigh.

Tamara had heard these complaints from her friend countless times before.Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.

Being friends with Tamara, a friend who often acted wildly and didn't follow the normal standards of young women, must have been hard for Erica, who was so pretty, classy, gentle, and soft-spoken.

Among her female friends, Erica was greatly admired for her tall stature, slender physique, and porcelain-like fair skin. Tamara often overheard them discussing Erica's stunning beauty when they believed she couldn't hear their conversations. She remembered Erica saying that her walk looked like a thirsty cow that was about to die. There were many times when Erica tried to teach her how to walk like a proper young girl. The directions were clear: stand up straight with her chest out and put one foot in front of the other for a smooth step. She would look more graceful if she walked with confidence and straight steps. And, she must remember to add some grace and charm to her moves with a small sway of the hips. It was supposed to be easy, smooth, and graceful to do all of these steps. It all seemed too complicated and annoying to Tamara, though. She walked more quickly and purposefully, and sometimes she even stomped her feet. "Hmmm..." Tamara responded as she took a big gulp of her soft drink, followed by an unremorseful and rather loud burp.

A mischievous grin spread across her face as she glanced around, taking in the disapproving glares directed her way. Even Erica had turned a deep shade of crimson, clearly embarrassed by Tamara's lack of decorum. "Things like this make me worry a lot, like yesterday..." Erica's voice trailed off as she continued to voice her concerns, but she was abruptly cut off when the waitress arrived with their food order.

The waitress arrived at their table and cheerfully announced, "Here you go, two plates of spaghetti with meatballs, extra chili sauce, and two cups of hot tea." She carefully placed the orders in front of them.

As Erica enjoyed her spaghetti, Tamara continued to boost her dish by adding a generous five tablespoons of spicy chili sauce to her plate.

Erica's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious? You're going to regret that with a stomachache later!"

Tamara chuckled as she continued to swing her legs. "You know, when I was a kid, my mom used to say that folks in cold weather should eat spicy food. It makes us drink more water, and the more we drink, the more we sweat. Sweat's like a natural cleanser, getting rid of all the bad stuff in our bodies," she explained with a mischievous grin.

As Tamara dug into her spicy spaghetti with relish, her taste buds were treated to a burst of heat. Before she knew it, her tongue was on fire, and her nose started to run. She grabbed a tissue and sniffled, trying to cool down her burning taste. Because of how spicy it was, Tamara reached for the nearby soft drink, but in her haste, she knocked over the metal pepper shaker. Suddenly, it shattered on the floor, drawing the attention of everyone in the cafeteria. "Tamara! Stop making a scene," Erica hissed.

Tamara made a face, quickly downed her drink, and then picked up the fallen pepper shaker from the floor.

Even though she fought with the extremely hot food, she managed to hiss and say, "Today, it's my treat. You can eat as much as you want."

Erica's face lit up with a wide grin. "Well, it looks like my friend here has hit the jackpot."

Tamara just laughed back and didn't say anything.

"I heard there was a little incident at Urban Parlor the other day, right?" Erica asked.

Tamara nodded and sighed. "Yeah, it was a real mess. I had this encounter with a VIP guest. Turns out he's allergic to hazelnuts, and there were some in the dessert I served the guests. He got this severe allergic reaction, and it made me quit the job."

"Yes, I heard from Ronan about that too. He didn't reveal the guest's identity, which got me thinking. It's quite strange, isn't it? Maybe this guy is a big shot in the country, and they wanted to keep it low-key."

"Indeed, Judson Beauregard is a well-known figure in the country, of all people. He's a big deal in some way that they're keeping it hush-hush."

Erica raised an eyebrow with a curious expression. "Beauregard? Is he somehow related to Henry, your late boyfriend?"

Tamara nodded, her expression growing more serious. "Yes, Erica, he's actually Henry's father. That's how I got to know him."

Erica's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, that's quite a connection. It must be awkward to have met him under those circumstances."

"That wasn't our first encounter, actually," Tamara remarked, taking a sip of her drink before continuing. She began to recount the entire story of her unfortunate first encounter with Judson at Henry's funeral, giving all the specifics. After a brief pause, she continued, "I've been digging for information about the Beauregard family. They're extremely wealthy but incredibly tight-lipped about their personal life. According to what I've gathered, Richard Beauregard fell ill and transferred a significant portion of his real estate empire to his eldest son, Judson."

"Are you sure the information is accurate?"

"Absolutely. It's all over the place."

Before Tamara could fully explain her plan to Erica, Bella and her gang strolled past their table. Their presence seemed to cast a menacing shadow over the entire cafeteria, sending shivers through everyone present, causing them to hunch down in their seats, gripped by fear.

As the saying goes, "Where there is sugar, there are ants." Tamara's mere presence seemed to act like a tempting sweetener, inevitably drawing the attention of troublemakers like Bella and her gang.

"Hey, guess who's here?" Bella chimed, her grin revealing a hint of wickedness.

"I smell bats," Vivian, a girl with bobbed hair, replied as she covered her nose.

"Stay away! You might catch the scent!" Cathy, a girl with long hair and beautifully round eyes, warned.

They all laughed out loud.

After putting her ear close to Tamara's, Bella leaned in and whispered something suspicious. "So, I've heard you've picked up a part-time gig, huh? How much are you charging per night for your services?" Despite their words making her ears burn with embarrassment, Tamara chose to stay silent, determined not to dignify their taunts with a response.

After she paid for her food, Tamara quickly grabbed Erica's hand and ran out of the cafe, which made the little jerks laugh out loud.

Sometimes it was very hard, if not impossible, to hide some facts in this world, and they often had consequences that could not be avoided. On the other hand, there were facts that didn't need to be revealed and were better left unknown. After the encounter with the bullies, Tamara couldn't help but wonder if there was a silver lining to her difficult life. It was as if every dark cloud had a silver lining, and she needed to find it.

Despite all the hardships and bullies she faced, she believed that every cloud had a silver lining. Maybe, just maybe, her struggles would lead to something better in the future. It was a glimmer of hope that she held onto tightly, like a lifeline in the stormy sea of her existence.