"All of this means nothing if I don't get that divorce paper in two months," Patricia said, taking a deep breath before gulping down another cup of liquor. She winced, just now realizing how strong it was. Drinking had never been her thing, which was why alcohol brought her no joy. Zara, on the other hand, could finish five bottles and still stay composed, she was good with liquor.
"Trust me, we are doing this together. Lucky for us, my boss is out of the country for the next three months, and I am in charge, so I get to slack off," Zara assured her, picking up her own drink and downing it in one go. Unlike Patricia, she didn't wince, but made a displeased face and turned to the barman.
"Mix two of the strong ones for me. No diluting," she instructed.
The barman glanced at her with concern, unsure how someone with her frame could handle such potent liquor.
"What? Are you new here? What's with the judgment?" She snapped, clicking her tongue in irritation.
"The liquor's too strong for you," he finally said, unable to hold back his concern.
Zara scoffed and began rising from her seat, but Patricia quickly stepped in before things escalated. "She can handle it," she said firmly.
"Fine," the barman replied curtly and turned to prepare the order.
"That little chicken. You should have let me teach him a lesson," Zara grumbled, raising a hand as if ready to fight, shooting the barman a glare that he promptly ignored.
"You know what? Let's get out of here. Karaoke is much more better. I don't need someone questioning my choices," Zara said, stuffing her hands into her pockets. She tossed some money on the table, grabbed Patricia's wrist, and led them out of the bar.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the karaoke bar and jumped right in.
"Sucks to be you!!!" Zara belted out along with the song, slurring slightly as she sipped from a can of beer.
The song was titled: Sucks to Be You by Saint Jhn.
Patricia nodded along and cheered her friend on, even though Zara's pitch was all over the place. They have had quite a few beers, and neither of them was thinking clearly anymore. Thankfully for Patricia, the karaoke bar sold lighter drinks and alcohol that didn't hit too hard. She knew deep down Zara had brought them here for her sake, so she could drink comfortably. For Zara, these beers were nothing more than tea and she would likely move on to something stronger once they got home.
"Alright, let's go home," Zara said as the song ended. She widened her eyes and gave her head a shake before glancing down at her wristwatch.
"9 p.m.? This is not the time for a married woman to be outside," Zara said, dropping the mic and wobbling slightly as she made her way to Patricia. Her steps were a little unsteady, but still impressive for someone who had downed that much alcohol.
Reaching Patricia's side, she leaned on her and draped an arm over her shoulders to help her up. But Patricia yelled, "No! I haven't even had a single drink yet! Why are you stopping me?" She shoved Zara aside roughly.
Zara looked at the pile of empty cans around them and sighed. She knew she was in trouble. Patricia had clearly hit her limit, and when drunk, she was a handful. It was going to take serious effort to get her home.
Taking a deep breath, Zara braced herself and shouted, "Let's do this!!" She lunged forward to help again, only to get shoved even harder. Still, she didn't give up. She kept trying until, on the tenth attempt, Patricia finally calmed down enough to cooperate.
Once they reached Patricia's car, Zara fished the keys from Patricia's bag and pressed the unlock button. She guided Patricia to the back seat and gently helped her in. After making sure she was lying comfortably, Zara moved to the driver's seat and started the car.
By the time they reached the estate, Kay was standing at the gate, apparently waiting for them, which struck Zara as odd given the way Patricia described Roman. If he didn't care, why would he send his assistant to wait outside for her?
"If anything happens to her, I will kill you," Zara snapped, glaring at him with thinly veiled hostility. She made a slicing motion across her neck with her thumb and sized him up.
Kay didn't respond. He simply stepped forward to take Patricia from her arms. But during the handoff, Patricia suddenly latched onto a fistful of Zara's hair and yanked hard, causing Zara to scream in pain.
"You chicken! I am not the enemy, grab his hair instead!" Zara cried out, struggling to free herself.
"No! You are evil!!" Patricia shouted, then shoved Zara away and collapsed onto Kay.
Scoffing, Zara clicked her tongue. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." She then turned to Kay. "Remember, your life depends on her safety." After giving him one last pointed stare, she turned and walked away.
Kay carried Patricia into the mansion and took her to her room, calling Maria to help get her properly settled.
After helping her, Kay went into Roman's room to report. "Where is she coming from?" Roman asked, barely looking up as he flipped through a patient file.
"They went to a bar first, then ended the night at karaoke," Kay replied.
Roman said nothing, and the silence signaled Kay to leave. Once he was gone, Roman looked up from the file and muttered, "You must be so confident in your plan." Then, he returned to his reading.