Chapter 8 They All Like Ryan
919 Words
I couldn't help but ask Olivia, "Who is this Isabella? Did I offend her somehow?"
Olivia looked at me wide-eyed. "Don't you know? She's the mayor's daughter, and she's into Ryan, so..."
I sighed and rubbed my forehead. 'Great, another headache I didn't ask for.'
I turned and walked away, not bothering to listen to whatever else Olivia was shouting at me.
'I've been married three times, no, wait, four times, and I'm a mother of three. I've got no interest in playing these silly love games with a bunch of youngsters. I've got more pressing matters on my plate, like survival.'
After watching the town for a few days, I noticed an empty lot right next to Ryan's clinic. The foot traffic was excellent, and it was the perfect spot to sell my vegetables.
Early the next morning, I borrowed a cart from Amanda, filled it with fresh vegetables, and made my way to that spot. I carefully set up my stand, hoping to make a decent profit.
It wasn't long before Ryan stepped out of the clinic. He raised an eyebrow, surprised to see me. "Alice? You're selling vegetables here?"
I nodded, feeling a bit awkward. "Yeah, I hope I'm not disturbing your clinic's flow."
He chuckled. "Not at all. Your veggies look great. I could use some." He picked out a few and even paid extra.
Just as we were chatting, Olivia appeared. She had that heavy perfume again, and her makeup was flawless as if she'd put in some real effort.
"Oh, Ryan!" She cooed in that sugary voice of hers. "I just happened to be passing by and thought, you know, maybe I should get a checkup."
Ryan nodded politely. "Sure, give me a moment, I'll be right with you."
Olivia glanced at me, her eyes narrowing with a flash of jealousy. She sauntered over to my stand and, with a fake concerned tone, asked, "Alice, why are you selling vegetables here? This place is full of sick people... Are you sure they'll be okay eating what you're selling?"
I was about to retort when Ryan interrupted, "Olivia, I just bought some of Alice's veggies. They look perfectly fine to me. If there were any problem, trust me, as a doctor, I'd be the first to know."
Olivia was silenced by his response and sulkily trailed Ryan back into the clinic.
Around noon, as people rushed to make lunch, business started to pick up.
A crowd gathered at my stand, and I was scrambling to make a change when I noticed a girl with short, bleached hair, clad in a black leather jacket and pants, also came to my stall.
She seemed interested in buying something but accidentally knocked over one of my baskets of vegetables.
"Oops, I'm so sorry!" she said in a syrupy voice, but the smug smile on her face told me it was no accident.
I frowned, bending down to pick up my scattered vegetables.
"You're not going to make it in this town," a woman's voice suddenly rang out. I looked up to see the girl speaking to me in a low tone. "Do you think you can strike it rich with this junk? So naive!"
My gut told me this was Isabella.
"Isabella, right?" I stood up and glared at her. "So, you're the one who's been sabotaging my chances at finding work?"
She smirked, "Well, at least you're smart enough to know who you're dealing with. You'll see how ridiculous you are once you're left broke," Isabella said, turning away with a smug grin.
But not far off, Ryan and Olivia emerged from the clinic, witnessing the scene. Isabella quickly rushed over, shoving Olivia aside and throwing herself at Ryan, "Oh, darling, you won't believe how mean she was! All I did was knock over her vegetables, and she started blaming me for not finding work. You have to believe me. I didn't do anything!"
"I believe Alice," Ryan responded firmly.
Ryan gave her a cold look and said without mercy, "Isabella, you've really disappointed me. I thought you were a kind person, but now I see how narrow-minded you are. Just leave. I don't want to see you again."
Ryan turned and walked back into the clinic, leaving Isabella pale with shock. Olivia, meanwhile, let out a loud snicker, which only made Isabella turn on her in a rage. "How dare you laugh at me? You b***h! You and your cousin Kaitlyn are both despicable! Kaitlyn stole someone's husband, and now you want to steal my Ryan?"
"You can't even manage to be a b***h, you ugly hag! Ryan would never want you!" Olivia shot back without holding back.
The two of them were soon at each other's throats until things got heated. Isabella grabbed a handful of Olivia's long hair, and Olivia flailed like a crab, unable to get a hold of Isabella's short hair. She screamed as she was dragged away.
I watched, thoroughly amused. 'If only they would keep tormenting each other like this and leave me out of their drama. They all like Ryan, but what does that have to do with me? Ryan's a good guy, sure, but my three ex-husbands were all more handsome, richer, and, frankly, sexier. Even if I were looking for a new man, I'd still prefer Ian, the one who saved my life. Oh, sweet Ian. He even gave me a magical seashell necklace. He must be an angel! Wherever he is, may God bless him!'
- Writer
