Dark Innocence

Phobe’s pov “Spread your legs.” Oh my goodness, it hurts like hell! “Wider,Phobe . Nothing will happen if you won’t move your whole body.” My chest rises and falls, I am out of breath and I need to get out of this position. My sweat is dripping down my neck and back. I want to grab the little towel but I can’t reach it. I bit my lower lip, I held my foot tightly so I can do what it was ordering me to do. I feel like I’m going to break a bone in what we’re doing. This is my first time and I have no experience. We are just starting but my whole body is already hurting. I raised my two hands. “All right, I’m done! I can’t do this anymore.” Her eyes widened, she was surprised at what I said. Lilly suddenly turned off the television, wiped her sweat. “What? We are just exercising for freaking fifteen minutes. Don’t tell me you are already giving up?” I shrugged. “Sorry, I gave up. I really can’t do this. If we continue this, my body will surely hurt even more.” She wheezed. I got up from the fitness mat. I grabbed the towel and sat in a folding chair. We only had fifteen minutes of exercise but I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s Sunday so I agreed to come here to her condo, but I never thought we would do this. I have no experience when it comes to exercise. I’m not saying I’m lazy, I’m just not really interested in such things. I was always obsessed with studying, now I’m busy at my bakery shop . Lilly just forced me here, the result was that I almost broke a bone. I rested my back on the restback. My hair is almost sticking to my neck because of its sweat. I watched her, frowning as she arranged the things. She also turned off the sound that had been making noise throughout the condo. “Why is that? Even if you don’t go to the gym, you are skinny, while I still have to work hard to achieve this body.” Lilly Tuscan . She has been my bestfriend for five years. She was so close to my parents that I thought of her as my sister. She’s just petite, she has a black high low bob cut. Her hair matched her brown prominent eyes. Also has a proud nose like a living barbie. She always has pink lips, blush on which gives more life to her face. Lilly Tuscan is a pure Japanese, I met her when I went to school in New Zealand. Since she’s been my friend for a lot of years, I already knew her passion. She’s obsessed with exercise, which made her body looks so fantastic. “Do not compare yourself with me,” I said and drank water from my bottle. She smiled and ran closer to me, she sat in the next chair. “Okay fine, but… what’s your secret to having such a body?” My eyes bored into her. “What are you saying? Of course, nothing. You know I’m busy with work .”. I am a bakery shop owner for almost four years. I was only twenty when I started this job, I took business management when I was in college, that should be a four years degree program but I didn’t go any further for the remaining two years. My parents knew that and they just let me go since the job I entered was successful. When I was a child, I used to love baking . “It’s Sunday today, are you still going?” I took a towel and I also took my bag, I put on my crop top and I layered a jacket on it. I adjusted myself before turning to her and nodding. “I’m leaving, Lilly . Do you have a job tomorrow?” She looked at her schedule. “Yup, one pm to eight thirty pm. A celebrity hired me for fitness practice. Why?” I shook and smiled at her. “It’s nothing. See you tomorrow, then.” “Take care, Phonbe . See you tomorrow.” I immediately went straight to the elevator. When I came out, I caught up with a group of teenagers, they were carrying gym bags and looked ready to do something. Almost all of them looked at me so I smiled at them. Maybe they are already looking for Lilly . She is a gym attendant for five years. Like me, she didn’t continue her studies and just did the job she wanted, What I do is what she does. Where I am, she is also there. Pfft, bestfriends. I took a taxi and reorganized myself. I picked up the mirror and looked at my reflection. I have well groomed eyebrows, long eyelashes. My almond eyes are brown, my high and raised nose is also piercing. Heart shape face and cupid bow’s lips. My long and black corkscrews curly hair almost reached up to my waist. My hair is neither thick nor thin, it is just medium. I’m not tall but I know I’m taller than Lilly. When the taxi stopped, I also got out immediately, my eyes scanning the street as I paid the driver. I would have continued walking when I noticed a black van parked in front of my bakery, Sweet Delights. My heart skipped a beat as I bit my lower lip, wondering who could be visiting my shop. Maybe they were just customers looking for a sweet treat? I shook my head, dismissing the thought, and quickly walked into my cozy bakery. The aroma of freshly baked pastries and cakes enveloped me as I entered, and I felt a sense of comfort and familiarity. I closed the door behind me but couldn't help sneaking a peek through the window at the mysterious van. I busied myself by gluing a paper sign that read "Temporarily Closed" to the door, letting customers know that I'd be back soon. As I put down my bag and approached my workspace, I picked up a recipe card for a new batch of croissants I wanted to try out. The soft dough and flaky layers were calling my name, and I couldn't wait to get started. But my mind kept drifting back to the black van outside. Who could be visiting my bakery, and what did they want? Just as I was about to start preparing the croissant dough, the door to my bakery burst open, and a group of people in suits and uniforms poured in. They were all wearing serious expressions, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. "Good morning," one of them said, flashing a badge. "We're from the city's food safety department. We've received a complaint about your bakery, and we're here to investigate." My heart sank as I stared at them in surprise. A complaint about my bakery? I couldn't think of anything that would have triggered such a response. "What kind of complaint?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. The lead inspector pulled out a clipboard and began to read from it. "It seems someone has reported that you're selling contaminated pastries. We're here to inspect your facilities and review your food handling procedures." I felt a wave of panic wash over me as I realized the gravity of the situation. Contaminated pastries? That was impossible. I took pride in my bakery's cleanliness and safety protocols. "I assure you, everything is perfectly safe," I said, trying to defend my business. "We've had no issues with contamination. Can I see the complaint?" The inspector hesitated for a moment before handing me a copy of the complaint. As I scanned the document, my eyes widened in shock. This was serious. I knew I had to cooperate fully to clear my bakery's name. "Let's get started with the inspection," the lead inspector said, gesturing to the kitchen area. "We'll need to review your records, inspect your equipment, and take some samples." I nodded, feeling a sense of determination. I was confident that my bakery was clean and safe, and I was ready to prove it. "Let's get this over with," I said, leading them to the kitchen. As the inspection began, I couldn't help but wonder who would make such a malicious complaint. Was it a disgruntled former employee or a rival baker trying to sabotage me? Whatever the reason, I was determined to get to the bottom of it and protect my business.