Chapter 16: - 16 You can't be neutral on a moving train (2)
"But how can you be certain he's the one she cheated with?" Anemona's voice, feeble yet annoying, cut through the tense atmosphere of the office, her brown eyes flickering with intrigue.
"Well, it was pretty obvious. He's a doctor, just like her main guy, he's got that blond hair just like him, and he's from Cologne. She did mention her trip to Cologne last summer! I mean, can you believe the nerve of that witch, having an affair while still in a relationship? I get they weren't married, but come on. Are open relationships even a thing with witches?" Mimosa's recounting of the scandal was delivered with a hint of disapproval, her tone laced with gossip.
A skeptical voice chimed in, seeking to cast doubt on the unfolding drama. "C'mon, folks, let's not jump to conclusions. That guy is probably way too out of her league. Are we seriously buying into the idea that she didn't fell for a mere picture? It's all in her head, trust me." The speaker's tone carried a hint of disbelief, as if trying to inject a dose of rationality into the speculative discussion revolving around Marie-Rose.
"If she seriously thinks she has a shot with him, she's deluding herself. I mean, just look at the difference in their looks. He's practically a model. Would he even spare her a second glance? She's got no chance with him, no chance at all." The voice of the dedicated fan of Dr. Patrice rang out, defending the esteemed figure with fervor, fueling her conviction that Marie-Rose needed a reality check, highlighting the vast gap between their worlds. The woman, known for her zeal, had even made a trip to Cologne in hopes of meeting him.
A voice echoed in the woman's mind, one she tried to push away. 'Let's be real here. I'm any man's dream. I'm slim. I've got the curves, the flawless face. That unf*cked tramp, on the other hand, she's got that odd nose and she's way too skinny.' Her gaze momentarily shifted to her reflection in the glass door, her attention lingering on the thickness of her own legs. 'But who cares about legs, really? What guy goes for legs over chest and rear? I'm definitely the better choice.'
"In the end, the bottom line is this—she's single now! Serves her right! She'll never find anyone better. Heck, she'll probably never find anyone else!"
Laughter punctuated the final statement, reverberating through the office, a shared moment of amused disdain at Marie-Rose's romantic misfortune. Mimosa couldn't help but join in, her laughter masking the quiet turmoil simmering beneath the surface.
***
Meanwhile, in the bustling cafeteria, Cathy felt compelled to vent her frustrations.
"I'm so furious with these gossipmongers! Can you believe the rubbish they were spewing about Marie-Rose earlier?" Her voice exuded palpable irritation. "I overheard them before heading to the office. Non-stop trash talk just to make themselves feel better. It's always the least attractive ones who have the most to say about others' looks."
"I'm so done with these women. All they ever whine about is their incessant need for more action in the bedroom!" Matthieu shared with Marie-Rose and Cathy, divulging the nature of his recent encounter with the office gossip.
"Well, what can we really do about it?" Marie-Rose sighed, her resignation evident. Gossipers, it seemed, were an immutable force. However, the other two found a way to infuse the tension with a touch of humor, prompting a shared bout of laughter.
"I certainly won't be offering myself up as a solution to their issues!" Matthieu distanced himself from the messy situation with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"And they talk behind my back, suggesting I need a new boyfriend because I look melancholic. What if I retorted by saying they could use a certain device for themselves, judging by their own expressions?" Cathy grumbled, her frustration palpable.
As they exchanged anecdotes from the workplace, Marie-Rose, oblivious to her own recent "love affair", pondered the dynamics at play, only to be interrupted by a call from her ex-boyfriend, Alexandre. Well, their ex-boyfriend. Coincidentally, Cathy happened to be Alexandre's ex-girlfriend as well. Marie-Rose couldn't help but wonder how the two of them hadn't clashed before.
In truth, however, Cathy was her friend. Despite her brusque manner, she was undeniably intelligent. When Marie-Rose had initially helped her get hired here, she had no inkling of Cathy's prior relationship with Alexandre. Upon this discovery, they mutually agreed to steer clear of any conversations involving him.
Eventually, they shared a heart-to-heart when Marie-Rose ended things with Alexandre about a month ago. Marie-Rose mustered the courage to confide in Cathy, questioning the reason for their breakup. While the response wasn't conclusive, Cathy's insights on Alexandre helped Marie-Rose come to terms with her decision.
Apologizing, she excused herself to take the call.
"Hi, Marie!" His voice reverberated through the phone's mic, reminiscent of a booming thunderstorm. Something seemed rotten at the other end of the line.
"Marie, did you base a character on me in your novel?" Alexandre's question, tinged with concern, hinted at the intense scrutiny the story had received from some critical readers.
"What makes you think I used you as inspiration?"
"You described the male lead with blue eyes."
"Are you reading my books, Alexandre? That's..." Marie-Rose paused, incredulous. "And how does any of what he did resemble you, Alexandre?"
"Did you write this to get back at me, Marie? You portrayed me as the villain. Not just the villain, but some sort of caricature that everyone laughs at."
"Just because the character has blue eyes doesn't mean it's a direct reflection of you. Unless... you see yourself that way."
"That's the thing, I never did you any harm. Why paint me in such a light?"
Marie-Rose's relationship with Alexandre was marked by his childhood trauma, her role evolving from therapist to lover. However, their dynamic was marred by a lack of reciprocity, with Alexandre failing to make her feel truly desired. His persistent inertia eventually led her to step away, realizing that trying to mend him was taking a toll on her own well-being. In the end, it boiled down to not feeling wanted, the ultimate catalyst for their breakup. Yet, none of the details in the story mirrored their private life.
The tale was simple, a classic trope wherein a woman had to choose between two close friends. Eager to challenge the norm, Marie-Rose sought to defy expectations by having the female protagonist select the dark-eyed character, all while distancing the narrative from her own reality, despite her personal preference leaning toward the other option.
"Alexandre, I didn't use you as inspiration. Do you have a dark-eyed best friend?"
"No, I don't," he admitted honestly.
"Well, there you have it. The character has a tall, handsome best friend, and you don't have a friend who fits that description. The second male lead has dark eyes and hair, and the heroine chooses him. Just like I chose you, remember?" Marie-Rose's words faltered, memories flooding her mind.
She had chosen him in a way, as he had been the only option, albeit there was someone else embroiled in his own obsession, convinced that he would eventually win her over. "I just wanted to subvert expectations, you know? But you know what I prefer, right?"
"But if that's not your preference... why did you make him the better character? Why not write about what you truly desire?" He emphasized the last word, leaving her momentarily speechless.
He had a point, but she was wary of allowing her characters to blend with the people in her life, aiming to maintain a distinction between her real experiences and the narratives she crafted.
She aspired to encourage others facing similar challenges, knowing that, as an average-looking woman with only her emerald eyes as a distinctive feature, her experiences might resonate with many.
Matthieu noticed her distress. "What's wrong, Marie? Any issues?"
"No... Well, yes, Alexandre has some concerns about the novel you and I wrote together," she replied, as the conversation naturally drifted toward the topic of their writing.
***
The moment Marie-Rose reappeared, she sensed a charged atmosphere, the gossips eager to engage with her.
But before that, just as she was about to make her way to another department to discuss the wellness program with the fitness instructor, Mimosa intercepted her.
"Marie-Rose, do you realize that Paul is married?" Mimosa's tone carried a hint of concern. Paul, one of the clerks in the urban planning department, was someone she frequently interacted with, primarily due to her friendship with Cathy. Beyond Cathy and Paul, Marie-Rose had formed bonds with two other colleagues in that department, Carmen and Livache.
"Yes, I'm aware. What's the issue here?" Marie-Rose responded, her brow furrowed in confusion. She couldn't fathom why Mimosa was questioning her about this.
"Well, you really shouldn't be getting too cozy with him. Why are you always paying visits to his department?" Mimosa insinuated that her visits were more about Paul than her friendship with Cathy, whom she had helped secure a position in that office. While they had indeed been close friends in high school, Marie-Rose valued Cathy's professional competence above all else.
In truth, her frequent interactions with Paul and the others stemmed from their shared involvement in an online game.
"We're colleagues, and we share common interests. What's wrong with fostering a more enjoyable work environment?" Marie-Rose shrugged, her hands gesturing in a quizzical manner. She couldn't understand why her innocent camaraderie with Paul and the others had become a subject of scrutiny.
"Yes, that's how affairs start. You just keep talking to a man until you snatch him away from his partner." Mimosa's voice was tinged with a peculiar blend of childishness, belying her true motivations behind the veiled accusations.
The girl suffered from histrionic behavior so that her words had a specific theatrical resonance, so much so one would expect her to kneel at any moment to offer an oral representation.
Despite her seemingly innocent and forthright demeanor, she was no stranger to orchestrating subtle manipulations, fueled by the information Emilian had relayed to her concerning Marie-Rose's interactions with her colleagues in the urban planning department.
Mimosa and Marie-Rose's other detractors took pleasure in perpetuating unpleasant narratives, leveraging them to apply undue pressure on her. This pressure had taken a toll on Marie-Rose, leading to the loss of a pregnancy, although her antagonists absolved themselves of any responsibility, attributing the tragedy to her advanced age rather than the relentless stress they had induced.
"Jealous women will seize any opportunity to worm their way into your man's life, attempting to wrench him away from you," chimed in Barbara, her died-blonde straight hair cascading around her shoulders as she offered her unwavering support to Mimosa's sentiment. These witches, always snatching away everyone's men.
"One must stay vigilant and ensure her man remains thoroughly devoted. You mold your man as you see fit," Barbara's choice of the word 'mold' was a deliberate replacement for 'train,' reflecting her belief in controlling her partner's behavior akin to training a pet. In her mind, having a man on a leash was not a mere metaphor but a desirable reality, one where she could assert her dominance.
Anemona steered the conversation in a different direction, ostensibly attempting to shift the focus away from the previous contentious topic.
"Anyway, it seems even married women are straying from their husbands while still holding their hands. My brother, he's a singer, and he's seen how things are unfolding nowadays. Women just give him a look, and soon after, they're meeting for clandestine encounters."
Her words hung in the air, casting a vague implication that Alexandre might have strayed or could potentially stray with a married woman.
They had evidently orchestrated a scene, hoping to glean insights into her private life. Speculation abounded, with some unsure whether she was still involved with Alexandre or not, having overheard snippets of her conversation with him in the cafeteria.
Marie-Rose couldn't help but wonder what might have triggered such insinuations. What had he done to warrant this accusation, apart from the fictional rumors that had seemingly intertwined with reality in their gossip-driven world?
A realization dawned on her; they must be hinting at Julian, the singer and rap artist, Anne's boyfriend, whom everyone assumed to be the inspiration behind the male lead in her novels before shifting attention to Patrice. Could they be alluding to Julian engaging in extramarital affairs with his female fans, like Marie-Rose, for example?
Marie-Rose's mind swirled with confusion, grappling with the tangled web of rumors and innuendos. What was the purpose behind these women's persistent need to speculate and taint the reputations of those around them?
Despite the implications being hurled her way, Marie-Rose had never been unfaithful to Alexandre. Furthermore, at the present moment, she and Alexandre had already gone their separate ways, as she had entered a new relationship with Jayden.
However, their relationship had yet to progress to an intimate level. As she pondered the insinuations being thrown around, a sense of helplessness mingled with a growing sense of resolve to shield herself from the toxic environment of workplace gossip.
Meanwhile, Barbara's thoughts lingered on Marie-Rose, a calculated undercurrent of disdain woven into her musings. She had purposefully planted the insinuations, now firmly convinced, following Mimosa's revelation, that Marie-Rose was nothing but a deceptive seductress.
'She's just a cheater,' Barbara thought, her mind weaving a tapestry of disdain and contempt. 'I know what I'm doing, planting those hints. That b*tch has been lying through her teeth about loving Alexandre, about her whole life. She's nothing but a filthy little whore, lusting after a younger man, dripping with desire. Look at her writing, obsessed with that blonde hunk. She's far too repulsive for him to have genuinely wanted her. At the most, he probably just used her for a single night of pleasure.'
'She's yearning for a d*ck', assessing her very essence to be saturated with an insatiable lust for male attention.
"I just can't comprehend why men fail to value women who maintain their purity until marriage, like Mimosa, for instance. Instead, they gravitate toward these immoral women who would betray them without a second thought," Barbara voiced her discontent, frustration lacing her words. She held up Mimosa as a paragon of virtue, a woman of steadfast integrity, contrasting her with the perceived moral turpitude of the other woman.
Marie-Rose, hearing the comparison to Mimosa, quietly reflected on the choices before her. She couldn't envision herself in Mimosa's shoes, denying herself the fulfillment that life had to offer. The notion of self-restraint and denial didn't appeal to her in the same way it did to others.
'So what's the point of maintaining one's virginity if the mind is mired in filth?' Marie-Rose contemplated.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Maria_Florescu
Maria_Florescu Mimosa is a true saint! :)))
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone