"He had the guts to leave me for that…," I dragged the last word and swallowed the remaining the moment I saw Tricia in the cafe. I cursed under my breath as I tried to avoid eye contact with her but her big eyes were already feasted on me. She hated me because the same boy that just dumped me for another had dumped her for me. We were even now.

"What did you just mutter?" She scurried beside me at the counter and took a seat. I glanced at her back and forth with a scowl on my face. "For you to be seated here asking questions, I believe you heard my incomplete statement," I sighed and put my head down fighting to hold back tears.

I couldn't cry in front of Tricia. Never. My heart was racing. I feared she was going to mock me. She's always greeted me with a scowl each time we met but this time, weirdly, she had this empathetic look on.

Was she really feeling my pain or she's trying to get information and then mock me with it later? I sighed again. "Doreen, don't overthink it. Darrel is an ass. He doesn't know your worth. You'll find someone better soon enough." I almost fell for her words but the Tricia I knew was way too mean to be saying sweet things to anyone who once in their lifetime made it to her bad books.

I raised my head and looked her in the eyes. Her eyes emitted this brightness and I almost bought her soothing words. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was single again after two years of thinking the world revolved around me. I ran a peering glance at the customers in the cafe, to avoid leaving my eyes static lest a tear fell off, embarrassing me in front of Tricia.

Sadly, the customers seemed warm. Their eyes were almost brighter than the morning sun. They were all smiling, helping each other out and the one that grieved my spirit more were the two lovers nestled up in the corner of the cafe. They were touchy, sweet and…stupid. Love was stupid. I was annoyed and everything sucked.

"What may I offer you ma'am?" The barista finally spoke to me. There was nothing unusual about him. He always smiled each time he saw me. His smile was never fake, always charming but the fact that I was blinded by love made him invisible.

While he emitted that charm, waiting for my response, I imagined Darrell in his stead. I took his hands in mine. It was manly and warm. Then those tears that I'd been holding back, finally came streaming down my flushed cheeks. "Why did you leave tho?" I placed his palms on my face and he didn't even resist, instead he caressed my cheeks with his thumb and my body heated up.

I reluctantly broke out of my illusion when the news came on about someone spiking coffee with a serum that makes people extra empathetic. I let go of the barista's hands and focused on the TV. The police were dragging a girl. She looked disheveled. When she was allowed to speak to one of the press reporters, she grinned and said; "the world was sick and needed me to heal it of its bitterness." They dragged her away but she was still smiling. Just like the people in the cafe.

"Will the serum wear off at some point?" I cried out as if I was one of the people on the TV standing with mics, asking questions assertively.

"She should rot in jail for the rest of her sick life," I heard Tricia bark out. My question had been answered. Tricia was now wearing the familiar scowl, but with a sick grin like that of the crazed girl on the TV. "Oh God, I hope she doesn't remember anything," I said between teeth.

"You can pray all you want, but I remember everything as much as I remember my place in hell. Were you thinking he was going to marry you? Oh come on! You're smarter than that aren't you?" She was definitely embarrassing me. The serum was one to wear off because the other customers had also gotten their sanity except for the couples who were still curled up like swans in a lake.

"Can I have a cup of the same coffee they all had before now?" The barrister shook his head to show he didn't want to endanger my life now that we all knew the truth about what happened. He still acted nicely to me but frowned at Tricia. She definitely had mouthy issues.

"Doreen, do you mind having dinner with me later today?" My eyes lit up as I looked at him and then at Tricia whose words had hung in her throat the moment she heard the barista, Travis, say those words. To spite her and also prevent the loneliness that was going to overshadow me if I said no, I let out a warm smile, picked his hands up again and said a loud long yes. Everyone in the cafe clapped. They seemed happy for us and the butterflies in my belle fluttered.

"What? Were you sent from hell to keep taking men that the universe sent to me?" Tricia was very vexed. "You didn't shoot your shot on time so don't cry.'' I grabbed her remaining coffee that was unattended on the table and drowned the entire content. I don't know how fast the serum worked but I walked out of the cafe cooing Tricia like a baby so she didn't cry in front of everyone. You bet she hates me even more.

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