The canteen buzzed with the usual morning energy—people moving about, grabbing coffees, chatting in hushed tones about clients and cases. But at one corner, Orm was drowning out all the noise with her never-ending rant, and Becky and Prig had been her unwilling audience for the past half hour.
"Can you believe that woman?" Orm huffed, angrily stirring her coffee for the tenth time, almost spilling it over the table. "The way she just looks at you, like she's already won. She's so smug. I can't stand her face. I swear, if I see her in court one more time, I'm going to—"
"—punch her, throw her off a cliff, curse her for life," Becky interrupted, rolling her eyes so hard it looked painful. "We get it, Orm. She's annoying, cocky, blah, blah, blah. Can we move on?"
Prig snorted, taking a sip of her iced latte. "Yeah, seriously. You've been at this for what—three days now? It's like you lost the case but also lost your mind. Chill."
Orm shot them both a glare. "You don't get it. Lingling Kwong isn't just any regular rival. She's...she's—"
"—stupid, annoying, a jerk, thinks she's better than everyone," Prig cut in mockingly, leaning back in her chair. "Yeah, yeah, we know. You've said it like a hundred times. Hell, you haven't shut up about her since Monday."
Becky sighed, throwing her hands up dramatically. "And it's Thursday !"
Orm crossed her arms, still fuming. "Look, you don't understand. It's not just that I lost. It's her. The way she walks into court like she owns the place, that cocky smile, like she knows I'm about to screw up. She's unbearable."
"Unbearable or just smarter?" Becky muttered under her breath, loud enough for Orm to catch. She looked up and raised an eyebrow, daring Orm to get mad.
Orm scowled, slouching in her chair. "Okay. I know it was my mistake. I'm not stupid. The signature...I missed it, alright? I've been feeling like crap about it for days."
Becky softened a bit and reached out, squeezing Orm's hand. "We know you're not stupid. You're one of the best Orm. But this obsession with Kwong? It's eating you alive. She's in your head so bad she's practically living rent-free. You need to let it go. it's not worth it."
Orm scoffed, her frustration still bubbling just below the surface. "If anything, she's the one obsessed with me showing up in every case against me!"
"Fuck her," Prig said, completely deadpan.
" Exactly!, Fuck her who is she to get on your nerves like this and ruin our day?!" Becky slammed her hand on the table
Prig leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "No like literally....Fuck her."
Becky choked on her coffee, eyes wide as she stared at Prig like she'd lost her mind. "What?!"
Orm nearly spat out her drink, coughing as she stared at her friend in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"
Prig just shrugged, completely unfazed by their reactions." You wanna get her out of your system, right? Blow off some steam. You're wound up tighter than a damn spring, and maybe that's exactly what you need."
"No you're seriously out of your mind" Orm's voice went up an octave as she tried to process what Prig had just suggested. "You want me to...to sleep with her? Lingling Kwong? The woman who makes me want to shove a pin down her throat when she opens it?"
Prig grinned even wider, " Or just shove something... else" she teased staring down at her friend.
Becky shook her head, still staring at Prig like she was insane. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. How is that supposed to help?"
Prig shrugged casually, " All I'm trying to say is, all that tension...it's gotta go somewhere. And maybe the best way to deal with it is...you know..."
Orm threw her hands up, completely exasperated. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard"
Becky finally regained her composure, nodding her head. "Actually, it's not that bad of an idea"
Orm opened her mouth, to protest but, Becky beat her to it, "You're obsessed, babe. Look, you're spending all this energy hating her, but maybe that's just pent-up something else. You're wound up tighter than a drum. Maybe you just need to... release it."
Prig nodded agreeing, " Exactly!, and when was the last time you got laid?"
Orm shot them a confused look. " Is this all because I have been ranting about ther non-stop? You both know damn well that woman makes me want to scream from the top of my lungs"
Becky raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're definitely screaming about her. A lot."
Prig grinned, leaning in closer. "Maybe you're not screaming at her. Maybe you want to scream in her—"
"Don't even finish that sentence," Orm cut her off, already horrified.
But Prig ignored her. "—bed."
Orm threw her hands up, completely exasperated. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I hate her. End of story. No...not...whatever Prig's suggesting."
Prig just smirked, clearly enjoying every second of this. "Ridiculous or not, I'm just trying to help. Think about it."
Becky and Prig had already moved on, talking animatedly about some case Prig needed Becky's help with. They seemed to have dropped the subject, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to suggest that Orm sleep with her sworn enemy.
Orm still sat with her arms crossed, her face twisted into a mix of disbelief and frustration.
How could they even suggest something like that? she thought, staring into her coffee cup. Prig has lost it. And Becky...well, she's not far behind. The audacity. The absolute nerve.
But Orm couldn't let it go. It was eating at her. Finally, without even realizing it, she blurted out, "She's not even my type."
Prig, mid-sentence, froze. She slowly turned to Orm, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, she's still at it?"
Becky, without missing a beat, looked at Orm and then at Prig, and they both burst out in unison, "Honey, she's everyone's type."
Orm rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't pop out of her head. "I'm sorry, she's certainly not mine."
Prig leaned back in her chair, eyes wide in disbelief, as if Orm had just declared the sky was green. "Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You can't stand her. Fine, We get that. But you're trying to tell me...that you don't think she's hot?"
Orm scoffed, taking a sip of her now cold coffee. "Nope. Not at all."
Becky put down her fork and dramatically clutched her chest. "I think now you are the one losing your mind, Orm."
Prig nodded, pointing at Orm with her spoon. "Exactly. You need an eye test or something, girl."
Orm threw her hands up in frustration. "I'm serious! She's...she's not even that attractive. She's all...cold and cocky, arrogant. That's not attractive!"
Prig and Becky exchanged glances, their faces a mix of shock and amusement. Becky slowly raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Not attractive?" she repeated, her voice rising a few octaves.
Prig, never one to miss an opportunity for theatrics, gasped loudly. "Did you hear that, Becky? Did she really just say what I think she said?"
Becky leaned in closer, eyes wide. "Oh, I heard. And I think I just lost all faith in humanity."
Orm groaned, pushing her tray away. "I'm not saying she's...ugly. No one is. She's...okay at best., decent looking"
Prig exclaimed dramatically, " YOU DID NOT!"
Becky smirked, stirring her iced coffee with exaggerated slowness. "Right. And I'm the Queen of England. Please, Orm. The woman walks into a room and people lose their ability to form coherent sentences."
Prig nodded, folding her arms. "Exactly. It's...intriguing honestly."
Becky leaned in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Intriguing? Try hot as hell."
Orm snorted, rolling her eyes " Now you two are exaggerating and being silly"
Becky shook her head. "Orm, sweetie, denial is not a good look on you. Just admit it. Lingling is objectively hot."
"Objectively," Prig added for emphasis, pointing at Orm with her fork. "You don't have to like her, but don't deny reality."
Orm, refusing to back down, leaned forward, her face scrunched up in defiance. "Well I'm sorry, if I don't find your girl crush attractive.."
Prig smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Okay, fine. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Orm slammed her hands on the table, her face a mix of frustration and annoyance. "That's it! I'm done with this conversation"
She stood up, grabbing her coffee cup with an exaggerated huff.
" I'm going back to my office. And for the last time—Lingling Kwong is not my type and she will never ever be"
She started walking away, stomping out of the canteen, her muttering barely under her breath as her thoughts spiraled. "Kwong, my type? Sure. As if," she scoffed, practically glaring at the floor.
Approaching the elevators, Orm's eyes caught the door and... oh, great. There, standing like the world revolves around her, was Lingling Kwong. Orm froze mid-step, her eyes narrowing.
Lingling was laughing at something the guy in front of her said, casually resting her hand in her pocket, dressed head-to-toe in a sharp black suit, sunglasses perched on her nose. Who wears sunglasses? Inside? Orm thought in disgust, rolling her eyes.
Lingling was practically radiating confidence—or, as Orm liked to call it, pure arrogance.
She kept glaring as she tried to figure it out. "In what way, people think she's hot?," Orm muttered under her breath, scowling.
Her eyes drifted back to Lingling, who was still laughing like an idiot, looking completely unbothered and obnoxiously attractive—wait, no, not attractive, Orm corrected herself. "Just stupid," she added to herself with a smile.
Walking even closer, more determined to prove to herself that there was absolutely nothing hot about this woman. Not her suit, not her confidence, not her ridiculous laugh. But somehow, her eyes kept lingering .....Nope, still an asshole.
Orm didn't even realize how creepy it might've looked to others that passing around seeing, the way she was staring.
Just as Orm was continuing her observing, Suddenly Lingling was waving goodbye to the guy and turned walking toward her. Orm's heart did a backflip, and she quickly spun around, walking faster, her heels clicking loudly against the floor
She can't have seen me, Orm practically leapt into the elevator, smashing the "close door" button repeatedly like her life depended on it. Come on, come on, come on!
But, of course, a hand stopped the doors just in time. Orm's face fell. No, no, no.
Orm's heart sank the moment Lingling's hand stopped the elevator door. She grumbled to herself, pressing as far into the corner as possible, feeling suffocated just from the presence of her.
Lingling, ever the picture of cool arrogance, stepped inside like she owned the entire building. She slid off her sunglasses, took one long, drawn-out look at Orm, then chuckled softly under her breath. Orm already wanted to strangle her.
"Fancy seeing you here, Kornnaphat," Lingling purred, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Orm clenched her jaw, already annoyed. Of course, she's got something to say. "It's an elevator Kwong"
Lingling just chuckled, leaning against the elevator wall as if she were at some casual rooftop bar. "Relax, I'm just making small talk. No need to be so defensive."
"I'm not defensive," Orm shot back way too quickly.
Lingling tilted her head, clearly still amused. "You're so wound up. You should relax more."
Orm shot her a death glare. "Don't tell me what to do."
Orm bit her tongue, eyes firmly fixed on the elevator buttons. She was not going to let Lingling get under her skin today. Not again.
But, of course, Lingling wasn't done. "You know," she began, voice low and full of arrogance, "it must be exhausting."
Orm sighed, not bothering to look at her. "What?"
"Trying to keep up with me." Lingling's grin grew wider. "I mean, I'm practically unbeatable in court. And you? Well, you gave it a good shot, I guess."
Orm's fists clenched. This woman... "I wasn't 'trying to keep up' with you. I just—"
"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Lingling interrupted, her voice all mock sympathy. "You'll get there one day sweetie. Maybe. If you work hard enough."
Orm could feel her blood boiling. Lingling was so full of herself it was almost unbearable. "You're unbelievable," Orm muttered under her breath.
Lingling smirked. "I've been told that before. In different better contexts, though."
Orm rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might get stuck. three more floors, just three more floors and I'm free.
But then, just as the elevator dinged and Lingling was about to step out, she paused,"By the way, it looks like you devoured one hell of a tiramisu."
Orm froze, mid-step, confusion wrinkling her brow. "What...?"
She looked up, blinking at Lingling in confusion, wondering how the hell she knew what she'd eaten. Lingling just flashed a grin, stepped out of the elevator, and sauntered away.. Was she spying on me? God, did she our crazy conversation?!
Then, she caught a glimpse of herself in the elevator's reflective walls. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned closer, and that's when she saw it: a huge smear of tiramisu on her chin.
Her face turned beet red in an instant.
"OH MY GOD!" Orm groaned out loud, immediately wiping at her face like she could somehow undo the embarrassment.
Just for her luck, Lingling's laugh echoed back from the hallway, clearly having seen the whole thing. "Catch you later, Kornnaphat!" she called, her voice filled with that signature smugness.
Orm wanted to crawl into a hole. Or maybe punch a wall. Or both.
That jerk!