Fenix leaned heavily on his crutches as he made his way through the long hallway and into his bedroom. He fumbled for the light switch for a few seconds before making his way to his pod but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

  Curious about who was calling, he hobbled over to his desk where his phone y. As he checked the caller ID, a frown formed on his face upon seeing Camille's name.

  He could have sworn he had blocked Camille's number, but it seemed like he had forgotten to do so. It appeared that now was the best time to remedy that. But then an idea struck him.

  This was a perfect opportunity to catch her admitting to what she had done and pnned for him. Without wasting any time, Fenix opened his recording app. With a deep breath, he answered the call.

  "Hello," he said, his tone cold and distant.

  "Fefe, why did it take you so long to answer? I have great news to share! I was once again the star of Family Kitchen. Everyone loved my cooking as expected," Camille babbled on about her success on the show.

  As Fenix listened, he realized that he had finally taken off his rose-colored gsses when it came to Camille. He could see her for who she truly was: a self-absorbed bitch. Before, he would have brushed off her ck of concern for him as just being passionate about her own achievements, but now he saw her true intentions. He felt foolish for ever trusting her.

  After five minutes of Camille boasting about herself and the compliments she received from the judges, she finally noticed Fenix's silence.

  “Are you alright? Why did you leave the show?” she inquired. Her tone was filled with curiosity. But Fenix could sense it was just an afterthought.

  "I had no choice," Fenix replied bluntly.

  "You had no choice? What do you mean?"

  A bitter ugh escaped his lips. "Because if I didn't quit, I might have been doused in boiling oil again."

  There was stunned silence on the other end of the phone. Camille spoke up, genuine concern cing her voice. Fenix knew she must have switched on her acting skills to the max. "Who would do such a thing?"

  Fenix couldn't help but let out a harsh, sarcastic ugh.

  “Fefe, you don’t think I had anything to do with it, do you?” she asked.

  “No, I don’t think you had anything to do with it,” he said, his voice sharp as a bde. “I know you did!”

  “Fefe,” she started but was cut off by Fenix.

  “Don’t ‘Fefe’ me! All these years, you had me fooled. But not anymore. I can’t believe I ever trusted you,” Fenix yelled, his anger boiling over.

  "Fenix, I have no idea what you're talking about," Camille responded, her voice turning snide and condescending - the same tone he had heard in the hospital.

  Fenix's grip tightened around his phone, his knuckles turning white. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

  "Do I?" Camille mocked.

  “Don’t py dumb! Just because I was getting attention on the show, you resorted to such despicable means to hurt me. You’re disgusting!” Fenix’s fury was audible.

  "Let's say I did everything you accused me of. What would be my reason? We're friends after all," she retorted, her tone now friendly.

  Fenix felt a surge of frustration knowing that she was likely aware he could be recording their conversation. "You lying bitch!" he spat out, unable to contain his anger any longer. "I know it was you and one day I will make you pay."

  "You'll need evidence for that," she giggled in a way that sent shivers down his spine. "And I know you don't have any."

  "You're right. But there are other ways to get revenge."

  She responded with a dismissive ugh, "Like what?"

  "Oh, I don't know, maybe taking something you hold dear?" Fenix's voice dripped with malice.

  "What do you mean by that?" Camille's voice turned cautious.

  "I heard from a little birdie that you have your eyes on the Golden Pot. I wonder how you'd feel if someone else got it first," Fenix said, his voice oozing with spite.

  Without waiting for a response, he abruptly ended the call and made sure to block her number this time.

  ~

  Camille gazed at her phone, still trembling from the conversation she had just had. As she processed Fenix's words, her eyes narrowed in anger. She flung the phone across the room, relishing the satisfying sound of it hitting the wall and shattering the screen as it fell to the ground.

  She paced back and forth, muttering to herself. "How did he find out about my pn? And the Golden Pot?" Her mind raced, trying to figure out who could have leaked the information.

  "Mrs. Yu," she gritted between clenched teeth, her anger bubbling up uncontrolbly.

  With a sudden burst of rage, she let out a loud scream and kicked over a nearby chair. Her fury continued to consume her as she knocked over every object in her path until she was finally exhausted and out of breath. Taking deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down and regain control.

  Looking around at the mess now scattered across the room, she steeled herself with determination. "I won't let you beat me again. I will win the Golden Pot." she thought fiercely, fueled by memories of all the times she had come in second to him. "But first, I need to figure out how to get rid of that bastard."

  A cunning grin appeared on her face as a pn took shape in her head. He wouldn't be able to compete in the Golden Pot if he was banned from pying. She had someone in mind who could assist her with making that happen, but she needed to discover his in-game username first.

  Her thoughts turned to Maya. "That idiot," she thought with contempt. Maya was close to Fenix and could be easily maniputed. Camille's smile widened as she realized how she could use Maya to get the information she needed.

  With a pn forming in her mind, Camille felt a sense of control returning. "Fenix," she whispered with resolve, "you won't even see it coming."