Mrs Alpha

Edwards Manor.

The whimpering sounds were heard as a slap landed on Marceline's face, forcing her to lose balance.

She staggered, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide with shock and pain. The room fell silent, the weight of the moment hanging in the air like a thick fog.

The servants began to murmur and gossip among themselves.

"The high and mighty princess' tantrums have begun."

"Is Marceline pretending to be nice, or is she that dense?"

"I detest Juniper so much!"

"She's always so jealous of Marceline; that's why she's bitter."

"It's your fault! You ruined my only chance of getting admitted into the seniors' crew!" Juniper's eyes flickered with fury and hatred.

Marceline got up from the ground, cleaning the dirt off her dress with a smirk lingering on her face.

Today Juniper was the victim, with every act and display exaggerated.

She chuckled mockingly, clutching her belly in a pretense of uncontrollable laughter. "Never show your enemy how weak you are," she reminded herself, the amusement fading from her eyes.

Marceline retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm, "Obviously, you've overestimated yourself, setting your standards too high. The position wasn't yours in the first place."

Juniper's eyes flashed with embarrassment, pointing at Marceline, she said sharply, "That position is for a 'nobody' like you!"

Marceline smiled insincerely, "And yet you're almost crying for losing it to me?"

Juniper's gaze was like sharp arrows, staring at Marceline, giving off a dangerous aura, "Who knows what you did with Coach Travis, to wheedle that position out of him?"

Marceline crossed her arms confidently, her tone cold, "Only dirty people would think everyone is like them. Accept it Juniper, you lost to me."

Juniper subtly puffed out her chest, carrying herself with an unmistakable aura of pride, "Just like you lost your man to me. Heh! I beat you to it."

Marceline chuckled softly to herself, "You can keep feeding off my scrap, you can damage me, dent me. But I assure you, you're never going to beat me."

Juniper clenched her fists tightly, her chest heaving with anger. Staring at the sly smile on Marceline's face, she wished she could wipe it all off at once.

The door to the grand living room opened with a creak, Lady Hazel stepped in, her presence commanding attention. Draped in an elegant dress, she scrutinized the situation with her chin held high.

Her voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy atmosphere, "What's going on here?"

The servants fell silent, their whispers dying down as they sensed the tension escalating.