Chapter 10

Orm's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the door opened and revealed the person standing in front of her.

"Lingling Kwong!" Orm gasped, her voice a mixture of disbelief and incredulity.

She couldn't believe her eyes. Of all people, it was Lingling Kwong who had purchased the house she once owned.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, leaving her speechless.

On the other hand, Lingling's expression shifted from surprise to confusion as she glanced at the girl in front of her.

"What the hell are you doing inside my house?" she asked, her tone a mix of irritation and bewilderment.

"Are you some kind of stalking obsessed fan or something?"

Orm snapped back to her senses and met Lingling's gaze with a mix of anger and defiance.

"This is not your house... It's mine. I live here!"

"I'm not in the mood for pranks." Lingling stated brusquely, her facial expressions remaining as stony as ever.

"If this is some kind of a pathetic joke, just drop it. I'm already in a foul mood."

"Oh, yeah? And when do you ever find yourself in a good mood?" Orm quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Seems like you always find something to be grumpy about."

"And who are you to judge me? You think you know me?"

"You're just a sex addict who somehow became a top-ranking actress," Orm sneered, the disdain clear in her tone. "And your acting is so damn stiff! I can't even fathom how you got this far in the industry."

Lingling's eyes narrowed, her anger rising to a boiling point.

"How dare you!" she seethed, her voice filled with a mixture of fury and outrage. "You have no idea what I've been through to get where I am! And who do you think you are to talk to me like that?"

Orm's confidence grew as she stood her ground against Lingling.

"I'm the former owner of this house, smartass. You bought it without my consent, and I'm not leaving without a fight."

"You're trespassing. This is my property. You.need.to.leave.Now!"

Orm's expression turned vulnerable, and the anger in her voice gave way to a hint of desperation.

"I have nowhere else to go... This house was left to me by my father. I don't have any other place or family to turn to."

"Yeah, I get it," Lingling deadpanned, her tone cold and dispassionate, almost mocking.

"You're in trouble, and it's a sad story. But that's none of my business. I'm not here to provide charity or help you out. This is my house now, and you need to find somewhere else to go."

Orm felt a pang of frustration rise up within her. She was prepared to argue and fight for her right to stay in the house, but Lingling's dismissive attitude made her feel even more powerless.

With a hint of dejection in her voice, she spoke up, her tone tinged with resignation.

"You're really going to throw me out onto the streets?"

Lingling's irritation flared at Orm's words, and her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh, spare me the dramatic talk. Do you really think playing the victim card is going to work on me? I'm not falling for your tears and 'poor me' act."

With a mix of desperation and determination, Orm responded to Lingling.

"If that's what it takes, I'll do it," she said, her voice laced with a hint of pleading. "I'll buy the house back from you if I have to. Just give me some time to sort things out."

"And do you even have the money to buy it back from me?" Lingling asked, her tone dripping with skepticism. "You say you'll buy it, but I doubt you have the funds to do so. You're clearly broke and desperate."

Despite her vulnerable demeanor, Orm couldn't help but feel a flicker of defiance when Lingling questioned her financial situation.

"Excuse me?! I am not broke!" she retorted, her voice rising slightly with a hint of determination. "I am a successful author, and my latest book has been a hit. I do have the funds to buy this place back from you."

Orm knew that deep down, she was far from financially stable.

She had invested most of her money into the renovations of the house, and her bank account was currently nearly empty.

But she refused to let Lingling see her vulnerability.

"I have more than enough money to make a serious offer for this house. Just you wait and see."

Lingling's lips curled into a smirk as she heard Orm's words. She saw right through her false bravado and felt a pang of satisfaction at having the upper hand in the situation.

"Oh, please," she scoffed, her tone dripping with mockery. "You're fooling yourself. You're broke, and we both know it. Keep dreaming, darling."

Orm couldn't help but feel a flicker of shock and...was it a hint of attraction? when Lingling used the term "darling."

"Did you just...call me,'darling'?" she repeated, her voice suddenly a few octaves higher.

Lingling's gaze roamed up and down Orm's body, taking in every inch of her.

"Don't get the wrong idea," she retorted, her voice laced with disdain. "I don't mess around with weirdos. And even if I did, you're not remotely my type."

Orm felt a pang of longing as thoughts of her ideal type... Ying seemed to match the characteristics so far, even if it was a small encounter, Orm felt the spark.

Compared to the cold and distant Lingling, Ying seemed so much more appealing.

With a hint of defiance, she responded to Lingling.

"Don't worry, you're not my type either," she stated, her voice holding a hint of truth. "My ideal woman is kind, funny, and... not a cold, arrogant ass."

Lingling's tone grew cold and dismissive once again.

"Enough of this romantic talk," she interrupted, her voice tinged with irritation.

"I'm not here to discuss relationships. I just want to sleep off my tiredness, and you're in the way. I've already bought this place, and there's nothing you can do about it. So, just leave...NOW."

Orm met Lingling's dismissive tone with a mixture of anger and determination.

"You think you can just snap your fingers and kick me out like that? I lived in this house for years, and I have rights. You may have bought it, but you can't just throw me out like a piece of trash. I'm not leaving."

Lingling stepped forward, closing the distance between her and Orm.

Her expression hardened, the irritation in her features now replaced by a steely resolve.

"You want a fight?" she challenged, her voice dripping with animosity. "You want to stay and defy me? Are you really that stubborn and stupid?"

Orm's back hit the wall behind her as Lingling loomed over her, their bodies only a few inches apart.

The proximity had Orm's heart racing as she felt a mixture of fear and something else, something she couldn't quite place.

Lingling leaned closer, her voice dripping with condescension as she continued, her words tinged with a hint of mockery.

"If you insisted on staying here and wanted the pleasure of my company, you could have asked a little more nicely... I don't like noisy, bratty girls who throw tantrums just because they didn't get their way."

Orm lifted her chin defiantly, locking eyes with Lingling, her voice steady.

"And I don't appreciate being backed into a corner by some self-absorbed, spoiled brat who thinks she can throw her weight around just because she's famous. Do you seriously think the world will bow at your every whim?"

Lingling's tone took on a taunting, almost sultry edge.

"Maybe my charm would work on you, considering your desperate circumstances," she drawled, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Perhaps I could give you a special deal if you're nice and obedient in the bedroom."

Orm recoiled at Lingling's suggestive remark, her expression morphing into one of disgust.

"Ew, no way!" she exclaimed, her tone filled with revulsion. "That's absolutely repulsive. I would rather live on the streets than agree to that! Seriously, what is wrong with you?"

Lingling observed Orm's reaction with a mixture of skepticism and mockery.

"Did you really think I was serious about that?" she asked in a condescending tone. "I was merely mocking you. You're so naive and gullible, honestly. No wonder you lost your house in the first place."

Orm, fueled by a mixture of anger and desperation, raised her hand and slapped Lingling across the face before the latter could even process her actions.

Without a backward glance, she grabbed her luggage and stormed out of the house.

Orm heard Lingling calling out for her, but her pride and stubbornness kept her from looking back.

She had nowhere to go, but she refused to go back to that arrogant woman who had ridiculed her.