Chapter 16

Lingling, her heart racing and her thoughts in turmoil, stood frozen for a moment.

The sight of Orm with Ying felt like a punch to the gut, leaving her feeling betrayed and hurt.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Lingling managed to speak, her voice cool and measured.

"Well, isn't this a lovely sight," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Care to explain what the hell is going on here?"

Orm flushed from the interrupted kiss, looked at Lingling in a daze, her mouth opening and closing in speechless shock.

Ying, regaining her composure, met Lingling's intense gaze head-on, her hand still lingering on Orm's back.

Her response was calm, matter-of-fact, with a hint of challenge, "What does it look like?"

Lingling looked from Orm, who seemed flustered and guilty, to Ying, who stood there without a hint of shame.

"I think I'd like an explanation," she repeated, her voice tight and controlled.

"Because from where I'm standing, it looks like 'my girlfriend' is hooking up with someone else in my own home."

Orm swallowed hard, her eyes darting between Lingling and Ying.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words she managed to form were quickly swallowed up by the weight of the situation.

"Looks can be deceiving," Ying retorted, her voice a soft taunt.

"Perhaps you shouldn't jump to conclusions easily."

Lingling, her ego bruised and her jealousy ignited, finally snapped.

"Oh, spare me the bullshit," she retorted, her voice rising with anger.

"What else am I supposed to conclude from seeing you two all over each other? You can dance around the truth all you want, but it's pretty clear what's going on here."

Orm, caught in the crossfire of the heated conversation, looked like a deer in headlights. Her heart raced as the argument escalated.

She glanced nervously between the two women, unsure of what to say or do.

Ying, on the other hand, her smirk did not wave.

She took a step closer to Lingling, her voice laced with a hint of malice.

"You've been gone all day. What did you expect Orm to do? Sit here and pine for you? She's not a piece of furniture, you know. She has needs."

Lingling's eyes narrowed, her patience reaching its limits.

She stepped closer, her voice low and tinged with anger.

"Needs, huh? And who are you to fulfill those 'needs'? Do you think you can just waltz in here and take what's mine?"

With a quick move, Lingling grabbed hold of Ying's wrist, her fingers digging into the flesh.

As much as Lingling's rational mind was reminding her that her relationship with Orm was fake, her ego and pride wouldn't allow her to just stand there while another woman taunted and challenged her.

She gripped Ying's wrist tighter, her voice filled with a mix of anger and possessiveness.

"You know, I don't know whether to be more furious or amused," she said, her voice cold and steely.

"Furious that you've got the nerve to do this in my own home, or amused that you think you have a claim on what's mine."

Ying, relishing the tension in the air, couldn't resist adding a jab.

Her smirk widened as she sneered, "Jealous, are we? Orm must mean a lot more to you than some of your... Oh, how should I put it? Past flings."

Lingling's voice was firm and edged with anger as she retorted,

"That's none of your business. Whatever is between me and her is strictly our concern, not yours."

Lingling, turning her gaze to Orm, who had been quietly watching the exchange, spoke now with biting sarcasm.

"Here I thought you, poor Orm, were starving after a long day of housework, but it looks like you've already had your fill for the day, haven't you?"

Ying, sensing an opportunity to get under Lingling's skin, interjected with a smug smile

"We were just about to start on the main course, but you interrupted us. Quite unfortunate, really."

Lingling's anger, already simmering, flared at Ying's words.

"Oh, you think you're being clever, don't you? But you're just a homewrecker, trying to sow discord."

Lingling's grip on Ying's wrist tightened, her eyes fixated on the woman.

"As for you," Lingling spat, turning her gaze to Orm, "I thought you would've at least had the decency to keep it in your pants while I was away."

Orm, caught in the middle of the argument, felt a pang of guilt and fear. She was overwhelmed by the intense exchange between Lingling and Ying. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Lingling's fierce expression and angry words stung like a whip. Orm couldn't help but flinch. She couldn't believe things had come to this. She thought she was just having a little fun, but now she was standing between two furious women, feeling like a mouse between two tigers.

"I... I..." Orm stuttered, her voice shaky and small.

Ying, sensing the power she held in the situation, couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. Her smirk widened as she watched the confrontation unfold.

She looked Lingling straight in the eye and said in a mocking tone, "Oh, look at you, playing the possessive girlfriend now. That's quite a change from your usual 'noncommitted' MO, isn't it?"

Lingling's patience officially snapped. She felt a surge of possessiveness and protectiveness over what she considered hers, even if her relationship with Orm was fake.

With a swift, almost predatory move, Lingling yanked Ying closer by the wrist and shoved her hard against the wall, her other hand gripping the collar of Ying's shirt.

"Don't you dare talk about me like you know me," Lingling said, her voice dripping with anger. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Ying, caught off guard by the sudden grab, winced as her back hit the wall. She could see the anger and possession in Lingling's eyes, but she refused to back down.

"Oh please," she retorted, her voice a mix of mockery and familiarity. "Don't act like you're suddenly some possessive, doting girlfriend. I know you better than anyone else. I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

Lingling, her expression hardening at Ying's words, let out a dry laugh.

"You're my best friend, huh? Then how come you're the one getting handsy with 'my' girlfriend right now?"

Lingling's grip on Ying's collar tightened as she fixed her with a sharp glare.

"Last time I checked, friends don't go around trying to poach each other's partners."

As Lingling's anger burned hotter, her grip on Ying's collar tightened, cutting off her airway and making it increasingly difficult for her to breathe.

Ying's eyes widened in surprise and fear as she tried to gasp for air, but the pressure on her throat was unyielding. Her hands instinctively tried to claw at Lingling's grip, but to no avail.

Orm, who had been silently watching the escalating drama, suddenly found her voice.

"Lingling!" she cried out, her voice filled with a mix of horror and desperation. "Enough, please! You're hurting her!"

Lingling finally released her grip on Ying, allowing her to gasp for air and slump against the wall. The room fell into a tense silence as Lingling then turned her attention to Orm.

She marched into Orm's bedroom, grabbed a small bag, and quickly stuffed some belongings into it. With a hard expression and a clenched jaw, she emerged from the room and made a beeline for the front door. Tossing the bag at Orm, her voice was cold and final.

"Here, take your stuff. It's time for you to get the hell out of here."

Orm, her voice quivering with a mixture of fear and pleading, rushed to explain herself as Lingling was about to open the front door.

"Lingling, please, listen to me," she cried out, pleading with Lingling not to leave. "It's not what you think, I swear. I have nowhere else to go. You know that."

Lingling, her jaw clenched in anger, whirled around to face Orm.

"Nowhere to go? Don't give me that nonsense. You're an adult, figure it out!" she snapped. "And if you're so desperate to have a place to stay, go live with Ying. It's clear you two are pretty cozy with each other."

With a final, firm shove, Lingling pushed both Orm and Ying out of the house, shutting the door behind them. The sound of the door closing echoed in the air, signaling a clear end to the conversation.

Lingling leaned against the door for a moment, trying to maintain her composure. The audacity of Orm and Ying was infuriating. She couldn't believe the situation had escalated so quickly and was now being left to deal with its aftermath.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself away from the door and started pacing the room, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions.

********

As they stood outside the house, Orm turned toward Ying and looked at her with concern. Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed the redness around Ying's neck where Lingling had grabbed her collar.

"Are you alright?" Orm asked, her voice filled with worry. "You seem pretty hurt. Your neck is all red."

Ying, trying to downplay the seriousness of her condition, gave a weak smile.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it," she said, her voice slightly strained. "It's just a little redness. It'll fade in a few days. I've been through worse."

Orm sighed, guilt and regret creeping into her voice.

"I guess we did mess up big time," she murmured, looking at the ground. "I just didn't think it would escalate like this... I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess, Ying."

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Ying managed a small smile and joked,

"Yeah, we probably deserve an Oscar for our performance back there. We were pretty damn convincing, weren't we?"

Orm, still feeling a pang of guilt, nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... I think we were," she said, her voice tinged with regret. "But I can't help feeling bad about all this. It wasn't supposed to go down like this..."

Ying looked at Orm, her expression unreadable.

"Don't tell me you're feeling guilty now," she quipped, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "You were the one who insisted on it, remember?"

Ying, still rubbing at her sore throat, looked at Orm and said,

"I have to admit, I didn't expect Lingling to be this furious," she said thoughtfully. "It seems your assumptions were spot on."

Ying, trying to diffuse the tension and find humor in the situation, let out a light chuckle.

"You know, this whole situation is kind of ridiculous when you think about it. We weren't even really kissing, just faking it, and I almost got choked to death. Who knew acting was so dangerous?"