Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 211
"Is it... Is it because of Karlos?"
Maya smiled at Janice.
"That's right."
Janice swallowed a mouthful of her drink... She had an inkling of what Maya had done.
"So you gave me the job quota so I would leave town and you could have Karlos all to yourself."
"Pfft—haha!" Maya burst out laughing.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand. I gave you the job quota because you told me you wanted to work in Maynila. You wanted to experience the capital. We were friends, and I wanted to help you."
"You did?" Janice was stupefied. They hadn't been particularly close enough for Maya to do something so generous.
"Hm," Maya nodded smoothly.
In truth, Maya was lying. What Janice said was completely accurate, Maya had perceived her as a threat back then. She had been terrified that Janice and Karlos were growing closer, so she decided to subtly push her out of town and off to Maynila.
Maya had never intended to leave Una Town in the first place, so giving up the job quota had meant very little to her.
Once she successfully convinced Janice to leave, Maya made her move with Karlos, and things progressed quickly until they became a couple and eventually married.
"Then, I... If Karlos back then had chosen... No, never mind." Janice shook her head, realizing she was merely indulging in "what ifs." It was useless to dwell on hypothetical scenarios that would never come to pass.
Maya listened in silence, though she slightly crumpled the aluminum soda can in her grip.
'Bitch, Karlos was only being nice to you back then because you saved his life. If not for your sharp vision, my husband wouldn't be alive today. Giving you my job quota was my way of settling that debt. Don't overstep your boundaries, Karlos is mine.'
Maya's scheme had worked flawlessly, eliminating the threat by handing Janice the job quota. She didn't regret a single thing, in fact, she almost felt like thanking Janice.
Karlos was handsome and naturally warm toward Janice, leading everyone back then to assume he was interested in her. Maya had absolutely hated that assumption.
The two women carried on with a shallow conversation after that. Maya could tell Janice was still battling internal conflict, and she wanted to resolve it before it escalated into a real issue.
"Janice, did you know that so many of our former classmates are jealous of you?"
"Really?"
"I'm not lying. They might hide it, but they're envious that you got the chance to work at a prestigious school in Maynila. You also earn four times the average salary of a teacher here in Una Town."
Maya assumed Janice was making 50,000 pesos a month like everyone else believed. The misunderstanding wouldn't be cleared up unless Janice spoke the truth, but Janice desperately wanted to maintain her reputation as the top student of their batch. She had achieved what the others couldn't.
"I guess you're right," Janice nodded thoughtfully.
"You should reach out to our old classmates. I'm sure you'll see the envy in their eyes."
"Envy..." Janice muttered softly.
Just yesterday, she had been bitterly jealous of Maya's life. Having a handsome husband, adorable children, and a beautiful home was everything Janice had ever dreamed of, and Maya had achieved it all.
However, she hadn't realized that other people were looking at her with the exact same envy. Janice had only realized it today.
"I see..."
She actually loved the idea. It felt gratifying to know her former classmates envied her position. It proved she hadn't made the wrong choice after all!
"I have the contact numbers for our old classmates. You can reach out to them if you want," Maya said with a subtle smile, handing a slip of paper to Janice.
'Stay away from my family. I don't care if you want to play house with our old classmates, as long as your focus is off my husband,' Maya thought coldly.
"I'll invite them over to my house tomorrow. You should come too, Maya. Please show up," Janice said as she excused herself.
"See you tomorrow," Maya waved.
As Janice's figure gradually vanished down the road, Maya's pleasant expression turned serious.
"I wonder if that's enough? I want her to leave town and never come back. I need to make sure she stays focused on returning to Maynila."
Maya confirmed that Janice still harbored lingering feelings for Karlos, though they were no longer as deep as before. Janice prioritized her own vanity over pursuing Karlos, which put Maya's mind at ease.
Once Janice was out of sight, Maya headed toward the beach. She was carrying three cans of non-carbonated orange juice for Karlos and the twins.
As she drew closer, however, Maya clicked her tongue in annoyance upon seeing Karlos chugging a bottle of beer while the twins held the kite string.
"Mama!"
Arabella spotted Maya first and came running toward her. She had missed her mother despite being apart for only an hour.
Naturally, Iñigo ran over to hug his mother as well. He let go of the kite string, letting the line slip away into the breeze. Karlos, exercising his quick reflexes, snagged the line right before the wind could sweep the kite away entirely.
"Did you miss Mama?"
"Yes!"
"I brought something for you guys."
She opened the cans and handed them to the twins. Arabella and Iñigo weren't used to drinking straight from cans, but they thoroughly enjoyed the treats anyway.
"Babe, do you want some orange juice?" Maya asked Karlos.
"I'm good with my beer," Karlos replied, raising his bottle slightly.
"Yeah, I figured as much," Maya sighed softly. It looked like she would have to drink the extra can herself.
"Babe, Janice invited me over for dinner tomorrow. She invited our old classmates too."
"Okay, go have fun tomorrow."
'I'd much rather spend that time having fun with you, but I suppose I'll play along with Janice tomorrow,' Maya thought to herself.
...
...
...
The following day, Maya and her former classmates visited Janice's home. Their batch mates were deeply impressed seeing Janice dressed in elegant, expensive clothes. Janice entertained them with stories of life in Maynila and showed off photos of her university campus.
Janice savored the subtle jealousy visible on her classmates' faces, which instantly boosted her confidence... She truly hadn't made a mistake by leaving town. She was doing far better than the rest of them.
Janice stole a glance at Maya, but Maya maintained a completely indifferent expression, leaving Janice slightly disappointed. Ah well, Janice would be returning to Maynila in four days anyway, so it didn't particularly matter.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]