Jelena stirred her fruit punch, the ice clinking against the glass, "Honestly, I only heard about her through our old school friends' group chat. She was too naive, too fragile for the cutthroat world of showbiz."
A melancholic smile crept across Aurelia's face as she said, "I still remember the first time I saw Chloe. She was wearing this light blue dress, looking like a nymph straight out of a fairy tale. So sunny, so cheerful, she was the epitome of youth. I always thought she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever laid eyes on. Who would've thought a heartbreak could shatter her so completely that she couldn't find her way back?"
A shadow of sorrow passed through Jelena's eyes.
"She was just too foolish. There are plenty of fish in the sea, why get hung up on one and let it ruin you?" Jelena said nonchalantly.
"And what about you?" Aurelia shot back, "You know Fredric's a jerk, the one who broke Chloe's heart, and yet you stay with him? If Chloe could see you from heaven, she'd be heartbroken all over again."
Jelena offered a rueful smile, replying, "I just think if he's willing to turn over a new leaf, I should give him a chance."
"He'll never change. A leopard can't change its spots. His womanizing ways are in his DNA."
As Aurelia spoke, Jelena's phone rang, an urgent call from Joyce's family.
They had gone to the cemetery to pay their respects to Joyce and found her grave desecrated.
Jelena and Aurelia hurried to the scene.
The headstone was splattered with black paint, meant to resemble blood, and the ashes were scattered among the bushes, a despicable act of contempt.
Joyce's mother was on her knees, wailing with grief.
"My poor baby Joyce, who could do such a thing? Not even in death can you find peace."
The police had been alerted by Joyce's brother.
Jelena trembled with rage, "How could this happen? Who would do such a thing?"
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