Anna's eyes practically sparkled—and her stomach gave an undignified growl—at the photo Betty had just posted: a plate of golden fried chicken and steaming dumplings, the sauce glistening as if it had been staged for a food commercial. Betty and Shawn sat grinning at the food stall, soda cans clinking together in a little toast.
'Ugh.' Anna's chest tightened with dramatic envy. 'Why am I not there?'
She pictured herself at that table, stealing a dumpling before Shawn could notice, laughing with Betty on her birthday. Instead, she was stuck here—thanks to a certain someone who'd decided that her room was the perfect place to set up camp.
"You two have fun. Happy birthday again, Betty. Sorry I couldn't make it," Anna typed quickly, pouting at her phone screen before hitting send. With a sigh, she tossed the phone aside and crossed her arms.
