I knew it would come eventually. The backlash. The jealous outbreaks. The grasp for my demise. Yet, despite preparing myself, I am still left a bit shaken. I won't let anyone see it though. I will shrug at it, feign disinterest and hope they don't notice. The less I care, the less chance they have of hurting me, right? But what if it's already too late. What if the machinations being concocted behind my back have already gone too far? There must be a way for me to find out. Being caught off guard is almost as bad as being defeated. I have to carefully anticipate the next step. Make my move before they make theirs. Every next action counts.
