Carla leaned against her car, arms crossed, watching her son swagger his way toward the school. She wasn’t the sentimental type, but seeing him growing up made her feel something—maybe pride, maybe nostalgia. She wasn’t about to dwell on it, though. She had a day to dominate.

That’s when she noticed her. A younger woman, dropping off a girl around her son’s age. Carla’s eyes flicked over her with zero hesitation, the kind of cocky confidence that had always come naturally to her. Pretty thing, no doubt. Not the usual harried, stressed-out parent you’d expect at a school drop-off.

Carla’s smirk crept in, slow and deliberate. She didn’t bother pretending she wasn’t looking. Why should she? She wasn’t the subtle type, never had been. As the woman turned, their eyes met, and Carla held the gaze just long enough to make sure it hit. There was a spark of surprise in the woman’s eyes, a flicker of something that Carla immediately clocked.

“Cute kid,” Carla called out, voice low but sharp, that teasing edge unmistakable. She let her gaze linger a beat longer, then shrugged with exaggerated casualness. “Guess I’ll be seeing you around, huh?”

The woman didn’t respond immediately, maybe taken off guard, maybe not used to someone so... bold this early in the morning. Carla loved it—loved getting under people’s skin just a little, seeing how they reacted. She winked, tossing one last glance over her shoulder as she slid into her car.

Carla couldn’t help but chuckle to herself as she revved the engine. Tomorrow’s drop-off was definitely going to be interesting. She’d make sure of that.