Novel Squares
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
“What are you blabbering about?” Howard darkened his face, a storm brewing behind his eyes.
“Whoa there, someone’s touchy. But I’ve got proof.” He whipped out his phone and tapped on a group chat. “Sent by Jeannie.”
One look at the screen and Howard turned stone cold. In the photo, Howard was pinned down by Gwendolyn, the lighting dim and the vibe undeniably suggestive.
“She’s shared this with quite a crowd.” Nathan waved his phone, a smirk on his face. “She said you are all talk and need Gwendolyn to take charge. Love bites, huh? You two sure have a wild side to calling them bruises.”
Howard struggled to contain his rage, itching to give Jeannie a piece of his mind.
“Are you done?” Howard’s voice dropped an icy octave.
Nathan shook his head, “Dude, you can’t ignore this problem. I know Gwendolyn’s a whiz in the medical field, but even she might blush at this…”
He sneakily pulled out a little blue pill from his pocket, “I’m the real friend here, didn’t I? Tore off the label so nobody would see. Don’t be shy, man.”
“Get out!”
Howard’s anger was palpable. “Take your filthy stuff and get out of my house.”
The pill skittered under the bed, scattering across the floor.
Nathan hastily bent over to pick them up, blowing off the dust with a pained expression, “You’re wasting a miracle! I went through hell and back to get these. Just pop one and you’ll be the man of the hour, a true…”
“Out!”
“Howard, your pride’s gonna kill you. It’s no big deal if you got issues…”
Bang! A water glass flew from Howard’s hand.
“Easy! I’m outta here.”
In the living room, Gwendolyn answered her phone with a frosty, “Hello?” Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
“Gwendolyn, why’d you bail so early last night?” Mamie’s contrived voice filtered through, “I was worried sick about you. And who was that man you left with?”
Gwendolyn fired back, “Do you really even care about me?”
“Of course, we’re roommates.” Mamie’s insincerity oozed through the phone. If it weren’t for Scott’s hefty cash offer, she wouldn’t bother with Gwendolyn, the country bumpkin.
“I thought you were closer to Scott. All that flirting at the party, what’s your angle?” Gwendolyn
11:38
recalled their over–eager camaraderie.
“Gwendolyn, are you misunderstanding something? Scott wanted to confess to you last night, 1…”
“No misunderstanding. Don’t invite me to any more parties. In fact, let’s not keep in touch.”
Gwendolyn hung up without another word. She pondered for a moment before leaving the class group chat.
Back in the dorm.
Mamie was twisted with rage, muttering venomously, “What a piece of work! How dare a mistress shout at me?”
After seething for a while, her phone beeped with several texts, which were credit card
companies demanding payment. She was livid. If her contacts leaked, her faux–rich–girl facade at school would crumble.
Damn that Gwendolyn! Just you wait!
Mamie too had snagged an internship at Bayridge Hospital, and she was hell–bent on ruining Gwendolyn. Mamie vowed to tarnish her reputation, ensuring Gwendolyn would lose her internship and even her diploma!
Oblivious to Mamie’s fury, Gwendolyn felt a weight lift off her chest after the call.
She wasn’t one for socializing and never aimed for close ties with classmates. This party was
an eye–opener.
“Finished your call?” Nathan’s voice floated down from the staircase.
“Yeah, you guys done talking?” Gwendolyn had given up on correcting Nathan’s term of endearment.
Nathan stuffed his hands in his pockets, pausing before saying, “Bayridge City is all glitz and glam, but the underbelly’s filthy. With a bit of those drinks that look like innocent juice, you’re hooked. So many naive girls get trapped.”