Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Ten minutes later, Quinlyn came downstairs.
Beatrice was chatting with Yalena, looking surprisingly chill. The Guzman couple was out.
The Narrator said, [Chancey had gone to the hospital, and the Guzman parents went with him. Now, only Beatrice, Yarden, and Yalena were home. Beatrice was talking about Quinlyn, her street punk boyfriend, and her terrible grades. Yalena started plotting.]
Quinlyn silently gave the narrator a thumbs-up. She had guessed that Beatrice would share her cringeworthy stories with Yalena. As for Yalena’s plans, Quinlyn had a hunch.
Even with just Beatrice and Yarden around, Yalena got up and smiled warmly at Quinlyn, “Come on, Quinlyn, eat up. You will be exhausted from shopping and dress fittings.”
生
TH
Quinlyn nodded, and then changed the subject. “Mom, Yarden, since you’re free, come with us. We’ll find you something nice. I remember Dad wanted a perfect suit.”
#
Beatrice and Yarden’s faces lit up. Beatrice hesitated a bit, but Yarden was thrilled. The Guzmans were taking them shopping; no way they’d go cheap.
Yalena looked confused. If Beatrice were Quinlyn’s mother, Yalena would tag along. It wouldn’t be her embarrassment anyway. But the truth was vice versa. She turned and saw Quinlyn smiling at her.
Quinlyn knew well what was in Yalena’s mind. Because of Beatrice and Yarden, Quinlyn had been in situations where people watched, criticized, and compared her before.
It was Yalena’s turn to suffer all the embarrassment. If someone asked for details, Quinlyn would tell the truth. It depended on whether Yalena could handle it.
Yalena and Quinlyn made eye contact and then quickly looked away. But Yalena felt uneasy. Quinlyn’s eyes seemed to know everything. Yalena remembered what Beatrice had told her earlier. She bit her lip. She’d just let it go for today. After all, her coming-of-age ceremony was almost here.
The clothes shopping was peaceful because Yalena made an excuse to leave halfway through. As for the gown, she told Quinlyn to go home and wait.
Without Yalena, Beatrice and Yarden went wild, since the Guzman family was paying. Beatrice bought several outfits, shoes, watches, and accessories for Yarden.
Quinlyn nodded in approval nearby.
Yarden got all smug. He wished every day were this good.
Beatrice played it smart. She skipped most clothes but bought a lot of jewelry. She knew not to stick around too long; it was bad. Jewelry was a safe bet. The clothes were too expensive, so she planned to share Quinlyn’s wardrobe.
While Beatrice and Yarden were busy picking clothes, Quinlyn quietly tapped on her phone.
When Beatrice showed up, she saw Quinlyn reading comics.
Beatrice scolded, “How can you read this stuff at your age? Look at Yalena, then look at you. Oh, and I heard Yalena’s fiancé will propose on her birthday. Don’t mess it up. Hey, I’m talking to you. Listen up!”
Quinlyn looked up, brow knitted. “Her fiancé?”
Beatrice’s face shifted a bit. “Yeah, they’ve known each other since they were kids, and both families are cool with it.”
1/3
Chapter 8
Beatrice only found out last night. Yalena’s fiancé was from a big-name family in Southelle, the Fletcher family. Yalena’s got luck and she married well, too.
Whether it was an arranged marriage or not, it was not important since Yalena and her fiancé were in love.
After going on a bit, Beatrice went back to shopping, happy as ever.
After Beatrice left, Quinlyn quietly opened another app, picked some numbers, and bet all her cash. She couldn’t stick around the Guzman residence long, so she planned her exit early.
After choosing, she put her phone down, lips twisting. She murmured, “Fiancé… Yalena’s fiancé. Humph. Wish them all the happiness.”
14
107
After shopping and heading home, it was dark. The three stepped outside. Beatrice was busy putting stuff away, head down. Quinlyn suddenly looked up. That feeling again-someone was watching her.
#
She looked around but saw nothing. The Narrator stayed quiet. She looked down. After all the weird stuff she’d seen, she knew it wasn’t just her imagination.
4
But since the Narrator didn’t say anything, maybe the watcher wasn’t part of the story, so no narration about them.
中
While Quinlyn lost in her thoughts, Beatrice noticed the stuff spilling from the trunk. She panicked. Explaining this would be tough.
U
To Beatrice’s surprise, Quinlyn glanced over and said, “Say whatever you want. Blame me or your daughter. Either way’s fine.”
Beatrice, still worried, said, “Good. Just say you bought all this.”
“Sure,” Quinlyn said carelessly. She didn’t care. The Guzman folks weren’t blind. She would not feel more ashamed there because of Beatrice and Yarden.
After they left, a black SUV nearby slowly rolled down its window. A familiar face peeked out from the driver’s seat- Timothy. The man in the back lit a cigarette with a spark from his fingertips. His sharp, narrow eyes had a cold glint.
Timothy said, “Boss, that girl’s sharp. She always catches us watching her.”
The man replied, “Yeah, like a little puppy with a good nose.”
Timothy hesitated, “Boss, do you feel like total creeps? Not doing our jobs, just stalking her all day.”
The man answered casually, “Just watching the show. Got to see it through.”
Quinlyn and the other two got back to the Guzman residence. When the door opened, the lively chatter stopped dead, like someone hit pause. An awkward silence filled the air.
Quinlyn walked into the silence and noticed a man on the couch. He was dressed casually, in a white shirt under a light blue sweater. With delicate skin and a calm look, he looked like a prince.
Seeing that familiar face, Quinlyn said in her heart, “Nice act, fake. You jerk!”
The man was Zachary Fletcher, the Fletcher family’s golden boy. He was promised to Quinlyn from birth but grew up as childhood friends with Yalena. Since he had no say in his marriage, he married Quinlyn in her previous life.
Since then, Quinlyn stuck to their plan. She became that helpless follower, a mean, clueless woman. She embarrassed
2/3
Chapter S
herself in public and lost respect at home, to the point where even the strict Fletcher family couldn’t stand it.
She remembered how Zachary could lure her endlessly, making her chase after him. She was just the dumb one.
