Chapter 5

✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿

I strolled alongside Camille, Leigh, and Violet towards the main gate after our final class had wrapped up.

The days of Camille being swarmed by students seeking photos had settled into a more familiar routine. Now, university life for her was a bit more relaxed, though friendly waves and greetings still followed her as we walked. True to her nature, she responded warmly to everyone, even those she hadn't met before.

Among us, Violet stood out as the most outspoken. Her very name hinted at her sharpness. Leigh, in contrast, kept to herself but was known for her numerous flings across different departments.

And then there was me—the cursed one. Always left behind, always deceived. I can't fathom why. Finding an answer is a challenge.

I sighed, prompting Violet to intervene. "You're scowling again, Jazz. Come on! Quit dwelling on Dominic! You should be celebrating how swiftly karma caught up with him! That jerk!"

Her words struck a chord within me. Indeed, she was right. It seemed that Dominic had faced swift retribution after I caught him at the hotel. Three days had passed since I walked out on them, and news had already spread about his dismissal from work. What made matters worse, his partner at the bank was also fired—apparently, he was Dominic's supervisor.

But that wasn't the end of it. Just moments ago, we learned that Dominic's parents had separated the previous day because someone had sent them incriminating photos of his father with another woman. Some showed them entering a motel, others leaving, and more in various public places. We were clueless about who had delivered them to their home. Our sources were unreliable.

But gosh! Now I understand where Dominic inherited his tendencies from—his unfaithful father. So yes, it seems he got what was coming to him, especially after hearing that his father had also physically assaulted him upon discovering his affair with another man. Poor guy.

"Don't tell me you're feeling sorry for Dom?" Leigh turned to me, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for myself. Always left behind," I replied with another sigh.

We stepped into the coffee shop adjacent to the university. This was our go-to spot after afternoon classes, especially when none of us were quite ready to head home. Leigh and Violet had the advantage of living in nearby apartments within walking distance of campus.

Today, Violet treated us to coffee and placed our orders. Camille added extra money for Gabby, her bodyguard, to get his coffee. His given name was Gabriel, but we affectionately called him Gabby. Wherever Camille went, Gabby was never far behind. During class, he waited outside, vigilant. Gabby also doubled as her driver to and from school.

As for me, usually Dad handles dropping me off and picking me up from school. However, this morning, my brother drove me here, mentioning he'd do the same for the pickup since he's home. He's leaving next week, so I haven't texted him yet for the pickup because we're enjoying coffee first. I'll message him shortly.

"Didn't I tell you I wanted a caramel mocha?" I frowned, directing my gaze at Violet as she returned to the table with a tray, handing me a vanilla latte.

"Oh, my bad. I got mixed up," she said sheepishly, offering a peace sign.

I rolled my eyes, and Leigh couldn't resist teasing Violet. "Cut her some slack. She's probably lost in thoughts about your brother Zane—ow! Ouch!" Leigh winced as Violet kicked her under the table. Camille grinned while I narrowed my eyes, studying Violet closely.

"Wait, you're into him?" I asked incredulously, but Violet didn't respond. Does silence mean yes? "Of all people? Seriously, Violet?" I was still in disbelief. "Why Zane? Sure, he's good-looking, but he's not exactly the settling-down type. You'll only end up getting hurt. He's a bit of a player—"

"Maybe you should just be direct with our friend," Leigh interrupted. "Tell her your brother Zane isn't interested."

She had a point. Violet and my brother were like cats and dogs at home, always bickering. The thought of her liking him was just gross. I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. Glancing at Violet, who was also lost in her drink, I spoke up. "Forget about my brother. There's Gerald, David, and Adam. I could talk to Zane about setting you up—"

"Adam's out," Camille interrupted.

Surprised, I turned to her. "Out? Why?"

"He's taken," Camille replied.

I frowned. "As far as I know, he doesn't have a girlfriend—"

"Hey, for now," Camille grinned mischievously. "But we strongly suspect you'll be taken soon too."

Confused, I asked, "Me? Why me? Weren't we talking about Adam?"

"Our dear friend is clueless!" Leigh teased, focusing her attention on me. "Haven't you noticed that Adam's into you?"

I shivered involuntarily. Turning to each of them in disbelief, I exclaimed, "Seriously? He doesn't like me! Where did you even get that fake news?"

"We picked it up from Adam's glances," Camille replied with a mischievous grin. "Remember those dinners your mom invited us to? When your brother and his friends were there too? Do you have any idea how many times we caught Adam looking at you differently? Not just once, not twice, but numerous times, girl!"

I couldn't contain my laughter at her words. It felt like I could almost hear her saying that Adam looked at me as if to say, 'She's the one who kissed me in my car and cursed me. I'll get back at her soon!'

"You know what, guys? You're overthinking this! Adam doesn't like me. Never has! Honestly, we don't even like each other. We have a history from when I was fifteen—"

"Omg! What kind of history is that? Is it sexy history?" Leigh interrupted, giggling.

I rolled my eyes at her. "No! Let me finish!"

"Here's the story. When I was fifteen, we had an encounter where we clashed. We argued. He was supposed to drive me home because, uh... he happened to pass by me on my way home alone," I fabricated, unwilling to share the real reason. "Then, that's it. After our argument, he stopped the car and asked me to get off even before we reached home. After that, we never spoke again. Well, we never really spoke because from the start, I didn't like him. He's like a dark knight with the looks of an angel. I don't understand why my brother connects with him. Their personalities are poles apart. And honestly, I don't like him. You can bet on that!"

"You don't like him?" Violet questioned, her tone skeptical.

"Not even a little?" Camille added.

I affirmed proudly, "Not even a little bit."

After we wrapped up the discussion about Adam, they respected my silence on the topic, sensing my lack of appetite for it. Our conversation shifted to our upcoming three-month internship. I shared my father's suggestion that I do mine at Aloha, the new hotel opening next month. I sought their opinions on whether they'd consider joining me there, and only Leigh was keen, arguing we shouldn't be too far apart. However, Violet and Camille were firm on La Vienna. There was no wavering there. Naturally, Leigh and I decided that's where we'd go too.

"Girls, I need to head out first. Mom's calling," Camille announced, checking her phone screen before rising from her seat. Gabby, who had been seated at the adjacent table, stood up as well.

"Take care." Leigh waved to them as they prepared to leave.

With just the three of us remaining, I decided to text my brother Zane to pick me up. Then, I addressed my friends. "You can go ahead. Aren't you both working on your report?"

"What about you?" Leigh inquired.

"I'm good here. I've already messaged my brother, and he's on his way," I replied.

They nodded in agreement and rose from their seats in unison. Our house wasn't far—just a ten-minute drive away. Walking home would be a different story, especially now that it was already six in the evening and the darkness was setting in.

"Bye, Jazz." They waved at me through the glass door before finally leaving.

Alone at our table, I received a message from my brother telling me:  "My car broke down. I've taken it to the repair shop. You'll have to take public transport. It might take a while."

I'm pretty sure my eyes rolled a complete 360 degrees as I grimaced upon reading his text. Public transport? Is he out of his mind? Doesn't he realize there's no transportation available for me at this hour? Direct rides to our place only run until five, and since our conversation earlier stretched on, it's now six in the evening. I have no means to get home at this hour. I grabbed my coffee in frustration, my body bag slung over my shoulder.

"Jazzlene?" I turned to the car that had pulled up in front of me. The window was rolled down, so I could see who it was calling me.

I smiled. "Hi, Ma'am Jane!" She's one of our professors, and she's always been kind to me.

"Why are you alone?"

It's embarrassing, but I'll just have to swallow my pride. "Ma'am, can I hitch a ride with you?"

Knowing she was kind, I was sure she wouldn't turn me down. She allowed me to sit in the passenger seat of her car since she was alone. As she started driving, I explained why I needed a ride with her. However, she couldn't take me all the way home. She informed me that she could only drop me off at Rose Street because she was in a rush to pick up her daughter, who worked as a pharmacy manager and needed to come home soon.

A few minutes later, we arrived at Rose Street. I bid Ma'am Jane farewell and stepped out of her car. "Take care walking, Jazz, alright?"

I nodded, smiling gratefully. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you." I waved warmly as I closed her car door. I made my way through Rose Street, then past Lily's Street and Tulips Street before finally reaching our neighborhood. It was still a considerable walk, but much more manageable thanks to the ride Ma'am Jane had given me earlier.

As I walked, a sense of unease crept over me as if someone was tailing me. Each time I glanced over my shoulder, however, there was no one in sight. The area was growing darker as evening had set in past six o'clock. Rose Street seemed sparsely populated with wide gaps between houses.

"Lord, I'm already unlucky in love life, please don't let me be unlucky now," I murmured quietly to myself. Increasing my pace, I tried to outdistance whoever might be following me. Yet with each step, the sound of footsteps echoed closer behind me, almost as if they were hurrying to catch up.

"Jazzlene!"

I froze in place upon hearing the man's voice calling out from behind. Slowly, I turned to face him, illuminated dimly by the streetlight's glow.

"Who . . . who are you?" I managed to stammer out.

He closed the distance between us, his hands gripping my arms firmly. "Tell me. Are you the one who spread those rumors about me and Dominic at the bank?"

I blinked, suddenly realizing who he was. Apart from mentioning Dom, his features were unmistakable. He's the guy who was with Dominic at the hotel. He doesn't strike as gay. He looks tough, so physically, no one would guess he was in a relationship with a man.

"I-I'm not," I stammered, trying to break free from his grasp, but his grip was too tight.

"Don't lie, you bitch!"

"Ouch!" I winced as he shook me forcefully by the shoulders. "It hurts! Let me go—"

"Admit that you're the one who spread that! Admit it—" His words were cut short as a car pulled up in front of us, a dark red Lamborghini that I knew belonged to Adam.

Swiftly exiting the driver's seat, Adam emerged in his customary black suit, clearly his work attire. Closing the car door behind him, he strode purposefully toward us, a gun gripped firmly in his hand. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as he raised his right hand, aiming the weapon at the man standing before me.

"Let her go or die?"