Elizabeth handed her phone to Emily.
“Here, he’s in.
Seven o’clock tonight, Revolving Restaurant at the Coast Hotel.”
Emily snorted.
“Why bother with a hotel?
Let’s hit up a bar instead.”
Elizabeth frowned.
“Didn’t we say we’d talk properly?
He’s got work tomorrow, a bar feels off.”
Emily waved it off.
“Come on, he’s the one treating us.
I get to choose.
Text him now, tell him we’re going to Dusk Lounge.
He should be there on time.”
After a short pause, Elizabeth gave in and texted: “My friend wants to go to Dusk Lounge.”
The reply came almost instantly: “Okay.”
She pushed the phone toward Emily.
“Happy now?”
Emily shot her a look.
“Happy?
This guy tricked my bestie into a marriage, and I don’t get to screen him a bit?”
They arrived at the science building to pay tuition and queued up.
Around them, classmates started whispering among themselves.
Elizabeth noticed the odd glances and turned to Emily.
“Why are they staring at me?”
“No clue.
I’ll go find out.”
Emily marched over to the whispering girls.
“What’s going on?”
The group fell silent instantly, one sneering, “Nothing to talk about.”
“Then why keep staring at us?”
Another let out a mocking laugh.
“We’re not looking at you.
We’re looking at Elizabeth.”
“Word is, even though she’s married, she’s all over Michael like she’s trying to seduce him.”
The words were loud enough for everyone in line to hear.
Instantly, all eyes turned to Elizabeth.
She stepped up to the girl with a cold, sharp gaze.
“Care to say that again?”
The girl, clearly a hardcore Michael fan, raised her chin defiantly.
“You heard me.
Married woman messing with Michael.
You’re just a flirt who can’t resist.”
Elizabeth chuckled, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
“And how exactly is that your business if I did?”
“You’re married.
Ever heard of self-respect?”
Smirking, Elizabeth leaned in, voice like velvet laced with ice.
“Even if something did happen, who gave you the right to judge me?”
The girl’s face flushed red with anger.
“You—there are photos online!
The campus forum saw them. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Still gonna deny it?
You’re nothing but a two-timer.”
At that, Elizabeth’s eyes darkened.
“Forum?”
“Go check for yourself.
Don’t act like you’re innocent.
Own it.”
Elizabeth pulled out her phone and logged in.
Sure enough, there they were—shots of her and Michael, taken from angles that made them look way too close, some even appearing like they were kissing.
Her lips curled into a mocking smile.
“Emily, can you finish up the tuition stuff for me?
I’ve got a quick errand.”
“Where you going?
I’ll come too.”
“I need to find out who posted this.”
“I’m coming with you then.”
Elizabeth glanced at the short line ahead of them.
“Let’s just pay the fees first.
We’ll find out soon enough.”
About ten minutes later, Elizabeth and Emily walked out of the lab building, heading toward an internet café outside the campus.
Suddenly, Emily stopped in her tracks.
“Liz, there’s a new post on the forum.”
Elizabeth quickly logged in, and sure enough, the post with photos of her and Michael had been pushed down by a newer, even hotter thread.
The latest trending post exposed the identity of the user who had originally uploaded those pictures.
After skimming through it, Elizabeth’s fingers clenched tightly around her phone.
Her voice low and cold, she said, “Victoria.”
Emily looked stunned.
“Wait, what?!
Her?
Weren’t you two super close growing up?
Why the hell would she do that to you?”
“Because she’s into my husband.
She’s jealous and wants to drive a wedge between me and Alexander.”
“Holy crap, I was only gone a month, and Victoria’s already pulling this kind of stunt?
Going after her own brother-in-law?
That’s cold.
The Harpers raised her for two decades, and you’ve always treated her like your real sister.
And now this?”
Elizabeth gave a faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
So she really wasn’t hiding anymore.
That little outburst she had back home must’ve really sent her over the edge.
Now Elizabeth just had to see whether the puppet master behind this had already made contact with Victoria.
She’d still need Victoria to lead her to whoever was pulling the strings.
“Liz, does your family know she’s been stirring up all this drama?
That’s straight-up betrayal.”
My parents already know she has a thing for my husband, but…
because of her late parents, they held back and didn’t scold her too harshly.
“And now she’s making moves this fast.
She must be feeling cornered.
The worse she behaves, the less likely my parents will keep giving her a pass.”
As they talked, a sharp ringtone suddenly sliced through the conversation.
Elizabeth glanced at the caller ID, then immediately hung up.
Emily caught a glimpse of the screen.
“You’re not gonna pick up?
She’s probably gonna spin some sob story about not being the one who posted it.
Don’t you wanna at least hear her out?”
“Nope, don’t care what she has to say.”
“In that case, how ‘bout some retail therapy?
Let’s hit the mall.”
Elizabeth tapped her phone to silent mode and followed Emily toward Friendship Plaza.
They made their way to the third floor, heading into the women’s fashion section.
Emily glanced around, then tugged lightly on Elizabeth’s arm.
“Liz, can we hit the café first?
I’m dying of thirst.”
“Sure, let’s go.”
At the café, Emily picked a seat and plopped down.
“Can you order me a lemon tea?
I’m gonna run to the restroom real quick.”
Before Elizabeth could say anything, Emily was already gone.
Elizabeth placed the order for two drinks, then pulled out her phone.
She glanced at the missed call notification, a mocking smirk tugging at her lips.
She opened WhatsApp and searched for Alexander.
“Hubby, what time are you getting off work?
I’m out shopping right now.”
The reply came soon after: “Around six.”
“Cool~ we’ll wait for you.”
“Mm.”
This was actually the first time they’d messaged each other on WhatsApp.
Alexander had forced her to add him after they got married, but she’d just tossed him into her blacklist without hesitation.
Her eyes lingered on the chat page for a moment before something caught her attention—Alexander had posted a new Status.
Just as she was about to tap on it, her phone buzzed again.
Without meaning to, she accidentally answered the incoming call.
Elizabeth’s brows knitted together as she brought the phone to her ear.
Michael’s furious voice roared through the speaker.
“Elizabeth, I can’t believe you!
You’re not the person I thought you were!”