Chapter 9 Don't joke with a cranky girl

"What? You don't want to marry the Mayor's son? "

Jewel fixed her gaze on the monitor of her laptop. She was inside her room, on a video call with three of her friends. She sighed, her lips pursed. "Yes. He informed me that he is twenty-nine years old. It's fine if you're 4 or 5 years older, but 10 years? That's a decade difference, Tiara! "

"You will only harm your reputation. That's correct. Don't get married to that old man! " Hazel chirped as she held a novel with a lewd cover in her hands. "If you marry that egotistic Mayor's son, girl, you'll be the town's next laughingstock!" "

Jewel's lips curved into a smile, but she pouted when she remembered something. She returned her attention to the screen of her phone, where the video call was still in progress. "Egoistic? I didn't describe him in that way. He's actually quite good... and quite attractive."

Hazel set down the novel and stared blankly at the screen. "Why are you defending that old man, Laine? I assumed you didn't like him. "

"Uh..."

There was a battle going on inside her. She did not want to marry him, but he was also not a bad choice. She knew Gideon was a good man after that dawn when he saved her. Jewel didn't like it when her friends disrespected the man who had once saved her, so she shrugged and averted her gaze to the laptop in front of her. "I'm more worried about Sheena," she said.

"Oh," Hazel shrugged as she held her novel high on the screen, allowing them to clearly see the book cover of a man loaded up with eight abs - an exaggeration - which every girl thought was the perfect attraction for an erotic novel. "That old hag who likes to spread negativity," Hazel muttered.

Jewel's lips curled into a smirk and chuckled. "And you saw what happened when she tried to destroy me."

"Of course. Sheena almost spit in your face." Tiara, who had been silent, burst out laughing. "If it wasn't for me, Laine, you'd be as dead as those freaking guys with no balls."

"Should I thank you for ruining my dress so that Sheena could be the bad girl at the party?"

Tiara's pupils dilated. "It was two years ago! Why are you bringing it up again? Do you have a grudge against me, Laine? "

"No way," Hazel mumbled, her gaze fixed on the novel she was reading. "Laine isn't like that. She had forgiven you for tearing her dress in the middle of the party just to tarnish Sheena's reputation. Oh, I forgot to mention that the boys noticed Jewel's lovely legs. Is that correct, Jewel? "

Tiara drew a frown on her brow. "It isn't my fault! Gabbi came up with the idea."

Jewel exhaled a sigh. "This is about Gideon. Why are you blaming each other? "

"You blamed me as well," Tiara grumbled.

Before she could say anything, Hazel mumbled, "Gideon? What a nice name."

Before she could say anything, Hazel mumbled, "Gideon? What a lovely name."

She pouted and shifted her gaze to her phone, which was propped up on a phone stand beside her laptop. She fixed her gaze on the screen. Tiara was smiling at the camera like a girl who had just seen her crush, Hazel was reading an erotic book with no care in the world, and no one was present at Gabbi's camera.

"Where is Gabbi?" she asked.

Tiara shook her head and leaned back. "Perhaps she's relaxing in her new bathroom?" The girl's face suddenly brightened. "Wait, Hazel? That's hot. Another erotica novel?"

Jewel cast a glance at Hazel. Her friend had just finished the book and was about to start another. It had the same obscene cover as the first, with a girl wearing only a pair of undergarments. Hazel raised her head and smiled at them. "Don't mess with a bookworm doing her job," the girl muttered and huffed.

Tiara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Your addiction is causing my hair to stand on end. Pause for a moment. You can just carry on after we finish advising Laine on how to deal with an old bastard."

"Come on, come on. Just marry that old and unattractive man!" Hazel said, her frustration palpable in her voice. "Hang out with him, and then sleep with him, Laine. That's a good solution to your problem."

No one could paint Jewel's expression after hearing those words. She couldn't believe what Hazel said. If marriage was like that, she would have lost her beauty by that age. No, she would never let that happen!

"Don't believe what she says, Laine. When you say Gideon is a good-looking man, I know you're telling the truth. You could consider marrying him. Age doesn't really matter. Age gap seemed to be no problem at all in your favorite books," Tiara said.

Hazel lifted the book she was holding and smiled slightly. "Perhaps you'll like him. Remember in books? Older men have more sex appeal," Hazel said, her eyes narrowing. "By the way, is he that attractive? I've never seen the Mayor's son."

"That's right! The Mayor is far too private. Even your engagement to his son was not covered in the local media. Is he that attractive that the Mayor is trying to hide his son's face?" Tiara pondered.

Jewel scoffed at the girls' inquiries. "How dare you inquire about his appearance when you two are bullying me?"

Hazel scratched her chin and laughed dryly. "It's only a joke. Of course, I'll roast anyone who interrupts my reading. Laine, you should be the one who understands my situation out of the four of us. You're the most devoted erotica fan in our group! "

"Duh," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't use my hobby to defend yourself," she sighed, returning her gaze to the laptop's screen and punching something on the keyboard. "You know, girls... I'm not bothered either. Fine if my parents betrothed me to someone. But I'm hoping they just picked someone my age. "

"So you dislike Gideon?" Hazel inquired quietly.

The girl appeared to be trying to console her. Jewel's mood improved as a result of Hazel's attention, but not enough to alleviate her anxiety about tomorrow's event.

She sighed and took a break from typing on her laptop keyboard. "No, not at all. Gideon is fine. Careful. Respectful. Gentleman. And... "

"And?"