5. Gossip

“Who is this gift from?” asked Jenny, eyeing a paper bag lying on the lounge table in Ghea’s house. The girl didn’t answer right away; a slice of apple was in her mouth while her fingers were busy posting a photo on social media.

“Ghe, it’s a diamond necklace!” Jenny exclaimed the moment she opened it.

Ghea turned her head immediately, her eyes landing on the necklace Jenny was holding. Sitting up, she asked while chewing the apple in her mouth, “Why? Is it expensive?”

“Do you want me to look up the price?” Without waiting for Ghea's reply, the thirty-two-year-old manager instantly snapped a photo of the diamond necklace Daniel had given Ghea yesterday.

Ghea merely sat watching her manager’s antics. She looked on in bewilderment as Jenny pointed her phone, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“Why? Why that look on your face?”

Ghea was dumbfounded. It turned out the necklace Daniel gave her was a limited edition designed by a world-class fashion designer, priced equivalent to a luxury SUV.

“Ghe, who gave you such an expensive gift?” Jenny probed.

“It must be a knockoff. Put it back in its box!” instructed Ghea as she lay back down on her favorite sofa, glancing at her manager. A hint of worry flashed across her face.

Could it really be a knockoff? Would a CEO like him actually give me a fake diamond necklace? But if it’s real, is he trying to insult me? Does he think my virginity is worth that necklace? Damn it! Does he think I’m a whore?

Ghea’s mind instantly spiraled into negative thoughts about Daniel.

Trying to push those strange thoughts away, she turned her gaze back to her phone screen. Moments later, however, she remembered the written agreement with Daniel. Ghea jumped up and bolted into her room, leaving Jenny shaking her head at her behavior.

Ghea searched for the pants she had worn yesterday, pulling the jeans out of the laundry hamper. Hurriedly, she rummaged through the back pocket. Her face turned pale—the contract was not there.

“Where is it? Where did it fall? Where did it go? I'm dead meat,” Ghea muttered, lamenting her own carelessness.

A few days later.

“Daniel!”

Daniel, who had just finished working out, pretended not to hear the woman calling him.

“Daniel! Come over here and sit with Mama!”

“If you just want to show me photos of girls to set me up with, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

“You’re already thirty-one years old, sweetheart. It’s time you thought about giving Mama a daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Stop holding onto hope for Abel. I'm certain she will never want to stay by your side. She prefers traveling the world, diving into the deepest oceans, climbing mountains. I honestly wonder why her mother even allows her to do all that,” rattled Nova, the woman who gave birth to Daniel.

“I’m not holding off on marriage because I'm still hoping for Abel. If I wanted to, I could bring Mama a daughter-in-law in a month.”

Nova pouted in annoyance. Realizing she would never win an argument with her son, she let Daniel walk away and turned her attention back to the television screen; she had actually been engrossed in a gossip show all along.

Daniel was just about to walk away when Nova suddenly commented on the gossip news currently airing.

“Oh, my… Ghea Salsabila fainted on stage. She must be utterly exhausted. Right, Bi? Her soap opera, Ikatan Batin, has soaring ratings right now. I’ve even joined the 'Patin' fan club—Lovers of Ana in Ikatan Batin,” Nova said to the maid who had just placed snacks and tea before her.

“Could you add me to the Patin club too, Ma’am?” asked Jamilah.

“You want to? Sure!”

Hearing that, Daniel was caught off guard, his mind racing. However, he quickly brushed it aside as a text from Jim arrived. A bio, medical test results, and a signed statement from the woman he was scheduled to sleep with tonight had all been sent completely by his secretary.

“Issued!” Daniel replied, as casually as approving an airline ticket booking.

“I told you, don’t go to the club anymore!” Jenny scolded Ghea.

Her artist’s face was deathly pale. Ghea had been like this for the past two days, throwing up her food several times. She had even been forced to take anti-nausea medication.

“Stop lecturing me, just go! I want to sleep.”

“Do you have any idea? Almost every gossip reporter has contacted me, even though you fainted during an off-air gig.”

“So what did you tell them?” Ghea asked weakly.

“I told them we’ll issue a statement once your condition improves.”

Ghea looked closely at Jenny’s face; there was undeniable anxiety written all over her manager’s features. At times, Ghea felt sorry for her. “Jen, go get yourself a boyfriend!”

Jenny was about to retort when her phone rang. Deciding to take the call, she walked away from Ghea.

“Pregnant? What kind of gossip is that now? Ghea is just exhausted, stop making things up! Suppress every malicious article that corners Ghea.”

Hearing Jenny’s words just now, Ghea suddenly began to tremble. Her mind immediately flashed back to the one-night stand she had had with Daniel. The girl tried to recall when her last period was. Instead, her body began shaking violently. In sheer terror, she cried out for Jenny.

“No way… this can't be… Jen—Jenny… Jenny!” she screamed.