Chapter 2

We chatted for a bit before the heroine, Nancy, finally showed up. She swayed as she walked in, her cheeks flushed, and three men trailed behind her.

One was Finn Watson, the campus heartthrob. One was Calvin Jefferson, the young finance professor everyone had a crush on. The last was Peter Kingsworth, the rich kid hosting tonight’s party.

Finn and Calvin took their seats on either side of Nancy. Peter didn’t sit next to her. He lounged across from her instead, watching the three of them pressed together like he was taking notes.

I wondered why he didn’t look jealous at all, and then I realized he was texting her under the table. They were flirting right in front of everyone.

A moment later, Nancy’s face turned bright red. That instantly drew the attention of her two “bodyguards.”

Finn leaned in, worried. “Are you not feeling well?”

Nancy lowered her head. “I feel a little… off.”

Peter smiled, slow and smug. “Come on. I’ll take you upstairs to rest.”

He stood and guided her toward the stairs.

Finn and Calvin exchanged a look. Then they followed right after them.

God, I wanted to go eavesdrop so badly.

Linda, sitting beside me, muttered under her breath, “Slutty bitch.”

That jogged my memory. There was a drugging subplot around this part of the story. If I remembered correctly, Linda was the culprit. She had been secretly in love with Calvin for years, but Calvin only had eyes for Nancy. In the original novel, she managed to drug him, but afterward he turned the tables and dosed her ten times worse, leaving her stranded with no help. She ended up with a terrible fate.

But when I thought about the real her, the girl who always saved the best snacks for me, who always shared the latest gossip first… I couldn’t just let her walk into the same misery.

I leaned over and whispered, “Honestly? Calvin is way too old. If we’re comparing, why not go after a cute younger guy?”

She blinked. “A younger guy?”

I glanced around and pointed at the sweet-looking boy sitting in the corner. He had that soft, puppy-like vibe. “See? He seems nice. There are so many guys in the world. No need to obsess over one man.”

Linda followed my gaze. To my surprise, she actually nodded. “You’re right.”

She grabbed my arm and marched toward the younger guy.

The moment we sat down, he flushed to the tips of his ears and introduced himself. “Hi, uh, I’m Caleb.”

We shook his hand. He looked like he might pass out from shyness.

Linda shot me a look and whispered so only I could hear, “When you’re young, you don’t appreciate how great younger guys are. You waste time chasing older men instead.”

I nodded, impressed. Maybe she never liked Calvin that much in the first place. With her target shifted, I finally relaxed. Caleb wasn’t even mentioned in the original storyline, so he wouldn’t fall under the heroine’s influence.

More people arrived, and someone suggested playing King’s Game.

A girl drew the King card and waved it proudly. “Whoever has cards two and six has to kiss. Full tongue.”

I had planned to play a couple of rounds, sneak away, and go upstairs to eavesdrop. Then I flipped my card.

Of course. I was six.

Caleb looked like he was about to faint. “I… I’m two.”

Absolutely not. You never mess with your friend’s new crush.

I snatched my drink. “Let’s just drink instead. Cheers!”

He nodded desperately. “Yes, cheers!”

The others booed us for being boring, but Linda looked pleased and poured our glasses to the brim.

I raised an eyebrow at her. Please. Like I would ever steal someone she liked.

What I didn’t expect was how weak this body was. Three cups in, and my head was already spinning.

Caleb was even worse. His face was so red he looked like someone had smacked him. He was adorable in a ridiculous way, and I poked his cheek without thinking.

His eyes went glossy like he might cry. Then he let out a soft, broken sound. “Jennie…”

A jolt ran through me. My whole body felt feverish. I leaned closer without meaning to.

I was overheating so badly I could barely think. I grabbed Linda’s arm. “Linda… I think I’m really drunk…”

Before she could reply, Caleb jumped in. “I… I can take you upstairs. You should rest.”

The music was pounding, and my head hurt. He was drunk too, so I figured we could wobble upstairs together. I nodded. “Okay.”

He put an arm around me, both of us unsteady, and slowly helped me up the stairs.