Chapter 5

Everyone gets speechless because Jeremy is never the type who would cause a commotion or do something to get people’s attention. But he just did. All the guests gather around them, and even the loud music stops blaring. 

Ken hurriedly gets in between Jeremy and the tipsy guy while Chris gently pulls Serin to his side. She is on the verge of tears. 

Jeremy holds her hand. “Let’s go.”

“She can’t fucking leave!!” Gail comes rushing, flaring eyes on Serin. “How dare you ruin my party??” She lifts her hand but Jeremy is quick enough to block her from attacking Serin, making her yell at him. “Move!”

But Jeremy remains still, protecting Serin from her. 

Gail stares at him so angrily her eyes could blaze. “Can’t you see, Jeremy?? She is ruining my–”

“Serin isn’t ruining your party,” Ken cuts her off, no longer keeping his cool, “but your your fuck boy guest.”

“Are you kidding me?” The tipsy guy scoffs. “That wench was the one who–”

“You must have a death wish.” Ken throws him a warning glare.

Hushed, the arrogant guy just smirks.  

“We should get out of here now.” Jeremy holds Serin’s hand more tightly and takes a step first. 

“Come on, Jeremy! I’m not stupid!” Gail stands in their way again.

“Move.” Jeremy clenches his jaw, a sign he's about to lose his remaining patience. 

But Gail won’t really stop making a scene just to destroy Serin. She displays a knowing grin. “That lowly wench isn’t your girlfriend.”

“My girlfriend is not a wench,” Jeremy says firmly, making Gail a lot more furious.

“She is a wench!!”

“Insult her again and you’ll see what I can do,” he warns, then side steps along with Serin.

However, as they walk, Gail shouts loud and clear, “Then I should tell the press that a guy like Jeremy Sean fell for a gold digger and a cheap housemaid!”  

“Gail! Stop it!” Ken grabs her arm.

“I won’t! That wench is not Jeremy’s girlfriend but a cheap–”

Chris hastily covers her mouth. However, he can no longer stop the guests from insulting Serin based only on what they’ve just heard from Gail. And that’s when Jeremy halts his steps, infuriated and frustrated. 

“Don’t mind them, Sir Jeremy. I’m really okay.” Serin tries to make him walk again. 

But he never moves at all. “You are not okay, and I am not either.” He walks back to where everyone is without letting go of Serin’s hand. 

That sight of them still holding hands has Gail wanting to scream in bitterness and jealousy. It should be her hand Jeremy is holding, not hers, and it’s killing her to see them up close as they stand before her.

Hurting, she looks at Jeremy with resentment but she can’t utter a word, for the pain reaches even in her throat. 

“Apologize to Serin now,” Jeremy says with visible anger. 

But Gail is so stubborn and bitter she just laughs at him in disbelief. “Who apologizes to a cheap servant and a shameless gold digger??”

“So you will keep insulting her when I clearly warned you not to?” He already loses his temper and faces Gail with so much fury when he suddenly feels Serin let go of her hand from his. He looks at her. 

Serin tears her eyes off Jeremy and stares at Gail confidently. “You may have everything in life but you know what? I still pity you because there’s something you can never have. Good manners.”

That’s it, Chris and Ken display a satisfied smirk, witnessing Gail taste her own medicine. 

“Well, let’s see who is pitiful here.” Gail suddenly snatches the clutch bag from Serin’s hand and hastily turns it upside down, pouring everything in it until something falls among the things scattered on the neatly trimmed lawn. A gold necklace. Smirking, she drops the bag and faces Serin. “Look who’s talking about good manners, you shameless thief.”

Serin stiffens. It’s clear that she has been framed for stealing, but at this rate, she loses the ability to speak due to great shock. Jeremy, with haste, signals Chris and Ken to accompany Serin out of the garden. However, as the two guys approach her, she refuses to leave. 

She looks at Jeremy, tearing up already. “I didn’t steal her necklace.”

“You don’t understand why–”

“I do,” she cuts him off. “I won’t run away like a real thief.”

“Get out of here now,” he tells her frustratingly. 

On the verge of crying, Serin races out of the garden. 

“That shameless thief won’t get away with it, Jeremy,” Gail says while hiding her victorious smile, confident that she has just destroyed Serin until the satisfaction flickering in her eyes disappears the instant Jeremy glares at her. 

“With your disgusting attitude, I can never consider you a friend anymore.” Jeremy walks out, leaving everyone in silence.

Gail wants to wail and scream, for Jeremy’s words are too painful to take. And the fact that her guests have witnessed him throw those words right to her face is an insult to her ego. But she refuses to show them she’s hurting. She is Gail Andrews and hates to appear like a loser. 

“I’m okay. It’s just a misunderstanding between two close friends.” She fakes an unbothered smile to everyone. “You guys go back to partying now.”

As the guests leave one by one, she turns to Chris and Ken who are busy gathering Serin’s stuff then takes her fury out on them. “Are you really my friends?? How dare you side with that damn wench and never defend me??” 

“Stop talking crap,” Ken shoots her back while getting up. He leaves first.

Now it’s Chris’ turn to slap her with the truth, shaking his head at her out of so much disappointment. “Come on, it’s not your 7th birthday, Gail. You just turned 19. Grow up, okay?” He walks away, then rushes behind Ken.

In the parking lot and even outside Andrews’ mansion, the three guys can’t stay still until Jeremy suggests something just to find Serin quickly. “I think it’s better if you drive around Horizon Town now. She must have gotten lost already.”

“Okay, but how about you?” Chris asks.

“I need to go back to Lewis now. I want to make sure Yenny is really in her apartment.” Jeremy hurries to his car and drives away.

“Where’s Jeremy??” Gail suddenly shows up, angry and frustrated. 

But Chris and Ken ignore her. They even hasten their steps to the parking lot. 

“I’m asking you!” She screams at the top of her lungs. “Where is Jeremy!”

“Stop getting on our nerves!” Ken shouts back at her, then pauses his steps to face her closely. “Don’t you feel ashamed for causing all this shit?? How come you still have the nerve to look for Jeremy after framing Serin??” 

“I didn’t frame her!! She stole my necklace! She’s a thief! She’s a–” 

“For fuck’s sake, Gail!!” Ken almost flies to his car, infuriated as hell. 

“I hate you!” Gail shouts at him from a distance, then turns to Chris. “Serin really stole my–”

“Shut up, Gail!! Wake up from your damn fantasies because even if you strip in front of Jeremy, he will never like you back!” Chris already explodes, and like Ken, he rockets himself inside his car. 

As they drive away at raging speed, Gail bursts into tears, upset that Chris, the only one who could handle her attitude patiently, has just raised his voice at her. Not only that, he even has thrown hurtful words at her. Hurting and disappointed, she cries out loud while no one is around. 

Meanwhile, Serin has already reached the farthest part of Horizon Town without knowing it while walking aimlessly just to cool off. Even though she really wants to clear her name, she can’t. She has to keep the promise to herself to never clash with Jeremy anymore ever since she witnessed him at his worst state at Campbell Park a month ago.

Frustrated, she sighs deeply, and just when she thinks of pausing for a moment to sit on the pavement, she sees someone hurrying over to her. 

“M..Miss..” It is Yenny, Jeremy’s girl best friend. Fear is written all over her face. “M..Miss.. I.. I n..need your help..”