Chapter 288: The Girl He Loves (part 2)
Micah, Dean, and Emile stood around the corner, quietly listening to Jacklin talking loudly to someone.
"I’m telling you. She is so perfect! She totally deserves to be our family’s future madam. Uncle is lucky to have met her."
Beside her stood Soha, her expression tight with discomfort. She had clearly been dragged into this conversation against her will. She kept shifting, feeling awkward.
All of a sudden, Jacklin began rambling about love and marriage. At first, Soha thought the conversation was about her and Lin Heye. She had almost run off. But the name Clyde came out.
"She is elegant but modest. Calm and collected but not easily intimidated. She is so gorgeous, seriously. The first time Uncle saw her, he was totally smitten. I have never seen him like that. But can you blame him? Anyone would have fallen for her." Jacklin said exaggeratedly.
Dean had texted Jacklin to say they were around the corner. She had to let Micah hear that there was someone else. And not be a nuisance. Meddling in Uncle’s love life. She had to warn him not to be a third party.
Especially after she overheard Georgina and others talking about how Micah was into Clyde.
Jacklin was sure of her assumption. She couldn’t let Uncle’s relationship be jeopardised by Micah even before it officially began.
Jacklin thought she was protecting Clyde. But what she didn’t realise was that, in trying to protect Clyde, she had driven a knife straight through Micah’s heart.
Micah stood motionless, like he had been nailed to the ground. What was Jacklin talking about?
He had gone out of his way to avoid Jacklin today, fearing she would recognise him as Asena. He had barely said more than two words to her the whole day.
But now...now Jacklin was talking excitedly about Clyde being smitten with someone. Some girl.. A girl Micah didn’t know existed.
Was it true? Was she joking? Was she serious? Who was this mysterious girl? Someone Clyde had been hiding?
His face turned pale.
The voices continued.
"I even have her picture! Do you want to see?" Jacklin said and pulled out her phone. She opened the screen and tapped on the selfie she had taken at the fan meeting with Asena.
Soha looked at the blurry picture. The girl had white hair, wore a cap, and a choker. Her blouse was buttoned to the collar, hiding her neck and body. The fringe covered half of her face. Soha couldn’t even tell whether she was beautiful or ugly.
She glanced at Jacklin and pressed her lips together. Her bias had been broken by this girl. So Clyde really had someone else? But what about Micah?
Jacklin continued, "She is a freshman at QC University. She is both brain and beauty. I wish Little Uncle had brought her here today. He would have too, if not for some nosy person sticking their head where it doesn’t belong..."
Soha jolted. "You don’t mean Micah..."
Jacklin clicked her tongue. "Even you realised? Yeah, that one. I think she hadn’t come because of him. She probably didn’t want to rub salt in his wound."
Micah clenched his fists. It felt like someone had taken a bat to his brain, stunned, reeling, hollow. The more he heard, the more he felt confused. What were they even talking about? Him? Nosy person?
"You are saying they know each other?" Soha asked in surprise.
"They do. She is from the Ramsy family too, just not from the direct line." Jacklin replied.
Micah was thinking maybe he had crossed a parallel world or something. What the hell was Jacklin even saying? Who from the Ramsy family had contact with Clyde?
A freshman? Vivian? But she didn’t go to QC University. Then who? Distant relative? But Micah was sure there was no one in his age range in the family. They were all too young or too old. Who had pretended she was a Ramsy? What a fraud!
Micah gritted his teeth and stormed toward Jacklin before Dean or Emile could stop him.
"Sister Jacklin," Micah called out.
Soha flinched. Her brown eyes worriedly looked at Micah. The boy would be crushed if he knew the truth.
Jacklin turned toward Micah. "Yeah?"
Micah stared at her, eyes sharp but guarded. "Can I see the picture too?"
Jacklin raised an eyebrow. "What picture?"
"The one your Uncle likes," Micah hissed.
The corner of Jacklin’s lips stretched upward, mocking. "Why? Don’t you already know her?"
"I want to make sure. That’s it." Micah replied, extending his hand. "Just let me see it."
His face was expressionless, but inside he was dying from anger.
Jacklin handed her phone. She expected Micah to get defensive, saying that was not true. That wasn’t like what Jacklin had said. Or bad-mouthing Asena.
Then he saw Micah’s face turn pale. Then red. Then green. Like all the blood and oxygen in his body had short-circuited.
Micah stared at the picture. The blurry selfie. The cheap wig. The choker. Half a face peeking out from under the fringe.
His own face.
He felt every cell in his body had gone into apoptosis. He just wanted to vanish. To erase himself completely.
Micah shoved the phone to Jacklin while averting his eyes. "Ah... I.., I have to go..," he said and ran away like the wind.
Everyone, Jacklin, Soha, Emile, and Dean stood there in shock.
"What just happened??" Dean asked aloud.
This wasn’t the reaction they had predicted. They had thought Micah would get angry or get defensive. Or he would be totally cool with it and talk about Asena, praising her.
But running away like he had seen a ghost?
Micah wasn’t thinking about any of them anymore. He was too busy running from his own reflection.
Micah’s breath came in short gasps as he reached the side of the building. He doubled over, hands on his knees. His heart thudded like a bass drum against his ribs.
He was feeling mortified. Oh god! Jacklin was talking about Asena! He had gotten jealous of Asena. He had gotten jealous...of himself!
No! That wasn’t the point. They said Clyde had fallen in love with Asena!
Oh shit. It meant Clyde knew he was crossdressing?
Someone please kill him right now!