Chapter 5: I'm Waiting for My Wife

"Who are you?" The door creaked open, and a short-haired girl stood there, looking puzzled.

Her name was Arabella Pearl, and she seemed a bit confused.

Sophia had to come clean, "I'm a cop, here to look into Brynn's case."

"Come on in," Arabella said, stepping aside.

Sophia got straight to the point, "Did Brynn get along with you guys? I need to know what was going on with her."

There were four girls in the dorm, including Brynn. With Brynn missing, only three were left.

Besides Arabella, there were two other girls: Natalia Ruth and Monica Hope.

When they heard Sophia was there about Brynn, they all looked pretty annoyed.

Sophia didn't need to be a detective to see they didn't like Brynn.

"Did you guys not get along with Brynn?" Sophia asked.

Monica scoffed, "Get along? She was never here. Plus, she was super stuck-up. Always looking down on us. We didn't hang out with her."

Natalia chimed in, "Yeah, she was always showing off her singing, dancing, and looks, making fun of us."

Arabella added, "She was out with different guys every day, gone for weeks at a time. It's no shock she's missing now."

Sophia thought for a moment. To her roommates, Brynn seemed like a completely different person.

After a pause, she asked, "Do you know who these guys were?"

Arabella, Natalia, and Monica all went quiet, avoiding eye contact.

Sophia knew they were hiding something.

She had to lay it out for them, hoping they'd help. "This is serious. Brynn might be dead."

Monica's eyes widened, "What? Dead? We saw her just a couple of weeks ago!"

Arabella nodded. "Yeah, she said she was going out with her boyfriend, showing off the stuff he bought her."

Hearing about Brynn's possible death, Arabella, Natalia, and Monica looked stunned.

Sophia pressed on, "Did she say anything else the last time you saw her?"

Monica bit her lip, shaking her head. "No, she usually ignored us. She only came back for exams, mostly stayed off-campus."

Sophia nodded. "Do you know anything about her boyfriend or where she stayed?"

Arabella snorted, "She had so many boyfriends, who knows?"

Natalia, quieter, said softly, "She used to brag about her boyfriend, saying how rich and influential he was. She'd even show off, talking about their future marriage after graduation."

Sophia jotted down everything they said and gave them her contact info, saying she'd be in touch if she had more questions.

"And keep this conversation to yourselves. Brynn is suspected of being murdered, not confirmed dead. No rumors, okay?" Arabella, Natalia, and Monica nodded in agreement.

Sophia walked out of the dorm, feeling a bit weighed down.

What kind of secrets was Brynn hiding? Why was she always with different guys? Who was her boyfriend? These questions kept swirling in Sophia's mind.

As she headed downstairs, she noticed a group of girls chatting with Robert.

She found it kind of funny and hung back on the steps, not wanting to interrupt.

She could vaguely hear one of the long-haired girls shyly asking Robert, "Are you waiting for your girlfriend?"

Robert stayed silent, looking aloof.

The girl wasn't put off by his coldness and pulled out her phone. "Can I add you on WhatsApp?"

Robert glanced over at Sophia.

Sophia forced a smile and was about to walk over when she heard Robert say, "No, my wife would get mad."

Sophia almost tripped on the stairs.

The girl turned, saw Sophia, stomped her foot, and walked away.

Sophia walked over and said, "Next time you use me as a shield, a little warning would be nice."

Robert ignored her. "How did the it go?"

Sophia filled him in on what Arabella, Natalia, and Monica had said, then added, "Seems like Brynn had a lot of secrets. She wasn't anything like the good girl Stanley and Jessa described. But how did they not notice?"

Robert glanced at her while driving. "Would you tell your parents if you were up to no good?"

Sophia thought about it and had to agree.

She leaned against the car window, watching the scenery blur by, her mind wandering. The Brynn that Stanley and Jessa knew was totally different from the one her roommates described.

What was the real story here?

What kind of life was Brynn living?

Why was she putting on a front?

Sophia decided to dig deeper, starting with Stanley and Jessa to get more insight into Brynn.

She went back to Brynn's home and met with Stanley and Jessa again.

They looked exhausted, worry etched on their faces.

They told Sophia again that Brynn had always been a good, sensible kid, great at school, never causing trouble.

They didn't know much about her life, just that she worked hard at school and was involved in lots of activities.

Listening to them, Sophia felt even more puzzled.

Why was Brynn so different in front of Stanley and Jessa compared to her roommates?

She started to think Brynn had some serious secrets.

Sophia decided to dig deeper into Brynn's social circle.

She talked to Brynn's classmates, teachers, and friends, finding out that Brynn didn't show up at school much. People remembered her as a beautiful girl who could sing and dance, very talented.

But her personality was all over the place; some thought she was stuck-up, while others found her warm and outgoing.

One thing was consistent, though.

"She said she was going to marry her boyfriend right after graduation."

"And she said she'd invite us all to her wedding."

"I was surprised because Brynn changed boyfriends so fast. She never mentioned marriage before."

"At that time, it felt like a prostitute deciding to get married."

Sophia felt more confused than ever. Who was Brynn really?