Chapter 360 Jenny Admits It (Part 2)

Chapter 360 Jenny Admits It (Part 2)
A heavy silence filled the room.
Jenny shifted uneasily under their gaze. Then her eyes widened as if something just clicked. “You don’t believe me, do you?” She gave a shaky laugh. “If you don’t, I can read you some of the messages Will sent to you back then. The first one said—‘James, there are things I’ve buried in my heart for a long time… I never knew how to tell you. I—’”
“Shut up!”
Robert’s voice cracked through the room. His expression twisted in pain.
James forced himself to look at Jenny. “Why?” he asked, voice low. “Why did you do it?”
Jenny’s eyes closed, and tears slid down her cheeks. She looked just as tormented as the rest of them.
“I didn’t want your reputation to be ruined,” she whispered.
James cut in, frowning. “How did you even see those texts? I never got any of them.”
“That afternoon, you were playing basketball,” Jenny said, forcing a bitter smile. “As your girlfriend, I stayed to watch your stuff—including your phone. It rang over and over. I meant to leave it alone, but curiosity got the better of me. When I checked, I saw a message from Will… confessing his feelings for you.”
James’ face darkened. “So you pretended to be me—and tricked him into meeting you. That’s sick, Jenny.”
“I know.” Her smile was hollow now, her eyes glazed. “Everyone knew how close you were to Will. And Will relied on you like no one else. But behind your backs, people were already talking. Some were saying you two were… more than friends. That Will was your lover. That you were gay.”
The room fell into stunned silence.
Robert stared at her. His anger eased, replaced by something else—something heavier. “Are you serious?”
Jenny looked back at him with eerie calm. “What do you think? The two of you were always together, ignoring the girls who chased after you. Of course people talked. Especially the ones you rejected—they started spreading rumors. No one dared say anything to your face, but that didn’t stop them behind closed doors.”
James and Robert exchanged a glance. James gave a long, exhausted sigh. “Go on.”
Jenny’s voice dropped, but her words hit harder. “At first, the rumors were just whispers in the girls’ dorms and bathrooms. But rumors are like smoke—they spread fast. By the next day, who’s to say the whole school wouldn’t be talking?”
She gave a sad smile. “You both had connections, sure. You could try to suppress it. But that only makes it worse. When you silence a rumor, it starts sounding like truth.”
Robert’s lips pressed into a line. His voice was icy. “So you took my confession and used it to make me vanish. You thought that would make the rumors go away?”
Jenny met his eyes. “Yes. I knew it was unfair to you, but I was desperate. The rumors were already bubbling. And then you—you didn’t even hesitate. You just went straight to him and confessed.”
Her voice trembled. “If someone had seen that, overheard it—how could we possibly fix things? They’d take it as proof. No one would believe you two were just friends.”
“Wait.” James narrowed his eyes. “Didn’t I ask you to pretend to be my girlfriend precisely to stop those rumors? If everyone thought we were dating, why would anyone say I was gay?”
Jenny gave a helpless sigh, her expression crumbling. “That was the plan. But boss… you were a terrible actor.”
She looked at him—hurt, tired, strangely amused. “Look at the couples around campus. They’re always holding hands, kissing, being close. And you? You’d only acknowledge me when someone was bothering you. You’d just tug me along and announce I was your girlfriend like it was a press conference. Most of the time, you didn’t even look at me. You’ve never kissed me—not even held my hand.”
James swallowed hard. Guilt flickered in his eyes. He hadn’t considered how she felt back then. He’d just wanted an easy solution to his problem.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t think it through. I—”
“I’m not telling you this so you’ll pity me,” Jenny interrupted. “And I’m not saying it as an excuse. I just want you to understand.”
She took a shaky breath.
“And the worst part? One time, I went drinking with my roommates. I got too drunk… and let it slip that we weren’t a real couple. They all swore they’d keep it secret—but how long do secrets like that last?”
She looked straight at James.
“If people found out we were faking it… they’d believe the rumors. They’d believe you were gay.”