Chapter 132 132
For the past week, Jacqueline had perfected the art of avoidance.
She no longer sat beside him at the back of the class or anywhere near him, for that matter. If she spotted him walking toward her down a hallway, she would quietly change direction. And whenever she accidentally caught him watching her, the smile on her face would disappear as though it had never existed.
Her friends noticed immediately. The shift in her attitude toward Damien was impossible to miss. They questioned her about it, but she brushed it off lightly, saying that since he had ignored her first, she was simply returning the favor.
Damien, on the other hand, looked at her with only one clear emotion.
Disgust.
It burned so openly in his eyes that she could never hold his gaze for long. Not that she wanted to look at him anyway.
Today, the professor returned their last assignment the one she had been paired with Damien for. They both received an A+. The professor even commended their teamwork and effort.
The irony tasted bitter.
Once class ended, Fanny, Gilles, and Jacqueline made their way toward the cafeteria. There was something off about the two of them; they kept exchanging glances, clearly wanting to say something.
“Go on,” Jacqueline muttered. “I’m listening.”
They both sighed in unison.
“You never come out with us,” Gilles began. “We’re going to the club tonight. And you’re coming.”
“You know I can’t,” she replied, her tone already defeated.
“As he said, you’re coming,” Fanny added firmly. “There’s no debate.”
Jacqueline blinked at her. Now that was unexpected. Fanny and clubbing? Since when?
“When did you start going to clubs?” she asked with a raised brow.
Fanny shrugged casually.
“Julien won’t allow me,” Jacqueline murmured under her breath.
“Then lie,” Gilles said smoothly. “Tell him you’re staying at Fanny’s. Get ready there and come with us.”
“He’ll kill me,” Jacqueline muttered, though the other two only laughed.
“You’re way too scared of your stepdad,” Gilles commented.
She ignored that.
“I’ll try,” she said reluctantly.
“Try now,” Fanny insisted, grabbing her hand and pulling her aside. Gilles followed closely.
“Call him. Say I’m sick and you’re taking me home. Ask if you can stay the night,” Fanny instructed confidently.
Jacqueline stared at her. “You sound exactly like Gilles. What is happening?”
“She’s learning from the best,” Gilles grinned only to earn a sharp smack on his arm from Fanny.
Jacqueline wasn’t enthusiastic, but their stubbornness left her no room to escape. She dialed Julien’s number.
He answered on the first ring.
“What is it?” His voice was clipped and stern.
“Uh… Fanny isn’t feeling well,” Jacqueline said slowly. “I’m taking her home. Can I… stay with her tonight? She’s not okay.”
Fanny and Gilles hovered so close they were practically breathing with her, straining to catch his response.
“Only if you behave,” Julien replied. There was a clear warning beneath his calm tone.
Fanny nodded urgently at Jacqueline.
“Yes,” she answered. “I will.”
“Alright.”
The call ended.
It felt as though she could finally inhale properly.
Fanny and Gilles stared at her expectantly.
“He said alright,” Jacqueline muttered.
They both bounced with excitement, and despite herself, she smiled.
She would finally step into a club just once. A small part of her trembled at the thought of disobeying Julien, but another part a quieter, braver part longed to feel alive for a night.
—
Since neither she nor Fanny had suitable outfits, they went to Thérèse’s place. Thérèse was the obvious solution.
She pulled out her most daring dresses and laid them out dramatically.
Fanny rejected six in a row before finally choosing a floral dress that fell just above her knees elegant and modest compared to the rest.
Jacqueline, meanwhile, tried on dress after dress, stepping out each time for their approval. Then she emerged in a tight black dress that hugged every curve and stopped mid-thigh. It had full sleeves, but the fabric clung to her body like a second skin.
Fanny and Thérèse both froze, mouths slightly open.
The dress fit her perfectly.
“I think you should keep that,” Thérèse wolf-whistled. “You look insanely hot.”
Fanny chuckled while Jacqueline blushed, suddenly hyperaware of her reflection.
Thérèse selected a sky-blue dress for herself that made her eyes stand out brilliantly. It was short, very short but she wore it with confidence.
They applied light makeup, just enough to enhance their features, and headed out.
Gilles called to say they were already at the club. The girls piled into Thérèse’s car, and she started the engine.
Ten minutes later, they arrived.
Laurent was leaning against his car outside the entrance, arms crossed.
“You guys took forever,” he grumbled as they stepped out. Thérèse handed her keys to the valet.
“Come on. Gilles is waiting,” Laurent said, leading the way inside.
The moment they entered, music thundered through the space, vibrating through the floor and into Jacqueline’s bones. The lights flashed in dizzying patterns. Bodies moved everywhere dancing, laughing, shouting over the noise.
An excited grin spread across Jacqueline’s face.
She was actually here.
They squeezed past crowds of sweaty, ecstatic dancers.
“Stay close!” Laurent shouted over the music.
Jacqueline’s eyes sparkled as she took everything in. The place was electric wild and intoxicating.
Laurent finally stopped near a seating area where a group of guys sat gathered around a table.
Gilles stood among them.
He rose to his feet with a wide grin when he spotted the girls.
Jacqueline’s gaze swept across the unfamiliar faces until it stopped.
Her breath hitched.
Her eyes locked with a pair of intense green ones.