Chapter 14

Seeing the dismissive look from the good-looking guy, Feena felt a little embarrassed. After all, her friends weren't exactly high class, which indirectly suggested that her circle wasn't all that impressive. Although Feena wasn't as worldly as someone who had already experienced the realities of adult life, she still cared about her image. As a result, her expression became a little colder when facing Jack, Wesley, and Eddie. She had no intention of introducing the group to Jack. However, two of the girls, who were not bad-looking, began to study Jack. They seemed quite intrigued, with one saying, "Is he really a good singer? He looks pretty handsome." "Look at his eyes," the other girl added with a giggle. "They're so captivating." "Feena, come on. Introduce him to us!" they urged. Feena had no intention of making the introduction. Jack, noticing how the group seemed to look down on him, decided to just ignore them. Wesley and Eddie found a table and started playing pool. Jack picked up a cue stick and sat on the side, watching them play. Jack was great at pool, far above the level of Wesley and Eddie. Most of the time, it was just Wesley and Eddie, two amateurs, going back and forth, while Jack acted as the referee. Meanwhile, over at Feena's table, the good-looking guy displayed impressive skills in pool. The rest of the group played against him, but within just a few rounds, they were thoroughly beaten. Feeling a bit lonely from his overwhelming dominance, the guy adopted an air of superiority, sitting off to the side, sipping on a drink with a smug look on his face. Feena noticed Seth Wood, the good-looking guy, seemed bored and eager to impress. She turned to Wesley and Eddie, who were still playing pool, and said, "Eddie, Wesley, how about you two play a couple of rounds with Seth?" Wesley and Eddie exchanged a glance. Though they weren't fond of the group, they didn't want to disappoint Feena. "Alright," they agreed. Seth, however, put on an air of superiority. He didn't even move until Wesley and Eddie walked over. He slowly stood up and gave them a disdainful glance. "Feena, I can't be bothered to play if they are amateurs." His words implied he thought little of them. A shorter guy standing nearby explained, "Seth doesn't just play with anyone." Feena's face flushed with embarrassment. She turned to Wesley and asked in a soft voice, "Wesley, are you good at playing pool?" She was worried she'd chosen two worthless players. The question made Wesley and Eddie's faces darken. They were upset by the implication but, seeing Feena's slightly pleading expression, Wesley reluctantly replied, "We're alright." Seth, not missing a beat, spoke up again. "How about we make it interesting? Let's add a little wager to the game, that's what makes it fun." Wesley and Eddie exchanged uneasy looks. "What do you have in mind?" Wesley asked. Seth replied, "Let's play pool. 50 dollars for a game. If you score over 80 in one shot, I'll double the stakes. For every 20 extra points, I'll double it again. What do you say?" Wesley and Eddie hesitated when Seth suggested a wager. Neither of them came from wealthy families, and the prospect of losing money made them nervous. Seth noticed their hesitation and sneered. "Can't afford to play? Fine, then! But Feena, your social circle is low. Don't tell me you used to hang out with these guys." Feena's face turned pale. She felt utterly humiliated. "Alright. Let's do it," Wesley said, squeezing the cash in his pocket. He reluctantly agreed, his pride stung. He didn't want to be seen as weak, especially not in front of someone as beautiful as Feena. He had 200 dollars in his pocket, so he figured it'd be enough for two rounds. Sure enough, after three rounds, Wesley nearly lost everything, including his dignity. Feeling embarrassed, he quietly asked Eddie for help, "Eddie, why don't you take over for a couple of rounds?" Eddie hesitated, counting the 180 dollars in his pocket. With no choice, he agreed. In two rounds, Eddie made one shot worth 80 points, leaving him with just 30 dollars. He dared not go back for a third round. Seth taunted, counting the dollars in his hand. "If you're out of cash, go home and get some. I'm giving you a chance to win back what you lost. You know what they say, if you don't double down when you can, you're dumber than a pig." Loud, mocking laughs from Seth's group echoed around the room. Seth was deliberately trying to provoke them. It was clear to everyone that continuing would only lead to Wesley and Eddie losing even more. But if they didn't at least try to get their money back, they would look like fools. Wesley was infuriated by Seth's subtle insult, but he felt too guilty to retort. Suddenly, Jack said, "I'll do it! I actually have some money on me. " Jack hadn't wanted to get involved, but now that his friends were in a tough spot, he couldn't just stand by. Wesley and Eddie exchanged a hopeful glance, knowing Jack's skills were way better than theirs. He might just be able to get them back on track. But there was one problem. Jack was the poorest of the three. How much money could he possibly have? If he lost, they'd be in deep trouble. Feena frowned slightly, uncertain about Jack's decision. However, the girls behind her seemed more excited. A girl with a ponytail leaned toward Feena and said, "Feena, how good is this guy at pool? He looks pretty strong!" Feena shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but he seems pretty average." The ponytailed girl grinned. "Who cares? He's handsome, that's all that matters." Seth gave Jack a once-over, his gaze full of arrogance. "Alright, let's get started. You know the rules, right?" Deep down, Seth was wondering if Jack even had the money to pay if he lost. Jack replied, "Got it. But I think we should tweak the rules a little bit." He casually pulled out a wallet from his pocket and fished out some bills. He asked, "How about we make it 100 dollars a game? And starting from 60, every ten points will double the bet. Does that sound good?" The group gasped. 80 points were tough to hit, but 60 was still doable for skilled players. Given Seth's earlier performance, it almost seemed like Jack was handing him money on a silver platter. Even the ponytailed girl couldn't resist nudging Feena. "This guy must be loaded, right?" Feena furrowed her brows slightly and shook her head. The ponytail girl wasn't sure what Feena's gesture meant. Was it a no, or was she saying that Jack didn't have money? Wesley and Eddie were left stunned. They had no idea where Jack had come up with this much money. They knew his family situation well, and playing this big was risky. What if they lost? Wesley subtly tugged at Jack, trying to signal him to take it easy. But Jack just shrugged him off, unaffected. The truth was, Jack had a little over a thousand in his wallet. That was the money he'd saved from part-time work and the promise of a stable future. The money wasn't just for fun. He had plans to buy programming and finance study materials, or maybe a better guitar. But today, he decided to bet it all. Seth's eyes widened, greed flashing through them. "Alright," Seth said, though his tone was a bit forced. Inside, he was worried that Jack might back out. Jack shook his head. "If the bet is too little, it won't be fun." "Alright then. No more talking. Let's start the game! If I win, I'm treating everyone to late-night snacks tonight," Seth said. Seth suppressed his excitement, thinking to himself that it was foolish to turn down free money when it was practically being handed to him.