Chapter 4

Saoirse's heart skipped a beat at the intimate scene. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and extended her hand to Georgina. "Hello, I'm Saoirse Madden, Julian's girlfriend." Upon hearing this, Georgina shook her hand while trying to push Julian away, attempting to wake him up. "Julian, your girlfriend is here. Wake up!" However, Julian, who was visibly drunk, leaned further into Georgina's embrace. He held onto her hand while repeatedly mumbling "You're my girlfriend." The people in the room looked embarrassed, but Saoirse maintained a calm demeanor. She took out a few capsules from her bag and handed them to Georgina. "He's drunk. I brought some hangover pills. Please get him to sober up before I take him home." After taking the pills with some water, Julian started to come to his senses. When he saw Saoirse's face, he quickly pulled away from Georgina and began to explain. "I thought she was you…" Saoirse only offered a small smile. "I understand. Let's go home now." Julian agreed to it. As he picked up his coat to leave, a few of his inebriated friends blocked his path. "Why are you leaving already? Julian, you're always busy with your experiments and projects and never join us for gatherings. We finally got you out here thanks to Gina. Don't be a party pooper!" "Exactly. Our game is about to start. It's not cool for you to leave now!" The men didn't care whether he wanted to leave or not. They pulled him back to sit down before they started to explain the game rules. "Let's go big tonight. We'll play a game of roulette! The person who gets pointed at has to reveal a secret in front of everyone!" Julian seemed reluctant to leave. When he looked at Saoirse, he couldn't see a hint of emotion on her face. "Let's just play since you're already here," Saoirse commented. Hearing her agreement, the friends cheered and started the game. In the first round, Julian was the unfortunate one to be chosen. Everyone's excitement surged immediately. "Hahaha, we finally got you, Julian! But since it's your first time, we'll go easy on you. Let's see who's on top of your contact list and WhatsApp!" It was a light penalty. However, Julian fell silent. A few of the women present started to complain. "What's the point of that dare? Julian has a girlfriend; of course, she'll be the first contact!" Seeing that someone was backing him up, Julian remained indifferent. "Since you all already know, there's no need to check. Let's pick another punishment." However, the guys insisted on sticking with the current penalty. Taking advantage of Julian's momentary distraction, they snatched his phone away. When they saw the name "Gina" on the screen, everyone in the room stared at each other in shock. No one could say a word. Julian didn't offer any explanation. He only took back his phone and stood up to leave. "I'm going to the restroom. Keep playing." He was gone for about ten minutes. Worried that he might feel sick, Saoirse followed him outside. That was when she overheard Julian's voice at the restroom door. "I'm just drunk, not dead. Why did you deliberately point the bottle at me? And why set up a situation that left everyone feeling awkward?" "Julian, everyone knows you've liked Georgina for years, but you haven't admitted it. I'm only trying to help you fulfill your long-held wish. Your girlfriend is still in the dark; it's unfair to her. Once this veil is lifted, she'll surely back off." Despite the well-meaning advice, Julian impatiently scolded him. "Mind your own business. Don't take matters into your own hands again." Listening to their conversation, Saoirse couldn't help but smile, though her eyes were now glistening with tears. She took a deep breath and turned into the ladies' room. After she splashed cold water on her face, she dried it off and sent Julian a message. "Let's go. I'll wait for you outside." She then grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and slowly headed downstairs. Just as she reached the door, her phone rang again. It was Madeline Myrth, her mother who rambled on before finally asking if Saoirse was ready. "I'm ready." Saoirse's voice was extremely indifferent. "I can leave anytime." As soon as she said that, Julian's voice came from behind her. "Leave? Where are you going?"