The Wrong Woman

Candice felt her hands sweating from nervousness as soon as the question was asked. She clenched her fists and lowered her head. She couldn't meet Elio's gaze, yet her ears remained sharply attuned to his voice.

After stealing a glance at Candice, Elio thought for a moment before saying, "Josie isn't my girlfriend."

"What?" Everyone fell into stunned silence.

Candice looked up, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at Elio in disbelief. Her reaction was so over the top that Elio almost laughed. He found her astonishment adorable and struggled to keep a straight face.

With a frown, Daniel asked, "What's the matter?"

Elio turned to Daniel and explained with a polite tone, "My mom was pressuring me to find a girlfriend back then. Out of desperation, I convinced my best friend to pose as one. We kept up the act for so long that everyone believed we were actually together."

"Why did you stop pretending?"

"My mom found out."

"That explains it."

was dumbfounded, her mouth slightly agape in surprise. An unexpected sense of joy flooded her. The dilemma that had troubled her was resolved, and she sighed in

Elio hadn't compromised her values. And the person she was interested in wasn't taken after

called out as he entered the

Jasper beaming while taking a seat beside him. Turning to the group, Jasper said, "Grandma Michaela is really something else. She's downright terrifying. I even have nightmares

Jasper and scolded him,

just being honest. Dad told me Mom

she even became a researcher. Uncle

hand, signaling him to stop. Jasper caught the hint and swiftly skifted the conversation. "You know, I stayed with her during my

always a timer and strictly portioned. couldn't even pick what I wanted to eat Right after breakfast, it was straight

even take bathroom breaks longer than ten minutes. Oh my goodness, it was non-stop studying, reading, and writing. Lunch and dinner were half an hour each. I didn't get to shower and wind down until

laughed. "Jasper, you must be

all. Those two weeks were a total nightmare," Jasper

a smile, Florence said, "I remember that year. Your grades improved dramatically, jumping over 30