Unexpected Mr. Right

CHAPTER 10: The Girlfriend

Lina's POV

Ding-dong!

Kenneth opened the door, and I heard a woman's voice.

"What are you doing here?" Kenneth asked, clearly surprised.

Who could it be?

"Surprise!" the woman replied cheerfully.

I had just finished getting dressed and found myself eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Why are you here?" Kenneth asked again, his tone uneasy.

"Why, babe? Don't you want me here?" she teased.

Babe? What the—?! Seriously?! So this jerk has a girlfriend?

"And why are you only in your underwear, babe? Did you just wake up?" she questioned, sounding suspicious.

"Ah—yeah, I just woke up," Kenneth admitted. "But why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Singapore?"

"I just wanted to check on you. My flight isn't until tomorrow," she explained.

Then—

BOOM!

Oh no. I'm in trouble. Facepalm.

I lost my balance and fell, making a loud noise. I had been crouched on the floor with my feet tucked beneath me, listening intently. Ugh. Nice one, Lina.

"What was that?" the woman asked suspiciously.

"Ah? Nothing. Probably just a cat or a rat," Kenneth dismissed quickly.

"Are you hiding something?" she probed, her tone laced with doubt.

I heard footsteps approaching. Panic surged through me as I quickly stood up and adjusted my appearance. Before they could reach the door, I took the initiative and opened it myself.

Our eyes met, and we all froze.

"Jhanine?" I blurted out.

"Lina?" she replied, just as shocked.

So she was Kenneth's girlfriend. My gaze darted to Kenneth, whose expression screamed, I didn't know this would happen.

Nice. Just perfect.

"Wow! Long time no see, Lina," Jhanine said, her voice dripping with condescension.

I didn't respond. Instead, I turned to leave, but Kenneth grabbed my arm.

"Let go of me," I said coldly.

"Lina, let me explain," Kenneth pleaded.

"Seriously, babe?" Jhanine scoffed. "You're explaining yourself to her? I'm your girlfriend! You don't owe anything to that filthy—"

I turned sharply, cutting her off. "What did you just call me?"

Jhanine smirked. "Oh, I called you filthy bitch!" She emphasized each word as if daring me to react.

I exhaled slowly, calming myself. "Filthy bitch? That title suits you more."

I turned to Kenneth. "And you don't need to explain anything to me. Everything is crystal clear now."

Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wiped them away quickly, grabbed my bag, and walked out without looking back.

After a whole year of no contact, he suddenly reappears in my life—only for this to happen? Damn you, Kenneth. Why did you come back? Just because you knew I still loved you? That my feelings for you never changed? And yet... you have a girlfriend. And not just any girlfriend—Jhanine.

I walked towards the nearest transport stop, frustration boiling inside me. Today is an absolute mess.

Jhanine's POV

"Why was she here, Kenneth?" I asked, arms crossed.

"We had drinks last night. She got drunk, and I didn't know where she lived, so I let her crash here," he explained, rubbing his temples.

"Really? Just that? Or did something else happen?" I raised an eyebrow. "You two had this whole place to yourselves."

Kenneth let out a frustrated sigh. "Think whatever you want. I'm going back to sleep. Close the door on your way out."

He walked back to his room and shut the door.

"Sorry..." I whispered, but I knew he wasn't listening anymore.

It's as if I'm not even his girlfriend.

I, Jhanine Rose Santiago, have liked Kenneth Fernandez for years. I always knew he had feelings for Lina—since high school, to be exact. I found out during our senior prom.

Flashback: Senior Prom

The venue was buzzing with chatter, laughter, and music. As usual, all eyes were on me. Of course—I'm stunning.

Then, I overheard whispers behind me.

"Who's that girl? She's gorgeous! But... why is she with him?" a girl muttered, glancing at someone across the room.

"Did Weirdo cast a love spell or something?" her date chuckled.

Curious, I followed their gaze.

"She studies here? Never seen her before," another girl commented.

"That guy scored a total babe. Even I feel outdone," a guy joked.

Then I realized—they were talking about Lina.

My blood boiled.

Lina? That nerdy freak? Looking that good?

Meanwhile, Kenneth—my Kenneth—was standing next to her, looking at her in a way he had never looked at me. The moment their names were called for the prom king and queen dance, my rage only intensified.

I stormed out.

End of Flashback.

If it weren't for my brother, Kenneth and I wouldn't be together. I love him—I can't afford to lose him.

I knocked on his door before leaving. "Babe, I'm heading out. I brought Krispy Kreme and KFC. They're on the table."

Silence.

"I love you, babe," I added before walking away.

Riiiiing!

"Hello?" I answered my phone.

"Jhanine, where are you?" my brother's voice came through.

"I stopped by Kenneth's place," I replied.

"Alright. I'll wait for you at SM," he said.

"Where in SM? It's huge, you know?" I asked.

"The café." Then he hung up.

Lina's POV

I need a distraction. Facebook it is. I haven't checked it in a while.

Out of nowhere, my mind drifted to him—Kael, from the falls.

I glanced at my phone. He took my number that day, but he never texted. Figures.

10 Notifications

2 Friend Requests

1 Message

All my notifications were pointless—game invites and random likes. Ugh.

I checked my friend requests. One was from Lester Go, my old classmate. I accepted.

Then I saw the second request.

Albert Mikael Villamil.

Who is this?