Love My Friends with Benefits novel Chapter 26

Our order was soon served. I added the milk and sugar into the coffee and slowly stirred it.

Austin sipped his coffee and asked, "What do you think of the prospect of our companies working together?"

Prospects, huh?

This project would affect our company's revenue for the second half of the year as well as my job. However, I didn't know much about the Internet industry.

What's more...

I hesitated, then answered truthfully, "Austin, it's really not the best decision to have me handle this project. There are other people in our company that know this industry much better than I do... Perhaps you'd like to consider having someone else handle this?"

Austin shook his head gracefully. "You're the only one that's included in my consideration."

This was almost like an obscure confession.

I could feel my heart skip a beat and my face warm. I had no choice but to sip my coffee to conceal my awkwardness.

There was no denying that Austin was an outstanding, handsome man. However, his confession still put me in a tough spot.

The atmosphere had barely lightened before turning awkward again.

"Miss. Jones, you..." Austin started to say.

At the same time, a familiar, shrill voice rang out from the table behind us. "You mean that old hag? She's in the hospital."

Was that Gail?!

I stiffened and gestured to Austin to stop talking.

He looked at me in confusion but stopped anyway.

Gail continued speaking behind us.

I rummaged through my bag and took out a small makeup mirror. I carefully observed what was happening at the table behind us.

From the mirror, I saw Gail sitting together with another woman dressed in expensive clothes. There was hatred and jealousy written all over her face.

"That old hag's always protecting that little b*tch." Gail scoffed disdainfully and continued, "Phoebe's her granddaughter too, but she's never been on her side."

It was evident that the other woman knew about the Jones family's matters. She merely smiled in response, not saying anything.

Gail continued to chatter away. "Do you know how overboard that little b*tch was?! It hasn't been easy for Phoebe to find such an outstanding partner, yet that little b*tch ruined the wedding!" She grabbed the other woman's wrist. "She's just too much, right?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, she's too much."

Their conversation piqued my interest. I was really curious to know how Phoebe was doing after her disaster of a wedding.

"Austin." I lowered my voice so that Gail wouldn't notice me. "I'm sorry, but I've run into someone familiar. I have something to say to them, so can we talk about work some other day?"

Austin stood up agreeably. "Sure. I'll leave this with you. See you tomorrow." He pushed the document on the table towards me.

"Thank you." 

I said sincerely and tucked the document away.

Austin turned to leave, waving at me before stepping out of the cafe.

I nodded halfheartedly in response. In fact, I was focused on eavesdropping on Gail and her friend's conversation. I didn't want to miss a single detail.

"You know how obedient Phoebe is! Why does she have to go through something like this?" Gail dabbed her tears away with a napkin. "That pregnant woman showed up so suddenly, claiming that she was carrying Leonard's child... How's that possible? He's such a gentleman!"

A gentleman? I almost laughed out loud.

If Gail knew how Leonard had performed in my bed the night before, would she still say such things?

Her friend's lips twitched, looking a little odd.

After a while, she said hesitantly, "You know... I wouldn't put it that way. Mr. Nell maintains a low profile, but I've heard rumours of him always having a woman with him..."

"That's impossible!" Gail shot her down without hesitation, sounding agitated. "It has to be fake! Leonard's nothing but a complete gentleman. He barely even holds Phoebe's hand!"

"Well, that's not much of a surprise," I thought to myself. "After all, he's already satiated, thanks to me."

He'd already slept with me. Did he still need to hold her hand?

How was it possible for a man who's had the main course to lust after the appetiser?

Gail started crying. "And now the wedding's ruined! My daughter's so conservative that she hasn't even had a boyfriend before Leonard. She's so humiliated that she even wanted to end her own life..."

Gail's friend looked like she wanted to laugh, but she tried her best to hold it in. She comforted Gail perfunctorily.

I couldn't help thinking gleefully that Gail probably wasn't aware of all the articles minutely analysing every single detail about Phoebe.

They'd even analysed that rumoured ex-boyfriend of hers. Although those articles were probably more fiction than fact, they still tarnished Phoebe's image.

Gail's friend must have read those articles.

"It's all because of that little b*tch!"

Having cried her heart out, Gail looked up and said ferociously, "The moment that pregnant woman showed up, I just had this gut feeling that she and Queena were in cahoots!"

Her friend patted her on the shoulder. "Maybe you're just overthinking this?"

"No, I'm not!" Gail said insistently. "That little b*tch has always hated and been jealous of Phoebe. It has to be her!"

...

She sounded so certain that her friend couldn't really say anything else. She merely smiled awkwardly.

This was followed by Gail's one-sided complaining.

She cried agitatedly and complained about the wedding over and over again. I started to lose interest and stopped listening so closely.

Suddenly, she said something that caught my attention again.

"Then again..." Gail's eyes flashed sinisterly. "That little b*tch's retribution is on the way."

Retribution? What kind of retribution?

I tensed up, my fingers tightening around the spoon subconsciously.

Gail's friend asked, "What are you referring to?"

Gail laughed gleefully. "When we got back, Bell started throwing things around, saying that he wanted to kill the little b*tch. The old hag panicked when she heard him."

She had to be referring to Grandma when she mentioned "the old hag"!

I trembled, wanting to rush up to her and make her tell me what had happened.

Her friend asked, "What happened after that?"

"After that? Bell refused to let the little b*tch off the hook despite the old hag pleading with him. I chimed in here and there, and she had a heart attack. We had to call her an ambulance." Gail shrugged. "She deserves it. She's always treated me and Phoebe like we're her enemies. Look who's in the hospital now?"

I couldn't take it anymore and shot to my feet.

Gail was still chattering away. "I heard that the old hag has a box full of jewellery somewhere. I wonder whether Phoebe can inherit it..."

Grandma was on the brink of death, and here Gail was, fantasising about her possessions!

I trembled with fury and stormed over to Gail's table.

I interrupted her in the middle of her chattering. She narrowed her eyes and looked up in dissatisfaction. "Who are..." When she saw me, her pupils contracted and she shrieked, "What are you doing here?!"

I raised a hand and slapped her with all my strength.