As they broke the kiss, Linda's eyes sparkled with a mix of defiance and satisfaction. Justin, still in shock, felt his heart racing. He glanced around the room and saw the myriad reactions: surprise, admiration, envy, and disbelief. Stella's face was a mask of stunned silence, while Kendrick looked furious.
Michael, however, was livid. His face turned a deep shade of red, and his hands clenched into fists. "You'll regret this, Linda," he hissed. "You think you can just humiliate me in front of everyone like this?"
Linda stood her ground, her gaze unwavering. "I'm not afraid of you or your threats, Michael. This is my life, and I will choose who I want to be with."
"Then what about my love for you!" Michael asked in anger.
"Your love for me can go to hell for all I care," Linda replied with a smirk, and everyone in the room gasped.
Michael's rage intensified with each word Linda spoke. He started kicking bottles, overturning tables, and smashing anything within reach. The room quickly descended into chaos as guests backed away, unsure of how to react.
Kendrick, seeing the situation spiraling out of control, stepped forward and grabbed Michael by the arm. "Hey, calm down!" he shouted, pulling him away from the destruction.
Michael struggled against Kendrick's grip, his face a mask of fury. "Let me go! She can't just treat me like this!"
"Listen," Kendrick said firmly, dragging Michael towards the door. "You're making a scene. Let's talk outside."
Once they were outside, away from the prying eyes of the guests, Kendrick tried to calm Michael down. "I'm sorry for what my sister did. She shouldn't have humiliated you like that."
Michael seethed, but his anger was starting to subside. "She made me look like a fool in front of everyone."
"I know, and I'll talk to her," Kendrick promised. "But don't worry. That guy Justin will pay for this. I'll make sure of it."
Meanwhile, back inside, Linda faced the room full of guests who were still in shock from the confrontation. "Well, since Michael has decided to ruin the room meant for celebrating, I suggest we move the party to Cleveland Relaxation Center."
Everyone gasped in awe. Cleveland Relaxation Center was known for its luxurious amenities and exclusive access, a place most people could only dream of visiting.
"You're serious?" someone asked, their eyes wide with excitement.
Linda nodded confidently. "Yes. Let's make this a night to remember. Everyone, please follow me."
She led the way outside, the guests murmuring excitedly among themselves. The atmosphere shifted from tense to exhilarated as they anticipated the continuation of the party at such a prestigious location.
Outside, Linda's family's luxurious bus awaited. She directed everyone to board the bus, ensuring they all had seats.
As the last of the guests were getting on the bus, Linda turned to Justin with a smile. "Come on, you're riding with me."
Justin felt a thrill of excitement and apprehension as he followed Linda to her sleek, black car. The evening had taken so many unexpected turns, and he couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
They got into the car, and Linda started the engine, pulling out of the driveway. As they drove towards the Cleveland Relaxation Center, Justin couldn't help but feel a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
Meanwhile, Stella and her two friends , Carla and Megan, followed Kendrick to his car. They got in and they also drove off to the relaxation center.
As Kendrick drove, he noticed how silent and moody Stella was.
"Are you okay?" He asked, and Stella turned her gaze to him.
"Yeah, I'm good," she nodded with a forced smile.
"Are you sure?" Carla asked from the backseat.
"You've been acting moody and sad since the party began," Megan added.
"Seriously, I'm fine," Stella said, trying not to sound angry.
"If you say so," Carla muttered and continued pressing her phone.
Kendrick knew something was wrong with Stella, and he knew Justin was the reason why she was being moody.
"I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson," Kendrick said under his breath as he continued driving.
Meanwhile, in Linda's car, Justin felt really nervous as they drove to Cleveland Relaxation center. He said nothing to Linda, and Linda also said nothing as she drove. The car was silent, and in his head, Justin was busy replaying the moment Linda called him her boyfriend and kissed him. It still felt like a dream, but he loved it.
"Are we just gonna remain quiet till we arrive at our destination," Linda said, finally breaking the silence.
"I can't believe you did that," Justin said, his voice a mix of awe and nervous laughter.
Linda smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Neither can I, but it felt right. I've been wanting to break free from Michael and my parents' expectations for so long. You gave me the courage to finally do it."
Linda reached out with her right hand and held Justin's hand affectionately. Justin's heart skipped a bit as he felt the tender touch imagine of her hand.
Justin's heart swelled at her words. "I'm glad I could help, even if I didn't know I was doing it."
"But do you mean the words you said back there?" Justin asked with a nervous smile.
Linda chuckled softly, then grew serious. "I sort of meant what I said back there. I really do like you, Justin. You're different from the others. Genuine. Kind."
Justin blushed, looking down at their intertwined hands. "I... I like you too, Linda. But this... all of this is so new to me. I don't want to cause you any trouble."
"You won't," Linda assured him, her eyes softening. "And besides, you're really not my boyfriend. So, I don't think you should be afraid of getting into trouble or causing one."
"That's right," Justin said, then he chuckled nervously.
"Or do you want to my become my boyfriend for real?" Linda asked, and Justin chuckled nervously.
"I... I don't know. That is up to you if you want me to become your boyfriend or not," Justin replied nervously.
"And what if I want you to become my boyfriend?" Linda asked, and Justin began sweating nervously despite the functioning air-conditioning system in the car.
"You want me to become your boyfriend for real?" Justin asked.
"Oh, we're here," Linda said, and Justin looked out the window to see that they've arrived at Cleveland Relaxation center.
"But you haven't answered my question yet," Justin said as Linda unbuckled her seatbelt.
"I'll give you the answer some other time," Linda replies with a smile. "Now, let's go enjoy the party."
Justin felt a surge of anxiety as he and Linda stepped out of the car and spotted Michael with Kendrick. Michael's expression was one of barely restrained fury, while Kendrick's was more neutral, but Justin could sense the tension.
"Why the hell did Kendrick bring that annoying fool here?" Linda muttered in anger.
"Let's go," Justin said, trying to steer Linda away from the brewing confrontation.
As they walked towards the entrance of Cleveland Relaxation Center, Justin kept a steady pace, hoping to avoid any more drama for the night. Linda held his hand tighter, and they entered the grand lobby, which was adorned with lavish decorations and exuded an air of opulence.
The guests from the party were already mingling inside, marveling at the luxurious surroundings. Soft music played in the background, and the atmosphere was far more relaxed and inviting than it had been at Linda's house.
Linda and Justin made their way to the center of the room, where a large, elegant fountain served as a focal point. The soothing sound of trickling water added to the serene ambiance.
"Let's get some drinks," Linda suggested, leading Justin to the bar.
As they approached, Justin felt a mix of awe and disbelief at how much his life had changed. Just yesterday, he was an ordinary college student with no prospects. Now, he was mingling with the elite, and Linda Hart, one of the most sought-after girls on campus, was holding his hand.
They reached the bar, and the bartender greeted them with a friendly smile. "What can I get for you two?"
"I'll have a glass of red wine," Linda said.
Justin hesitated, unsure of what to order. "I'll have the same," he finally decided.
As they waited for their drinks, Justin glanced around the room. He saw Stella sulking in a corner, casting envious glances their way. Michael and Kendrick stood near the entrance, talking in low voices. Justin could tell Michael was still angry, but Kendrick seemed to be trying to calm him down.
Their drinks arrived, and Linda raised her glass. "To a new age," she said with a smile.
"To a new age," Justin echoed, clinking his glass with hers.
They sipped their wine, enjoying the moment of peace. Linda leaned closer to Justin, her eyes sparkling. "So, what do you think of all this?"
"It's incredible," Justin admitted. "I never thought I'd find myself in a place like this, with someone like you."
Linda's smile widened. "Well, get used to it."
They continued to enjoy their drinks, making light conversation and soaking in the luxurious surroundings. Justin couldn't shake the feeling that his life was about to change in ways he couldn't even imagine.
Suddenly, they saw Kendrick picking up the microphone.
"Hey, everyone," he said, and everyone turned their attention to him, including Justin and Linda.
"What's he about to say?" Linda wondered.
"Thanks for coming to my twin's and my birthday party. I'm really glad you all could attend," Kendrick paused, then continued. "Now, I hope you brought gifts and presents for us."
"Yeah, we did!" Everyone chorused.
"Linda, come forward, please," Kendrick said, his gaze fixed on Linda.
"I'll be right back," Linda said to Justin before walking to meet Kendrick.
"Now, everyone, bring your gifts," Kendrick said, and everyone began bringing their gifts.
Some brought expensive accessories for Kendrick, while others brought expensive jewelry and dresses for Linda. The gifts seemed extremely valuable, worth thousands or even millions of dollars.
Michael also stepped forward with a package in his hand. Everyone watched as he handed the package to Linda with a smile on his face.
"This is for you," he said, and Linda accepted it with a forced smile.
"Thanks," she managed to say.
"Wouldn't you like to know what's in it?" Michael asked with a smirk.
Linda scoffed as she opened the package. It contained very expensive and luxurious items from the most popular brands.
Everyone gasped in awe.
"Didn't your boyfriend bring you a gift?" Michael asked with a mischievous smirk, turning his gaze to Justin.
Everyone also looked at Justin, waiting for him to present his gift to Linda. They all knew he was poor and wouldn't be able to afford a valuable gift for Linda. Stella and her friends also watched, waiting for the perfect opportunity to mock him.
Justin felt everyone's eyes on him and knew they were waiting to mock him. What they didn't know was that he was no longer the pauper they once knew. He was now someone different, someone bigger and richer than all of them combined.
"Come on, Justin. Where's the gift you brought for your girlfriend, or are you too poor to get her a birthday gift?" a guy asked, and others burst into laughter.
Linda watched as they mocked Justin and felt bad for putting him in such a position. If only she hadn't called him her boyfriend, maybe all this wouldn't have happened.
"Come on, poor brat," Michael said to Justin. "Where's your gift?"
"It's in the car. Let me go get it," Justin said, then scanned around for his best friend, Alex. He finally saw Alex and signaled for him to follow him out.
Everyone thought Justin was trying to run away from the embarrassment, but they didn't know he was actually going to bring a gift. Alex and Justin both walked out and headed to Alex's car.
"Good thing you brought Linda a gift," Alex said as he unlocked his car. Justin took the wrapped gift he had bought for Linda.
"I'm going to shock the hell out of them," Justin said with a smirk, and the two of them returned inside.
Everyone watched as Justin brought in a wrapped gift. They were all curious to know what was in it.
"Here's your gift, Linda," he said, handing Linda the gift.
Linda accepted it with a smile, then hugged him. "Thanks, Justin," she said, breaking the hug.
Michael became infuriated. He didn't expect Justin to bring a gift for Linda. Michael knew Justin was poor, so he concluded that whatever gift he brought for Linda must be cheap and worthless. He decided to use this as an opportunity to embarrass Justin.
"Linda, can you unwrap the gift your boyfriend brought for you so we can see what he actually gave you?" Michael said, and Linda frowned at him.
"Whatever my boyfriend brought for me is none of your concern," Linda said with a deep frown.
"Come on, Linda. Unwrap the gift and let us see what's in it," Stella said with a mischievous smirk.
Linda gave Stella a hateful look. Linda didn't want to unwrap the gift because she knew Justin wasn't capable of getting her expensive gifts like everyone else did, so she was trying to prevent him from being embarrassed. That was why she didn't want to unwrap the package.
"Don't worry, Linda," Justin said to Stella in a soft voice. "Open it."
Linda slowly began to unwrap the gift, and everyone watched in anticipation.
"Oh my goodness!" Linda gasped after she finished unwrapping the gift. Her eyes went wide with shock when she saw what Justin got her. It was a fashion bag, but not just any fashion bag; it was the latest and most expensive bag available.
"Isn't that the latest bag from the Mayweather brand?" someone asked, and everyone began to move closer to Linda to get a better look.
"Oh my God!" They all exclaimed in surprise when they saw it was indeed the Mayweather bag.
Stella almost fainted when she saw the bag. She couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't believe that Justin, the poor guy she broke up with, had bought such an expensive bag for Linda. It seemed too good to be true.
"How did Justin afford such an expensive bag?" Stella thought to herself. "The bag must be a fake version."
"I heard this bag is so expensive and limited," a girl said, and everyone gasped again.
"I also heard that the Mayweather brand only produced five of these bags. That means only five of these bags are available worldwide," another person said, causing everyone to gasp for the third time.
"I can't believe Justin bought it as a gift for Linda," a girl said in admiration.
"I guess Justin is not that bad after all," a guy acknowledged.
Michael was starting to get angry as Justin was being praised and acknowledged.
"This bag must be the fake version," Stella said, her voice tinged with anger and jealousy.
"No, it's not the fake version," Carla said, and everyone turned their gaze to her.
"What do you mean, Carla?" Stella asked with a frown. "Are you trying to defend Justin?"
"No," Carla replied.
"Then why did you say the bag wasn't the fake version?" Stella asked.
"Because Megan and I were there when Justin was purchasing the bag," Carla answered, and Stella's eyes went wide with shock.