‘I, Ethan Quarles, hereby certify that Josephine Jacobson is my girlfriend.’ This sentence came as a bombshell to the group. Silence ensued and no one dared to speak up for almost a minute. Even the voices that had previously criticized and suppressed Josephine disappeared. No one dared to question the man’s identity or the authenticity of his statement.
‘Are you Mr. Quarles?’ Katrina asked boldly. ‘Yes, came the concise response. At this moment, Josephine was staring at her phone, leaning on Ethan’s shoulder on the hotel couch as she happily read the messages in the group. She accidentally showed the chat to him, and Ethan insisted on joining the company’s group chat, leading to the current situation. ‘Hello, Mr. Quarles.”
‘Mr. Quarles, you’re so handsome.’ ‘Good afternoon, Mr. Quarles.’ Ethan’s appearance was a slap in the face for many people in the group, effectively making them shut their mouths and stopping them from gossiping.
Meanwhile, Katrina, who was seated at her desk in the company, couldn’t help but think about whether or not she should add Ethan on Telegram so they could chat privately.
Feeling bold, she gritted her teeth and sent him a friend request. However, after waiting for half an hour, there was no response from Ethan’s end. She couldn’t help but feel frustrated, wondering if Josephine had discovered her private request. Her face turned red out of embarrassment and she hoped Josephine didn’t know about it.
What if Ethan simply hasn’t seen it yet? Maybe he will add me if he does! Ethan only said a few words in the group before disappearing, and the previously lively group was now subdued by his imposing presence. It caused the gossip-loving members to avoid chatting there, for fear that the boss might catch them.
Soon, the group administrator announced, ‘Mr. Quarles has left the group.’ ‘What? Why did he leave? I wanted to say hi to him!’ someone typed.
‘The boss just came on to prove that Josephine is his girlfriend! Oh my God! He spoils her so much, another added. ‘He’s so cool! So mysterious and sophisticated! I love him!’
‘Forget it. He belongs to Josephine, Wren replied. ‘Goodness! This is awesome! I just clicked on his profile picture. That face of his is killing me!’ someone else texted. ‘He looks so good in the selfie. Did she save the galaxy in her past life to have such luck?’
‘Maybe it’s good karma!’ At that moment, Josephine was holding Ethan’s cell phone. She was the one who had left the group for him. She understood everyone’s feelings. With him around, no one would dare to chat.
But as Josephine read the flood of messages that followed, she couldn’t help but feel amused and bemused. It seemed like leaving the group had only made people pay more attention to her.
The next day, Josephine would start her work again, and she couldn’t imagine what kind of treatment she would receive at the company now.
At this moment, Katrina, who was waiting for Ethan to accept her request, was left disappointed when he didn’t do so even after work. She was so embarrassed that she bit her lip hard.
She couldn’t help but go to the restroom and check herself in the mirror. She knew she was beautiful, but why wouldn’t Ethan notice her? Why won’t he accept me? Katrina thought to herself.
That night, Josephine watched a game with Ethan. She grew tired, so she leaned against him and fell asleep. After some time, Ethan turned off the TV and carried her in his arms. Josephine woke up but pretended to be asleep.
I won’t mind if he wants to break the boundaries of our relationship, she mused. After all, as a 25- year-old, I have needs too. Ethan only kissed her forehead and tucked her in before leaving the room, though. Josephine was left speechless and frustrated.
