Evan Shepherd: [Renee, I'm sick. I'm at the hospital and desperately need money. Quick, transfer twenty thousand to me.]
Renee Jennings's lips curled into a smirk. She typed out a message and sent it: [I think you might be a scammer. Say that again in a voice message.]
Soon, Evan Shepherd's voice could be heard. "Babe, a client's calling. I'm just stepping out to take this."
Hearing this, Renee Jennings scoffed.
Two minutes later, she received a message from Evan Shepherd. Stroking her British Blue's head, she murmured, "Time to take out the trash."
She stood up and walked out, just as Evan Shepherd was walking in from outside.
They came face-to-face, and their eyes met.
The air seemed to freeze in an instant.
Evan Shepherd's expression became visibly awkward. "Renee? Wow, talk about thinking of someone and having them appear. I must be hallucinating."
Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow. "You're sick? And you came to a veterinary hospital for treatment?"
Evan Shepherd: "..."
With a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes, Renee Jennings asked, "When did you turn into a dog?"
Evan Shepherd: "..."
His face turned ashen, but he was too cowed to speak his mind.
"Cat got your tongue?" Renee Jennings clicked toward him in her high heels.
Evan Shepherd glanced nervously at a nearby exam room. "Renee, let's take this outside."
"Why should we?" Renee Jennings's smile vanished, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Where's your doctor? I'd like to ask what you've been diagnosed with."
Evan Shepherd lowered his voice, hissing, "Do you have to be so damn sarcastic all the time?"
With that, he reached for Renee Jennings's arm, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Let's take this outside."
Renee Jennings yanked her arm away and raised her voice. "Evan Shepherd, you still haven't paid back the money you borrowed from me before, and now you're asking for more? In your dreams."
At her words, the color drained from Evan Shepherd's face. Panic seized him.
'Why is this crazy woman being so loud?'
'My worst fears are coming true!'
Evan Shepherd gave up on Renee Jennings and simply turned to flee.
But he'd only taken a few steps before a cloyingly sweet voice called from behind him, "Evan Shepherd!"
He froze, his face a mask of frustration.
Evan Shepherd turned around stiffly, forcing a smile. "Vivi, what's wrong?"
Yvette Brooks glanced at Renee Jennings's beautiful face, her eyes, framed by thick false eyelashes, flashing with displeasure. "Who is she?"
"I have no idea," Evan Shepherd said, playing dumb.
Yvette Brooks snapped, "You have no idea? Weren't you just talking to her? I saw you grab her hand!"
"How is that possible?" Evan Shepherd put on an aggrieved look. "You know I'm allergic to other women. The second I touch one, I break out and start coughing."
Hearing this, the anger on Yvette Brooks's face did indeed soften. "Then why were you two all tangled up just now?"
Evan Shepherd threw Renee Jennings completely under the bus. "Vivi, she was the one harassing me. She grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go, trying to force me to go on a date with her. But don't worry, I shut her down completely."
Yvette Brooks immediately whirled to glare at Renee Jennings. "You're shameless."
Renee Jennings: "..."
'How can anyone be this shameless?'
"Vivi, you know, she even falsely accused me of borrowing money from her." Evan Shepherd's eyes grew red-rimmed, his face a mask of pain. "How could I ever do something like that? Vivi, if you don't believe me, I might as well just die."
Yvette Brooks stepped forward to hug him, comforting him, "Evan, don't say such things. Of course, I believe you."
Renee Jennings: "..."
She watched Evan Shepherd's performance with a deadpan expression.
A few people, drawn by the commotion, had gathered to watch. Now, they were looking at Renee Jennings with speculative eyes.
"You think it's for real? That guy is such a wimp. How could a woman that gorgeous possibly be into him?"
"Sigh. So beautiful, but what terrible taste in men."
"What's so special about him, anyway? How did he get two women fighting over him?"
"Hey, beautiful, you should consider a new target. I'm six-foot-two, have a six-pack, I can cook, and I'm not a crybaby. Most importantly, I'm single with no baggage."
Evan Shepherd: "..."
He stared at the crowd, stunned.
'My performance is so convincing, so why is their takeaway so weird?'
'Shouldn't they be sympathizing with my plight?'
'Why is everyone just fawning over Renee Jennings's looks?'
Yvette Brooks frowned, trying to figure out if the onlookers' compliments were directed at her or her rival.
Renee Jennings watched the emotions warring on Evan Shepherd's face and spoke coolly, "So, your story is that I was harassing you and lying about you borrowing money from me?"
With the expression of a deeply wronged man, Evan Shepherd shot back, "Well, wasn't that what happened?"
"Then who was it that said this?" Renee Jennings asked, one eyebrow arched and a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
Her slender, pale fingers lifted her phone and tapped a white voice message bubble in the chat window.
The color drained from Evan Shepherd's face. "You—"
"Renee, I'm sick. I'm at the hospital right now and desperately need money. Could you transfer twenty thousand to me to tide me over? I'm so grateful... you're always there for me when I need you."
Then it was Yvette Brooks's expression that changed.
She stared at Evan Shepherd in disbelief.
After listening to the message and putting two and two together, all the onlookers turned to stare at Evan Shepherd.
"So that's the real story?"
"My God, if she didn't have that voice message, she would have been totally slandered!"
"What a shameless man, twisting the truth like that!"
It wasn't just the peanut gallery that found it unbearable; even the pets thought it was absurd.
The dogs and cats all started yapping and meowing at him.
And even though no one could understand what the pets were saying, everyone felt they were swearing up a storm.
Renee Jennings shot Evan Shepherd a cold glare. "So, what did the doctor diagnose you with? Rabies, or are you just insane?"
Evan Shepherd's face instantly turned the color of a ripe plum.
He sputtered for a moment before starting to grasp at straws. "Don't you dare make baseless accusations! That's obviously an AI-generated voice clip!"
"And this one?" Renee Jennings's pale fingertips tapped the phone screen a few more times.
A recording began to play—
"Renee? Wow, talk about thinking of someone and having them appear. I must be hallucinating."
The moment the recording ended, Yvette Brooks raised her hand and, with all her might, slapped Evan Shepherd hard across the face. "You bastard!"
Evan Shepherd's cheek stung, and his heart filled with rage.
He was a man with pride. He couldn't believe Yvette Brooks had dared to hit him in front of so many people. He wasn't about to let that slide.
So, he raised his own hand, ready to slap her back.
But before his hand could fall, it was caught by a pale, slender wrist.
Renee Jennings gripped Evan Shepherd's wrist, her beautiful, unadorned face icy. "You deserved that."
She flung his hand aside, and before he could react, she slapped him across the other cheek.
Evan Shepherd was left reeling.
His gaze darted between the two women before he started screaming that he was going to call the police.
He then ordered the manager of the veterinary hospital, "Pull up the security footage! These two women conspired to assault and humiliate me! I want them thrown in jail!"
The manager of the veterinary hospital offered an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, but our security cameras are broken."