Part 6: Nightlife
I stared blankly at my phone screen as it began to dim. There was no way I could leave, especially since I had just used a stomachache as an excuse to avoid Father and Mother's barrage of questions.
Secluding myself in the bedroom was the safest choice for now. With slightly trembling fingers, I opened the messaging app. I intended to text Gia and give her the same excuse, saying I wasn't feeling well and couldn't come meet her.
However, before my fingers could type a single word, a message arrived from that woman first.
Brrrt!
An image sent by Gia appeared on the phone screen. The moment I opened and enlarged the photo, my chest tightened. It felt as though my heart had stopped beating.
The photo showed Aster. She was inside a dimly lit room, wearing extremely revealing clothes that had slipped off one shoulder. Her eyes were glazed shut, her face flushed, clearly showing that she was heavily drunk. Most shocking of all, an unfamiliar man had one arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
Before I could even process the shock, another text appeared beneath it.
[Come now if you don't want this photo posted on the campus forum.]
What did this mean? Was she threatening me? Who exactly was Gia? Did she have a bad relationship with Aster?
The photo sent by the girl named Gia only made me more curious. Was the owner of this body really a wild woman? Did the real Aster usually spend her nights with a lot of men?
I drew a deep breath, trying to calm my panic. Whether I liked it or not, I had to meet Gia. I needed to find out what had really happened and dig deeper into Aster's life.
The problem was, how could I get there when I didn't know where the place she meant was? Asking her directly would only arouse suspicion.
I racked my brain, then typed a reply. [Pick me up near my mother's house.]
Fortunately, Gia replied quickly without the slightest hint of suspicion. [Okay, wait ten more minutes.]
I let out a sigh of relief, but the next challenge was still waiting for me. I had no choice but to sneak out of Aster's parents' house. My eyes swept across the room before settling on the large window overlooking the side yard.
Without wasting any time, I grabbed a thick jacket and slipped on a pair of house slippers. I opened the window slowly so it wouldn't make a sound, then carefully climbed onto the sill. Using the roof of the lower porch as a foothold, I jumped down onto the grass, breathing hard.
After successfully scaling the side fence, I hurried toward the main road. The night grew later, and the cold wind stung my skin. I hadn't been waiting in the darkness for even ten minutes when a black sedan drove up and stopped right in front of me.
The car window rolled down, revealing the heavily made-up face of a young woman.
"Aster! Hurry up and get in!" she exclaimed excitedly.
This had to be Gia. She looked friendly and energetic, completely at odds with the cold threat she'd sent me by text only moments ago. Her sudden change in attitude made me even more wary.
I opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. Before the door had even fully closed, Gia was already looking me up and down with a puzzled expression.
"Why do you look so weird?" Gia scolded as she stepped on the gas. "Why are you wearing pants, a thick jacket, and house slippers? Are you crazy?"
I tried to remain calm and control my expression so I wouldn't look foolish. "I... was in a hurry."
Gia shook her head and snorted irritably. "Good thing I brought a change of clothes in the car. You can wear mine later."
I glanced at Gia from the side. She acted so familiar, speaking freely as if we were close friends. But considering how she'd threatened to spread Aster's photo just minutes ago, I realized that this woman beside me might not actually be Aster's "friend."
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something weird on my face?"
"No," I replied briefly, turning my gaze toward the window.
The car continued speeding through the city's late-night bustle. After traveling quite a distance, it finally slowed to a stop.
When I saw the building in front of us, faint bass-heavy music was thudding from inside and could be heard outside. Our destination turned out to be a nightclub.
Was this really how Aster had spent her youth? Having fun in a place this noisy?
Gia turned off the engine, then grabbed a bag from the back seat and handed it to me.
"Change your clothes now. I'll wait outside," Gia said before stepping out of the car.
I opened the plastic bag and pulled out the clothes inside. My eyes widened as I looked at each piece of fabric. The outfit was incredibly revealing—a sleeveless evening dress with an extremely low-cut neckline and an absurdly short skirt. The material was also so thin and sheer.
My fingers clenched the flimsy fabric in disbelief. You've got to be kidding me. I had to wear something this indecent?