Chapter 849

Josefina's laughter filled the room, making Joelle even more uneasy. Just then,

Shay walked in and took a seat, her smile as calm as ever. "Hey, Josefina, Joelle, what's the buzz? You two seem a bit tense."

Josefina turned to Shay with a deliberate pause between her words, "Joelle was just saying you're a bit of a clown, claiming you're not as good-looking as me, your medical skills don't hold a candle to mine, and your legs aren't nearly as long."

Joelle shot back, "Josefina, that's a complete lie!"

Shay's face flashed with irritation for a second but quickly returned to her usual composed demeanor, smile intact.

Josefina, still grinning, needled Joelle, "If you're bold enough to talk smack about Shay, why not own up to it?"

"Josefina, quit making stuff up! Shay and I are tight; I would never say those things about her!" Joelle protested.

"Tight? More like fair-weather friends, if you ask me." Josefina crossed her arms with a teasing smirk.

Joelle was livid, glaring at Josefina's flawless skin, wishing she could find something to criticize.

"Josefina, you're such a pain!" Joelle exclaimed.

Josefina's smile widened, her eyebrows arched in a playful challenge, "Like getting you to like me would be the pinnacle of my life."

Shay forced a smile, "Josefina, why go after Joelle? You share a dorm; you're closer to her than to me. It's not cool to talk about her like that."

"And what should I do? Drag you into it too? Call you thick-skinned, scheming, shameless? Say you're after someone else's man?"

Shay was left speechless.

Josefina continued, "Oops, did I hit a sore spot?"

"Josefina, just shut it!" Joelle shouted, her anger boiling over.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve with you, too?"

As the tension between them rose, Josefina's smile only grew brighter. "Chating with you two is making me thirsty. Chew on that for a bit See ya"

With a smug grin, Josefina turned and walked away, leaving Joelle fuming.

"Shay, Josefina's out of control, dragging you into it as well. What's her deal, thinking she can say whatever she wants?"

Shay shrugged, "Josefina doesn't have any special connections. She just flirts her way around using her looks to get invites to events like tonight's."

After hanging out with Shay, Joelle had heard all sorts of gossip about Josefina, as

well as some not-so-flattering things about Shay.

Now Joelle realized Josefina wasn't the upstanding girl she thought she was.

"Shay, who did Josefina come with to the dinner?" Joelle inquired.

Shay knew but kept quiet. She'd brought Joelle along precisely to make Josefina look bad at tonight's gathering.

When the host of the dinner finally appeared, everyone was eager to greet him. This was Dr. Cash, a big name in the medical world.

At thirty, Dr. Cash was a prodigy, his skills unmatched. His team had published a groundbreaking paper that had the medical community buzzing.

Dr. Cash moved through the crowd, greeting everyone with humility and grace.

Shay moved in, extending her hand,

"Dr. Cash, I've been a fan of yours for ages. When I heard you were in Westwood rushed over justto meet you."

But Dr. Cash's demeanor shifted, his eyes cool as they assessed Shay. "Meet me? Do you know me?"

His question left Shay's smile frozen in place.

She pressed on, "Dr. Cash, even if you don't know me, I've followed your work."

Dr. Cash merely nodded, not extending his hand, leaving Shay in an awkward silence.