NOVPUBVillain Ch 1042. Blessing in Disguise
Allen cleared his throat, then, in a voice louder than his usual tone but not quite as booming as Gerry’s, he started. "You know… I was surprised with myself too," he began, his words drawing a few curious glances from gym members nearby. His skin crawled with awkwardness, but he pushed through it. "They’re all beautiful. And honestly, they pamper me like crazy."
Gerry leaned in, barely able tontain his laughter as Allen spoke, nodding along dramatically. "Go on, go on," he urged, clearly relishing every moment of this.
Allen gave him a side glance butntinued. "I tried to explain to them that I might have difficulty choosing between them," he said. "But somehow, they were all okay with it. Everything just… happened just like that, with theirnsent. I didn’t expect it, and to be honest, I was shocked by myself."
Heuld feel the embarrassment burning in his cheeks now. Saying all of this out loud, in front of people, was mortifying. But the look on Gerry’s face—along with the subtle expressions of surprise and curiosity from those within earshot—made it clear this was the exact kind of chaos Gerry had wanted.
"Seven girls," Gerry said, repeating the number like it was a magic word. He raised his hands in the air dramatically, as if presenting Allen like some kind of legend. "Seven. All beautiful. All in love with you, Allen. And they’re allol with it? 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
Man, you’re living in a fantasy."
Allen groaned internally. The way Gerry was talking, anyone would think he was some kind of playboy instead of the awkward,nfused guy who had somehow stumbled into this situation. But yeah, he had to push through. Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile and shrugged. "Yeah," Allen said, his voice a bit flat but loud enough for those nearby to catch. "I’m a really lucky guy.
I guess my break up with my ex two years ago was a blessing in disguise. She cheated on me and broke my heart but I got more than Iuld imagine now."
His skin prickled with embarrassment, the heat creeping up his neck. Heuld almost feel the curious stares from the people around them, half-listening to thenversation as theyntinued their workouts. It felt surreal and cringey, but Gerry was eating it up.
’Oh God… This is so embarrassing,’ Allen cried internally.
Allen huffed, shooting a look at Gerry, who was still grinning from ear to ear. "Happy now?" he muttered, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice. All he wanted was to get through this and disappear into the locker room, maybe even skip the workout entirely. The embarrassment was overwhelming.
Gerry,mpletely unfazed by Allen’s dimfort, gave him a thumbs-up and a wide grin. "It’s perfect," he said in a low voice, clearly satisfied with the spectacle they had just created. "Sophia’s going to hear about this in no time."
Allen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t know, man. This still feels a little... excessive," he admitted quietly, lowering his voice so only Gerryuld hear.
Gerry chuckled, shaking his head. "Excessive? Nah, man, it’s exactly what you needed. You’ve been playing it too safe for too long. If you keep silent, Sophia will have her grip on your reputation here in no time, always making sure everyone knows her side of the story. This?
This is how you takentrol of the narrative."
Allen shot him a skeptical look, still unsure about the whole thing. "Maybe. But I’m not exactly trying to make a scene every time I walk in here."
"That’s the thing," Gerry said, his grin softening into something more sincere. "You won’t have to keep saying it. This is a one-time thing. The story will spread on its own."
Allen sighed, glancing around the gym. A few people were still eyeing him with raised eyebrows, and he felt a knot of dimfort forming in his stomach. He wasn’t the type to flaunt his personal life, and this whole public declaration felt more like a stunt than anything else. Sure, it might send a message to Sophia, but at whatst?
The embarrassment was real, and he felt like crawling out of the gym and hiding somewhere. He never felt like this in his whole life.
"Great," Allen muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "So now I’m that guy. The dude with seven girlfriends who everyone’s going to talk about." He shot Gerry a look, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Exactly what I wanted."
Gerry chuckled, giving Allen a playful shove. "Relax, man. You’ll be fine. Trust me, after this blows over, you’ll thank me. Besides, it’s not like you’re doing anything wrong. You’re just being honest about your situation.
Now, you just need to calm down and focus on your workout," he said, his tone light but firm.
Allen sighed, rolling his shoulders as he tried to shake off the lingering embarrassment. He knew Gerry meant well, but being the center of attention—even for a few minutes—wasn’t something he enjoyed. Still, he wasn’t going to let it derail the entire morning. He hadme here to work out, and after the crazy pastuple of days, he needed the physical release more than ever.
"Yeah, fine," Allen muttered, giving Gerry a nod. "Let’s just get this over with."
"Atta boy," Gerry said with a grin, grabbing a pair of dumbbells and handing them to Allen. "We’ll take it easy today. Just get the blood flowing, loosen up those sore muscles. You’ll feel better afterward."
Allen accepted the weights, nodding as he adjusted his grip. The dumbbells’ weights in his hands grounded him. For a moment, the embarrassment faded, replaced by the familiar burn of his muscles as he started his set.
The gym noise—clanking weights, mufflednversations, the low hum of music—became amforting backdrop as Allenncentrated on his movements. He felt the tension in his body start to ease, even though his muscles protested. But that was what he needed, something physical, something that forced him to focus on the present instead of the chaos in his head.
