(A/N: Happy Deepavali Everyone. Also I'm sorry for the late chap. Webnovel has been buggy for a couple of days.)
[Edward POV]
"Why?" I groaned, rubbing my face in frustration as Taylor, Selena, Willa, and Barbara showed up at my house with their own suitcases.
"Hey, you started this. So deal with it," Taylor scolded me.
Now, there were seven girls living at my place.
But I was only home for about four hours a day, since I had to film Evolve or Die on a really tight schedule.
Even with the girls there, I barely got to see them.
Jenna, Enid, Jacob, Alex, Finneas, Billie, Tara, and Elsa came over in secret to hang out and celebrate Jenna's full recovery.
"Finny!" Jenna was elated and hugged Finneas, who happened to be closest to the door.
"Jen." Finneas hugged her back. "Thank goodness you're alright—URKKK."
Jenna squeezed his waist so hard that his face turned blue.
"JEN! JEN! TOO HARD!" he choked out in a strained voice.
"What?" Jenna was startled and immediately let go. Finneas dropped to one knee, gasping for air, while Alex looked at him like he was trash.
"Don't—you don't know what it feels like," he huffed, both bewildered and embarrassed.
"Wimp," Jacob teased before hugging Jenna himself. "You can squeeze me as hard as you can. I'm not vulnerable like Finny—URKK—OUCH!"
Jenna froze as even Jacob yelped in pain.
"WHAT?!" she exclaimed, confused. "I'm using my normal strength. Did you guys plan this?" She smiled faintly, thinking it was a joke.
"Ugh! I can't believe you guys," Enid scoffed and rushed to hug Jenna, but Jacob intercepted her midway.
"No. Don't do that!" Jacob warned.
"What—you guys! Please stop with the pranks. It's not funny," Jenna grumbled.
"Edward! WE NEED YOU HERE!" Jacob yelled for me. I put down my pigs-in-a-blanket tray and walked casually over.
"What's up? Oh, Jen. You're here," I greeted her casually.
"Eddy!" Jenna's eyes lit up as she hugged me tightly. Finneas and Jacob grinned, expecting me to get hurt—but nothing happened.
"What's going on?" Finneas whispered to Jacob.
"Are we the weak ones?" Jacob muttered.
"Edward! The guys aren't letting us hug Jenna," Enid complained, taking my hand and pointing at the two men like a kid tattling on her brothers.
"No! We're not doing this for no reason. She almost broke my back," Finneas said hurriedly.
"Yeah, Ed. If it was just Finneas, maybe it's because he's weak. But she almost broke mine too," Jacob added.
Alex chortled. "What? Did she, like, get superpowers after getting the cure?"
I widened my eyes slightly, and Alex froze at my reaction.
"Edward… What exactly did your cure do to save Jenna from death's door?" Alex asked with concern.
"Umm… It's not eliminating the virus, that's for sure… Maybe more like… assimilating it…" I muttered under my breath.
"WHAT?!" Jenna, Alex, and Enid shouted in unison.
The party was put on hold for an hour while I brought Jenna to my room and checked her physical condition.
If Jacob had the strength of 1.3x a grown man, Jenna was now as strong as 2x a trained grown man.
Jacob collapsed to the ground and nearly cried. "I've trained three hours a day for the past three years… and you're telling me this flimsy girl is stronger than me?"
"More like, flimsy alien girl," Enid said excitedly before turning to me. "ED! I want to be a superhero too!"
Jenna jumped around in the training area, testing her new strength against my poor training bot, which I had only just programmed.
"Umm… We're going to keep this all a secret for now," I told everyone. "I think not everyone will have this side effect—especially if they're cured early."
"Edward! Why can't I break your back?" Jenna snapped a wooden staff in her hands before turning to me.
I scoffed. "They called me a supersoldier, so there's no way you're going to be stronger than me… Wait—I used my DNA as a reference when I created the cure. So, Jenna, you might have inherited some of that."
"WHAT?! YESSS!" Jenna shouted, celebrating.
"NOOOOO!" Enid screamed in despair.
Alex commented dryly, "If the serum changed her DNA to become more like you, then you two should never get married. You might create mutant children."
"ALEX!" Jenna snapped. Alex jolted in shock. Jenna warned, "I'm going to break your back too!"
Enid perked up. "Yes! One girl eliminated forever!"
"HEY! I can still marry him! We'll just adopt!" Jenna argued.
All of us made a pact to keep the matter hidden for now. Alex insisted there was no need to find a way to reverse it since there weren't any adverse effects, and I agreed with her.
After further testing, it seemed the body's natural immune system was slowly rejecting the enhancement, meaning Jenna would likely return to her normal strength in one or two years.
We cut a cake and celebrated Jenna's recovery. She even asked to appear in the new show, so I let her show up around episode 12 and continue until the end of season 1.
At the party, Finneas approached me.
"Edward. The song is good, but at your level, shouldn't you strive to make something on par with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody? Aren't you wasting your talents on these?"
I gave him a curious look and said, "Do you want to try making one with me?"
"Yes… definitely." Finneas played it cool, as if he hadn't been expecting the invitation.
"What are you guys talking about—I want in." Billie overheard and jumped in before she could even pretend to be casual about it.
And just like that, the three of us began working on a new song together.
…
Three days after we all started living together, a clique seemed to be forming—a secret war simmering beneath their smiling faces.
It was now November 17. Another episode of Evolve or Die had dropped, and the crowd reaction was intense—especially after the CGI monster fight.
Production was about to take a week-long break for Thanksgiving, on the 22nd of November. Which meant I had no excuses to leave the house anymore.
I sat at the head of the dinner table. Vanessa, Haley, and Annie were on one side; Selena, Barbara, Willa, and Taylor on the other.
The air was electric. I kept my head down, chewing quietly as the girls plastered fake smiles on their faces.
"Mr. Newgate, you need to see this." Oracle intervened before the fuse could blow.
"Oh thank God!" I muttered as Oracle projected the TV clip for everyone.
It was the President of the United States, finally giving a speech after a long absence from the public eye.
"People may have wondered why I, the President, did not respond or share my opinion on the matter of our resident genius, Mr. Newgate's house arrest. Some said I was in on it, but nothing could be further from the truth."
He was calm and collected, captivating the nation with his presence.
"Mr. Newgate has been a strong backbone we can all rely on in these tough times. It was unfair for him to face such grievances just for trying to help people. Effective immediately, I am signing a Presidential Pardon that will clear any alleged crimes unfairly pressed against him."
I blinked in surprise. "Oh dang."
"Damn. Now that you're no longer a criminal, I'm becoming less attracted to you," Selena teased.
Haley snorted. "Good. Then you can go home now—"
"Don't start yet. It's not finished," Ness cut her off firmly.
The President continued, "In my time away, with the help of third parties, I have been investigating corruption in our government system and have uncovered multiple threats within our institutions."
"From now on, every official with dual citizenship will be removed from every governmental branch in this country." It was a bombshell, but by now, people were used to shocks.
After three years, he had finally built a solid network of like-minded individuals determined to restore the country.
He also addressed the election. Since the pandemic had interfered, it would now be conducted through an online system.
I would help him from the shadows to ensure no outsiders could interfere.
Not only did he grant me a pardon, but he also revealed how much money I had spent to provide the cure worldwide.
"Thirteen-point-two-four-three billion dollars. From his own pocket. And I ask you this: how many members of the top one percent would give away 99% of their own wealth just to help strangers?"
"Wait. Edward, you're broke?" Willa gasped.
Annie smirked. "I'll love you, Edward, even if you have no money."
Taylor added, "I still have mine. I can take care of you."
The rest stayed quiet — because no one else could surpass Taylor in wealth at the moment. Ness came close, but Taylor was at the top of the food chain.
The President concluded by saying I would be granted a year-long tax break for what I had done.
"That… might be a mistake." I dropped my spoon in shock.
I still have a lot of money, still undeclared, and in stocks, so giving me a tax break would make it worse since I owned a large conglomerate. I would bring more money into my account than I ever did before. Even the Pope commended my benevolent nature; he sent his message through the President of the United States.
I was so tired of all the praise that I turned off the TV.
"Great — now my appetite is gone," I said casually. "Oh, by the way, what are you girls doing for Thanksgiving?"
Taylor opened her mouth, but I continued, which made her keep it shut again.
"I'll be going back to my grandmother's place with my dad and Frankie. We'll all gather over there."
Ness asked, "I thought interstate travel is banned?"
"I'm going to use my rocket. They can't really check travel permits up there," I muttered with a chuckle.
"Well, if you can do that, then I'd love to go back to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my family," Taylor said meekly. "BUT! I'd like to come back here once it's done."
Willa raised her hand, and I shook my head in disbelief. "You don't have to wait to be called out. Just speak when you want to."
Willa smiled shyly. "Um. I'd love to just stay here. My family doesn't really do Thanksgiving. If I go back home, I'll be alone anyway."
Barbara also spoke up. "I'm like Willa. There's nowhere for me to go, so I'd love to stay here. You have a spa."
"Oh my God, the spa's crazy, isn't it?" Willa said to Barbara, and they began to bond.
Selena said, "I'm going to stay too. I don't want to go back alone."
Ness said hesitantly, "I… my family doesn't really celebrate Thanksgiving. But I'm reluctant to stay here since Annie and Haley are going home. I'm afraid of being stabbed to death while I'm asleep."
Taylor rolled her eyes. "We're not that petty. Besides, you can just join our clique."
"IT IS A CLIQUE!" Ness blurted in shock. Everyone laughed, and we had a pleasant time together.
The house was really big, so even if they stayed, it wasn't like we were on top of one another.
I went to my gym to work out. Taylor joined me while I was warming up with a jump rope.
"Whatcha doing?" she greeted, childishly.
"Working out," I replied with the same cheeky energy, which made her laugh.
"What? So you can get more muscles and seduce even more girls?" She pursed her lips in mock dissatisfaction. As I laughed, she unzipped her sweater to reveal a sports bra underneath.
"I'm going to join you." She picked up a set of pink dumbbells to curl.
"Oh. I'm not doing weights." I picked up a metal sword. I was warming up for sword training.
I slashed the sword around; Taylor's hair fluttered from the wind pressure. Her eyes widened. "You're crazy, you know that, right?"
"Even crazier than bringing all your girlfriends to your ex's house and trying to seduce him together?" I teased.
Taylor grimaced. "Hey! A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. Besides—" She grew more annoyed. "If you're just normal, I'm not even going to be here."
"Well, I am a bit special," I said coyly, which annoyed her a little more.
"You little—" She rushed into the path of my sword, forcing me to stop abruptly before it could hit her.
"Hey! That was really dangerous," I scolded, but she didn't care and tried to pinch me.
"What's with your skin? Why can't I get a good enough grip?" She was taken aback when she couldn't pinch me. "God, do you not have any fat on your body? Is that why I can't pinch you?"
"Stop it, or I will flip you upside down," I warned.
She burst into laughter. "Just try it then—"
Before she could react, I grabbed her by the waist and turned her upside down, holding her head at my shoulder level while her legs pointed at the sky.
"What the fuck! Edward! Put me down now!" she demanded.
"No," I replied casually.
She widened her eyes. "Put me down! Right now."
"No."
Flabbergasted, she became more docile. "Please?"
"Still no."
"When are you going to put me down then?" she asked in defeat.
"Once all the blood rushes to your head."
Her face grew redder by the second. "Is this some sort of foreplay you like?" she asked playfully.
"Not really. It's a punishment for interfering with my sword training."
"Really? You're that petty?!" She was incredulous.
"Not petty. Worried. It was dangerous—if that had been anyone else, your skull would've been split in two," I said seriously.
She was silent for a while, then said, "Um, if I apologize and promise not to do that again, can I go down now?"
"Sure," I said with a soft smile. "Only if that apology is real."
Still stubborn, she was quiet a moment longer, playfully moving her feet near my head. "You know, I can kick you right in the face from this angle."
I remained unmoved. She grew flustered, then said, "Alright. I apologize. Happy now?"
I turned her over and finally let her feet touch the ground. She wobbled from the head rush before steadying herself.
"You're so unreasonable at times," she spat, then smiled. "I guess that's why you aren't boring."
"After you finish working out, do you want to go into the sauna together?" she asked.
I picked up my sword again. "It might take a while."
"It's fine. I'm going to watch — that's foreplay for me," she said giddily.
I looked at her in disbelief as she skipped to the side and sat on a rolled-up mat, propping her head with both hands and looking at me gleefully.
…
[General POV]
Jay and Gloria's house.
[Jay's commentary]
"Don't tell Gloria, but I'm loving the lockdown," he said with a smile. "And it's not because Gloria's family travel plans have to be canceled. Although I have to admit, that is a plus."
Jay guffawed and continued, "Manny and I spent a lot of time watching old westerns and classic movies from the 70s and 80s. Then, I helped my pregnant wife with whatever she wanted to do. We're already done baby-proofing the house, and she's only in her 5th month of pregnancy."
[Gloria's commentary]
"The lockdown has been awful. There are no malls."
Scene cuts to her buying clothes and shoes online.
"I cannot get my hair or nails done."
The scene cuts to her doing both of those herself in front of the mirror.
"I don't even have any incentive to try on new clothes."
Scene cuts to her only wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt in the house.
"Who should I look good for? For Jay? And let him get me pregnant again?!" she said angrily.
Then, she slowly smiled and said in a whispering tone, "But it's nice to see Jay is still attracted without all the tight dresses."
[Manny's commentary]
"It's been a depressing couple of weeks," Manny said seriously.
"The girl I was talking to broke up with me just a day before the lockdown."
Scene cuts to him hanging out with Jay to pass the day. While Jay laughed watching the movie, he was still depressed.
"My social studies teacher gave us an assignment to see how the lockdown will affect society as a whole. I picked Jay as my observation subject, so that I would know how the lockdown will affect people in their early 60s."
[Commentary ends]
In the living room of Jay's house. Jay was watching Jaws with Manny, who became absorbed with the movie even though he claimed not to be enjoying it.
"JAYYYYYY!" Gloria yelled from the pool. Jay immediately stood up from his chair and replied, "Coming, honey!"
Gloria sat by the pool, still in her sweatshirt. "I've run out of chips," she said, closing one eye to avoid the sun.
Jay said hurriedly, "I'll bring you some more chips now." He picked up her bowl and went to fill it up with chips.
Gloria smiled affectionately as he went away.
[Gloria's commentary]
"Although I didn't have to, sometimes I have to do it to remind Jay of the person he married." Gloria smiled bashfully.
[Commentary ends]
As Jay came back, "Here honey—" He was stunned when he saw Gloria wearing a black bikini, all dolled up, shaved clean, and with her hair styled.
"Thank you, husband," Gloria said sweetly. "I hate to ask you another favor. Can you rub this suntan oil on my chest?"
Jay grinned widely and said, "Sure. I'm always here to help my beautiful wife."
As the duo giggled and flirted by the poolside, Manny glanced at them through the door and sighed.
[Manny's commentary]
He jotted down in his assignment report, "Prolonged exposure to each other might get people acting crazy, unlike their normal selves."
"However, it also made people really horny," he added with slight disgust.