THE MIGHTY AND THE UPTIGHT CHUBBS LADY

THE GURLZS' Group Chat

Later that afternoon, Melanie was lazily stretched out on the couch, completely absorbed in the movie playing on the TV.

Out of nowhere, Anna violently shook her arm, practically vibrating with excitement. "Babe! You know when I went out earlier? I was gossiping with your auntie neighbors, and we saw your new neighbor doing his morning walk. Whew! He is so tall and quite handsome, Mell!"

Melanie didn't even blink. Her eyes remained glued to the TV screen as she replied in a flat, monotone voice, "Mm-hmm. And what do you expect me to do with that information?"

"Ugh, you are so boring!" Anna huffed, slapping Melanie's shoulder.

"Ouch! Hey!" Melanie grumbled, rubbing her sore shoulder. "Look, I don't care if he's tall, dark, and built like a superhero. Being good-looking is completely useless if the guy is a massive pain in the ass. Absolutely no use."

"Aish... what on earth did he do to make you this bitter, huh? Tell me!" Anna pressed, leaning in closer.

"A lot of things," Melanie sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm too tired to list them all. Thinking about him just raises my blood pressure." She turned her focus back to the movie.

"Wait, babe—" Anna suddenly grabbed Melanie by both shoulders, turning her around to force eye contact. Her eyes swept down, lingering suspiciously on Melanie's chest and lower stomach. Her expression turned dramatic. "What do you mean by 'a lot of things'? What did he do to you?!"

Melanie froze, instantly catching the wild, inappropriate drift of Anna's thoughts. She slapped Anna's hands off her shoulders. "Hey! Stop right there! Not that kind of 'things', you weirdo! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Melanie shook her head in disbelief as Anna let out an innocent, giggling wheeze. "Oh... okay, okay! So what did he actually do?"

Melanie huffed, rolling her eyes. "Well, for starters, he dubbed me 'The Uptight Chubbs Lady.' Now he just calls me 'Chubbs' whenever he wants to irritate me. And he loves tossing sharp, sarcastic comments my way."

Melanie gestured frantically to her dark purple shirt. "And just earlier today, at the recycling bins, he looked at my shirt and literally said I look exactly like the giant female bear printed on it! Can you believe the nerve of that guy?!"

Instead of sympathizing, Anna collapsed onto the sofa cushion, clutching her stomach as she roared with laughter. "Omg, you guys are so cute! I can't believe I missed that!"

Wiping a tear from her eye, Anna added, "It’s so funny how much he likes to tease you. When I saw him this morning, I smiled at him, but he didn't even smile back. He just gave me a cold, formal nod."

"Ugh, can we please stop talking about him? I'm trying to watch a movie," Melanie groaned. "If you're so burning with curiosity, go interrogate Mrs. Gentry. That old lady is the uncertified paparazzi of this entire neighborhood. And one more thing—if you're planning to make a move on him, go right ahead. Just keep me completely out of it, got it?"

Anna smirked, secretly thinking to herself: Girl, I already interrogated Mrs. Gentry this morning while you were dead asleep 🤣 You have no idea 🤭 And I have more than enough details to drop a bomb in our group chat!

Outwardly, Anna put on her most innocent face and giggled. "Nonsense! I'm not interested in him at all. Besides, he doesn't suit a petite girl like me. He suits you! Both of you have that tough, stubborn energy. It’s like cute, flirtatious bickering. Hehehe."

Melanie offered no verbal response—just a sharp, lethal glare and a loud scoff.

Anna dramatically yawned, stretching her arms. "Anyway, I’m getting kind of sleepy. I think I’ll head to the bedroom for a quick nap."

"Mm," Melanie hummed back, completely unbothered.

The moment Anna shut the bedroom door, her fake sleepiness evaporated. She whipped out her phone and opened their inner-circle group chat: The Gurlzs. Knowing Melanie was phone-less and thoroughly invested in her movie, Anna knew the coast was clear.

The group consisted of six lifelong best friends:

Melanie – The Graphic Designer (currently blissfully unaware)

Anna – The Florist (the resident spy & informant)

Kate – The Beauty Department Supervisor

Ellie – The Accountant

Lynn – The Beautician

Clara – The Entrepreneur

💬 Group Chat: The Gurlzs 💃✨

Anna: Heyyy beaches 💃

Kate: Supp 😏 Just finished my shift. What’s the tea?

Lynn: Yoo gangs! Kids are finally asleep, I can gossip for a bit 🤣

Ellie: Heyyy Gurlzs! Any good news? Hot 🔥 gossip time? 💃

Clara: Sorry I’m late, but I’m here! 🙋‍♀️

Seeing everyone active, Anna grinned wickedly and began typing furiously.

Anna: Okay, full squad is here! Yes, I have major HOT 🔥 GOSSIP. Get ready and buckle up, beaches!

Clara: Wait, where’s Mell? Aren’t you staying at her house? Gossip isn’t fun without her.

Anna: Shush 🤫 This hot gossip is about her 🤭😏

The chat immediately went dead silent. A barrage of question marks flooded the screen before Anna dumped the entire payload.

Anna: So, Mell has a new neighbor. And guys... he is HOT.

Name: Liams

Status: Aunt Rose’s nephew

Age: 30

Residence: Been living next to Mel for almost 9 months

Ride: Sleek black heavy motorcycle & a black SUV

Vibe: Dark, dangerous, and brooding 🤭

Anna: Status: SINGLE (Verified by Mrs. Gentry, our neighborhood top paparazzi). Cold as ice to everyone else, but for some reason, he turns into a total tease around Mell!

Anna then went on a typing spree, spilling every single chaotic interaction—the petty bickering, the cookie rejection, the aggressive bandage scene, the nickname "Chubbs," and the female bear shirt incident at the trash station. To top it off, she attached a stealthily taken photo of Liams from that morning—a side-profile shot of his broad back and sharp jawline as he washed his ride.

The chat exploded.

Kate: HOLY S*** 😳 That side profile alone is giving action hero main character!

Ellie: "Chubbs"?? He calls her Chubbs?! That is literally primary school flirting 😭🤣

Lynn: Cold to the world but single-handedly testing Melanie's blood pressure daily? BARKING. THIS IS A ROMCOM IN THE MAKING.

Clara: Jackpot! He looks dangerous but sounds hilarious 🤣 Mell is living in an enemies-to-lovers trope and she doesn't even know it!

Meanwhile, out in the living room, the innocent victim was lying on her couch, happily munching on snacks while watching her movie, blissfully unaware that her entire love life was currently being analyzed, dissected, and cheered on by her five best friends.

What a lucky girl to have Anna as a bestie! 🤣.