The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Nico’s breathing grew heavy as a wave of panic washed over him. I’ve been a straight man for the past thirty

years, and I’m about to become a cross-dresser! I’m going to lose my dignity and pride!

In an attempt to regain composure, he rolled down the window, allowing a gust of fresh air to fill the car.

Right then, Charles’ cold voice rang out. “What’s the matter with you? Worried about looking ugly and

embarrassing as a cross-dresser? Are you considering jumping out of the window?”

Charles’ response caught Nico off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Nevertheless, determined to express his concerns, Nico uttered, “It’s not about looking ugly. It’s about struggling to

accept this situation. Must you gloat? After all, you’re facing the same predicament as me, aren’t you?”

Although Charles also felt ill at ease, he looked a lot calmer than Nico. “You’ve trained in the Federal Bureau of

Investigation since you were little, right? Surely you’ve taken disguise classes before. Haven’t you dressed up as a

woman during one of the exercises?”

Nico slumped in deep dejection and replied, “No! I’m a straight man, and dressing up as a woman is something I

would never do! I’d rather give up on the activity and face the punishment of doing three hundred push-ups than

compromise my identity in such a way.”

“Well, you’ll finally make an exception today. It’s a significant event in your life. You should remember it.”

Nico’s irritation grew as he noticed Charles’ apparent gloating. He’s going through the same thing as me! What is

he acting all high and mighty for?

In a fit of anger and frustration, Nico’s words tumbled out. “Did you think everyone is as driven by competition as

you? Only someone like you would go to such lengths, including cross-dressing, just to come out on top. D*mn it! I

should have punched you harder earlier and made sure you stayed down!”

Charles’ smirk grew wider as he responded to Nico’s anger with a nonchalant tone. “You’re panicking, aren’t you?”

Nico was at a loss for words.

“Hey! Stop it, okay?” Zendaya, who sat in the middle, took on the role of a peacemaker. “We’ve arrived at the

laboratory! Let’s go!”

Nico got out of the car reluctantly and walked uneasily behind everyone else. Needless to say, resistance was

written all over his face.

Zendaya held Charles’ hand with one hand and Nico’s with the other as she skipped her way toward the laboratory

and into Benedict’s ward.

At that moment, Benedict was on the bed with an IV drip attached to his hand. The foot of the bed was piled up

with things.

Upon taking a closer look, they could see the items Zendaya had mentioned earlier—wigs, clothes, and heels.

“Come here, Uncle Nico! Since you’re the winner, you get to choose first.” Benedict was as enthusiastic as a

salesperson. “Uncle Nico, would you prefer black or white as the dominant color of your dress?”

Nico’s lips twitched, and he remained silent for a prolonged moment, unable to find the right words. Finally, he

spoke with a mix of resignation and exasperation. “What difference does it make?”

“I’ll decide for you, then. You’ll wear a white skirt and a black pinafore. It’ll make you look so angelic. This

combination suits your temperament!” Benedict declared with unwavering decisiveness.

In Nico’s eyes, the choice of colors held no significance anymore.

Resigned to his fate and realizing it was futile to resist, he gathered the set of clothes and headed into the

bathroom in the ward to change.

While he was changing, the ward fell into complete silence.

Zendaya was setting up her phone camera to get ready to take photos of Nico.

Charles, feeling a sense of awkwardness at the moment, picked up his black skirt and white pinafore. “Should I

change in the shared restroom in the laboratory? It would save time and effort to clean the bathroom in here

afterward.”

“There’s no hurry.” Benedict’s childish voice sounded somewhat deep. “It’s Uncle Nico’s first time dressing up as a

female. You ought to see it.”

Charles complied.

However, Benedict didn’t let him sit, so he stood at the foot of the bed with his back straightened and hands behind

his back like he was serving a punishment.

Twenty minutes later, Nico was still in the bathroom.

Benedict craned his neck and yelled, “Uncle Nico? Are you all right in there? Did you faint when you saw how

stunning you look in a dress?”

As soon as those words fell, footsteps were heard from inside the bathroom.

Nico placed his hand on the door handle, took a few deep breaths to steel himself, and opened the door.

The moment the door opened, Zendaya rushed toward the bathroom.

There and then, Nico was seen walking out uncomfortably. I’ve never felt more embarrassed in my life!

“Wow!” Zendaya widened her eyes and sized Nico up as though she had just seen an exotic animal. “Not bad!”

She then dragged the awkward-looking Nico toward the bed and exclaimed, “Benny, Uncle Charles, look!”

The size of the skirt was small, so it became a miniskirt once Nico wore it. With his long fringe, he looked rather

skittish.

At the same time, he looked sexy because the black stockings hid his manly and hairy calves.

Apart from his muscular arms, he actually looked good in women’s clothing.

Having said that, his facial features were still as handsome as before. As he was blushing, he appeared weak and

fragile.

Zendaya hurriedly took photos of him.

“Uncle Nico, you look great! Oh, wait. You’re Aunt Nico today!” Benedict smiled in satisfaction.

Once again, Nico was rendered speechless.

At that moment, he was clenching his toes, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Charles was standing at the foot of the bed, and he was also sizing Nico up.

A beat later, Charles praised, “Not bad! You look muscular, though. Also, you need makeup to conceal the

masculinity of your facial features.”

Nico wanted nothing more than to dash toward Charles and beat him up.

His frustration reached its peak as he glared at Charles and shouted, “Zip it! I’ve done my best! Enough with your

sarcastic remarks! Why haven’t you started changing yet? I’m eager to see what you’ll look like!”

Charles quietly picked up the set of clothes at the foot of the bed and went into the bathroom.

When Charles changed, Zendaya kept herself busy by putting a wig on for Nico. With the wig on, the man looked

even more impish than before.

Although it didn’t suit his muscular figure, the wig added an inexplicable sense of wickedness.

After that, Zendaya forced him to pose for photos.

Around ten minutes later, the door to the bathroom opened, suggesting that Charles was done changing.

Relieved to have Zendaya off his back for the time being, Nico said, “All right. You have enough photos of me. Take

some photos of your Uncle Charles instead.”

As Charles emerged from the bathroom, all three individuals in the ward turned their gaze toward him

simultaneously.

The sight of Charles in his costume left them momentarily speechless and wide-eyed with astonishment.

Meanwhile, Charles just stood rooted to the ground and kept mum.

The room was filled with a palpable sense of astonishment, broken only by the sound of their collective breaths held

in disbelief.

Charles lowered his head awkwardly and tidied his hair. “Do I look that bad?”

Little did he know that everyone in the ward was in awe.

“Gosh! You look fabulous!” Zendaya dashed toward Charles and hugged him. “I love how you look in a dress, Uncle

Charles! You look like a pretty girl!”

“How impressive! Women’s wear suits you!” Nico chimed in.

Benedict, on the other hand, averted his gaze pridefully and said, “I guess it’s all right. I expected more.”

Charles, in his everyday appearance, had never projected a tough or rugged demeanor. On the contrary, his facial

features were characterized by their exquisite and gentle nature.

With his long hair cascading around his face, Charles’ exquisite facial features seemed to shine even brighter. The

feminine touch added an extra layer of allure to his appearance, accentuating his natural beauty.

The set of clothes Charles wore fit him impeccably, hugging his figure with precision. However, due to his height, he

appeared slightly less feminine than intended.

If one were to just look at his face, he would surely pass as a beautiful woman.

As a matter of fact, a little lipstick and blush would make him look even prettier.

Zendaya was so excited that she forgot to take photos of Charles. She kissed him on the cheek and exclaimed,

“Wow! If you were a girl, Uncle Charles, you would be so popular among the guys!”

Nico then held his hand over his mouth and let out a dry cough. “Take photos of him! Get him to pose for photos!”

he reminded.