โI thought youโd have a better future if you stayed in Nareigh. I never planned to tell you. Please donโt quit. You worked so hard for this job.โ
Ever since he and Jennifer got together, Donald had begun renovating their future home in anticipation of marriage. He was genuinely serious about marrying her, completely committed, treating her as his future wife, not just a casual relationship. He couldnโt bear the thought of her quitting, leaving, or breaking up with him.
Jennifer turned away, her face cold. โYouโre really putting me in a tough spot.โ She didnโt want to owe her sisterโs ex-husband a favor, and it was definitely a favor Teresa would have to repay. After all, Jonathan had only helped because of Teresa. It felt like sheโd betrayed her own sister, making Jennifer deeply uncomfortable.
โJennifer, donโt overthink it,โ Donald said softly. โYouโre more than qualified. Even with connections, you wouldnโt have gotten the job if you werenโt good enough. You earned this.โ
Donald came up behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and gently kissed her slender neck. โJust treat this as my favor to Jonathan, not yours. Iโll pay him back.โ
Jennifer finally turned around. โThen make sure you pay Jonathan back. Otherwise, heโll definitely ask Teresa to repay him, and I donโt want Teresa to know about this. It would feel like I sold her out.โ
โOkay, I know,โ Donald reassured her. โIโll take care of it.โ
โOkay,โ Jennifer finally said, satisfied.
Right in the center of Nareigh, at the Topspin Tower, Benny and Jonathan were having drinks. Clint had helped design the building. Officially, it was called Topspin Tower, but young people said it looked nothing like a spinning topโmore like a pile of poop. So, behind closed doors, everyone called it the Poop Tower.
Clint remained unaware that his so-called masterpiece had become a running joke. Benny, however, knew all about it, and honestly, sometimes Clint really got on his nerves. Like back when Benny was in school and got caught playing games at an internet cafรฉ; Clint had grabbed him by the head and made him apologize to the teacher. โIโm a failure as a father. I didnโt raise my son right. Itโs all my fault,โ Clint had said.
From that day on, Benny occasionally spoke harshly to Clint. Years had passed, and heโd simply gotten used to it.
โI drank a ton in Jarisburg, then came back and had to drink with my uncle again. I still havenโt recovered,โ Jonathan said, tapping his teacup instead of a wine glass. When Teresa wasnโt in Nareigh, Jonathan went on a business trip to Jarisburg. That night, he got drunk and called Benny, saying he believed Teresa was seeing someone else and that he was letting go.
Benny could hear how despondent Jonathan sounded. He worried about Jonathan being followed while alone and drunk, especially after Simona had tailed him previously. Jonathan, slurring his words, said he was staying at a hotel and it was fine because his assistant would soon arrive. Looking back, Benny knew nothing really happened that night.
โI was totally wasted,โ Jonathan said, a faint smile and a bit of softness in his eyes as he recounted the trip. โTeresa stayed with me the whole night.โ
Hearing his words, Benny nearly choked on his drink and started coughing.
โWho?โ Benny wiped his mouth. โYou found someone new that fast? And sheโs also named Teresa? What does she look like?โ
Jonathan snorted. โShe looks exactly the same as the one you know.โ
It finally clicked for Benny, leaving him speechless. He had always been convinced Teresa must have found someone else, fallen for another guy, and that was why she wouldnโt return to Nareigh. Otherwise, he couldnโt understand why sheโd stopped talking to Miriam.