Chapter 8%
Jacob looked much more haggard.”
He was only thirty–two, yet he already had gray hair and a scruffy beard, looking weathered.
His attire was plain, totaling less than five hundred dollars from head to toe, not even enough for what he used to spend on a single meal. When he saw me, he gave a faint smile, no longer as bright as it used to be. “I came to visit your mom.“>
Jackson walked up to me, looking protective.
I reassured him, “It’s okay.”
“Alright, you two talk. I’ll go have a smoke over there. Call me if you need anything.“}
“Sure.”
Before leaving, Jackson shot a wary glance at Jacob, then generously walked away.
Watching him leave, Jacob gave a bitter smile. “He’s better than me.“}
“He built his wealth with his own hands.“}
“I meant his character. If I had trusted you back then and not believed Samantha’s lies, I wouldn’t have lost you.“} “Let’s not talk about that.”
I quickly changed the subject, “How have you been lately?“}
“Just as you see.”}
“It’s alright. At least you have Samantha with you. Two people are always better than one.“}
“Her? When I was wealthy, she was so gentle and considerate. But when the company went bankrupt and she found out I was deep in debt, she left me immediately.“}
Jacob looked up, tears in his eyes, his voice trembling. “Emily, I truly regret it. If I hadn’t been so entangled with her and had instead focused on living a good life with you, I would still be the General Manager of Phillips Group. You wouldn’t have left me, and your mother might still be alive. We could have been living a happy life together, maybe even had children by now.
“Maybe this is just karma.”}
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, and he started to sob painfully.”
In all the time I had known him, this was the first time I saw him cry.
I knew he deeply regretted his actions.
But we could never go back to how things were.
I handed him a tissue and calmly reassured him, “Work hard. With your intelligence, even if you can’t regain your former glory, you won’t live a bad life.”
“Can you give me another chance?“}
! shook my head.
Jacob gave a self–deprecating smile, “I knew you’d say that. Someone like me doesn’t deserve you.“>
He took the tissue, wiped away his tears, and stood up, forcing a smile. “I heard you and Jackson are getting married?“}
“Yes.”
“Emily, I wish you happiness, truly. But I probably won’t get the chance to attend your wedding.”
Jacob’s gaze suddenly softened, just like the day he confessed to me, “I came to visit your mom today to say goodbye because I really don’t have the face to see you. I could only talk to her.
“I’m planning to go abroad with a friend. I don’t know if I’ll ever return. But before I leave, please promise me that you’ll be happy with Jackson.“%
I nodded gently and agreed.”
“Goodbye.“%
“Goodbye.”
