11
I headed downstairs, spotting Jack’s Maybach parked outside. I got in and closed the door. Jack’s eyes were locked on me, lips pressed into a tight line.
Pulling my jacket tighter around me, I asked, “Alright, what do you want?”
“Why did you run off this morning? Was last night not… satisfying?”
Jack always had a way of turning any normal conversation into something filthy.
I stayed calm on the outside, but inside, I was panicking. “Jack, I’m serious. I don’t think we should keep doing this. It’s been a year since we broke up. We’ve both been fine without each other. Clearly, we don’t belong together.”
Jack listened, and after I finished, he pulled out a cigarette, but then hesitated and put it back. He let out a long sigh. “You’ve been doing fine? Well, I haven’t.”
I looked at him, confused. Millionaire finance guy with a fancy job and car… and he’s been suffering? Who’s he trying to fool?
Then Jack pulled a file from the glove compartment and handed it to me. “Open it.”
I slowly opened the file, revealing a red property deed.
“What… what is this?”
In the dim light of the car, Jack cleared his throat. “Let’s go back to when we broke up Do you remember the necklace you threw at me?”
I clenched the fabric of my jacket. “Yeah… it was a gift from you.”
Jack raised an eyebrow at me, waiting. I quickly added, “You bought it with your first paycheck from your internship.”
He nodded. “It wasn’t just any necklace. It had a jade pendant that’s been passed down in my family since my great–grandmother.”
Suddenly, I felt like I needed to get on my knees and apologize. I remembered that necklace hitting the floor, the sound of it shattering. Oh no… was it ruined? I couldn’t afford to pay for something like that even if I sold myself!
“I gave it to you because I thought you were the one.”
Jack’s confession came out of nowhere, making me feel a wave of guilt.
He turned to stare out the window. “When you threw it at me, I didn’t feel anything at first. But later, I started thinking… was I really that bad? What did I do to make you say dating me was ‘pointless‘?”
I lowered my head, my voice barely above a whisper. “That’s not it. You were always busy with work. I was frustrated and said it in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t that you were bad.
Jack took a deep breath. “Do you have any idea how much it hurt to hear that from you? You didn’t just crush my pride, Anna. You crushed our relationship.
10:24 AM
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relationship.”
I knew I was in the wrong. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
e
メ
Suddenly, Jack grabbed my face, his voice rising. “I’m not telling you this to get an apology, Anna! I’m trying to have a real conversation about what happened between us.”
I pulled his hands away, feeling a surge of emotion building inside me. “I know! But have you ever thought about how I felt? You barely talked to me, using your job as an excuse to ignore me. Do you have any idea how lonely I felt? You went silent during the breakup, and now you’re yelling at me like I owe you something!”
Tears started spilling down my face, and I couldn’t stop them. Jack quickly handed me a tissue, but one wasn’t enough–he had to give me a few more.
“So… you’ve hated me this whole time?” he asked softly.
I glared at him through my tears. “You’ve been a jerk! Why wouldn’t I?”
Jack quietly wiped my tears, guilt written all over his face. “I was overwhelmed with work during my internship, and I couldn’t keep up. So when you asked to break up, I agreed. But I told myself I’d only come back for you when I could give you everything you deserve.”
He paused for a moment, then continued. “This past year, I’ve been promoted and worked like a maniac. I bought my first apartment in full, no mortgage.”
My mind went blank. I flipped open the red deed in my hands, seeing Jack Hart’s name in bold. “How did you afford to buy a place outright? Did your family help you out?”
I couldn’t help but think back to Mark’s story about how his family interfered in his relationship.
Jack shook his head. “No, I have other investments too.”
I was genuinely impressed. Sarah was right–Jack wasn’t the kind of guy you easily replaced.
Still, I needed to keep some composure. “Okay, but how do I know you’re not just saying all this?”
“I want to transfer the apartment to your name,” he said simply.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “Isn’t that only possible for married couples or family members?”
Jack’s next words hit me like a truck. “That’s why I want to marry you. Will you?”
My mouth hung open in shock. I swear, it wasn’t about the money. I even wondered if Jack needed to see a doctor–either for his eyes or his head. No one gets this lucky without having stepped in something.
“I’m… really confused right now. Can you give me some time to think about it?”
Jack shrugged. “Sure. Take all the time you need. I’ll wait until tomorrow morning for your answer.”
127
I made my way back upstairs, still in shock, my mind spinning.
As soon as I walked through the door, Sarah pounced. “So? What did you guys talk about? You were down there for ages!”
“Sarah… you were right, I mumbled.
“Huh?”
“Jack’s offering me a condo. Over a hundred square meters, all paid off:
10:24 AM
<
C
Sarah’s jaw dropped. Both of us just sat there, staring at each other in stunned silence.
Finally, Sarah snapped out of it. “I knew it! I saw his background file. His family’s rich. If he’s offering you a place, just go for it!”
“But what if his parents don’t approve? Do you remember what Mark told me about his ex?” I asked, worried.
Sarah waved it off. “Mark was an idiot. Jack’s in a completely different league.”
That night, I decided to take Jack off my blocked contacts list. Turns out, he hadn’t deleted me. We were already back on each other’s friend lists.
The next morning, I was awoken by loud knocking on my door.
Who on earth was disturbing my sleep this early?
Still half–asleep, I checked the peephole. It was Jack.
Suddenly, I was wide awake. I quickly opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
Jack blinked, surprised at my disheveled appearance in cartoon pajamas. He cleared his throat. “I brought breakfast.”
I let him in, still groggy. Jack had brought enough food for both me and Sarah. After serving myself, I left the other portion for her.
Jack didn’t waste time. “So, have you made up your mind? Where’s your family register?”
His tone told me he was not playing around.
I decided to be honest and stop fighting it. “It’s at my place.”
“Let’s go.”
Jack’s Maybach roared down the road as we headed to City Hall. I was still in a daze, staring at the leather seats like an idiot. “Did you pay for this car in full too?”
Jack’s long fingers drummed on the steering wheel. “Nope. This one’s on a payment plan.”
When we arrived, the hall was already buzzing with couples getting ready to tie the knot. The joy on everyone’s faces was contagious.
We sat on the long bench outside, waiting for our turn. Out of nowhere, Jack reached over and grabbed my hand. His touch was warm, sending sparks through me.
He smiled. “Did your parents agree to us getting married?”
Mark’s story about his overbearing parents flashed through my mind, and I needed reassurance.
Jack gave me a puzzled look. “Why wouldn’t they? It’s not like they’re the ones getting married. They haven’t meddled in my business since I started working.”
I felt a weight lift off my chest. Money really does solve a lot of problems.
Jack glanced at me again. “What about your parents? Should we check with them?”
“I never told them we broke up, so I doubt it’ll be a problem…” I trailed off.
Jack’s grin grew even wider.
After we signed the papers and got our marriage certificate, I was practically floating on air. But then I looked over at Jack–and he was crying.
People around us started staring. It looked like I’d forced him into marriage.
Panicking, I patted his shoulder. “Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”
I felt a weight lift off my chest. Money really does solve a lot of problems.
Jack glanced at me again. “What about your parents? Should we check with them?”
“I never told them we broke up, so I doubt it’ll be a problem…” I trailed off.
Jack’s grin grew even wider.
After we signed the papers and got our marriage certificate, I was practically floating on air. But then I looked over at Jack–and he was
crying.
People around us started staring. It looked like I’d forced him into marriage.
Panicking, I patted his shoulder. “Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”
Jack wiped his tears on my shirt collar, finally revealing his true, mischievous self. “It was way too hard getting you to marry me.”
I pinched his waist playfully. “There’ll be harder things to come, I promise. If you regret this, we can always get a divorce.”
Jack held my hand and pulled out a diamond ring from his pocket. Carefully, he slid it onto my finger, then kissed the back of my hand, his eyes still wet.
“Never. I’ll never regret this.”
(THE END)
