Chapter 583 Jesse Takes the Initiative
"I get it," Elara said, knowing everyone needs their own approach. "His situation's kinda unique. If I'm doing well, he'll feel better about me being with someone else and won't stress about me anymore."
By then, being with Jesse would've been tough.
Brian frowned, confused by her reasoning.
"Don't worry, I've got this," Elara reassured them, not wanting them to fret.
If it were anyone else, Elara would take their advice, live her best life, and let them see what they missed out on.
But Jesse was different. He was good to her, a genuinely nice guy, but for some reason, he just wouldn't be with her.
After Elara hung up, Jesse kept calling, but she didn't pick up.
The thought that her life had become so chaotic because she hastily married Willie after his rejection filled him with a deep sense of guilt.
He even wondered if he should've just been with her.
He called Elara again, and when she didn't answer, he decided to go see Daphne.
Daphne was busy at HorizonTech Group and was a bit surprised to see Jesse.
"Ms. Murphy," Jesse greeted her politely. "Can I talk to you for a bit? Just need half an hour."
"Sure," Daphne said, putting her work aside.
Jesse opened his mouth but hesitated.
Daphne waited patiently.
"If your family background is really bad and complicated," Jesse finally said after a long pause, "would you still go after the person you like?"
"Why not?" Daphne replied. To her, family background was out of one's control. What mattered was effort and the future.
Jesse pressed his lips together, struggling to speak, "What if the person you like grew up in a happy, warm family?"
"Are you talking about you and Elara?" Daphne asked.
Jesse paused, then nodded.
"Usually, a girl's parents wouldn't want her marrying someone from a very different background," Daphne said logically, "but if the guy's exceptional, they might make an exception."
And Jesse definitely fit that bill.
"If you're worried about your background with Elara, don't be," Daphne reasoned. "You've got the skills, the money, and you're kind and thoughtful. You can give Elara a good future."
"My family's a mess," Jesse said, struggling to explain. "My parents are awful too."
"For most people, marriage isn't just about two people; it's about two families," Daphne said. "But for you and Elara, it can just be about you two."
Daphne knew Elara's parents. She didn't know Jesse's family, but she knew Jesse.
Even if Elara and Jesse got together, their lives wouldn't change much.
"If you have other concerns, you can still marry Elara," Daphne suggested.
"Marry her?" Jesse repeated, pausing to think.
Daphne nodded.
Jesse was deep in thought.
"Can you tell me why you turned Elara down?" Daphne asked directly, since they were already on the topic.
Jesse's usually calm eyes looked at Daphne, showing some unease.
Daphne didn't push him. "You don't have to say if you don't want to."
"I might not have told you about my family background. I was abandoned by my parents when I was about four," Jesse said, his lips pressed into a thin line. "They didn't care about me much after that. Now that they know I'm doing well, they keep coming around. I don't want Elara to get dragged into that mess, and I don't want her dealing with all that drama."
"Is that why you turned her down?" Daphne asked, a bit surprised.
Jesse nodded. He didn't want to reject her, but his family was a tangled mess.
Once his parents knew he married someone from a wealthy family, all sorts of problems would pop up.
Jesse didn't want Elara to face those issues, nor did he want her family to be mocked.
He knew how people in the wealthy circle could be. They wouldn't miss a chance to ridicule. Elara was amazing; he couldn't stand the thought of her being laughed at for marrying someone with such a messed-up family.
"Find some time to talk to Elara," Daphne suggested, not giving him a direct answer but pointing him in the right direction. "What you're worried about might not matter to her at all."
Jesse still looked a bit confused.
Daphne continued, "If you let this go because of your fears, it'll be the biggest regret for both of you."
Jesse stayed quiet for a while. After a long pause, he looked up at Daphne and asked, "Should I really go find her?"
Daphne nodded. "Yes."
Jesse hesitated. "But she's already married."
"Do you consider that a real marriage?" Daphne asked.
Jesse shook his head. They were just playing around; it didn't count.
"Go ahead," Daphne encouraged him. "Tell her how you really feel and start dating her. I'll handle things at the company."
Jesse took several deep breaths and finally made up his mind.
Elara wasn't doing well now.
Maybe he could give it a shot.
Thinking about how Elara rarely answered his calls, he borrowed Daphne's phone to call her.
When Jesse said he wanted to meet, Elara was surprised and even threw a little tantrum. "You think you can just meet me whenever you want? My life is pretty great right now. I've got handsome guys with great bodies around me every day. I don't need you anymore."
"I've got a great body too," Jesse replied, "Better than theirs."
Elara thought Jesse was out of his mind.
Jesse asked seriously, "Shall we meet?"
"You should know what it means if you ask to meet me," Elara hesitated for a moment but couldn't help getting to the point.
Elara wanted to ignore Jesse, but when he reached out, she couldn't bring herself to.
"I know," Jesse's eyes showed a subtle complexity. "Where are you? I'll come to pick you up."
"No need," Elara didn't want her lies to be exposed. She was afraid Jesse was just testing her or something. "Let's meet at the coffee shop on the first floor of City of Tomorrow Mall in half an hour."
Jesse responded, "Okay."
The call ended.
Elara was so happy she almost jumped up.
She hurried to her room to pack, stuffing clothes and cosmetics into a suitcase.
Richard, seeing her like this, with sleepy eyes and a confused look, walked over and asked, "Why are you packing?"
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