Chapter 263 The Tough Choices
"What about you?" Katniss snapped back. "You're worried about dragging me down, but aren't you scared Ember's gonna drag you down too? Just a few months ago, you were all pumped about opening a pasta restaurant. How did it all go so wrong?"
Rupert couldn't hold it in anymore. He crouched down, hands covering his head, and let his emotions spill out.
"I took your advice. You told me to come back, work hard, and save up. So I did. I worked my butt off from dawn till dusk. In less than a year, I saved up tens of thousands of dollars. I went to a good place to learn how to make pasta, practiced for half a month, and then opened my restaurant. In the first month, I made a thousand dollars." He felt a mix of despair and pride. He had become a boss, and earning a thousand dollars in the first month was a promising start.
He continued, "During the holidays, I made four thousand dollars in just one month. At that rate, I could easily be earning tens of thousands a year. Jessica was so kind to me back then. I even dreamed that once we had the money, I'd take care of her and make sure she wouldn't have to lift a finger..."
Jessica was materialistic and ambitious. With Rupert's stable income supporting her, she must have been thrilled at the time.
Though it was uncertain whether Rupert could maintain his success in the future, at least they had a positive mindset back then.
But in the third month of the restaurant's operation, Ember got into trouble and took four thousand dollars from Rupert.
In the fourth month, she came for more money.
Jessica got anxious and kicked Ember out of the house.
Then Ember sent Robert and his gang after Rupert, and that led to the restaurant's downfall. Ember originally owed a lot of money, and Robert pressured Rupert to sell his house to settle some of that debt under the threat of Ember's life.
Rupert had no choice but to take on the hardest, most exhausting jobs again, and any remaining money he earned was taken by Robert. Meanwhile, Jessica heard that Katniss was planning to marry Tristan, so she decided to bring Ember back herself and headed straight for Velvet City.
However, Jessica was caught off guard when Rupert pawned Ember off to Robert.
"Katniss, do you think my life is over?" Rupert sat dejectedly on the ground, leaning against the wall. "My pasta restaurant is gone, my home is gone. Why did Ember take me away in the first place?"
He buried his hands in his short hair, crying in pain.
Katniss didn't know how to comfort him.
One was his wife, the other his mother.
One revealed the darkest side of human nature, while the other exposed its most malicious aspects.
"You're still young. Starting over isn't that difficult. What you need to focus on now are the tough choices ahead." Tristan analyzed the situation logically. Until Rupert's problems were settled, Katniss wouldn't be able to leave here with peace of mind.He continued, "If you think you can handle Jessica, then you don't have to divorce her. But you gotta be firm with your mom. Take your wife, leave this place, start fresh somewhere new, and set aside a fixed amount for your mom's living expenses each month. Your life can still be good. But if you can't handle it and choose not to leave—if you can't bear to leave your mom alone—then your life will really be over."
Rupert's body tensed as he weighed Tristan's words carefully.
He knew Jessica could be materialistic, sometimes even excessive and demanding.
Yet, despite all that, he still loved her.
Could he really keep everything under control?
Tristan noticed that Katniss was also emotionally impacted by Rupert's situation and was struggling to think clearly about her next steps, so he gently reminded her, "Let's take him to a nearby hotel to clean up first, then book a flight back to Velvet City tonight. We can figure everything else out when we get back."
Katniss nodded repeatedly. The group left the neighborhood and booked a room at the best hotel in town for eighty bucks a night.
They also bought Rupert a set of clothes and shoes at a nearby mall.
Afterward, Tristan took them to the best restaurant in town for a meal.
Then they headed back, straight to Velvet City.
When they arrived in Velvet City, it was ten o'clock at night. By the time they got home, it was already eleven-thirty.
Katniss decided to let Rupert stay upstairs with Aaron.
"Rupert, Tristan made a lot of sense. You need to think carefully about how to handle Jessica and Ember. For now, stay at home and don't go anywhere. When you've made up your mind, come find me. I'll be downstairs. I'll arrange for you to meet Jessica. Don't worry. I'll let her know you're safe first." After saying this, Katniss went downstairs.
She did inform Jessica that Rupert was safe but didn't tell her that he was in Velvet City.
Knowing Rupert was safe, Jessica felt a bit relieved.
After thinking it over, she realized Katniss was the one who could handle things.
Seeing Ember peacefully asleep on the bed filled her with anger.
She got up, grabbed Ember's wrist, and pulled her out of the motel, still half-asleep.
Ember's hair was a mess, and she was completely bewildered.
When she came to her senses, she was at the motel entrance, shivering in the cold night wind.
"What are you doing?" she angrily glared at Jessica.
"What do you think I'm doing? You burden! You've ruined my and Rupert's lives. Get lost and stay far away. Even if you die out there, don't notify me or Rupert. We won't claim your body!" With that, Jessica threw a bundle at Ember—it contained all her belongings.
It hit Ember's face directly, causing her to shiver and fall to the ground, grimacing in pain.
She exclaimed, "You... My daughter is Katniss. If you treat me like this, she'll definitely make you pay."Jessica retorted, "You bitch, if Katniss had even a bit of respect for you, I would treat you with respect! Do you deserve it? Does Katniss acknowledge you? Katniss acknowledges Rupert, my husband!" She knew Katniss had no maternal feelings for Ember, so trying to win Ember over was pointless. Jessica knew she had to rely on Rupert.
Jessica stayed with him not only because she appreciated Rupert's kindness and willingness to please but also because finding a partner after a second marriage was more challenging. With Rupert, there was the added advantage of being connected to the wealthy Katniss, and Jessica still hoped to gain some benefits from that association.
As soon as Jessica entered the motel, Ember got anxious and started cursing her with harsh words. The cursing in the middle of the night was very piercing, waking up many guests in the motel. Yet Jessica didn't care and went back to sleep, thinking that after Katniss saved Rupert, she would definitely take him back to Velvet City. After all, Rupert no longer had a home in Harmony City. So, Jessica figured that Rupert was staying in the neighborhood she had visited today. She decided she would go find Rupert tomorrow!
Ember, shouting on the street, was doused with a bucket of cold water, shivering and gritting her teeth in anger.
After a tiring day of traveling back and forth between Velvet City and Harmony City, Katniss was exhausted. After taking a shower, she lay in Tristan's arms, too tired to even open her eyes. But she couldn't sleep, knowing Tristan was also tired, so she pretended to be asleep and didn't make a sound.
Until Tristan broke the silence, saying, "You didn't eat much at lunch or dinner. Are you hungry? Should I whip up a snack for you?"
"I'm not hungry." Katniss tightened her grip on him, feeling far from hungry.
He didn't say anything further; he held her quietly. As dawn approached, Katniss finally fell into a deep sleep. Tristan tiptoed out of the bedroom. He figured she would sleep for a while longer, so he didn't rush to make breakfast and instead finished some work from the previous day.
At that time, he received a call from Ryan, saying Jessica was at the neighborhood gate, causing a scene after being stopped by security.
"Either leave or head to the police station," Tristan said, showing no mercy to her.
Jessica was sensible enough not to force her way in, but she was out of money. She had to reach out to a former colleague from Synergy Global Corporation, shamelessly asking if she could stay with them. The colleague quickly agreed, given Jessica's connection to Katniss.
With her accommodation sorted, Jessica wasn't in a hurry. Rupert would definitely come to her; it was just a matter of time.
When Katniss woke up, it was almost noon. Tristan had handled as much of her work as he could. Recently, the situation with Ember had caused quite a stir, and Katniss's one-on-one tutoring sessions were temporarily halted. The Brown family was understanding, especially since her wedding date was approaching.So, apart from recording lessons, her workload wasn't heavy. Katniss knew Tristan was very busy, so she occasionally insisted on taking on some of his work to share the load.
For three days, she worked from home while Tristan kept his nine-to-five schedule, and life gradually started to feel normal again.
By this time, Rupert had also made up his mind.
When he came downstairs to find Katniss, Tristan wasn't there.
They sat on the couch, occasionally exchanging glances, creating a warm atmosphere.
Rupert said, "Katniss, I'm truly happy that you've found happiness."
When Rupert first came to Velvet City, Katniss's life was far from good. A sick stepmother, working as an assistant in someone else's home, and an ambiguous relationship with Tristan, all while feeling the weight of constant pressure. It was difficult all around, but Katniss did her best to support Rupert under the circumstances.
Rupert felt he could never fully repay this kindness, not even if he had multiple lifetimes to do so.
Katniss responded, "I never imagined I would see this day come, either."
Katniss was overwhelmed with emotions as Sophia's illness seemed to signal the beginning of the end for her. During those years, her world was shrouded in gray, consumed by the demands of work and the relentless pursuit of money. She had never imagined Sophia would recover, nor could she foresee that she and Tristan, who had entered a contract marriage, would actually develop feelings for each other. The reality that the man she had sold her body to would ultimately become her husband was something she never expected.
Despite her unfortunate experiences, she considered herself lucky in her misfortune; at least the ending turned out well.
"Katniss, out of courtesy, I should pay a visit to your stepmother. Otherwise, it might end up being a bit awkward for you," Rupert said, having heard from Aaron that Sophia and her daughter lived next door. Rupert might be a bit simple-minded, but his kindness was evident.
"It's not embarrassing at all. Visiting is just the polite thing to do. I'll take you over in a little while," Katniss said, feeling glad that he didn't feel ashamed to face people about this.
She also knew that Rupert still yearned for a good life.
One such blow was enough; there couldn't be a second.
Rupert nodded quickly, then said somewhat awkwardly, "But I don't have any money. Can you lend me some? I'll pay you back when I earn it."
He never expected to live off Katniss, not even letting her spend money on him for free.
"Sure, let's go buy some things." Katniss got up, grabbed her coat, and left the house with Rupert, taking the elevator down.
Rupert watched the numbers go down, his hands in his pockets clenching tightly.
After a long time, he finally mustered the courage to say, "Katniss, I've thought about what to do next."
"I'm listening," Katniss said, turning to look at him. He stood half a head taller than her, his face clearly tense and anxious.
It seemed he was afraid his decision would displease Katniss.
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