Chapter 765 I'm not Asking
Nathaniel shrugged off Amy's hand and sped up.
"Nathaniel, if you keep pushing me away, Mrs. Egan's just gonna set you up with someone else. And who knows if they'll be as cool as I am? You'll just end up more annoyed!" Amy caught up to him.
She went on, "Just play along for a bit. It won't kill you, and it'll save you from future headaches. Why won't you just agree?"
Nathaniel wasn't even sure himself.
When Saskia was around, it felt like having her meant having everything. No other woman, no matter how stunning, could catch his eye.
After Saskia left, he went nuts trying to find someone like her. Then, Saskia came back.
Now, he only wanted to mess with her, to hurt each other. He had no energy left to deal with other women, even if it was just for show.
"Think of it as doing me a solid. Otherwise, my parents will nag me to death. I don't want to go on blind dates with middle-aged men. Please, I owe you one. You can ask me for anything in return," Amy pleaded.
Even if it was just an act now, who could say it wouldn't turn real later?
She wasn't a bad catch, after all. She had that much confidence.
Hearing this, Nathaniel hesitated for a moment, then thought of something. His tone softened. "Alright, how long do we need to keep this up?"
"Three months. After that, we can part ways amicably. I'll buy a plane ticket and leave the country. My family won't be able to force me into marriage," Amy said, though she didn't mention that she had overheard her mom and Jade planning to set the wedding date for three months later.
By then, they wouldn't just break up; they'd get married. She'd go from Ms. Waverly to Mrs. Egan.
Nathaniel replied, "I'll hold you to that."
"Of course! Are you worried I might flake on you? Don't worry, I'm not that kind of person," Amy said, pulling out her phone. "Let's add each other as friends first."
They both sat on the couch, Amy chatting with her friends while Nathaniel kept making demands of Saskia.
Saskia, suppressing her embarrassment, followed his instructions, performing one difficult move after another. After sending the photos, she trembled as she deleted the chat history.
When Benjamin was first diagnosed, she had taken a part-time job at a bar, selling drinks for commission, to earn money.
The boss had asked her several times if she wanted to dance on stage. One night of dancing could earn her half a month's pay.
Though she needed the money, she wouldn't sacrifice her dignity. She couldn't bring herself to wear revealing clothes or dance provocatively. She'd rather take on three jobs.
But now, was she any different from a stripper?
The only difference was dancing for a crowd versus dancing for one person.
After looking at the photos, Nathaniel put on his headphones. He then sent a message: [Send me two voice messages.]
Saskia: [What kind of voice messages?]
Nathaniel: [How you sounded last night. Do it again. Is that so hard to understand?] Nathaniel snapped impatiently.Saskia's mouth opened and closed, and she finally managed to say it, but her voice was barely a whisper.
Just as Nathaniel was about to stir up more trouble, Jade came downstairs.
Hearing the footsteps, Amy quickly moved closer, wrapping her arm around Nathaniel's. "Nathaniel, that story you just told me was hilarious. I wish we had met sooner, but better late than never, right?"
At this, Nathaniel turned off his phone screen and set it aside, forgetting to take off his headphones.
Jade could tell at a glance that they hadn't been talking or that Amy was doing all the talking while Nathaniel, with his headphones on, pretended not to hear.
She was annoyed, but since Amy had said that, even if she knew it was to ease the tension, Jade couldn't call her out.
"As long as you two are having fun. Amy, why don't you stay over tonight? We have plenty of rooms; I'll have one prepared for you." Jade said it casually, but she had already planned to give Amy the room next to Nathaniel's. It was meant for his future wife, and being close would increase their chances of running into each other.
Nathaniel's first instinct was to refuse.
However, before he could speak, Amy declined, "Mrs. Egan, I should go home tonight. My parents are very strict. Even at my age, I still have to go home to sleep at night."
"You're right. I wasn't thinking it through," Jade said, even more pleased with Amy.
A girl from a respectable family was different and well-mannered.
Not like those girls from lesser families who would do anything to climb the social ladder, even sleeping with men and secretly having their children.
And that child was sick, too. It was like all the flaws rolled into one.
"Mrs. Egan, I'll head home now. I'll come visit you another day," Amy said politely.
Jade quickly urged Nathaniel to see Amy out.
The Waverly family's car was already waiting outside. As soon as Amy got in, Nathaniel turned and walked back.
He didn't go straight home but stood in the garden, listening to all the voice messages Saskia had sent.
At that moment, he suddenly wanted to be with Saskia.
But with Jade waiting for him inside, Nathaniel had to go back.
With just the two of them at home, Jade didn't hold back. "You're not getting any younger. It's time to think about settling down. I didn't interfere with your fun in the past, but now it's different. Nathaniel, I'm not asking; I'm telling you. In three months, you're marrying Amy."
"You think you can decide my future with a few words? I don't agree," Nathaniel replied, equally firm.
He had no desire to get married now.
A family, a wife, kids—those felt like chains to him. He wasn't ready to be tied down at such a young age.
To Jade, his firm rejection of Amy meant he still had feelings for Saskia.
Jade confronted him, "You still love that woman, Saskia, don't you? Even after she betrayed you, you still have feelings for her. When did my son become so weak? She's pretty, but not that pretty!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
