Chapter 48: I just can't do it...

Chapter 48: I just can't do it...

Chapter 48: I just can’t do it...

“Huh?” Scarlett was taken aback, catching the odd look in her best friend’s eyes before glancing down at her own stomach, her expression darkening. “Jerk, what on earth are you thinking?”

Jessica’s eyes widened even more, her mouth agape as she stared. “Wow, living on the edge, huh? That’s not dangerous at all?”

“You!” Scarlett picked up her glass, pretending to throw it.

“Tehehe, don’t be mad, I was just kidding.” Jessica retracted her exaggerated expression, smiling. “Haven’t you noticed how worked up you get when you talk about him? Since you’re not related by blood, why not give it a shot, try having a serious relationship?”

“Stop joking about that! It’s not funny at all.” Scarlett put down the glass, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes.

Jessica set down her glass too, her smile fading into a melancholy look as she gazed out the window onto the street. “You know, my family has ties to the mob.”

“What?” Scarlett’s mouth dropped open. “I had no idea! You’re a mob princess! And you can still think about becoming a cop with a mob family?”

“That’s why I went abroad. I’m not really a princess or anything. It’s just a small group, like a few dozen people. When we’re short on funds, we even run a coffee shop,” Jessica explained with a casual shrug.

“I grew up in that environment. I never thought about cutting ties with my parents or abandoning my family. They’ve always been grooming me to take over. When I decided to leave, my dad was so angry, I thought he’d burn me alive. It was the first time I saw him cry.”

Jessica sighed softly, leaning back in her seat.

“Honestly, when the guns were drawn, I thought I was a goner. After leaving, I became free, no longer needing to worry about all that stuff, free to do whatever I wanted.”

After finishing her story, she gave a bitter smile to Scarlett. “Just when I was thinking about going back to visit, I got the news that my father had passed away from illness.”

Scarlett shivered, thinking of Ethan, who was currently lying in a hospital bed.

“Just like that, he was gone. Now, I still remember the look in my father’s eyes the day I left. I wonder if things would have been different if I had tried to understand him.” Jessica looked up.

“From life to death, we encounter all sorts of things. Time doesn’t flow backward, and the things we do don’t just disappear. They all become a part of us, and we live on, carrying those memories.”

Scarlett fell silent, realizing she had always seen things from her family’s perspective, never truly trying to understand Ethan.

That kid, who would perform miracles for her.

The importance she held in his heart must surpass everything else. What kind of resolve must he have to confess his feelings?

“Of course.” Jessica’s smile returned. “Knowing my dad, he probably would never have understood me. It’s because we never tried that we hold onto these unrealistic hopes.”U//ppTodated fr/o/m nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)\/m

Maybe Emily would accidentally reveal a bit of skin as a ‘reward’ for his troubles.

But no, it was all up to him, and it wasn’t fun at all.

Emily cheered him on from the side, not touching, not even showing a bit of skin throughout the process.

“This is useless,” Ethan didn’t want to play anymore, glancing towards the hospital room door. Even though the curtains were drawn and the door locked, it felt absurd in broad daylight.

“Do you want to break the engagement?” Emily’s smile was teasing.

“You...” Ethan was frustrated. “I just can’t do it.”

Emily suddenly lifted her head, extending her pale hand. “If Ethan agrees to be my boyfriend, helping a boyfriend relieve some built-up stress is a girlfriend’s duty, you know.”

Ethan’s expression shifted, unsure which part of her statement was true. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke honestly, “I don’t think I’m worthy of you.”

That was the harsh reality.

Even setting aside his illness.

Emily was the quintessential school beauty, the dream girl of countless guys.

In reality, a tycoon’s daughter wouldn’t attend a regular high school, but Emily could easily afford a private detective, indicating her family was at least upper-middle class, definitely not short on money.

And him?

Just a poor student, paralyzed in bed.

“Because I’m actually very lonely,” Emily said with a warm smile. “Ethan, you’re interesting and non-threatening, which can add a lot of fun to life, right?”

Ethan’s mouth twitched again. “I’ll take that as a compliment for now. You... are you really lonely?”

He tried to divert Emily’s attention with his words, hoping to gloss over the situation.

A woman’s loneliness could be interpreted in many ways.

“Yes,” Emily spread her hands. “But it’s nothing dramatic. Just that my parents don’t get along well, busy enough that they might not see each other for a week. Although I have a sister, she’s already moved out and lives independently.”

Outside the hospital, Scarlett and Jessica got out of the car together.