Back at home, Irene wept uncontrollably. She knew Hayden, her father-in-law, often gave her the cold shoulder, but today's public berating was unbearable. She couldn't comprehend his harsh treatment.

Feeling wronged and alone, she called Heidi, but her friend's lackluster response only deepened her despair. Only her son, Jonathan, offered true solace.

Meanwhile, Jonathan, in Everport, noticed a bustling deli. A bright red signboard caught his eye, and he impulsively stopped. He suddenly remembered Teresa's love for pork chops.

His phone rang—it was Irene. He answered, oblivious to a woman in a baseball cap and coat walking past, carrying a bag of pork chops, her form brushing his.

"Hello?" Jonathan answered, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Jonathan, you have to come back for the family dinner. Please be there for Mom," Irene pleaded, her voice trembling with tears. She avoided mentioning Hayden's outburst, unwilling to create further conflict between her son and father-in-law.

"It's just… every time Donald comes back, you never do. You're the eldest grandson, Jonathan. Even though your dad's gone, you're still the eldest," she said, her voice heavy with emotion.

Jonathan frowned, glancing around. As he turned, the woman in the cap disappeared around the corner, unseen by him.

"I'll try to make it back for May 1st. We'll talk then," Jonathan replied, ending the call. After purchasing honey-garlic pork chops, he got back into the car. The driver asked, "You a fan of pork chops, Mr. Lynn?"

Jonathan's gaze darkened, a trace of bitterness flashing in his eyes. He sighed quietly and said, "Just drive." The black Maybach pulled away.

Edward came home from school, excited to celebrate his April 19th birthday. Heidi had promised a big surprise, but it turned out to be a blind date.

"Mom, seriously? I'm just 22," Edward exclaimed, his frustration evident.

Heidi shrugged nonchalantly. "When I was your age, I was already married."

"Yeah, well, that was you, not me. These days, nobody my age is rushing to get married before thirty. We just want to enjoy life a little longer," Edward retorted.

Heidi countered, "Your cousin Jonathan got married at 25."

Edward rolled his eyes. "And look how that turned out—divorced in no time."

Heidi fell silent, Jonathan being her only example, and not a particularly good one. "Anyway," she continued, "Irene has already arranged everything. If you don't go, she'll be upset, and it'll look like I don't appreciate her efforts. That could make things difficult for you if you ever want to work at Jonathan's company."

"I don't want to work at his company," Edward muttered.

"Quit whining. Do you even know how many people are out of work these days? With that mediocre college you went to and your not-so-great grades, the only reason you'd ever get into Horizonlead Group is that we're family."

Edward groaned inwardly, feeling defeated. His birthday was ruined. Just as he was about to sulk, George sent him $6,000, and Jonathan sent $18,000.

Heidi felt a pang of jealousy upon learning of Jonathan's generous gift. "Why can't you be more like your cousin? Look at him—he's doing so well, and you're just wasting your potential."

"Oh, come on! So being bad at school makes me a total failure now?"

"What else? Do you know how much we've spent on you? All those tutoring sessions, training courses, private lessons—it must be at least 300 grand. And what do we have to show for it?"