“I told you before, didn’t I? Go after Walton Corporation.”

Judy coaxed him patiently. “Once that company falls, we’ll be together, and your father will finally approve of us.”

“Do you really think so?” He looked uncertain. He vaguely remembered that his father had been strongly against his idea before. If Walton Corporation really went under, would his father actually accept... He clearly remembered how angry his father had been, insisting he stay away from Aurora. That time, he’d been furious. Could Judy’s plan really work?

Judy could see him hesitating again, and it started to wear on her. What was wrong with this man? One minute he was swayed, the next he was full of doubt. Why was he so hard to deal with? She had spelled everything out so clearly–what part of it was he still not getting? Did she really have to chew everything up and feed it to him piece by piece? The thought alone made her feel a little sick. What was wrong with this man? She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and spoke again.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying, after everything Aurora did to you, even sending you to prison twice, can you really just let that go? I can’t even stomach it for you. You two were in a relationship, for god’s sake. How did it come to this?” She wore a look of heartfelt pain, every word laced with righteous indignation.

Seeing her like that, he felt deeply comforted. So, someone besides his parents did care about him. He wasn’t entirely alone after all. Everything that had happened lately had made him start to doubt himself, especially with Aurora–her rejection had stung. He didn’t want to admit it, but the man by her side made him uneasy. For some reason, every time he saw that man, something inside him recoiled. But now, at least Aurora was unconscious. The only problem was, no one could say for sure whether that man was still by her side or not. Even he was afraid of that uncertainty, which was why he hadn’t taken any action yet. He didn’t know if the man was still around. And if he was, then things wouldn’t be easy to handle. He couldn’t explain why, but that man gave him a sense of dread he couldn’t shake.

Judy saw right through his hesitation and felt nothing but exasperation. Seriously? At a time like this, and he was still such a coward. What went through his head all day? Every time something happened, all he ever did was hesitate. He was completely useless. Lately, he’d been tiptoeing around everything, scared of his own shadow. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Over the years, he really had changed. He wasn’t the same man he used to be. Even his charm had faded. But in a moment like this, she didn’t know what else to say. The only thing left was to encourage him.

He nodded. “Alright, I understand. Judy, I know you’re looking out for me. Don’t worry, I’ll think this through seriously.”