The moment Yarrick walked through the door, Michael immediately picked up on that distinct hospital smell clinging to him.
“Still visiting that patient at the hospital?” Michael asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I was just keeping the patient company and chatting. The doctor said it helps with recovery.”
“I see. Does the patient have no other family? Visiting the hospital daily like this must be incredibly draining.”
“Uh… Well, the patient has no family around,” Yarrick gave a vague reply. After all, this wasn’t exactly something he could easily explain to Michael.
“Well, that’s really thoughtful of you.”
“It’s nothing. We’re practically family; it’s the right thing to do. Come on, Michael. Let me buy you a drink.”
Yarrick glanced at the time. It was a good time to grab a nice meal and enjoy a drink. He had over four hundred thousand dollars on him now. There was no need to be overly frugal at the moment.
“That’s great. Let’s go!”
With that, they headed out together.
Soon, the two of them arrived at a small restaurant just outside the neighborhood. They ordered some food and two bottles of beer. Since the following day was their first day at work, it wasn’t the best idea to drink too much, so they decided to take it easy.
“Come on! Let’s drink!”
After filling their glasses, Michael picked up his glass and couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
“What’s wrong? Why the sigh?”
The two clinked their glasses and drank it all down in one go.
“What happened with Isabelle? Weren’t you two getting along pretty well? You’re even staying in Tilburg for her.”
“She laid down the conditions yesterday for the wedding gifts.”
“Conditions? What kind of conditions?” Yarrick asked, intrigued.
“She said that since we’re getting married, we need to buy a house in Tilburg. But we just graduated. How am I supposed to afford a house? Plus, she wants me to save half a million dollars for the wedding gifts!”
As Michael spoke, he poured himself another drink and knocked it back.
“A thousand-square-foot apartment in Tilburg costs over two million dollars. I can’t afford that even if I were to sell everything. She gave me two years to figure everything out. If I succeed, we can get married. If not, there’s no future for us.”
Yarrick was rendered speechless hearing Michael’s words. Earning two million dollars in two years seemed impossible for a fresh graduate. That was one million dollars a year, or about a hundred thousand dollars a month after taxes. If Michael fixated on this, their relationship would likely end.
“I regret getting into a relationship. Without a partner, I wouldn’t have all these worries and attachments. Look at you! How good it is to be single and carefree! What the hell was I thinking, getting into a relationship!”
“Hey…” Yarrick sighed slightly.
In fact, his situation was no longer slight. He was married, and at that very moment, his wife lay in a hospital bed. While he might not be responsible for all the medical expenses…
“Michael, consider this: if you and Isabelle end up together, it’ll be a great love story. Even if it doesn’t work out, you would’ve gained relationship experience. And come on. You two have already slept together, right? So that’s a win-win situation. She’ll just marry someone else in the future, and you won’t be losing anything either. Don’t take it too seriously; it’s just one of the relationships in your life.” Yarrick couldn’t help but chuckle as he spoke.
“Damn! You’ve got a point. But I already see her as my future wife. If we don’t end up together, she’ll end up with someone else, and just the thought of that makes me feel nauseous.”
Indeed, Michael raised a valid point. However, there was still the pressing issue of the two million dollars that he needed to save up before he could propose to Isabelle.
“So, what are you gonna do? With your physique, you’re not gonna make much money even if you sell your body…”
“Hey Yarrick, with your physique, have you considered pursuing a wealthy woman instead? If you find success, you can then provide for me, too?”