Chapter: 294

"My kind of tired isn't something a good night's sleep can fix."

Unconsciously, Bethany averted her eyes from his. "I visited my mother today and she's really fond of Jayson. She was beaming. She's always wished I'd end up with someone like Jayson instead of you."

"What are you trying to say?" he asked.

“Jonathan, I chose you instead of Jayson because you offered me more opportunities professionally. With Jayson, it'd just be a comfortable life, nothing more. Lately, though, I've realized how exhausting it is to always look up to you and your family."

Throughout her confession, Jonathan remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on her.

Bethany, lacking the nerve to meet his stare, merely clenched her fists, gathering the courage to continue, “I can't go on like this..."

"Bethany!" Jonathan cut her off sharply. “Stop right there! Tell me what really happened. What did my parents say to you?"

"Do I really need to spell it out? They said I wasn't worthy of marrying you or becoming a Bates! What else is there to say?"

Bethany affected a scowl, her voice dripping with disdain. "I can't stand their arrogance, acting like I'm pestering you. But let's be honest, it's you who's been pestering me, isn't it? I don't give a damn about the Bates family! If marrying Jayson means avoiding this kind of treatment, then maybe that's the better choice."

Jonathan looked at Bethany, bewildered, as if she were a stranger.

The words seemed so alien coming from her.

"So, to you, choosing between marrying me or Jayson is all about benefits?"

"And what else would it be? Jonathan, I had no interest in you back in school. Did you think that would magically change after graduation? You're being naive." Bethany's sneer cut deeper. “If you weren't the CEO of Bates Group, if you weren't able to cover my mother's medical expenses, I wouldn't have looked your way again after our first night together!"

This mockery crushed Jonathan's pride beneath her heel.

Bethany expected a fiery outburst, maybe even a harsh rebuke driven by impulse.

But Jonathan remained silent.

He didn't react or lash out.

The tension thickened in the bedroom, the silence stretching until his eyes reddened. Finally, his voice shaky, he murmured, "I don't believe it."

"Whatever," Bethany muttered, her voice tinged with sheer exhaustion.

Her interest in continuing the conversation was clearly nonexistent, and it was not just for show.

Truthfully, she was in no mood to talk.

Her mother's funeral was scheduled for three days from now, and with no relatives or friends to invite, she planned to keep it low-key and didn't want Jonathan to know.

The room lapsed back into silence after her words.

Bethany braced herself, met Jonathan's gaze firmly this time, and showed no hint of emotion in her eyes. “Can you leave now?"