Chapter: 295

"Alright, I'll leave. We can talk tomorrow."

"Talk about what? Haven't I been clear? Jonathan, I thought being with you would be an easy path upward. But dealing with your family is just too much. Their condescending attitudes are unbearable. I can't be with you any longer. Do you get that?"

Bethany was aware that simply saying she was tired wouldn't convince him, so she deliberately blurred the truth with lies to throw him off.

“I'll find a way to move them abroad," Jonathan proposed, hopeful.

“Are you serious? Do you think sending them away will make them accept me? Do you really understand the issue here? I can't bridge the gap between us; it feels Like I'm constantly being Looked down on!" Bethany raised her eyebrows, articulating every word with precision. “If I were truly in love with you, things might be different. But you're just not worth all this trouble!"

Jonathan's plea was earnest. “Bethany, just give me a little more time."

“Why should I wait for you? I have better options.”

Jonathan's fists balled in frustration. "Are you talking about Jayson?"

"Yes!" Bethany scoffed, trying to mask her turmoil with a glance away, making her disinterest appear more believable. “His parents like me, my mom thinks highly of him, and he's Aimee's cousin. We're a good match! Jonathan, reaching your level is quite demanding. Please, do me a favor and let me go."

“How can you be so composed about this, Bethany?" Jonathan's voice broke as he stepped back, standing up. "You're lying. Don't think I don't see right through you!"

“Believe what you want," she replied indifferently, then reclined on the bed, closing off the conversation.

Time seemed to stretch indefinitely as Bethany waited, her heart pounding in her chest. It wasn't until she heard Jonathan's retreating footsteps and the sound of the door clicking shut that she allowed herself to cry.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Although she knew Jonathan wasn't to blame for everything, the weight of recent events was too much. She couldn't just pretend that all was well and continue their relationship.

The possibility that Jonathan's parents might be linked to her mother's death was something Bethany refused to entertain. Accepting that would make facing Jonathan unbearable. What stance could she take?

Instead, she chose to believe Maddie was solely responsible for her woes.

Curled up on the expansive bed, Bethany clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her sobs.

The harsh words she had hurled at Jonathan earlier haunted her; she couldn't bear to think of them again. She was determined to keep Jonathan from suspecting the truth, to shield him from any residual tenderness he might feel towards her.

As dawn crept across the sky, her pillow damp with tears, Bethany reached for her phone and typed out a message to Maddie.

"I've told Jonathan it's over. He's bound to dig deeper. I trust you'll manage what comes next. Just two things: First, mo more hurting my loved ones. Second, get me out of here."

Bethany's pregnancy might have been the reason she drifted off to sleep so quickly.

When she woke up, it was nearly noon.

She checked her phone, finding only a missed call from Aimee.

Bethany realized that Jayson must have told Aimee not to call again and to wait until she woke up to avoid disturbing her rest.