“Did they come here to discuss the incident?” Ethan asked, his tone calm but curious.
“Yes,” Jonathan replied, leaning forward slightly. “What exactly happened?”
Ethan explained the events of that day succinctly. “Both sides told conflicting stories, so it’s hard to determine the truth. Jessica’s parents didn’t believe her. They kept pressuring her to apologize to Kylee. Eventually, Jessica lost her patience and poured a bowl of soup on Kylee’s hand.”
As Ethan recounted the incident, a faint glimmer of admiration flickered in his expression.
Jonathan caught this and raised an eyebrow. “I knew it. Jessica wouldn’t do something like that without a reason. She must have felt truly cornered to act that way,” he said, his voice resolute.
Ethan allowed a small smile to surface. “You trust her that much?”
“Absolutely,” Jonathan replied firmly. “I’m good at reading people.”
After a brief pause, Jonathan turned his sharp gaze to Ethan. “What do you think about all this?”
Ethan frowned, his mind lingering on something, and then replied coolly, “It’s none of my business.”
Jonathan’s expression hardened as he shot Ethan a stern look. “Jessica is your wife, Ethan. How is this not your business? Your wife is being bullied, and you just stand by and watch?”
Ethan chuckled coldly. “She said she doesn’t need my help. She claims she can handle everything herself.”
His tone grew slightly sarcastic. “She seems to think she has it all under control. I don’t think you need to worry about her.”
Jonathan let out a chuckle, but there was an edge of knowingness in it. He had sensed a shift in Ethan, something the younger man himself might not yet have realized. Jessica’s struggles were starting to affect him in ways he hadn’t acknowledged.
Jonathan gave Ethan a pointed look, prompting him to rise from the couch. Ethan frowned, clearly unsettled by something. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
Before he could leave, Jonathan called out, “Don’t forget, no plans for tomorrow night. You need to be here.”
Ethan glanced back briefly, his gaze meeting Jonathan’s for a moment before turning away. Without another word, he left the study.
Jonathan watched him go, a resigned sigh escaping his lips.
He was certain that Ethan had already figured out the identity of their guest for tomorrow night.
________________________________________
At the Nostalgia Lounge
The dimly lit bar was filled with a soft murmur of conversation and the clink of glasses. Jessica sat in a booth, her mood heavy. She had called Bethany to join her for a drink, needing the company of someone who could understand her.
Bethany, already aware of the events from the previous day and the tense conversation with Holley, was visibly angry. She clenched her fists, her expression indignant.
“I honestly don’t understand your mom sometimes,” Bethany said with a frustrated sigh. “She clearly loves you, but her actions—” She paused, shaking her head. “Supporting you should come naturally to her. Just having her belief in you would mean the world. But instead, she’s doing the opposite, and it’s hurting you so much. No big gestures are necessary, just her trust in you. Yet this time…”
Bethany trailed off, her voice tinged with resignation. “Maybe she’s too afraid—afraid of your dad or Mrs. Wright. That fear makes her back down, and by doing so, she drags you down with her.”
Jessica remained silent, staring into her glass. Her thoughts were far away, tangled in the complexities of her relationships and the weight of recent events.
Time seemed to stretch until she finally looked up, her gaze distant and unreadable.
Bethany’s heart clenched at the sight of her friend’s somber expression. She hesitated, searching for the right words to comfort her. But before she could speak, Jessica suddenly turned her eyes toward her, breaking the silence.