- 9.
As expected, the Jessica Ashton scandal hit the headlines after Jake left. Someone had clearly orchestrated the leaks, and it even dragged out some other unsavory details. A juicy piece of gossip for the public to feast on. Ashton, preoccupied, disappeared from my radar. My life became peaceful again.
At the end of the school year, it was time for the Teacher of the Year award. One spot per
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school. Based on previous evaluations, I was the frontrunner. But on the day of the announcement, Sarah’s name was called. The school administration was apologetic. They told me it was a decision from “higher up.” We all knew what that meant.
Leaving the principal’s office, I ran into Sarah. We’d barely spoken since the picture incident. She gave me a smug look and walked past. I hadn’t been bothered by it at first. But that night, video–chatting with Jake, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I pouted, trying not to cry. Jake saw right through me. “What’s wrong?” I didn’t
want him to worry. “Just watched a sad movie.”
He chuckled. “Dork.”
After we hung up, I slapped myself. I’d become
so weak. In my previous life, I’d held it together
when my dad was wrongly imprisoned and my
mom was dying. And now, I was crying over
this?
<
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จ 40
In the middle of the night, I was jolted awake by
the sound of my lock clicking. My heart
pounded. Fearing it was Ashton, I grabbed a
baseball bat and hid behind the door. The door
opened. I swung. He caught the bat effortlessly.
Then I heard his familiar teasing voice. “What’s
this? Keeping a man on the side? Planning to
murder your husband?” “Jake? You’re back!”
“My wife’s upset. A husband’s gotta be there
for her.” “How did you know I was upset?” “I’m
not blind. Your acting skills need work.” The
tears I’d been holding back finally spilled over.
He sighed. “Such a crybaby.”
He only stayed one night, leaving early the next
morning. I clung to him. He kissed my forehead.
“The company’s registered in Shenzhen. Come
see me when school’s out for summer.” I
nodded eagerly, already counting down the
days.
Two weeks later, summer break arrived. I
booked a ticket to Shenzhen without hesitation.
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40
When Jake drove me to his “company.” I was
speechless. I’d imagined a small trucking
operation. Instead, I saw a full–fledged logistics
company, integrating e–commerce, trucking,
and delivery services. It wasn’t huge yet, but it
was already handling a significant volume of
business. “How… how did you do this?” In my
past life. Jake had never been to Shenzhen. He
was a mechanic, then headhunted by an
international auto company. Later, he started
his own company, developing microchips.
That’s how he’d made his fortune. Now, his life
was completely different. He’d left the garage
early, never met that executive. He’d come to
Shenzhen, built this.
“E–commerce is booming here. Logistics is
where the opportunity is. I know a thing or two
about trucks, so I took the money I made
driving and invested it. Figured I’d give it a
shot.” What he didn’t say was that even though
we lived in Bentonville, Ashton’s family
dominated the business landscape there.
<
Starting a company there would have been an
uphill battle. He’d left for me.
My heart ached for him, but I was also
incredibly proud of his vision. I knew Jake’s
logistics company would become a vital link in
Shenzhen’s e–commerce ecosystem.
