Chapter 5

Josh saw the doubt in her face and rushed to explain, "I got screwed over today, that's all. But tomorrow I'll make everything back. I swear I'll make everything I promised happen!" Staring at how desperate he appeared, Janice had a complex look on her face. She regretted that impulsive night with Josh, but she didn't blame him. Compared to marrying Caesar, she would rather be with Josh, who was her childhood best friend, even if he wasn't exactly her dream man. But life didn't run on wishes. She wouldn't believe Josh could make 800 dollars in 20 days, or that nonsense about them both ranking top three in the nation. Her future was set in stone. She had to marry Caesar, a man with no education and whom she had no feelings for. She would live like a zombie whose only purpose was making babies. That kind of future looked hopeless to her. But did she really have to spend the rest of her life drowning in regret? No! At the very least, if someone had to face despair in this world, she wanted it to be her alone. Something hardened in Janice's eyes. She hooked her arm through Caesar's and gave Josh an icy look. "Stop wasting your energy. Anyone can talk big, but I'm not stupid or blind. As for you, you'll be nothing even in 20 years! Just stay away from me from now on. I don't want Caesar getting the wrong idea." Caesar's face lit up as he grabbed Janice's hand. "So you really want to marry me, huh? Like I always say, my family has status in this village. Sure, I didn't go to school much. But look at those who did! They're still poor as dirt." Janice's sudden coldness hit Josh like a truck. His body trembled slightly as he said, "Janice, I'm not just talking big. Give me 20 days—no, 15! I'll prove it to you!" "Would you just stop?" Janice's voice shot up. "Do I have to spell it out? Your family's dirt poor! Have you no shame by hanging on like this?" Villagers passing by started gathering to watch the show. Oliver and Ava heard the commotion and rushed out. Seeing the situation, they tried to drag Josh away. Janice glanced at them. Biting her lip, she said, "Mr. and Mrs. Tate, I didn't want to be harsh, but control your son, would you? He's got no grades or ambition. You know how poor you are, right? And he still has the nerve to talk about marrying me!" Ava stood there stunned. She could not help but say, "Janice, how can you talk like this? Our family has always been nice to you—" "Am I wrong, though? Caesar's putting up 668 dollars right now. But your family couldn't scrape together 68 dollars!" The spectating villagers snickered and muttered about Josh trying to compete with the Kains for a bride. The Kains were powerful in the village. They might not be super rich, but they could pull in two or three thousand a year. That was better than anyone else around. Someone jeered, "Oliver, the girl's right. Josh really thinks too highly of himself! Haha!" They played it off as a joke, but Oliver and Ava's faces burned. Oliver snapped and yelled at the crowd, "Who says Josh wants to marry her? Stop spreading bullshit! Josh, we're going home. Now!" He dragged Josh away, who kept looking back at Janice's disdainful face. He couldn't understand why she had suddenly said such things to hurt him. Had she really fallen for Caesar's money? Was that pure, kind-hearted girl from his memories just another gold-digger? Caesar strutted around like a victorious general while handing out cigarettes to everyone. "Come to my wedding in a few days! Free drinks for everyone!" People rushed to congratulate the couple. When Caesar turned back and tried to grab Janice's hand again, she had already spun around and headed inside. By the time he reached the door, she had slammed it shut. She said from the inside of the room, "My stomach hurts. I need to lie down." "Oh, alright then, you rest up. I'll come check on you later," Caesar said with fake concern. "Just let me know if you need anything, or tell your dad to find me." "Sure." Caesar glanced smugly at the Tates' house before strutting away with satisfaction. What he didn't know was that behind that door, Janice was crying her eyes out. As Rowan stood facing her, he had a complex look on his face too. He had seen everything that happened outside but hadn't stepped in. That was because he hoped this would finally cut all ties between Janice and Josh, even if it meant bad blood between the families. But seeing his daughter sobbing like this tore at him. He said, "Maybe I should go talk to them…" "Don't do anything!" Janice's head snapped up. Through her tears, her voice was steel. "I'll marry Caesar. I'm not going to college. The sooner, the better!" Rowan froze. The sooner the better? Then it clicked—his daughter wanted to rip off the bandaid. She wanted to get married quickly so that both her and Josh would give up hope. His lips trembled. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. All he could do was sigh. The truth was, he didn't really hate Josh. He just had higher hopes for his daughter than some village boy. Even Caesar, with his so-called wealth, was barely acceptable in Rowan's eyes. His biggest dream had been seeing his daughter marry a city man and leaving the title of being a country bumpkin behind. Now that the dream was dead, all he could do was pick the best out of the worst ones. "I'll go talk to Hector about the wedding date. You get some rest," Rowan said. Even after he left, he could still hear his daughter crying. The upcoming wedding brought him no joy—just a heavy weight in his chest. A thought even crossed his mind. Things would be better if only Josh really could make that 800 dollars in 20 days. But the moment that thought surfaced, he slapped himself hard. What was he thinking? That good-for-nothing kid was all talk, no action! When Josh reached home, Ava pushed him away before Oliver could start lecturing him. A mother would always be kind to her children. Even though she had been humiliated too, she knew her son was hurting worse than anyone. Oliver understood that too. All six feet of him just crouched in the courtyard with his head hanging low. But Josh bounced back surprisingly fast. More accurately, he didn't believe Janice was really that shallow. Growing up together, he knew her better than that. Her sudden coldness was most likely because she had given up hope in him and was trying to push him away. Realizing this, Josh took a deep breath and made a silent vow. He would show Janice that he would always keep his promises. And he would show all these villagers who looked down on his family that he could do things far beyond their imagination!