“No, no, I don't think you're troubling me,” Jacob swiftly interrupted. “All right, I think we should stop talking about that. Just remember that if you're feeling hurt anywhere, tell the housekeepers or me about it.”
He grabbed Jessica's phone and continued, “What audiobooks do you like to listen to? I'll help you get them. Next time, just tell the AI assistant the name of the book you want to listen to.”
After he set up the audiobooks she liked listening to, he talked with her for a while.
Upon seeing her joyous smile, he felt happy too and wanted to tell her he was planning to bring her out for a picnic tomorrow. Before he could do that, however, the phone sitting on the bedside table rang.
Jacob glanced at the number on the screen and answered the call. “Damn you. Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?”
“I saw your Instagram.” The man on the other end sounded drunk and exhausted. “Come find me at the club.”
“You're in Yartran?”
“Mm.”
“Are you messing with me?” Jacob rolled his eyes, irritated. “There are so many cities in Yartran. How the heck would I know which city you're in and if we're in the same place?”
Annoyed, the man exclaimed, “I'm at Blacks. Just get the hell over here!”
Blacks was the bar where Jacob had discussed business matters last time and brought his friends.
I didn't expect Wyatt to be in the same area as me right now! Jacob rubbed the space between his eyebrows and let out a sigh. “Fine. I'll change my clothes and head over there later.”
Upon hanging up the phone, he informed Jessica resignedly, “My buddy is in Yartran, and he's drinking in Blacks right now. I think something happened to him, so I'm going to meet up with him. You go to bed first, all right?”
Jessica nodded and reminded softly, “Be careful, and come home soon.”
“I'll do my best. He sounds smashed.” Jacob sighed. I wonder if I can even return tonight.
Before he left, he stood at the entrance and said, “I'll bring you out for a picnic tomorrow. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Even after Jacob shut the door, Jessica was still feeling somewhat uneasy. That voice in the call... sounds like Wyatt's.
She shook her head. No. There's no way Jacob knows Wyatt. That'd be too much of a coincidence.
Arriving at Blacks, Jacob stepped into the building and started looking for Wyatt.
He found Wyatt sitting in the corner of a couch.
“Oh my god! Are you crazy?” He couldn't resist reprimanding Wyatt when he saw the empty bottles on the table. “This is brandy! Did you think you were drinking beer? Aren't you afraid of drinking yourself to death here?”
Opening his eyes, Wyatt glanced at Jacob and pointed at the empty spot next to him. “Sit.”
“Like heck I will!” Jacob rolled his eyes and snatched the bottle in Wyatt's hand away.
He then summoned a waiter to clean the table and bring medication that would sober Wyatt up.
Jacob sat next to Wyatt, took in the latter's soulless appearance, and furrowed his eyebrows. “What's the matter with you? You've been acting oddly for a while now, and now you look even more like a lost soul.”
Wyatt lay on the couch, his hand resting on his forehead, as he uttered hoarsely, “I can't find her. She's gone.”
Even after searching the entire area for days, he still couldn't find Jessica.
Jacob stuffed the medicine into Wyatt's mouth and asked, “You got yourself into this state because you're searching for someone? Who are you looking for? Your wife?”
“I don't want the meds!” Wyatt slapped his friend's hand away and spat out the medicine. “I want to drink! Get me another bottle!”
“You've drunk three bottles of brandy. Is that not enough for you?”
“No.” Shaking his head, Wyatt pointed at his heart. “I'm feeling a lot of pain here. Too much pain. It'll only stop hurting after I'm drunk.”
Gazing at his friend, Jacob sighed. “We've known each other for a very long time. To me, you've always been this high-spirited and carefree person. I've never seen you this lost before.”
Wyatt stared at the lights above him and muttered, “Is that so? Why does my heart hurt so much, then...”
I can't find her no matter where I look. Anytime I think about her, my heart hurts. It hurt so, so much... He panted and yelled at a waiter, “I want to drink! Someone brings me more!”
“Stop drinking! You're really going to die if you drink any more!” Jacob pulled his crazy friend up and signaled the waiter not to bring any more alcohol. “Sober up, goddamnit! There are many other women in the world you can take as your wife! It's not like it's hard for you to do that.”
Drunkenly, Wyatt glared at him. “You don't know shit!”
“Fine, I don't! You do!” Jacob said sarcastically. “Who was the one who said money is more important than women in the past, huh? If you know shit, would you have ended up like this?”
That rendered Wyatt speechless.
Moments later, he spoke as though he had just lost his soul. “Yeah, I don't know shit.”
“Why did she lie to me? Why...” He hugged his head. His headache got so bad that he felt as though his brain was going to explode. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, “Why did she abort my child? Damn her...” Why am I still chasing after her?
“What are you saying, Wyatt?” Jacob couldn't hear his friend clearly, so he leaned closer. “Who lied to you? Who are you cursing? Is it that woman?”
Abruptly, Wyatt lifted his head and demanded, “I want to drink! Bring me more!”
“Fine, fine! I'll bring you more.” Jacob was slightly terrified by his friend's demeanor. Since he couldn't win against Wyatt, he summoned a waiter and secretly asked the waiter to bring beer instead.
After the beer arrived, Wyatt downed one cup of it after another as though he was drinking water in a desert. As he did, he mumbled grimly, “Why did she lie to me?”
Jacob had given up persuading his friend to stop. I doubt he'll listen to what I say anymore. If I keep going, I'll probably piss him off, and he'll hit me, which I don't want.
Silently, he sat next to Wyatt. They both drank until one in the morning.
After Wyatt passed out on the couch, Jacob asked a waiter for assistance and brought his friend into a taxi.
When Jacob arrived at his place with Wyatt, he used all his might to drag the latter upstairs and into the side bedroom.
“You're an idiot, Wyatt!” Jacob rubbed his sore arms. “If you weren't my buddy, I would've just ignored you!”
He tossed Wyatt onto the carpet and placed a towel on the latter's body, then slept on the bed.
By the time Jacob woke up, it was already eight in the morning.
After cleaning himself in the bathroom, he walked out and saw that Wyatt was still sleeping on the carpet. He recalled what had happened last night and kicked Wyatt. “Wake up, Wyatt.”
“Scram!” Wyatt's voice was filled with hostility. He turned away and continued sleeping.
Jacob cursed Wyatt in his mind, kicked him again, and left the room after changing his clothes.
When he passed by the master bedroom, he saw the door was shut tight and knocked on it. “Josie, are you awake?”
No one replied.
Assuming she was still asleep, he went downstairs. He saw the housekeeper busying about in the kitchen, and that breakfast had been served on the dining table.
He said, “Prepare an extra portion of breakfast. I brought a friend back here last night.”
“Understood, Mr. Valentine.” It was then the housekeeper noticed he had arrived downstairs. “Has Mrs. Valentine not woken up yet?”
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