Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 270

Tobias replied, “Jonathan, your situation with Quennel is completely different. Stephanie and Quennel were childhood sweethearts. They have a bond of over twenty years, grew up together. It’s natural for her to trust him. When the Jacksons had their troubles, she was just a teenager. It makes sense that she would rely on Quennel, doesn't it?”

Jonathan’s brow furrowed even deeper.

When she was with Quennel, she relied on him. Now that she was with him, she didn't. It seemed he really was a failure as a husband.

“It was a stroke of luck that I got to marry her.”

Jonathan leaned back on the sofa. He’d had a bit too much to drink, but his mind was crystal clear as he held the glass between two fingers.

“If it weren't for my grandmother playing matchmaker, I’d still be watching her from some dark corner.”

They say a man should be content with what he has, but there was a part of him… that was still not satisfied.

Tobias said, “You’re together every day now. She cares about you, and you care about her. Isn’t that enough?”

Tobias couldn’t quite grasp Jonathan’s insecurities, mainly because he had never been in a relationship himself.

Jonathan smiled. “Wait until you meet a girl you like. Then you’ll understand.”

Once you have something, you always want more.

Not just her body, but her heart. You want her to belong to you completely, body and soul.

Tobias grew curious. “Speaking of which, you met her when you were ten. Later, when her brothers started middle school and were too busy to play with her, you lost touch.

You were both so young, you probably didn’t exchange contact information. And you both changed as you grew up. So how did you recognize her later?”

Jonathan’s thoughts drifted, and a faint smile appeared on his face. “To be precise, she saved my life twice.”

That piqued Tobias' curiosity even more.

But her skirt was worn properly, the hem reaching her calves. She wore a pair of pristine white sneakers and just stood there, looking incredibly docile.

Stephanie tilted her head up to look at the boy sitting on the railing, her face showing no trace of alarm.

“I hear it’s a really ugly way to die, jumping from here. Your head and body will separate, and you might even end up as a pile of mush. You’re so good-looking. Could you really stand to see yourself become something so disgusting?”

The teenage boy was in the middle of his voice changing, but Jonathan’s voice was far from unpleasant.

His tone carried its usual nonchalance. “Oh? So? If I’m dead, why would I care how I look? That doesn’t seem like something a corpse should worry about.”

Stephanie suddenly smiled. “True.”

She took slow, deliberate steps toward him. Then, to Jonathan's astonishment, Stephanie suddenly climbed over the railing and sat down beside him.