Chapter 402

Half an hour later, Layla arrived at OT Bar. The bartender was looking helplessly at Brian.

"Please wait a little longer." Layla handed the bartender two dollars.

"Hurry up," the bartender said.

Layla first observed that Brian had only a minor scratch on his face, probably because someone had pulled him away just as things were about to get physical. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt.

In front of Brian was an empty bottle of whiskey, and he was clearly drunk.

"Mr. Evans..." she said.

"You're here. Have a drink with me." Brian handed Layla a can of beer.

"I don't drink. Are you going to keep drinking?" she asked.

Brian had been too restrained and needed to let loose, so she decided to let him drink to his heart's content this time.

Brian gave a bitter smile, chugged down more than half a bottle of beer, and then started to speak slowly, "I wronged Evelyn. My family was poor, and I went to college on a scholarship. I studied hard and was always at the top of my class. Evelyn came from a good family and started pursuing me from freshman year until senior year, and we got together."

He continued, "After graduation, her parents found her a blind date with a functionary. But she turned it all down for me and stayed here to work. My first job was tough and low-paying. Evelyn Parker couldn't stand work and quit after three days. I supported her. I had to support two people on my meager salary. I didn't want her to suffer, so I took on side jobs, working eighteen hours a day, from morning till night. I wanted to give her a good life, to make her happy, and not let her feel wronged. This went on for over a year. I was always busy with work, got promoted, and earned more. I thought everything would get better until she betrayed me and got involved with someone else."

Brian paused, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and finished the remaining half bottle of beer.

"She complained that I didn't have time for her, that I didn't care about her. She would sleep until noon, and by the time she woke up, I was already gone. At night, when she went to bed, I was still working. She got bored and met a sweet-talking guy online, started seeing him behind my back for over a month.She wanted to break up with me. She said that guy was always there for her and treated her well," Brian added.

"I gave her the $20,000 I had saved for our first house, and she left with that guy. But he was a bad guy, jobless, only good at deceiving women. Within six months, he made her have two abortions and took all her money. Evelyn came back to me, begging to get back together, but I refused and gave her another $10,000. For the next two years, she was with different men. Whenever she ran out of money, she would come to me. After her fourth abortion, I accompanied her. I decided to end it all, gave her all my savings, and then transferred to Country D,"Brian said.

"I came back last year, and for almost a year now, she's been pestering me, threatening suicide to force me to get back with her. It's beyond my tolerance. I once loved her..." he said.

But not anymore.

Layla listened in silence. Even the deepest feelings could be worn away by such relentless entanglement.

"Maybe she's right. Maybe it really was my fault. If I hadn't been so busy back then, if I had spent more time with her, she wouldn't have met that guy and wouldn't have ended up like this." Brian's bloodshot eyes glistened with tears.

"But you were doing it for both of you," Layla said.

This example made Layla even more convinced that her dedication to work was the right choice.

Relying entirely on a man and making him your whole world could easily lead you to an extreme. Evelyn was the best proof of that. Layla thought to herself that she should never live solely for a man or a family. As a woman, living for oneself first was the foundation of everything.

Layla gently patted Brian's shoulder. "People will never know what could have been, so don't dwell on 'what ifs.' It only brings unnecessary trouble and pain. What you need to do now is solve the current problem. Only by solving it can you both be free."

Brian slept deeply. When he woke up, his head was pounding, and he tried to sit up.

"Take it easy. Don't move." Layla quickly held him down. "You drank a lot last night. Your head must be hurting. Take some hangover medicine first."

"Thanks..." Brian said weakly. He rarely felt this vulnerable.

His head hung low, his face pale, and his spirit downcast.

"Though I sympathize, it's rare to see you look like a human and not a machine." Layla joked, taking the opportunity to tease him. "You used to say I had poor stamina, but look at you, a few bottles and you're down."

Brian took the hangover medicine, feeling as weak as if he had been seriously ill, and pinched his brow. "I didn't realize you enjoyed schadenfreude so much."

"Well, you used to be so acid-tonguedto me," Layla replied.

"I was just being honest," he added.

"'Being honest' is the most sarcastic phrase itself. Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Get some more rest," she said.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Ten o'clock. But don't worry, there's no schedule today. You can rest as much as you want." Layla thought that for a workaholic, suddenly having a day off must be quite unusual. But such rest was necessary for the body.

"Consider it a day off for yourself. After all, people aren't machines. Everyone needs rest. Take the time to think about how to handle Miss Parker's situation," she reminded.

Brian was rubbing his brow. But at the mention of that name, he frowned again.

At that moment, his phone rang. Brian answered it, and his frown deepened. "Okay, I got it."

He looked up at Layla and said, "Evelyn is causing a scene at the hospital, threatening to jump."

When they arrived at the hospital, a crowd had already gathered below.

Several onlookers were worried and sighing. "Oh my God, this is so dangerous. She's sitting right on the edge. One wrong step and she'll fall."

"Such a young girl, and quite pretty too. Why would she do this?"

"She looks mentally unstable."

"It must be because of a man."

"Men are so awful. They should go to hell!"

On the sixth floor, firefighters and doctors were trying to persuade Evelyn.

"Miss, life is precious. Please come down first, okay?"

"I want to see Brian! Get him here!" Evelyn demanded.

"We've already notified him. He'll be here soon. Let's talk this out, okay? It's not worth it to jump for a man."

"Think about your parents and the people who love you..."

Evelyn shook her head with a bitter smile. "I've already cut ties with them. No one loves me. Those men just wanted my money. After they slept with me, they took my money and ran... I'm so stupid, such an idiot! I want Brian. I love him... Only he can save me... Go find him, hurry, I need to see him..."

"Evelyn, haven't you had enough?" Brian burst through the crowd.

"Enough? Brian, I'm willing to die for you, and you say I'm causing a scene?" Evelyn choked up and said fiercely, "Fine, I'll die to show you!"