Chapter 20 The Predicament Of Jane

• Unable to pretend not to see the notification, Yasmin could only open her social media in frustration. After hesitating for a moment, she finally accepted Lionel’s friend request.
• Thinking that the man would chat with her, Yasmin anxiously wondered how to respond to him. Yet, he never sent her a single message even after she had alighted the bus.
• Upon arriving home, Yasmin took off her clothes and went straight to bed, not bothering to have lunch. She wouldn’t have woken up if her phone didn’t stop ringing.
• Thinking that someone was calling her, Yasmin grabbed her phone and placed it near her ear, only to realize that it wasn’t her phone ringing. Instead, she could hear Jane’s voice coming from outside. Yasmin tossed her phone aside as she prepared to close her eyes again, not wanting such a precious day off to go to waste.
• Yet, Jane’s voice grew louder and louder while speaking on the phone. Losing all her will to sleep, Yasmin got up and put on her clothes. She was starting to feel hungry, so she figured she would cook up a dish.
• However, just as the woman arrived at the door, she froze on the spot. She could hear Jane crying.
• “Are you trying to drive me crazy, Mom? I told you that I don’t have any more money! I’ve given you everything that I’d earned last month! What more do you want from me?” Jane exclaimed between tears.
• She had her loudspeaker turned on, so Yasmin could hear every word that Jane’s mother had said. “How could you be so heartless, Jane? Do you have any idea how much your father and I have spent on you? We’ve forked out at least a few hundred grand so that you could get your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees! Are you going to abandon us now that we’re old and worthless?”
• “Can’t you be a little fairer, Mom?” Jane was practically screaming by now. “I paid for my own university and postgraduate fees, and I gave you everything I earned. Even now, I’ve been giving you all my paychecks—”
• “Hmph! You make only three grand per month. What can I do with such a small amount?” Mrs. Lowe raised her voice in anger too.
• “Only three grand? What do you mean by only three grand? That’s all I have, Mom! I work hard every month just to give you everything I earn, and that’s not good enough for you?” Jane choked out.
• “Don’t think that I am clueless. I know that you write articles and theses from time to time. You earn so much more from those!” Mrs. Lowe sounded exasperated.
• “Arghhhh!” Jane shrieked as she threw her phone to the ground.
• Yasmin couldn’t stand it anymore. She knew that things would get awkward if she were to open the door, but she also knew that Jane really needed someone to be there for her now.
• The two had been friends for about nine years and they lived as housemates during their university days, so they understood each other well.
• “Jane.” Yasmin opened the door, picked up the phone and battery that had dropped, putting them on the coffee table before she walked over to give Jane a hug.
• “Yasmin? W-Why aren’t you at work?” Jane was stunned to see Yasmin, but she didn’t turn down the latter’s embrace.
• “I was feeling unwell, so I took the rest of the day off,” Yasmin explained briefly before giving Jane a few pieces of napkins.
• “So you heard everything?” Jane sniffled while wiping her tears.
• “Yeah.” Yasmin didn’t pretend to be clueless. Instead, she hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I know that I probably shouldn’t say this, Jane, but you really need to stop spoiling them.”
• “I know.” Jane nodded fervently, but quickly shook her head after. “Nonetheless, I don’t have a choice in this! They’re my parents. I can’t just ignore them.”
• “Well, it’s not like your money comes free either. Even if they have house loans to pay off, they shouldn’t be depending on just you—not especially when the house belongs to your brother! You have your own life to live. Do you expect them to give you your dowry when you get married?” Yasmin couldn’t help but sigh.
• “That’s why I’m in such a bind. I tried to harden my heart so that I wouldn’t care about them, but...” As Jane spoke, tears began to spill down her cheeks once more. “But my dad has become mentally unstable after getting set up by others, and my mom’s so sickly. On top of that, my brother’s always making everyone worry. If I leave them be, they’ll—”
• “They’ll survive even without your help, Jane.” Yasmin knew how protective Jane’s parents were of her, and the latter’s family was quite well off before she went to university. That was why Jane had grown up in a relatively comfortable environment and was pure-hearted. Despite knowing that her parents were like a bottomless pit that wouldn’t stop asking for more, she just couldn’t say no to them.
• Yasmin said nothing more because she suddenly thought of herself. Ever since that incident six years ago, her mother had been living in torment. Whenever her mother suffered, those around her would suffer too. Still, no matter how difficult her mother was whenever her sickness acted up, Yasmin could never leave her behind.
• I guess that’s how family works. Blood is always thicker than water.
• Yasmin and Jane headed out for dinner together. In time, Jane gradually calmed down, but she remained rather silent throughout the entire process.
• Yasmin had a lot to worry about too. The two silently ate together until it was eight o’clock. As they returned home, Jane tugged onto Yasmin’s arm and asked sheepishly, “Is it okay if I pay what I owe you next month, Yasmin? I’ll be getting a little extra from my articles—”
• “Don’t worry about it. You can pay me back whenever you’d like!” Yasmin patted Jane on her hand.
• “By the way, how’s your mother? Have you gathered enough for the surgery?” Jane asked as she poured two glasses of hot water and handed one to Yasmin.
• “I’m almost there. She’s been undergoing rehab, but there hasn’t been much improvement. I’ve been thinking about taking her to the capital, but the specialist is out of the country for now.” Yasmin took a sip of the water, sounding glum.
• “Yasmin,” Jane suddenly uttered with a trace of hesitation. “There’s something that I want to tell you.”
• “What is it?”
• “Henry called me to ask about you.”
• Yasmin was just about to place her glass on the table but she nearly dropped it upon hearing Jane’s words.
• “What does he want to know?” Her voice turned cold, but it was not as cold as her gaze.
• “He asked how you were doing, and he asked if you were still single... Nevertheless, don’t worry! I didn’t tell him anything.”
• “Okay,” Yasmin answered blankly.
• “Can you tell me the truth, Yasmin? If—just if—Henry still loves you and wants to be with you again, would you forgive him?” Jane’s eyes shone as she spoke.
• “If he loves me?” Yasmin sneered. Instead of answering Jane’s question, she merely remarked, “His love is worth nothing.”
• Yasmin returned to her room and curled up in her bed before suddenly spacing out. What on earth is happening? First, it was Matthew who asked her whether she would be okay with Lionel liking her. Now, Jane was asking her whether she would forgive Henry if he still loved her.
• Nevertheless, there just aren’t that many ‘ifs’ in this world.