?Chapter 1411:


    Jessica remained silent.


    Jessica took a small sip of water before saying coolly, “Didn’t I already tell you it was all just for show?”


    “You didn’t mention it beforehand,” Rnd snapped back, clearly annoyed. This wasn’t some minor issue, and yet she hadn’t even bothered to give him a heads-up.


    Jessica pressed her lips together, as if she wanted to exin but decided to bite her tongue instead.


    “Didn’t you say you were nning to win him over?” Rnd asked, baffled by the way the younger generation treated rtionships. “And now, just a few dayster, you’re throwing in the towel?”


    “There’s no use making moves on him,” Jessica muttered, frustration bubbling in her voice.


    “How would you know if you don’t even try?” Rnd shot back. “If I were Melvin and saw how half-hearted you were, I wouldn’t want to be with you either. And how could he know that your determination to be with him wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment choice?”


    “A spur-of-the-moment choice? I liked him for over ten years, Dad!”


    “Over ten years?” Rnd repeated, raising a brow.


    Jessica faltered for a beat before correcting herself. “I mean, around ten years. Give or take.”


    “If I remember correctly, ten years ago you were eighteen and already studying abroad,” Rnd said, recalling how quickly she’d advanced. “You were living in another country. How did you even manage to fall for him from so far away?”


    Jessica mped her mouth shut again, saying nothing. She’d told Melvin it had been ten years because it sounded impressive, but in truth, it had been much longer.


    “Tell me honestly,” Rnd said, his tone turning stern. “Did you start liking him back in high school?”


    Seeing no point in hiding it now, Jessica admitted, “Yeah.”


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    “You were that young and already caught feelings for him?” Rnd started to calcte out loud. “You should’ve been focused on school instead of boys.”


    Jessica rolled her eyes. “Please. Back then, it was just a silly crush. It wasn’t anything serious. And I never even told him.”


    “Even unspoken feelings might affect your studies,” Rnd argued.


    Jessica let out an exasperated sigh. “But I still topped my ss and swept all the awards—district, city, national. My grades never took a hit.”


    Rnd opened his mouth, but nothing came out. She really had never given them a reason to worry.


    “Being a straight-A student doesn’t change the fact that you couldn’t get the guy you liked,” Rnd muttered, still trying to get in thest word.


    “Mom,” Jessica said, turning to Lena with mock drama, “have you ever thought about finding me a new dad? Someone sweet, gentle, and actually on my side?”


    “dly,” Lena answered without blinking. “Just let me know who catches your fancy.”<fnd3a5> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? Find[?]ovel</fnd3a5>


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