?Chapter 1443:


    Clearing her throat, she greeted them warmly. “Hi!”


    “Are you married?” Jacob asked, his voice cool, still reeling from her earlier words.


    “Sort of, but it’s not real. Jack and I faked it—even the certificate’s a sham,” Jessica exined quickly, not wanting to be misjudged. “He was helping me chase my crush, so we put on a little act.”


    “And what’s this about meeting two guys?” Jacob asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Jessica fumbled for words. “I just wanted him to think I’m miserable after he turned me down,” she admitted.<fn3029> Official source is find(?)ovel</fn3029>


    Jacob and Lawrence both frowned. They thought her n was a bad move.


    “Show him you’re thriving without him,” Lawrence said gently. “Don’t try to make him feel sorry for you. Make him wish he hadn’t let you go.”


    Jacob stayed quiet, but his expression showed he was on the same page as Lawrence.


    “I know,” Jessica said quietly. She understood the logic, but not everything could be handled the same way. “His situation’s different. If I live well, he might finally stop worrying about me and let me go.” By then, it would be nearly impossible to be with Melvin.


    Lawrence frowned, confused by her reasoning.


    “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” Jessica reassured him, not wanting anyone to carry her burden.


    If it were anyone else, she would have followed the usual advice—live better, prove she deserved more, make the man who turned her down regret it. But Melvin wasn’t like anyone else. He treated her well. He was good to her. He just wouldn’t give her the one thing she wanted: his heart.


    After she ended the call, Melvin tried over and over again to reach her. She never answered.


    Knowing that his rejection had pushed her into a marriage made his stomach twist with guilt. The thought of her trapped in that chaos because of him kept him awake. For the first time, he wondered if turning her down had been a mistake.


    He called her onest time. When she still didn’t pick up, he grabbed his keys and headed straight for Freya’s office.


    g?lnσν????s?c?m fuels your imagination


    Freya was still working at Anita International when he showed up, surprised by his sudden visit.


    “Can I borrow thirty minutes of your time?” He was alwaysposed around Freya, always respectful.


    “Go ahead,” Freya said, pushing aside her documents.


    Melvin opened his mouth but hesitated, the words tangled in his throat.


    Freya waited, patient as ever.


    “If your family background was a mess,” he finally said, voice low, “would you still go after someone you loved?”


    “Of course.” Freya didn’t hesitate. No one got to choose their family. The only thing she could control was the life she built from the ground up.


    Melvin’s jaw tightened. “What if that person came from love, from stability?”


    “You’re talking about you and Jessica,” Freya said softly.


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