Alisa was fuming, and not just because Jason had quit his job so abruptly. No, it was because if he went through with this, her dream of bing the chief''s wife would vanish into thin air.


    Jason, on the other hand, was as calm as could be. "I''ve been working for years now," he said. "I just want a break."


    "It''s Monica, isn''t it?" Alisa''s eyes were sharp, almost piercing. "You''re doing this for her, aren''t you? You''re throwing away your future for her, Jason. You''ve lost your mind."


    Alisa couldn''t see how she might be part of the problem. If she hadn''t been pushing him so hard, maybe he wouldn''t have felt the need to quit.


    Compared to Alisa''s outburst, Jason remained steady. "This is my decision, Alisa. You should head home. I''ve got to wrap things up here and hand over my responsibilities. I''ll be there tonight, I promise."


    Jason was tired of Alisa''s antics. He knew she was using their daughter, I, as an excuse, but he couldn''t ignore the little girl''s birthday wish. Besides, he had his own reasons for visiting the Browns.


    There were things he had to clear up with Mr. and Mrs. Brown.


    With that, Jason grabbed his papers and left the room, leaving Alisa standing there, feeling helpless and frustrated, with no way to vent her anger.


    Alisa couldn''t ept Jason''s resignation.


    Without his job, how would they support her and their daughter? What about his parents'' retirement? And her mortgage? The gravity of the situation hit her hard as she made her way back home. Malia, her mother, was there to greet her. "Is Jasoning for dinner?"


    "Yeah," Alisa nodded, snapping out of her thoughts. "He said he''d be here."


    "Well, you''d better go get some groceries and whip up something delicious. The way to a man''s heart is through his stomach, you know," Malia suggested with a chuckle.


    For the Browns, there was no concern for propriety or shame. Their goal was to keep Jason tied to the family.


    Alisa hesitated. "Mom, Jason said he''s quitting his job."


    "What?" Malia was shocked. "Why would he do such a thing? Isn''t he up for a promotion soon?"


    "It must be because of that woman. He''s willing to throw away his future to avoid being with me," Alisa grumbled. "He''s willing to give up everything just to ditch


    me."


    Resentment took root in Alisa''s heart.


    Unrequited love often breeds bitterness.


    On hearing this, Malia''s expression hardened. She threw down the dish towel she was holding with a huff. "Does he really think he can just walk over us like that? Don''t worry, Alisa. If Jason shows up tonight, he won''t be feaving so easily. I''ll run some errands. You get the dinner ready."


    As Malia left, she bumped into Daniel, and after a quick, conspiratorial exchange, they both slipped out.


    Alisa busied herself with dinner preparations and left to pick up her daughter from school at four-thirty.


    ...


    Jason spent the afternoon tying up loose ends at the office, then swung by home


    to change clothes and inform his mother, rissa. "Mom, I won''t be home for dinner."


    "Another mission?" rissa asked.


    "It''s I''s birthday. I''ve been invited over."


    Upon hearing it was the Browns, rissa immediately said, "Why go there? Just say you''re busy."


    "I already said yes," Jason replied. "Besides, it''s a good time to sort things out." rissa caught his drift. "Wait a minute, I''ll get changed ande with you." She didn''t want Jason going there alone.


    "Mom..." Jason began to protest, but rissa cut him off. "I''ming, and that''s final. Who knows what the Browns are up to. Remember what happenedst time you drank foo much? I don''t trust them not to pull something."


    In the past, Jason might have defended the Browns, believing he owed them something. But after they tried to push him into marrying Alisa, he saw them in a new light.


    After changing, rissa joined her son, and they headed to the Browns''. They stopped along the way for a cake and a Barbie doll for I''s birthday.


    When they arrived at the Browns'' doorstep, Jason rang the doorbell. Malia answered with a cheerful, "Jason! You''re here..."


    Her smile froze when she saw rissa standing beside him.