Twisted Dreams-Chapter 259 - 226: A Miserable Life
Huaqi, under the TT Tower, at the cafe.
Jessica and Li Yang sat by the window, each with a cup of coffee in front of them.
Jessica gulped down her coffee, calming her nerves.
The coffee in front of Li Yang was untouched; he didn't like coffee.
Jessica asked anxiously:
"What is going on?"
Jessica had a decent level of mental resilience.
Especially after the dragon murder incident.
At the TT Headquarters Tower, she witnessed her friend Jason being killed by the dragon.
She had already accepted that there were mysterious powers in this world.
Now, the mysterious power had descended upon her.
Li Yang lit a cigarette:
"It's an experience."
Jessica took a deep breath to calm herself, then asked:
"I don't want this meaningless experience.
Send me back. I can pay you.
I'll give you however much you want, I'm very wealthy."
Li Yang shook his head:
"You need to understand life on your own, only then can you return to the real world."
Jessica glared at Li Yang:
"Understand life?! Do you always like to lecture people?!"
Li Yang chuckled:
"You should go pick up your child.
Isn't today sports day?
I think she would really like to see you at the sports meet."
Jessica grabbed her hair in frustration:
"She's not my child!
Can you tell me where exactly I am?
Is it a parallel world?!
Is this magic or witchcraft!"
Li Yang got up, ignored Jessica, and walked out of the cafe.
Jessica sighed in frustration and followed him outside, getting into her car.
The old pickup truck wouldn't start no matter what.
No gas left?
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!"
Jessica slammed the steering wheel in a fit.
'Knock, knock.'
Someone tapped on the car window; Jessica turned to see Li Yang.
Li Yang took out One Hundred US Dollars from his pocket and handed it to Jessica:
"I think you need this One Hundred US Dollars more right now, call for roadside assistance."
Jessica took the One Hundred US Dollars in a daze.
It was what she had given Li Yang last night.
...
In the evening, Jessica drove to Baiju Primary School following the map in the car.
The security guard saw Jessica and greeted her warmly:
"Hey, Ms. Jessica.
Your outfit today is quite unique."
Jessica was wearing pajamas, not having time to change.
Ignoring the guard, she followed the signs to the sports meet.
The sports meet was over, and a little girl sat alone on the podium, holding a trophy.
Jessica, for some reason, felt sorry for the lonely little girl, and a pang of guilt hit her heart.
No matter what, in this possible parallel world, that girl was her nominal daughter.
Jessica walked up to the little girl, looked at her sadly, and said:
"I'm sorry, I…"
The little girl propped her face on her hand, looking earnestly at Jessica:
"You're not my mom, right?
My mom would never be late, let alone skip my sports meet."
Jessica didn't expect that the only one to discover she was an outsider in this world would turn out to be this seven-year-old child.
Jessica squatted down, slightly surprised:
"Yes, I'm not your mom; I'm much more accomplished than your mom.
I'm very wealthy, I live in New City, and I'm an executive at a big company.
Do you know the TT video platform?
It has two billion users worldwide.
I handle the operations there."
The little girl looked worriedly at Jessica:
"So you're an alien, right?
Will you harm me and daddy?"
Jessica shook her head:
"No, I might leave in a few days.
I'm just here to experience life."
The little girl stretched out her hand and said solemnly:
"Then I'll be your guide in this world; from now on, we're good friends. My name is Lina."
Jessica extended her hand to shake with the daughter in both biological and nominal senses:
"What should I do next?"
Lina said:
"Next, you should attend Daddy's party.
He won a lawsuit today, and the uncles and aunts from the neighborhood are celebrating for him."
Jessica was stunned for a moment.
The uncles and aunts from the neighborhood are celebrating for Arlan?
Is he that popular? So many people butter up to him?
In her impression, Arlan was an ambitionless waste; could he have done so well for himself?
...
Nighttime, at Jimmy's independent house.
The house was of average size, only about the same as Jessica's apartment at Central Apartment.
You have to know, this is the countryside, not the city area.
For a house in the countryside to be only as big as an apartment is quite small.
Arlan was wearing a cheap suit, moving around inside the house, and those friends greeted him enthusiastically.
Jessica didn't know anyone and sat awkwardly in the corner.
Jessica also disdained to speak with those people.
Judging by their attire and speech, they were all from the lower rungs of society.
The little girl Lina walked over, offering a plate of cake:
"Have some."
Jessica thanked and held onto Lina's hand like grabbing onto a life-saving straw.
Everyone was chatting, only she was left out, feeling very awkward.
Jessica asked:
"What does your dad do?"
Lina replied:
"He's a lawyer."
Jessica thought for a moment:
"He must earn quite a lot, right?"
Lina shook her head:
"Daddy is a pro bono lawyer, helping people with lawsuits for free."
Jessica's eyes widened:
"For free?"
No wonder Arlan was so popular.
Those friends must just be looking for a free lawyer, so they are so eager around Arlan.
Jessica asked:
"So where does your livelihood come from?"
Lina looked at Jessica:
"You own a tailoring factory, and all the household expenses come from there. Sometimes you even help out the poor."
Jessica raised her tone:
"Our living expenses all rely on me?
Is your dad a freeloader?!
And still doing charity, helping out the poor?
Don't we count as poor ourselves?!
Why is your dad so vain!"
In Jessica's eyes, their current life was no different than that of beggars!
...
That night, at Jessica's 'home' in 'this world.'
Arlan had drunk a lot, lying drunk on the bed.
Jessica looked at this first love, a complex expression on her face.
Back then, Arlan really attracted her. She even admired Arlan a lot.
Arlan was smart, brave, and kind, a prominent figure in school during college.
However, Arlan just lacked some ambition, whereas Jessica was very ambitious.
Jessica sighed, even though she disliked Arlan by now, she still helped him take off his coat to make him more comfortable.
Arlan opened his hazy eyes, pulled Jessica into a hug, and kissed her.
Jessica screamed and pushed Rum away:
"Get off me!"
Arlan looked at Jessica in astonishment:
"Baby, what's wrong?"
Jessica looked at Arlan with disdain.
You still have the mind for that; it seems you're not as drunk as you pretend.
Jessica vented all the pressure she had been feeling:
"I thought you would have improved, but it turns out you're doing worse!
You live off my tailoring factory, take my money to aid others, and even help them with lawsuits for free.
Arlan, what are you thinking?
Don't you have any ambition as a man?
Why do you keep being so vain?
Do others' praises matter that much to you?"
