Chapter 458: So Heartless

“I have nothing now. All I have left is a few thousand bucks I borrowed from Wynn. Fuck.”

The two friends leaned against the boxing ring, blowing out clouds of smoke.

Brandon Jacobs hadn’t expected Zeke Walton to be in such a sorry state, with only a few thousand bucks to his name.

“Do you need me to spot you some cash?”

“Not for now,” Zeke Walton said. “The old man is only being this hard on me because he thinks I’m a failure, that I don’t make him look good, right? And it’s true, I’m not as successful as you guys. It’s time to get my act together. I’m planning on not relying on anyone this time. I’ll try to figure things out on my own. It’s not like I’ll starve to death.”

“You definitely won’t starve to death, but that money won’t get you far.”

Brandon Jacobs said, “There’s no need for us guys to be stubborn out of pride. I was in the same situation as you back in the day. My old man insisted I find a stable job and kicked me out in a fit of rage. If I hadn’t partnered with Vaughn and used his money to open DL, I’d be a nobody right now. Having a backbone is a good thing, but you don’t need to take it too far.”

“What’s the point of finding a job or delivering food with that girl? You could do that for the rest of your life, and your father would still look down on you.”

Zeke Walton had been planning to stubbornly hold his ground, but after hearing what Brandon Jacobs said, he started to see his point.

‘That’s true. Having so many capable friends is a resource in itself. Why shouldn’t I use it?’

“So what could I do if we worked together? Got any new investment projects? Or you want me to go manage security at your club?”

Brandon Jacobs laughed. “I actually don’t. I’m getting older, and my ambitions have cooled. Plus, my dad’s health isn’t great, and I have to visit him at the hospital from time to time, so I’m not in the mood for any new ventures. But Wynn and Vaughn definitely do. You should go ask them.”

The two of them chatted a while longer before deciding to head to Club DL.

Unexpectedly, Brandon Jacobs got a call from Zeke Walton’s father while they were on the road.

Brandon Jacobs was driving at the time, and his phone was connected to the car’s Bluetooth, so the voice on the other end filled the entire vehicle.

“Hello, Mr. Walton.”

“Brandon. Did Zeke go looking for you?”

Brandon Jacobs glanced at Zeke Walton, who was sitting beside him.

“What’s wrong? Please, go ahead.”

“He definitely went to you. Hmph. That little punk. The only reason he dares to be so defiant is because he’s counting on you friends to bail him out, isn’t he? Before, when it was just his little antics, running away from home for a few days to hang out with his buddies, I’d let it slide. But not this time. This is about marriage, and it’s going to be under a spotlight. I, Walton, have made a name for myself in Veridia over the years, I have a reputation to maintain. So this time, none of you are allowed to help him.”

“I’ve already called Damien and Wyatt. I’m not joking around. Anyone who dares to help him is making an enemy of me. And don’t say I didn’t warn you when I show up at your club to cause a scene.”

Brandon Jacobs’s expression changed. “Mr. Walton… you and Zeke are father and son. Do you really have to let it get this ugly? Can’t you two just sit down and talk things out? Zeke may be young, but he’s not an idiot. He must have his reasons for liking that girl. Why can’t you just…”

“Spare me the lecture. I’ve lived this long, what kind of woman haven’t I seen? I don’t need a kid like you teaching me how to judge character. This is settled. You’re not to help him. Your family’s situation is pretty delicate right now, too. If I go and make a scene, it would hurt your father as well. You’d better think this through.”

With that, Mr. Walton hung up.

In the passenger seat, Zeke Walton’s face was thunderous.

“Stop the car.”

“Zeke…”

“Stop the car! Stop the car! I’m not going. He’s right, your family’s in a tough spot right now. If he makes a scene, it’ll be bad for your dad. I can’t be the one to drag your family down.”

“But what are you going to do?”

“Worst comes to worst, I’ll get a job. Deliver food. I’m done being his son, done trying to make him proud. Damn it, I’ll just be a regular guy, live a simple, quiet life. That’s fine by me. He cares so much about money, he can take it with him to his grave!”

It wasn’t just Zeke who thought like that. Anyone would when they were angry.

Perhaps because he’d never truly faced hardship growing up, Brandon Jacobs also found it hard to understand why their parents’ generation placed so much importance on money.

When he got home, Zeke Walton was completely exhausted. He barely managed to say a few words to Amina before he collapsed into a deep sleep.

He woke in the middle of the night to find Amina and her grandmother sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor. Zeke lay down between them.

“Do you two feel like you’re suffering by being with me?”

‘Of course not.’

Amina knew full well that if it weren’t for her, Zeke Walton would never be living a life like this. If he didn’t feel like he was suffering, what right did she have to?

“I think as long as I have food and drink, a loved one by my side, and a stable job, that’s enough. As long as you’re not too greedy, a life like this is wonderful.”

But Zeke Walton had already made up his mind: he wouldn’t let Amina deliver food anymore.

“You should stay home and focus on your studies so you can go to school when the time comes. I’ll go out and look for a job tomorrow. After all, I studied overseas. I have design experience, management experience… finding a job to support you and your grandmother won’t be a problem.”

But dreams are one thing, and reality is another.

The next day, Zeke Walton polished up his resume and sent it out en masse.

Unfortunately, he didn’t receive a single reply.

After two days of anxious waiting, Zeke Walton called the HR department of one of the companies to inquire. The result was just as he’d feared.

“There’s nothing wrong with your profile or your resume, Mr. Walton. But… you should think hard. Have you offended someone important in the industry?”

‘That old man is truly ruthless.’

‘First, he warns my friends away, and now he’s blacklisting me from the entire industry!’

‘Is it that unbearable for him to not see me bow my head?’

But Zeke Walton refused to give in.

He had started by applying for high-paying positions in his field, but now he wasn’t picky anymore. He would take any job that would have him.

And yet, even after lowering his standards to that point, he still didn’t get a single call.

After another two days, Zeke Walton gave up. He stopped looking for a job.

‘Looks like I’m destined to be a delivery driver in this life,’ he thought. ‘Might as well take over for Amina and deliver food.’

But now, he couldn’t even do that.

Both his and Amina’s accounts had been blacklisted in the system. They couldn’t even log in.

Zeke Walton laughed, incredulous.

Amina saw him grinning at the screen and thought something good had happened. She came closer and asked him what was going on.

“Did you get good news about one of your applications?”

He had been on edge about finding a job for the past few days, and Amina and her grandmother were tense as well. He could tell they were walking on eggshells around him whenever they spoke, which made him feel terrible.

He wanted to make Amina happy; that was the whole reason he was with her in the first place.

“No. But I just thought of a way to make money without having a regular job. I’m better suited for freelance work anyway—quick cash, earning a living with my own two hands. Amina, I’m going to start buying and selling fruit. You know, the kind of thing where you drive a truck, buy produce from one market, and haul it to another one to sell.”

“Back when I was running ‘Indeed Love You,’ I had a lot of wholesalers like that working for me. I still have those connections.”

As long as he was hopeful about the future and happy, Amina would support him in whatever he chose to do.

There was just one problem: they didn’t have a truck.

“Okay, that’s a great idea. But what will we do for a truck?”

“I’ll go ask my friends for some money and buy a used one for now.”

“No!”

Amina cut him off, her voice suddenly stern.

“The fact that you’re in this situation, that the gap between you and your friends has gotten so big… it’s all my fault. I already feel terrible about it, so I don’t want you going to them to borrow money. Used trucks are cheaper, right? I have money. I’ll give you the money to buy one.”