Chapter 24: Only Devils Toy with Hearts

Note: If you think the story is good and you are going to continue reading it; then donate power stones. It gives the story more exposure, which means more readers, which means more patreon for me, which means more motivation, which means more chapters. It's as simple as that. There's currently more than 25 chapters on my patreon so you can skip all that and go read it there, if you wish. The link will be at the end of the chapter.

....

The three of them looked at each other, feeling as if a great disaster was about to strike. Despite enjoying the gossip about John, they had a strong bond. Tim usually portrayed a tough guy image in front of everyone, and now his privacy was unexpectedly exposed.

"Damn it, Jack, why did you make me stop the car?" Hannah whispered in complaint.

"I didn't, I just patted you," Jack weakly defended himself.

John's expression was the most exaggerated, "Oh my God, he's not going to silence us, is he?"

Just as the three were feeling uneasy, Tim wiped his eyes, stood up, and walked briskly to the side of the car. He looked expressionless at the three inside, "I don't want to go home today. Do you have a place to drink?"

The three of them nodded vigorously. John stuttered, "I was just going to Hannah and Jack's place. Jack said he prepared a lot of delicious food. Do you want to, uh, come along?"

Tim wordlessly pulled the car door and sat in the backseat with John. Hannah stepped on the gas pedal, and the car started again. Silence filled the car for a while until Jack cautiously spoke up, "Tim, are you okay?"

Tim remained silent for a while before speaking with a nasal tone, "After Isabella woke up, she called a lawyer and gave me a divorce agreement. She doesn't want anything, just wants to end our relationship."

The car fell silent again. After a while, John patted Tim's shoulder and consoled him, "You deserve better."

Jack opened his mouth but didn't know what comforting words to say. From his perspective, this might not be a bad thing.

Returning to Hannah's place, she helped Jack bring a high stool into the kitchen, and he sat down to start preparing dinner. Tim accompanied Hannah to the living room to play PS games, while John wandered into the kitchen and asked if he needed help.

"Is your injury okay?" Jack was surprised.

John pointed at his leg, "Aren't you injured too?"

Jack sighed, handing him tasks like peeling garlic and washing vegetables. They chatted while doing chores.

"Is your lady doctor still single?" They were now in a friendly mode when chatting privately. John considered Jack as a peer, so he didn't hold back.

"You mean Clarice? I saw her wearing a wedding ring, so I didn't ask further. It's been so many years."

"Married women are the best to flirt with, right? These married women usually feel unsatisfied in some aspects because their husbands no longer consider their feelings. Besides, you have a past relationship, so you might be able to continue where you left off." Jack began jokingly.

John looked at him in surprise and shook his head, "No, I can't do that. I mean, just thinking about it makes me nervous. Such thoughts have ruined many people's lives."

"Hahaha, got you! That's the correct answer." Jack burst into triumphant laughter.

John's tense expression relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief, "Don't try to tempt me, you devil."

Jack corrected him, "I'm a devil, not a demon. Demons only destroy, but devil toy with hearts."

"But I think you should still consider-"

"Clarice?"

"Indeed, you should talk to your former lover, at least you owe her an apology, right?"

John thought for a moment and nodded, "Next time I meet her, I will try to explain. I did make mistakes back then."

Jack secretly chuckled but kept a straight face, "Anyway, that day, I felt something off in Clarice's gaze towards you. Maybe she still has some lingering feelings for you. You should ask her and find out. Perhaps she's already divorced, but just hasn't taken off the ring. Or maybe she and her husband are separated. You know, this kind of thing is quite common in this Country."

"Haha! Shut up, you demon." John laughed and splashed some water from the celery in his hand on Jack, like holy water.

"I will talk to her clearly," John said after thinking for a moment. However, what to say clearly and what to talk about was uncertain.

Jack was quite pleased with John's response. In his previous life, he had never experienced what this Country's society was like in reality. All his information and stereotypes came from American dramas and the internet.

Before the politically correct frenzy swept this Country, most of the worldviews and universal values conveyed in American dramas were consistent with people's perceptions. They often reflected some darker aspects of society, such as drugs, firearms, gangs, and corrupt politicians. This was the main reason Jack disliked this Country but loved American dramas.

But at least, in that era, some Americans still had clear minds. Just like the characters in this American drama world, they were rational or emotional, some were kind-hearted, and some were just and righteous. Although they all had their flaws, they felt more human.

Night fell, and after nearly three hours of busyness, it was dinner time. "You two intact guys can move your butts now. Come over and serve the dishes," Jack shouted towards the living room.

Hannah and Tim, who were bickering while playing games on the couch, obediently put down their game controllers and approached. They were amazed to see a table full of sumptuous dishes.

As a country with a developed economy that could suck blood from the whole world through Dollar, the ingredients in American supermarkets were incredibly cheap. There were braised pork elbows, garlic lobster, grilled lamb chops, tomato beef brisket, and many more dishes on the table, all of which cost less than 100 dollars in total.

Of course, today's ingredients were paid for by the wealthy Hannah, as Jack didn't even have 50 dollars at the moment. It would be several days until his payday, and he didn't know when he would get back the 5,000 dollars he paid for bail.

"Why haven't I tried these dishes before? How many recipes are you hiding?" Hannah shook Jack's arm playfully, making his heart pound.

Tim pretended not to notice anything as he looked around, "Is there any beer here?" This usually serious guy had truly become their friend and didn't seem to care about the ambiguous relationship between Hannah and Jack.

"Do you want to try white liquor?" Jack's eyes glinted mischievously. He thought, if Tim wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol, he might as well go all the way. Let's see what this guy, who always wore a serious face, would be like when drunk.

With that, he dragged out a box of baijiu (Chinese white liquor) from the corner. It was something he discovered not long ago. Americans actually didn't fancy traditional strong-smelling baijiu like Maotai, but had a higher acceptance of some light-flavored high-proof liquors.

///

Please notify me if there are any typos

-----------------------------------------

patreon.com/Lazy_Panda

Next chapter