Chapter 676 - 675

676 Chapter 675

Oliver frowned. “Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s how it is.”

“Fine, then let them suffer out there until they come crawling back to beg me!”

Oliver let out a cold snort and turned away, not even sparing Jake and Melissa a glance. He’d wait until they came back groveling at his feet, tails between their legs!

…

Keira watched the drama unfold, impressed by how skillfully Selena had manipulated Oliver into this state.

But then again, Oliver was always a scumbag—no wonder he was so easily swayed.

Keira knew Jake well enough. He was capable, having joined the student council in college and even becoming its president. But his whole life had been under his parents’ control.

Now that he was breaking free, things would look up for him.

Just then, Selena’s voice cut through the room, “Still, with Jake’s prestigious degree and skills, if he finds a decent job, he might not come crawling back anytime soon.”

Oliver sneered, “Not without my permission! I dare anyone to give him a job!”

With that, he stormed out. “I’ll make sure every business connected to Horton Group knows not to hire Jake!”

After Oliver and Selena left, Keira turned to Lewis and darted a glance in Nathan’s direction.

Lewis casually asked, “Dad, does Jake’s wife still need shares? Oh wait, Jake doesn’t have a wife anymore… Actually, the first branch doesn’t even have a son now, do they…”

Nathan’s face darkened as he angrily flung his coat and left.

Finally, the dining room fell quiet again. Old Mrs. Horton looked at Keira and chuckled indulgently. “You’re ruthless! You’ve cut Jake out of the family and gotten rid of Eve Clark in one move!”

Keira flashed her a smile in return.

But old Mrs. Horton gazed out the window with a touch of sadness. “Jake’s a good kid. He’s respectful to me. He’s got a kind heart… he just lost his way. I don’t get why Oliver is so indifferent to such an obedient child.”

Keira lowered her eyes. “Because the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

Old Mrs. Horton paused, then nodded. “Exactly. Selena kicks up a fuss, and Oliver immediately sides with her.”

…

Jake and Melissa left the house and headed to a hotel. But when they tried to check in, Jake found that his credit cards had been frozen.

Melissa’s cards were blocked, too.

Standing at the hotel front desk, they couldn’t have felt more humiliated.

Not far away, Oliver watched with a smirk.

Selena grinned. “Dad, you’re brilliant. With no money, they’ll have no choice but to come home.”

Oliver scoffed, “They’re no match for me!”

Melissa clutched her purse anxiously. “I should’ve brought some jewelry when we left!”

Jake frowned, digging through his pockets until he found his wallet. Inside, he had just over a hundred dollars.

“We’ll rent a short-term apartment,” he said.

A hundred dollars wasn’t even enough for one night at this hotel.

Melissa wanted to argue but, seeing Jake’s determination, nodded. “Okay.”

They ended up renting a basement unit for $100 a month. The remaining money would barely cover a few days’ meals.

Jake went job hunting but hit dead ends everywhere.

Every company he applied to turned him down as soon as they saw his resume.

Frustrated, Jake barged into an interview room. “Why won’t you hire me?”

The interviewer was polite but firm. “Mr. Horton, your father made it clear—if we hire you, we can kiss our partnership with Horton Group goodbye.”

Jake finally realized every major and mid-sized company had blacklisted him.

Walking back home in a daze, he felt utterly defeated.

He was out of money—he couldn’t even afford the bus fare to leave the city…

So, he took a job at a grocery store, stocking shelves for pocket change.

One day, after lugging a heavy water jug into the store, he saw a luxury car parked outside.

Oliver stood in front of it, glaring darkly at him. “Ready to admit you were wrong? Come home, marry Eve Clark, and I’ll give you your old life back!”

Jake lowered his head and chuckled bitterly. “Dad, do you know what I’ve learned these past three days?”

“What?”

“I’ve finally learned how to make a living with my own two hands. Even if I can’t afford bread, I won’t starve. For the first time, I know what freedom feels like. So…”

Jake looked up, determination in his eyes. “I’m not going back.”

Oliver’s face twisted in rage. “I’ll buy this grocery store and fire you! Let’s see you find another job!”

Jake hadn’t expected his father to be so ruthless. Taking off his gloves, he calmly replied, “It’s fine. I can always work construction.”

“You think this is fun? You think you’ll find more work doing this?” Oliver was practically shouting.

Jake paused. “You really won’t leave me any way out?”

“Disobedient brat! Why should I? This is what you get for defying me! No one will hire you, and you and your mother will starve!”

Just as those words left Oliver’s mouth, another voice cut in, “Who says no one will hire him?”