Chapter 8 Lean On Me
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“What? I shouldn’t dump him?” Lizzie looked at Colton and said calmly.
“No… It’s not that.” Colton shook his head at once.
He was just so surprised. After all, he knew how much Lizzie loved Theron. She gave up her job in Sracton and came all the way to Equinox Research Institute all for his sake.
Besides, Theron was already a professor.
Colton pursed his lips, not saying this out loud.
He didn’t want to upset Lizzie.
But she already knew what was going on in his mind from the look on his face.
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She deliberately said, “Colton, do you agree with the others? Do you think I didn’t deserve to be with Theron and couldn’t find a better man after leaving him?”
Colton was instantly flustered. He widened his eyes and waved his hands non–stop, saying, “Not at all, Lizzie. Don’t get me wrong. To me, you’re perfect. Theron doesn’t get to be with you!”
He was telling the truth.
In his eyes, Lizzie was pretty, capable, and gentle. No woman in this world could be compared to her.
Her husband was definitely the luckiest man on Earth.
The way he explained hastily warmed Lizzie’s heart.
She said with a gentle smile, her tone casual, “Alright then. I guess you’ll agree that breaking up with him is a good thing for me, right? I’ll find someone better.”
The smile on her face seemed genuine. Only then did Colton feel relieved.
His anger faded slightly.
“But we shouldn’t let him slide easily!” A cold glint flashed across his eyes as he clenched his fists.
“You’re right. After all, he wasted years of my time,” Lizzie said.
He sprang to his feet. “I’ll go beat him up now to make things right for you!”
“Stop right there!” Lizzie’s tone became stern. “Beat him up? Are you sure you’re his match?”
Colton lifted his head stubbornly like an enraged wolf cub but soon lowered his head dejectedly.
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Chapter 8 Lean On Me
“So, I’m not allowed to do anything?” Even his voice was lowered.
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“I didn’t say that.” Her tone became gentle again. Then she said patiently, “But if you beat him up without a good rea- son, you’ll be seen as the one at fault.”
Colton frowned and pondered seriously. After some time, he suddenly looked up, his eyes sparkling. “Johanna sabo- taged your relationship. She’s the homewrecker.”
Lizzie nodded. “Good thinking, but we weren’t married, so our relationship wasn’t protected by the law. But of course, what Theron did was wrong. It’s something we can use to punish him.”
Colton’s cheeks flushed with excitement after he got Lizzie’s approval. He rubbed his hands together, eager to do something.
“But such punishment won’t be enough. We need to make sure he learns his lesson properly. Or all my sufferings will be for nothing,” Lizzie sighed softly, looking genuinely aggrieved.
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Hearing this, he stood up again excitedly, waving his fist. “That’s right! No one gets to make you suffer!”
“He bullied me because he thought I was an orphan and no one had my back…” she smiled self–mockingly, her voice lowering.
He straightened and retorted at once, “That’s not true! You have me!”
She nodded and looked at him gently. “You’re right. I do have you. But now, you’re just a kid, an ordinary person.”
He felt deflated again. “Then what should I do?”
Yet, she changed the subject as her gaze fell upon his schoolbag. “How’s studying going?”
Glenna, who was in the kitchen, heard their conversation and grinned. She thought, “Colton has never taken his stud- ies seriously, which always gives me a headache. With Lizzie here, I can finally relax a little. After all, he always lis- tens to whatever she says.”
At the mention of studying, Colton’s previous aggressiveness was gone.
He darted his eyes, not daring to look at Lizzie at all, muttering, “It’s … fine…”
She instantly knew he was lying.
She said seriously, “Where’s your schoolbag? Give it to me.”
Colton was stunned, not expecting her to inspect his schoolwork.
He said reluctantly, trying to brush her off, “Is that really necessary, Lizzie? Come on… I’m not an elementary school student anymore…”
“Bring it here!” Lizzie’s tone grew stern, leaving no room for debate.
Colton had no choice but to reluctantly pull the schoolbag from his side to the front, take it off, and slowly put it in front of her, not daring to look her in the eye.
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Chapter 8 Lean On Me
Picking it up, she felt something off–it was so light.
She opened it and poured everything out.
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With a clatter, a few crumpled textbooks and notebooks were scattered across the table. What also came into her view was a slingshot self–made with wood and rubber bands as well as a small snakeskin bag.
Her gaze swept over the slingshot and the snakeskin bag before landing on the textbooks.
She picked up one of the textbooks and flipped it open. There were some notes on the first few pages, but that was all. The rest were blank, and some pages had even been torn out.
She pulled a long face and looked at Colton, her gaze sharp. “You call this ‘fine“?”
Colton lowered his head even more. Not daring to meet her eyes, he muttered, “We … barely have classes anymore. No one
spends time studying… Besides, what’s the use of studying anyway? Might as well…”
…
“Might as well what?” Lizzie pressed on.
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“Might as well find a job soon to make money for the family.” His voice became smaller, but the stubbornness in his tone was palpable.
Looking at him, she didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
She knew that to many, studying was worthless, and they preferred getting a job.
But she knew better than anyone how important knowledge was.
In her past life, she had encountered all kinds of obstacles in Equinox Research Laboratory because she wasn’t highly educated. Even Theron had believed she ought to let Johanna get her job for the same reason.
“Colton, do you really think studying is worthless?” She stared at Colton intently.
Colton turned beet red.
What his peers had said when they were hanging out not far from Equinox Research Institute echoed in his ears again. They mocked Lizzie for sleeping her way up, saying that she only had a junior high diploma and was unworthy of Theron at all.
Pale–faced, he pursed his lips stubbornly.
Meanwhile, Lizzie continued, “Imagine it–when you enter a university and even get a master’s degree, you’ll be a figure that everyone respects and admires. If they know I have such an outstanding cousin, who would dare to bully
me?
“Technical talents have been gaining a higher and higher status in the country nowadays. Continuing education is a must, not an option.”
Colton said, “I’m sorry, Lizzie. I was wrong. I promise that I’ll work hard from now on. You can totally lean on me!”
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