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Chapter 1492

Author: Faith Shaw
After graduation, one became a lawyer and the other a judge, and with their lines of work, they still saw each other fairly often.

During the four years he was apart from Jamie, Ben often met up with Caden for drinks, finding it a small comfort for the ache he carried. Their friendship ran deep, and lending some cash was no big deal.

“Alright, I'll just come out with it. Could you lend me $20,000?” Caden asked. “But I’ll need it in cash. Let’s meet at the bar tonight, and you can bring it with you.”

“Why cash? A transfer would be a lot easier.” Ben’s curiosity was piqued.

After a pause, Caden explained, “It’s for my grandma. She’s in her eighties, doesn’t read, doesn’t have a phone, and trusts cash only. I owe you one, buddy.”

“Alright, old place tonight,” Ben agreed, thinking he could use a drink himself.

He withdrew the cash from a nearby bank, placed it in a small paper bag, and drove to their usual bar. Over the years, he had come here often enough to be familiar with the st
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    Caden didn’t press him. He had other priorities. Glancing at the bag, he asked, "So, you brought the cash, right?"“Of course. It’s not every day you ask me for a favor,” Ben replied, sliding the bag over. “It’s exactly $20,000. I just withdrew it, so if it’s not enough, just let me know. Between us, don’t worry about the whole ‘borrow and return’ thing. You’ll pay it back when you can, and if not, it’s no big deal.”Caden hesitated as he held the bag in his hands. Once he opened that zipper, there would be no turning back. Ben had always treated him well, genuinely seeing him as a brother. But, no matter how generous a friend might be, it could never compare to having wealth of one’s own. After a moment of wavering, Caden made his decision and unzipped the bag. Inside, stacks of cash were neatly arranged. He dumped them out onto the table, giving a quick count to estimate the total amount.“You really thought I’d short you?” Ben laughed.“It’s not that,” Caden said, shaking

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    “I’m not as drunk as you. I’ll just call a ride home. It’s pretty convenient these days with all the ride-hailing apps. Do you want me to wait for someone from your family to come pick you up, or should I head out?” Caden had mostly been watching Ben drink tonight, barely touching his own glass.Ben shook his head. “No need to wait for me. Head home, and just shoot me a message when you get there.”“Alright, then I’ll go,” Caden replied, standing up quickly and leaving in a hurry.After walking a bit, he glanced back and sighed to himself. He would like to consider Ben a good friend, but their families were just too different. It was an uncrossable gap lay between them. No matter how hard he worked, his destination would never match Ben’s starting point.Still, was it wrong for him to want a better life, to try and change his situation?……After working the whole day, Jamie sank onto the sofa, exhausted. Today had really worn her out. But looking at her bank balance, she felt

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    Jamie’s heart raced, anxiety tightening her throat. She dreaded what Ben might say next.As soon as the call connected, Winnie hit the speaker button.Silence lingered on the other end, broken only by the faint sound of Ben’s breathing.“Jack, where are you?” Winnie couldn’t wait and spoke first.Ben’s voice came through, unmistakably slurred from drinking. “I’m at the bar. Can you come pick me up?”“I’m coming right now!” Winnie set her phone down and hurried upstairs to change, missing the name Ben muttered afterward.“Mimi…”It was the nickname he used to call her when they were together. Even after their breakup, she hadn’t heard him use it again until now.Jamie froze, fear washing over her. If Winnie had heard him say that, she would have been furious.Quickly, she picked up the phone and ended the call.Winnie returned a few minutes later, throwing a casual jacket over her pajamas. “Jamie, come with me to pick up Jack. I can’t lift him on my own, especially if he’s tha

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    “He… likes my sister?” The shocking thought had barely surfaced before it jolted Winnie. “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Winnie,” Jamie quickly pushed Ben toward Winnie’s side.A look of irritation crossed Ben’s face. It was Jamie he wanted to hold. What did Winnie have to do with him?Annoyed, he grumbled, “Why do you keep pushing me away?”“Jack, you’re mistaken. I’m your fiancée!” Winnie finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She strode over, took Ben’s hand, and placed it around her waist. “I get that my sister and I look a bit alike, but you can’t keep confusing us like this!”She had brushed it off the first couple of times, but this was going too far.Ben still seemed inclined to push her away.Just then, the taxi arrived, and Jamie opened the front passenger door, slipping inside. Seeing this, Ben staggered in her direction, while Winnie hurried to open the back door for him.Once inside, Ben leaned back in the seat and fell asleep almost immediately.Not wanti

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    The next morning, Ben opened his eyes. He immediately noticed the blanket covering him. Could Jamie have been the one taking care of him last night?He sat up, only to see Winnie sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor.“You’re awake? You were so drunk last night that you passed out on the way home. It was a struggle just getting you here. I even tried to wake you up for some tea to help sober you up, but you were completely out,” Winnie said as she woke up, too.After straightening up the living room a bit, she went to the kitchen and came back with a mug of warm herbal tea. “I’m guessing the hangover’s mostly gone, so you probably don’t need anything strong. But this will soothe your throat.”“You don’t have to go through all this trouble,” Ben replied, placing the mug on the coffee table without drinking it.Ben looked around the room. It was just the two of them. Where had Jamie gone?The thought nagged at him, so he asked directly.“Jack, I’m not sure if I should say this…

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    How could Jamie feel right about taking the money? In just a few days, Winnie had already lent her so much. She couldn’t keep taking advantage of her.“Jamie, if I were living alone, I wouldn’t care so much. But now, with Jack and the baby on the way, it’s unrealistic for us to keep living together forever. Take this money. It’s enough to cover at least half a month’s rent,” Winnie said firmly.Jamie could hear the underlying message. Winnie was trying to hint, as gently as possible, that it might be time for Jamie to find her own place. It made sense. Winnie was building her own family and naturally wanted privacy. Having a relative around wasn’t exactly ideal, especially with everything Ben had been doing lately. While he hadn’t openly revealed anything about their past, it was clear enough that Winnie had noticed something.Jamie truly wanted to move out, but the moment she started looking for a place, Ben would make her life difficult. She didn’t mind for herself, but with

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    “Please come with us,” one of the officers stepped up, holding a pair of silver handcuffs.Ben was even more puzzled. He hadn’t done anything illegal. Why were these officers showing up at his office? And why the cuffs?His first reaction was to step back. “You must have the wrong person.”“Your name is Ben Lucas, right? We’ve already matched your photo. I suggest you don’t resist and just come along quietly,” the officer barked.They wouldn’t be here without solid evidence. There was no mistake.“If you’re taking me in, I’d like to know the reason,” Ben replied, still trying to make sense of what was happening.To the officers, his reaction came across as defiant, making him look even more suspicious.“Don’t tell me you’re unaware of your own wrongdoing? You’re supposed to be a lawyer, familiar with the law. How convenient to play ignorant when it applies to you!“Think carefully! Confess, and things might go easier for you. Resist, and you’ll only make it worse. Don’t interfe

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    Why would Caden do this?“And then there’s that recent case you handled. The client is suspected of laundering money for an international corporation, and these are the ‘evidences’ you submitted.” The captain’s brows furrowed as he pulled a file from the side, placing it in front of Ben. “Take a look at what you turned in.”The documents were full of evasive arguments, but the worst part was that a check had somehow been slipped between the pages. With all this evidence piled up against him, even as a lawyer, Ben had no way to prove his innocence.He had no idea how things had come to this. He had personally organized and submitted these files to the court, but the ones on record were completely different. Someone had swapped them out.But who?Ben handled everything himself, except for having his assistant print the documents. Could it be…?“Mr. Lucas, the evidence is overwhelming. You’d better think about how to clear your name,” the captain said, standing up and looking at Ben

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