Chapter 5

Before I could answer him, his phone rang.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Jason excused himself to take the call.

I regretted not asking for his contact information. I thought that perhaps I could gain some valuable resources from this man.

After all, meeting someone like Jason was likely a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Just as I was leaving the stock exchange after buying my stocks, I unexpectedly ran into Rick and Helen.

I wanted to pretend I didn’t see them.

But to my dismay, they deliberately blocked my path.

“What are you doing here? I didn’t know you had the skills to trade stocks. Playing the stock market isn’t a joke—be careful not to lose all your money.” Rick sneered, his tone dripping with disdain, as if certain I was destined to fail miserably.

“Are you two so bored that you have to come and cause trouble?” Their appearance was enough to ruin my mood.

Helen even snatched the purchase receipt from my hand, her face full of smugness and mockery.

“Did you just randomly buy something? You don’t even know if these stocks are any good. Good thing I didn’t buy what you did, or I’d be losing big time.”

“Let’s hope the stocks you chose are good ones,” I said with a fake smile.

“Of course!” Rick replied proudly. “I did my research before coming here, unlike you, acting on impulse and gambling everything.”

At that moment, a staff member approached me. “Miss, as an esteemed VIP client investing over 100 thousand dollars, here’s a gift from us.”

Rick’s face twisted in disbelief. “You invested 100 thousand? Where did you get that kind of money?”

“You’ve never known this, but my mom left me 100 thousand dollars. That money is my personal property and has nothing to do with you. As for the 50 thousand you willingly gave me, it’s too late to regret it now—you’re not getting a single cent back.”

“When your mom was sick and hospitalized, I paid the bills. Later, when my company was in trouble, you didn’t help me at all. You even hid the 100 thousand from me and didn’t let me know.” Rick’s anger flared. “You were afraid I’d find out and take the money for myself? You’re the real parasite in this family!”

“Yes, I was afraid you’d find out. After five years with you and your mother, I’ve seen your true colors.”

Helen stomped her foot and whispered to Rick, loud enough for me to hear, “What were you thinking back then? You should’ve just thrown that beggar some pocket change. Instead, you gave her 50 ` thousand!”

“Bad-mouthing someone without lowering your voice? I heard everything,” I said coldly.

Helen glanced at me awkwardly.

Just then, Jason walked over. “Whether her stocks are good or bad, nobody will know until the last moment. What if this young lady’s picks turn out to be winners?”

“And who are you? Stock prices don’t rise and fall just because you say so,” Helen snapped, but her confidence wavered when she saw the man in front of her.

A group of people suddenly gathered around Jason, chattering excitedly.

Someone pushed Helen aside, saying, “If you don’t even know who Jason is, what are you doing trading stocks?”

The remark shut Helen up completely.

Rick, feeling embarrassed by Helen’s ignorance, dragged her away. “You don’t even know who Jason is. Because of you, I didn’t even dare ask for his business card.”

“Why are you blaming me now? You didn’t tell me in advance,” Helen retorted, exasperated by how little responsibility Rick could handle.

I noticed the stocks they had invested in and got an idea that wasn’t entirely noble.

“This stock has a promising long-term trend. It’s like gold—only better, with even higher returns,” I said.

“Why should I believe you?” asked Helen, her face full of scorn.

“If you don’t believe me, surely you’ll believe Jason, right?”

Jason simply smiled and nodded without saying a word.

“I’m not like you. I don’t have as much money, nor do I have access to such funds. Otherwise, I’d put everything into that stock,” I said, pretending to look regretful.

Helen pulled Rick aside and whispered, “Honey, doesn’t the company have a lot of idle funds? Let’s use that. Once we’ve made a profit, we can quietly put the money back. No one will ever know.”

The so-called “promising stock” I pointed out was actually nearing its peak. After that, it would plummet continuously.

I wanted them to taste some success first. Once greed took hold and they invested everything, the sudden crash would trap them.

When stock prices drop, people tend to believe they’ll rebound eventually.

That was when my goal would be achieved.

I didn’t expect Jason to be so popular. I figured having someone like him on my side right after my divorce was a stroke of luck.

When I looked up, I accidentally locked gazes with Jason. I froze for a moment.

“What is it? Did you finally remember who I am?” Jason looked at me, his expression hopeful.

“What? Say that again?”

“Do you really not remember me?”

It seemed like he wanted me to recall something, but when I didn’t, he gave up for now. Perhaps he was waiting for the right moment to tell me himself.

I thought his question was bizarre. “I just met you today, didn’t I?”

“By the way, I meant to ask earlier. Why did you choose those stocks?”

I smiled playfully. “My mom told me in a dream last night. Do you believe that?”

If I hadn’t been reborn, how else could I have predicted what was about to happen?

The phone call Jason had just taken was about accepting an invitation from a TV station.

Of course, I wasn’t going to tell him that I had watched his interview videos and learned about him beforehand.

“Thanks for your help earlier. I’ve just finalized my divorce, and my ex-husband and his mistress keep haunting me like ghosts.”

Jason smiled warmly and handed me his business card. “You have great investment talent. If you need anything, feel free to reach out.”

I was flattered and immediately agreed enthusiastically.