“Let’s go in. I ordered,” Nathan said, leading me into a small private room on the second floor. Outside was a little balcony with flowers, and not far off <b>was </b>a field, giving it a countryside feel.


    <b>“</b>Coffee?” Nathan offered warmly.


    “Thanks.” I sipped my coffee slowly, then got up and went to the balcony.


    Nathan sat behind me, watching, and then softly said, “You look troubled. What’s going on? Can I help?”


    I looked back at him. His eyes were clear and full of concern. “You already helped. Now you’re treating me to lunch,” I smiled.


    Nathan smiled back. “It’s just a meal. No need for formalities<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    I didn’t say anything about my worries. Nathan didn’t push. We talked more about his field. He spoke freely and with passion. When he talked about his specialty, his eyes lit up.


    I remembered the future tech industry had a bright outlook. Nathan was sure to do great things. “Mr. Hob has invested in quite a few projectstely,” Nathan said suddenly.


    “I don’t know much about hispany,” I answered. I knew Jared was a skilled investor, steady and cautious, so he rarely lost


    money.


    “Mr. Hob’s impressive. If you want to learn about investment management, you should ask him more,” Nathan chuckled.


    “Maybeter.” I wasn’t interested. Although Jared was a good teacher, I didn’t care much. Besides, I didn’t n to make much money. When I had enough, I’d live differently. Even if it was just gardening and growing flowers, I’d be happy all year.


    “Your daughter looks just like him,” Nathan said out of the blue.


    “Have you seen my daughter?” I asked, surprised.


    “Yeah, once at a dinner. I happened to notice her and took a good look. Her eyes and features are like Mr. Hob’s, no sign of you,” Nathan said, and looked at me eagerly. “If she looked more like you, she’d be prettier.”


    I turned away and avoided his eyes. I gave a small smile and said, “Honestly, it’s OK whether she looks like me. She’s part of the Hob family, and that’s all that matters to them.”


    Nathan heard what I said and already guessed why I was upset. He carefully asked, “Did Mr. Hob do something that hurt you?”


    My eyes tightened, and I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Every family has its problems. Things like this happen, it’s normal.”


    Nathan frowned deeply and said, “Mr. Hob had an affair?”


    “You’re a guy. You probably understand men better than I do. If I say he did, would that surprise you, or would you think it’s normal?” I asked.


    I needed someone to talk to about this. I thought about telling Melissa before, but she was in love, and I didn’t want to break her spirit.


    Nathan was someone I could open up to. He was a man, too. Nathan stared at me for a long moment, and then said, “If a


    er vo


    man isn’t married, it’s normal for him to meet different women while looking for the right one.


    “But if he’s married, cheating isn’t okay at all.” His <b>answer </b>made me <b>feel </b>a little better. Still, guys can be good actors and liars. Nathan liked me <b>secretly</b>, so maybe he <b>was </b><b>just </b>telling me what I wanted to hear.


    “When one <b>is </b>married, both people are happy at first. But over time<b>, </b>a in marriage can get boring. If a guy meets apanion, he might easily fall for her. That’s normal,” <b>I </b>said.


    I leaned back in my chair, my voice full of insights into human nature and helplessness. “Companion?” Nathan blinked. “Could thatpanion be a guy?”