82 Chapter 82

Looking at the store from the outside, he nodded his head in appreciation, as it was even larger than he had originally anticipated.

Surrounded by various stores and establishments, such as clothing shops, boutiques, electronic shops, etc., it stood out as it was bigger in size compared to them.

Located right at the center of the market, it was expected that the traffic around was significant.

He heard from his father that it used to be a hardware store; the business used to be good, but unfortunately, the owner was stupid.

He got addicted to gambling and owed a lot of debts, and in order to pay them, the owner had to use the store's revenue, causing the business to slowly lose its capital, and in the end, it went bankrupt.

Stepping inside the store, Edward was greeted by a large empty space, tiled floors, and fading painted walls..

It was a bit old, and there are many parts that need to be renovated, but over all, Edward was still satisfied.

"Hello, you must be the son Carlos is talking about; I'm Jonas. It's nice meeting you." The store owner greeted them with a warm smile as soon as they went inside.

Looking at him, Edward found that he didn't resemble someone who had succumbed to a gambling addiction. Wearing a formal black suit, shiny black shoes, and a mechanical watch, along with his fit physique, he appeared to be around 45 years old or older, giving off the impression of a successful businessman rather than the bankrupt individual he actually was.

In contrast to himself, who was only wearing a school uniform since he didn't have a chance to change after class, having come directly here, and to his father, who was dressed casually... Edward felt a bit ashamed for a moment.

If others were to glance at them, they would probably think both he and his dad were sellers, and Jonas was the buyer... Sigh, appearances can really be deceiving sometimes.

"Hi, hello, just call me Edward, thanks." Shaking his head, Edward put away his messy thoughts and then went to introduce himself back to the owner.

They introduced themselves simply, and then the three of them went to a corner, where simple tables and chairs were arranged.

Sitting across from each other, Jonas deliberately did not start talking about business but talked about something casual in order to ease the atmosphere.

"How old are you again this year?"

"16, I'm going to be 17 in October."

"Sigh, at the age of 17, you can already make money and be able to buy my store. Time has really changed; even kids can make their own money. I remember back then, I had to work four different part-time jobs in order to pay off the tuition fees. Sigh~" Jonas said melancholy as his eyes dozed off, as if thinking of the past.

"Oh~ you also worked?" Edward raised his brows as his interest piqued at his words and asked.

"Of course, you may not know, but my house, this store, and my car were the fruit of all my hard work. Back then, I used to do whatever as long as it could earn me money. I became a janitor, I became a bagger, and I also sold bottles of water, cigarettes, etc." Jonas sighed as he recalled the past.

"After college, things became a bit better, but then again, employment in our country was shitty, and literally, I had to go through a needlehole in order to get a decent job. In the first formal company I worked for, I started as an intern, became a formal member of the marketing department only after two years, and then the company went bankrupt a few months later."

"The first company you worked for went bankrupt?" Edward raised his brows and couldn't help but ask weirdly.

"Hehe, kind of hilarious, isn't it? But anyway, it's just a 3rd-rate OEM company doing parts manufacturing for local brands.. and such companies were everywhere, and the competition was fierce, and in the end, we lost and went bankrupt."

"That's why." Edward and his father's faces show an understanding expression.

The competition in the low-end market was very fierce, and companies such as OEMs, logistics, production, manufacturing, etc. were everywhere. Sometimes the supply wasn't as high as the demand, so it was inevitable that some went bankrupt.

"After that, I also worked as a clerk in a bank, the work was simpler, and the pay was higher compared to my previous job... It was a good job, honestly, but unfortunately, I didn't become a regular employee and soon found myself unemployed again when my contract ended."

"Then afterwards, I found myself doing various jobs, at a logistic company, factory, warehouse, I also became a restaurant manager, and more... At around 34, I decided to start my own hardware store... Sigh, unfortunately, my wife." Thinking of how he lost everything because of his wife, he couldn't help but feel hatred in his heart.

"You're wife, what?" Edward asked curiously and then realized that the topic seemed sensitive, so he immediately said with a wry smile. "Of course, you don't have to say it if it's uncomfortable for you..."

"Nah, it's fine, anyway; telling it to others makes me feel better... Oh~ and maybe I can also give you advice so you won't end up like me," Jonas said as he looked at Edward. "I wasn't really a gambling addict originally; hence, I've never gambled in my life because my mom used to tell me to never gamble when I was a kid."

"Unfortunately, life was unfair, as when I thought that I'm having a perfect life, I discovered my wife's actions behind my back.. She's cheating on me," he said sadly, causing both Edward and his dad to look at him shocked. "I was so shocked at that time. I mean, I gave her everything: money, jewelry, clothes, shoes, bags... I don't understand what I did wrong."

"Sigh, fortunately I've learned it earlier, as it turns out that the two of them were already planning to take away all my properties... ungrateful bitch!" Jonas snorted and angrily said. "She's just a poor, undergrad waitress in a 3rd-rate restaurant; if it wasn't for me, she would've never experienced a good life!"

"Sigh," calming down himself. As if noticing the two shocked expressions looking at him, Jonas shook his head and went to say "Anyway, with evidence in my hands, I sued them and easily won the case.. My ex-wife and her lover were already in jail... As for our son and daughter... they are doing well now."

"As for me.. well, even though I got my justice, I still felt depressed, and in order to move on, I decided to do what people would do in order to forget the pain.. and in my case, I gambled."

"Perhaps it was because I felt happy whenever I won and because I forgot the pain whenever I lost; I didn't even notice it at all... In the end, I owe a lot of money, and as you see, I had to sell my store in order to pay them."

"..." Seeing  the emotional store owner, both Edward and his father looked at each other hesitantly, but in the end, they decided to keep their silence as they did not know how to react.

It turns out that Jonas wasn't the stupid bastard they originally expected him to be, but like them, he also came from the bottom and worked hard to get where he is... Unfortunately, he lost everything.

"Anyway, the past is past; now is present," Jonas said as his voice regained spirit, and with a knowing expression, he continued. "If there's one thing I've learned from it, that is, first, never gamble; I almost lost everything because of it, and now I have to start all over again. Second, don't give everything. I read articles online and found that relationships must be on equal terms; if you give, you must also receive returns; otherwise, if it was only you who gave, that's when things will start to mess up."

"Oh~" Hearing what he said, both Edward and his father nodded in understanding.

Edward thinks that what Jonas says makes sense, and at the same time, he can't help but think of his past life.. Cheating isn't as common in the Philippines as in those western countries, and one of the reasons was that the majority of Filipino people were traditional and religious, believing that divorce was an act of betraying the words of God, as the sanctity and penance of marriage were stated in several verses in the Bible.

Another reason was that there were no divorce laws in the country.

Well, a married couple can still legally separate from each other, but the process required both parties to attend court trials, and it would take a lot of money and time, which was troublesome.

Also, even if couples are already separated, they are still technically married on paper, so most people are too lazy to divorce.