Chapter 64 – A Man Like None Other
Franklin lived in Phoenix Garden, which was a famous residential area in Horington. As houses there cost at least a million or more, it was a place out of reach for ordinary folks. “Jared, when we arrive, remember to be nice and behave respectfully. After all, we are asking him for help. Considering your situation, it’s not easy to get a job, as most companies are unwilling to hire ex-convicts. Hence, you have to be aware of…”
In the car, Hannah kept nagging Jared, worried that he would make a mistake. Turning around from the front passenger seat, Gary put a stop to it. “Enough. There’s no need to keep harping on it. So what if he has gone to prison before? Does it mean that he is of questionable character? I have been friends with Franklin for a long time, so this isn’t going to be an issue.”
He was concerned that Hannah’s nagging would exasperate Jared, especially when it came to his time in prison. After all, it wasn’t his fault that he ended up there. “Since both of you are so close, why didn’t he come and see you over the last few years? It’s not like you’re unaware of how much we have suffered recently.” Hannah was upset. When Jared was in prison, their livelihoods were severely affected. Even then, Franklin was nowhere to be seen. “Stop blaming him, as I have never told him about it, and neither does he know where we stay.
Anyway, both of us have gone through a lot together. Back then, when there was a stray grenade during training, I dived and tackled him to the ground, or else he wouldn’t even be alive today.” Gary’s pride mattered a lot to him, especially since he was a squad leader back then. Therefore, he was too embarrassed to reveal his situation to his former comrades. If it wasn’t because Jared needed a job, he wouldn’t even have sought Franklin’s help.
“Mom, you know what kind of person Dad is. Once we’re there, I know what I should be mindful of. When I start making money from my job, our family’s circumstances will definitely improve,” Jared reassured Hannah. Even though Jared had ten million in his pocket, he couldn’t tell his parents about it, as there was no way he could explain it. Even if he had told them the truth, they wouldn’t believe him, since his experience in prison over the last three years was just too bizarre. Meanwhile, on the second floor of a mansion in Phoenix
Garden, Franklin, who was in his fifties, put on an old military uniform and adjusted it in front of the mirror. On the couch was a girl in her twenties. She had pretty features and a slender body. Wearing pajamas with floral prints, she was playing with her phone while lying there. “Dad, have you gone mad? Why are you wearing your old uniform?” the girl remarked as she glanced at Franklin. She was his only daughter, Maria Saunders.
“I’m going to meet an old comrade of mine from the army. That’s why I’ve put it on. Unfortunately, my tummy is so big that it no longer fits!” At that moment, a middle-aged woman entered from the kitchen with a plate of fruits. She was wearing a suit with a white shirt underneath. Combined with nude-colored stockings and high heels, she was obviously a white-collared worker. The light makeup she wore made her look younger than her age.
She was Franklin’s wife, Frieda Lansome. She was also the sales manager of the company they owned. “Franklin, who is this comrade of yours? I heard many of them had struck it rich. You should rekindle your relationships with them and get them to help us. With their assistance, we might be able to overcome this crisis of ours.
Otherwise, we will go bankrupt at the rate things are going,” Frieda said with a grim tone as she placed the fruits on the table. “Don’t worry about that first. This time, it’s my old squad leader that’s visiting. I haven’t seen him for a few years, so you’d better be nice,” Franklin snapped at Frieda.
“Squad leader? Who knows, he might already be rich. I remember you telling me before that he saved your life once. After he left the army, he joined the government…” Frieda commented.
