A mid summer night hare (56)

Hareta’s financial situation is not any better than Ackley’s. Her starting salary was low enough for her to spend almost double of what she earns every month. To look glorious on the outside, she chose to get a promotion instead of a salary raise in every year-end review. Yes, a Fudan graduate with a LSE master working at the Big Four as a manager looks so admirable on the outside. Who would have known its’ all deception?

But, it does not matter what it takes to get to where she wants to be. No pain, no gain. In order to win Ackley’s heart, she has to give up her material wealth, her kidney even. So without any hesitation, she said yes to his lending request. Who is she to negotiate or say no to Ackley anyways?

Hareta has a lot on her shoulders. Apart from feeding her own parents, she has to send her siblings to private schools. That wedding banquet she had next to a beach costs her another million dollar loan. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. But common sense is never too common. She wants to be looked up upon. So even when she was earning 30K a month, she insisted to hold her wedding in Aberdeen Marina Club. Her son Po Tent is special needs child but she insisted to send him to ESF to study with the rich. What about her student loans? She took on a million dollar loan for her masters degree, as well as her flights, rents and living expenses. These add up together to around 2 million.

Ackley also takes on massive loans. A Harvard degree costs him a good million. What about those flights to Tokyo and his daily paid sex? Just the credit card loans alone costs him an arm and a leg. His brother’s Yale law degree and Harvard undergraduate costs another few million. At least his brother ended up being a partner in an international law firm. His salary is just enough to cover his tuition loans and his middle class lifestyle. His entire family’s overseas tuition is enough to buy a condo anywhere in Hong Kong. Actually, Ackley does not have any assets under his name, only liabilities. That Bel Air house is not his. He only uses his car, his home, his job, his Harvard degree to fool people into believing that he is successful and only idiots would fall into his trap.

Strangest things happen. Stupid is as stupid does. There are people who are willing to sacrifice anything for love. After some thoughts, Hareta takes into consideration Ackley Chin’s earning powers and his Bel Air house so she wants to give it a try. Fortune favors the bold anyways, right? So she risks it all and says, “Okay, to prove my undying love for you. I will tell my parents to lend me 300K. Don’t worry.”

Ackley says, “I am so sorry to have put you through all this. I will make it up to you with my love. I will divorce Emmy right away.”

Hareta says, “Pay me back with your love.”

Ackley says, “Well, not just that. I love you but I will pay you back the loans too. I will buy you anything.”

Hareta says, “Are you treating me like your wife? I am not that superficial. I just want your love. I just need you to leave your wife and love me with all your heart.”

Ackley says, “Surely, I will.”

Then, they starting hugging each other for hours. They are so in love….