Chapter 425: Willing to Exchange

"Sure. When people make mistakes, they have to pay for their actions. It would be best if he can compensate me, of course. But I’m afraid there isn’t another pig in the world exactly like Little Flower."

He’d just made up a name for the pig on the spot.

Amina, of course, knew that no two pigs in the world were exactly alike.

"So, instead of replacing the pig, can we just pay you? Look, if we got you another pig, you’d have to go through all the trouble of raising it, hiring someone to look after it every day... It would take up your time, energy, and money. I know I probably shouldn’t say this, but since it’s already happened, being able to cover the loss with money is the best outcome for you, isn’t it?"

Zeke Walton watched her lips move. "That makes sense. So, how much are you planning to compensate me?"

’How could she be the one to decide how much to offer? It should be him telling them how much he needs.’

Amina blinked her big eyes at him, but Zeke Walton could see right through her.

"You don’t know? Fine, then I’ll name a price. Five hundred thousand. Cash or transfer?"

Amina’s legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.

’500,000? 500,000 for a pig?’

She knew Zeke Walton was rich, but she never imagined he could be this extravagant.

’What breed of pig costs 500,000?’

"Why... Why... Why is it so expensive?"

Amina regretted it instantly. She never should have taken it upon herself to offer compensation on Linden’s behalf.

’500,000? For people like them, wasn’t that a death sentence?’

Seeing her startled expression, Zeke Walton finally felt a bit of satisfaction.

"And 500,000 is the friends-and-family discount, seeing as I know you both. This pig was imported. Let’s not even talk about how much my mother originally paid for it, or the shipping costs. We’ve been raising it for so long, feeding it imported milk formula, and had someone looking after it for over a year. The amount of effort and money spent is simply immeasurable."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Amina, dark and brooding.

"Is 500,000 a lot? That apartment I gave you is worth at least five million. You’re a little rich woman now yourself. Since you’re getting married, isn’t fronting 500,000 for him a trivial matter?"

Amina hadn’t expected him to bring up the apartment. She felt even more awkward and couldn’t bring herself to look at him, so ashamed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into and disappear.

’Her two worthless brothers had sold the apartment for cheap. If Zeke Walton found out, he would probably hate her for the rest of his life.’

The mention of the apartment made her feel guilty. Seeing her reaction, he knew the money never even reached her hands.

The apartment had been sold to subsidize her two worthless brothers.

Zeke Walton didn’t even know what kind of expression to make at Amina—this woman who was so utterly foolish, yet he couldn’t stop worrying about her.

"Why’d you go quiet? You’re the one who said you’d pay. Now you’re acting like I’m bullying you. Am I the big bad guy here?"

"No, no, no," Amina said honestly. "It has nothing to do with you. The problem is on our end."

"So, have you thought of a solution?"

Amina didn’t know what that pig meant to him, whether it was absolutely irreplaceable, or if a substitute would do.

It was too awkward, and her heart ached. She shouldn’t have said what she was about to, but Linden’s problem had to be solved.

The last time her two brothers came, they had definitely caused him trouble. She needed to repay that favor.

She could only brace herself and look at him cautiously.

"Zeke, I know you’re a good person, very, very kind-hearted. Before... Anyway, can you just give him another chance? Please? If your mom really likes this kind of spotted pig, we can have Linden buy her a new one. You know his family’s house just burned down. He’s drowning in debt, and his parents are getting old..."

"So I’m the one who deserves to pay for his mistake? The poorer you are, the more justified you are?"

Zeke Walton suddenly shot up from the sofa.

"This is the solution you came up with? I pay his salary, and when something goes wrong, I’m the one responsible? Are you fucking taking me for a sucker?"

Amina: "..."

"I’m talking to you! Why are you standing so far away? Are you that scared of me? Or is it because your boyfriend is watching outside, and you’re afraid he’ll get the wrong idea, so you have to keep your distance from me?!"

Amina didn’t like him talking about her and Tim Tate that way, so she hurried toward him.

Soon, only a single step separated them.

Zeke Walton looked down at her, a smirk playing on his face.

"Why are you so afraid of me firing Tim Tate? Is it because if he loses his job, you two won’t be able to get married? If it really comes to that, he can just deliver food with you. A food-delivery couple... sounds so romantic."

Being stared at and ridiculed by him from such a close distance, Amina really wanted to cry. She wanted to explain, but she was afraid Zeke Walton would go home and have a meltdown in front of his parents.

’This is too much.’

"Even if he starts delivering food, he has to resolve things with you first. He can’t just get away without any compensation."

’So principled, how strange.’

’Can’t afford to pay but insists on it. Won’t be satisfied until she replaces my pig with some dumb one of her own. It’s hilarious.’

"But this is a designer pig, big sis. It’s not like the ones from your village. I don’t need the kind you’d be able to replace it with."

Amina was once again left speechless.

But she hadn’t given up. "Then can he give you an IOU? Like paying off a loan, he could make a fixed payment to your account every month. Or, he could work for you, and you could deduct it from his salary. In any case, he’s the one who wronged you..."

"None of those are what I want. I can’t be bothered dealing endlessly with someone who has something wrong with his head, and I don’t want him to be indebted to me forever."

Zeke Walton cut off Amina’s suggestion.

"You’re so concerned about him, so worried. Why don’t you pay his debt for him?"

"Me?"

Amina had just subtly indicated that she was broke. How could she possibly pay it for him?

Seeing that she didn’t get it, Zeke Walton spelled it out for her like a rogue.

"Sleep with me. After we do, I’ll drop the whole thing with him."

Amina thought she’d misheard. She stared at him in astonishment, but Zeke Walton’s expression hadn’t changed.

"What’s with that face? Unwilling? You could sleep with him while you were with me, but now that you’re with him, you can’t sleep with me? Suddenly so principled? You should be glad I’m not saying you’re dirty, and here you are playing coy with me?"

It wasn’t that Amina was unwilling. It was that she never imagined Zeke Walton could still have that kind of... desire for her.

She thought he had misunderstood her relationship with Tim Tate and would be utterly disgusted by her from now on—that even speaking a few more words to her would make him feel sick. She never expected...

Zeke Walton was the first man Amina had ever loved in her life, and so far, the only one.

Her entire body and soul belonged to him.

In the time since their breakup, every day had been a living hell for her.

She either couldn’t sleep at all, or when she finally did, her dreams were filled with him.

It wasn’t just in her dreams. Often, when she looked in the mirror and saw her own face, her hands, any part of herself, she would remember the way Zeke Walton used to caress them with such deep affection.

She would always silently fantasize that Zeke Walton might touch them again.

For her, it had become an impossible dream.

But today, it had suddenly come true!

She was a single woman—free and unattached, with no promises to keep to anyone. All she had to do was be bold and fulfill her own dream. Therefore, Zeke Walton’s proposal was incredibly tempting to her.

It didn’t feel like a punishment, but rather a gift.

"R-Right now?"

’So she agreed?’

’Amina, a woman who was extremely conservative, a complete novice in this area, a blank slate who had opened the door to a new world with him—and now, for that worthless man, she could actually agree to this kind of trade with another man?’