Bab 35: Keeping secrets is not for the faint of hearts.
As the only candidate so far for the new assistant position, a spot that was created just for him.
Joey had to make a difficult choice.
He may have already agreed to the job beforehand, but now he was having seconds thoughts.
He was supposed to go meet James, but was running late.
He couldn't just go yet, not when his mind was swarming with worries.
So Joey went to visit Mary, his beloved girl, like he does every day, hoping that even a glimpse of her could cure his heartache.
It was still the morning period and around the time he usually gets to see her in, Joey rarely ever saw her at a different period of time, he did his best to avoid meeting with her during questionable hours so her reputation wouldn't get damaged since the two of them are not married yet, but everyone knows they're in love.
Mary wasn't a Southwark born, but she moved here a months ago, to live with her old and a very Sickly grandma so she can take care of her, she already had so much on her plate to manage.
And because Mary was poor, just like most people living in this area, she had to work to support herself and her grandmother but lucky for her, Mary was able to be independent and even managed to work from home, because she had received a little education growing up.
She knew how to read, write, and count.
So she offered to teach the kids of the neighborhood for a really affordable price all days but Sunday for few hours a day, and almost everyone who had a child they wanted Mary to teach, they would send Their children whenever they can to her house during this time of the day.
So as he walked to her house, Joey was surrounded by a small hoard of poor rowdy yet excited children hurrying to learn from the teacher everyone was calling the neighborhood's Angel.
Usually he would laugh at their excitement, but he was too worried to laugh.
All he could think about was how is he going to explain his problem to Mary, he believed she was smarter than him, he had no doubt she would make the right choice if she was in his shoes.
Mary was now the only person left in the universe that he would trust with his entire being, now that he lost trust in James.
His lost trust didn't happen because James lied about who he was, Joey was hurt by that fact but despite learning that James lied about his identify, Joey could understand why James did that.
As a noble, James had a reputation to protect.
But what Joey couldn't understand, was what James told him was the reason he was hired, and what he had to do to keep the job.
To Joey, he had a choice to make, either agree to the one condition James gave him for the assistant job, which is to swear to keep the actual reason he was hired, a secret.
James believed it was mandatory for him to tell Joey about the secret because he would have hated to hide anything else from him, but now he has given Joey a burden that wasn't even his to carry.
And if Joey chose to keep that secret, he would not only get the job, but would be able to get paid way more money than he could ever make on his own from his old job.
Not just that, he can go and and move to the Teaton estate and even bring his future wife with him once they marry.
Most people wouldn't care about keeping a secret, they would choose to take such offer just for the money.
Joey needs the money, if he wants to Mary and live comfortably with Mary, he needs all the Money he can get.
But he wasn't sure, that Money would be enough for him to seal his lips.
So Joey is left with one other alternative.
He could choose, to abandon the job for The sake of having a clear conscious.
You might think, why would he abandon the job? Is it that bad of a secret?
Well, Joey didn't feel right about what James told him.
It wasn't a crime, it wasn't the most insane thing he heard in his life, but it was still a terrible thing.
It would be eating away at Joey for the rest of his life, if he did decide to keep it, and not because he can't keep a secret, it was because of who he had to keep this secret from.
Joey was no longer seeing James as the honorable, kind and generous Jimmy he knew.
The image of the man he considered the brother he never had, has crumbled in front of Joey.
And he felt like a dumbass for not telling James how he truly felt about it at the time, he just asked for some more time to think and left in A hurry.
Maybe it was because he was still under shock, but one fact remains clear, he had to see James today, he has to make a choice already.
So with all of that, how can Joey start a job that's basically him, sticking to James's side for as long as he lives, and he also has to keep a secret he disagrees with for as long as he is going to be on the job?
Sighing, Joey looked over as he made it to his lady's house, the children have made it there before him and were knocking at the door.
The old creaking door swung open as Mary unlocked it to Allow the children in, and she noticed Joey just standing few steps away, with a pained expression on his face.
"Stay inside and don't touch anything!" She said to the kids, then quickly stepped outside and closed the door behind her so no kid would wonder off, before she walked towards Joey.
"What's wrong honey?" Mary asked.
"Mary, my Angel...I feel like I'm being torn apart." Joey replied.
"Tell me about it, I'm all ears." Mary said.
"I was going to, but I realized I shouldn't burden you.
You have those little lads to teach...I can't steal more of your time, I already did yesterday with James and all." He replied.
Confused, "Who's James?" She asked.
"That's Jimmy real name..."
"Real name...?"
"It's a long story..."
"Tell me, and don't worry about taking my time, that's the least I can give you, Joey."
"Well...he lied about many things Mary...his name... he sort of lied about being poor too... apparently most the time we were friends, he was sort of testing me to see if I was going to be loyal and trustworthy.
And now...he added a condition to the job...he told me the real reason why he chose me and he wants me to hide that reason...I have to keep the secret he told me from someone else, if I want the job...
but I feel dirty just thinking about keeping such secret...I know that person." Joey's eyes began watering against his will.
Mary's heart sank seeing the man she loves unable to contain himself, "Then that job could go to hell!" She said.
Sniffing, "What?!...but i need the money..." He replied,
"For what? So you can marry me?" Mary said surprising him.
"How do you know about that?" He asked.
"You told everyone in the neighborhood you want to marry me silly! You even introduce me to This James fella!
A man doesn't introduce a woman he's not married to, to his friend and future employer unless he wants to marry her." Mary replied with a sweet smile, "And before you ask, the answer is yes.
I want to marry you, Joseph.
I am not marrying you for any other reason other than pure love.
So as long as you make honest money, I couldn't care less if it was little or too much." She added.
As a tear escaped Joey's eye, Mary wiped it gently with the palm of her hand.
"What should I do my love?" Joey asked.
"I don't need to know the secret to tell that it must be something shocking, this person he wants you to deceive must not deserve it since you don't want to hide it from them."
"How can you know all of this...I barely told you anything?"
"You wouldn't cry over just anything love, I know you like the palm of my hand." Mary replied.
"What about the job... You're alright with it if i drop the offer?"
"If you choose to keep the job, then I will support you even if I'm against it now that I heard about the condition given to you, I understand how important money can be in one's life, I'm doing my best myself just to get by every month.
But if you choose to give up the job, I will also support you no matter what, I can work even harder and get us some more money, together we can do anything my love.
So no matter what decision you'll make, I'm behind you Joey."
"Do you really promise to support...me? No matter what?" Joey asked.
With absolutely no hesitation, "I promise." Mary replied before she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
...Meanwhile...
In her own bedroom, Agatha was somewhat surprised when she gets told that the one and only Colin Bridgerton came to see her.
She was just getting ready to leave her house when one of her favorite friend's children, requested to see her.
So asked for him to be led inside, while she headed to the drawing room.
And in less than a minute, she was in the room with Colin there too, standing few steps away from her, inside the room.
"Lady Danbury, good day." He greeted her.
"Good day to you as well, I hope everything is alright?" She questioned.
"Almost...I lied to Fabian... about us meeting."
"You told him we did not?"
"Pretty much...do you have time to let me explain?"
"I suppose I can spare few minutes."
"Thank you." Colin replied.
"Sit down, and tell me what happened." Agatha said before she took a seat for herself.
...Few minutes later...
"I would recommend you come clean to your friend before it is too late." Agatha said.
"But...I was hoping you would pretend like our first meeting did not happen." Colin replied.
"Do not mistake me for a dishonest person.
While I do tend to hide the truth sometimes, hiding the truth is still different from lying.
I do wish to help your friend get together with lady Vega, but I cannot lie for your sake to do that." Agatha explained.
"I cannot tell him the truth, he will lose trust in me."
"Then you would be paying the price of your actions! Fair and square."
Sighing, "Alright... I shall...try...to be honest with Fabian, hopefully he will not refuse your help once he finds out." Colin said.
"Good, it is best if you tell him as soon as possible.
He will be angry at you, I am sure! but he would also understand and even come to forgive you in few days.
By that time, he would also be ready to talk about his marriage situation, and then we can start our work." Agatha replied.
"Fine, I will tell him tomorrow..."
"That is what I like to hear."
"So..."
"Yes?"
"About Safa, did you hear anything about her?" Colin asked.
"You seem as if you know something about her that you wish to tell me." Agatha replied.
"Women's intuition is never wrong..."
"Maybe, but you are too easy to read, Colin dear."
"Perhaps, and yes...there is some that happened, Pen actually met Safa." Colin replied earning a curious look from Agatha.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
QW_JiHi
QW_JiHi Fun fact: Keeping secrets is a universal phenomenon. Researchers found that approximately 97% of people are keeping a secret at any given time, and the average person is currently keeping around 13 of them (though not all are because of shame or guilt).
So, Do you want to hear my secret? here, come closer, *whispers" I'm so grateful for you, Dear gentle reader! you make this author very happy.
That's it, this is my secret.
goodbye for now!
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