America 1929: John F. Kennedy, the Great Writer

Arthur looked at Isabella, still quite shocked.

Although he roughly knew that Isabella's father's inheritance was enough to sustain a newspaper for many years, ten thousand dollars was still a considerable sum.

But at this moment, Isabella's eyes no longer darted away, but instead held a stubborn persistence.

Arthur sighed helplessly:

"Ten years... without interest, this gift is too heavy."

Isabella immediately replied, "As long as you continue writing for the newspaper, I believe in you."

Arthur was silent for a moment. He really needed the money.

Although his column is popular now, his income from writing is still unstable, and it is indeed difficult for him to come up with ten thousand dollars all at once.

And Isabella was right. He was confident in his future creative abilities and believed he could repay the money. He also didn't want to let Isabella down.

Arthur finally nodded:

"Okay. I accept. But we need to sign a formal loan agreement that clearly states the repayment plan."

"Really? You agreed?" Isabella's eyes lit up, and a happy smile appeared on her face, as if this was Arthur's important recognition of her.

Arthur smiled too. "Yes. Thank you, Isabella."

"You're welcome."

Isabella then turned to look at Thompson:

"Mr. Thompson, let's go and get the paperwork done."

The paperwork went smoothly. With a lawyer present, Arthur and Thompson signed the purchase agreement.

At the same time, at Arthur's insistence, he and Isabella also signed a loan agreement, stipulating that Arthur would repay the $10,000 in the form of royalties over the next ten years.

After signing the contract, Arthur saw Thompson's wife crying quietly beside him.

Beside them stood their two children, a boy and a girl, behind their parents, their eyes filled with reluctance.

The boy was about ten years old, and the girl was seven or eight. They looked at Arthur with curiosity and unease in their eyes.

"Kids, come here," Thompson said.

The two children went to their father's side.

"This is Mr. Kennedy. He bought our house and saved us from our immediate crisis," Thompson said.

The boy looked at Arthur earnestly: "Thank you, Mr. Kennedy, thank you for helping us through this difficult time."

The girl didn't say anything, tears fell down her face, and she suddenly threw herself into her mother's arms, sobbing softly.

Thompson took a deep breath, controlled his emotions, and said:

"We've found a new place. We'll pack up today and move out tomorrow. We'll leave the keys with you. There are some pieces of furniture we can't take with us, but you can keep them if you don't mind."

Arthur nodded his thanks and said they could leave an address so he could send them some items, hoping they could start a new life in their new house.

By the time all the formalities were completed, it was nearly evening.

The Thompsons began packing their last belongings. They didn't have much luggage, and they left most of their furniture behind.

Arthur and Isabella stood outside the door, watching them busy themselves.

"You're a good person. Many people would take the opportunity to haggle down the price, not to mention returning the item to them," Isabella said softly.

"I'm not a good person. I'm just doing what I think I should do." Arthur shook his head.

Isabella, however, said seriously:

"No, Arthur, in today's society, many people can't even do what they're supposed to do."

……

After spending the night in a hotel, Arthur moved into the townhouse in Park Slope the next day.

Arthur stood at the window on the third floor, with a perfect view of the streets of Park Slope.

Under the streetlights, he saw a moving truck parked in front of a house not far away. Another family was moving out.

Such scenes are likely to become quite common in the future.

Park Slope, a community that once symbolized the American Dream, is undergoing an unprecedented mass exodus. The middle class, who amassed wealth during the Roaring Twenties, are leaving one by one.

They moved to cheaper neighborhoods, lowered their living standards, and tried to maintain a semblance of decency.

And those vacant houses are waiting for new owners.

Perhaps it's the lucky ones like Arthur, or perhaps it's the few who survived the stock market crash.

But many more houses will remain vacant for a long time. Because in this era of economic collapse, fewer and fewer people can afford to buy a house.

Arthur recalled Thompson's words: "This is the end of the American Dream."

Perhaps he's right.

The 1929 stock market crash not only destroyed Wall Street, but also shattered the dreams of countless ordinary Americans.

It wasn't just a stock market crash; it marked the end of an era.

The Roaring Twenties came to an end, along with the blind optimism, the illusion that the economy would grow forever and life would improve forever.

That invisible "death line" is pushing more and more middle-class families into the abyss.

And this disaster has only just begun.

What followed was the Great Depression. Unemployment, poverty, despair, social upheaval and change.

Fortunately, Arthur took the initiative in this crisis in advance. Although he was forced to get involved in some conflicts, he was much better off than many people who were swept away by the tide of the times and ended up being crushed to pieces.

As he pondered, Arthur's thoughts drifted back to the time he signed the contract earlier that day.

To be honest, this was far beyond his expectations.

Isabella was somewhat awkward as she handed him the envelope full of money, avoiding eye contact with Arthur and speaking in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

She is not good at expressing her emotions, perhaps because she grew up in a wealthy but cold family. She is used to expressing care through actions rather than words.

That $10,000 might not mean much to her. But to him, it was more than just money; it was a signal, an invitation, a sign of trust.

She was telling him in her own way: I believe in you, I support you, and I'm willing to walk this path with you.

Arthur wasn't a fool; he could sense that Isabella's feelings for him were changing. From initial sympathy and admiration, to current dependence and trust, and perhaps even more.

But he can't afford to be distracted right now. He has too many challenges ahead of him.

The libel lawsuit from The New York Daily News, Hearst's hostility, Jimmy Walker's threats, the shadow of the Gambino family, and the much larger struggle hinted at by Samuel Sibyl.

These problems cannot be solved overnight.

He needs to focus all his energy on dealing with these challenges. Relationships have to be put aside for now.

But he remembered Isabella's kindness. Perhaps, once all this was over, once they were settled,...