Chapter 126
Samuel leaned against the wall, guarding Josie quietly.
Josie sat on the chair and said nothing.
But Samuel knew she was in pain.
The death of her parents left an indelible trauma on fifteen–year–old Josie.
To Josie, Henry used to mean everything to her. She was extremely dependent to the point of losing her self.
But Henry did not give Josie the protection she wanted.
In the ward, Henry leaned tiredly against the headboard, feeling powerless.
He lifted his hands and massaged the spot between his brows. His eyes hurt.
He thought that Josie was just being impulsive when she insisted on getting a divorce.
Since her return to the Gibson family at the age of fifteen, Josie was well protected. Without him and the Gibson family’s protection, she could barely manage anything.
She was riot independent enough, not brave enough, and too weak.
He thought Josie would return to beg him in less than three months and that she would give in.
But Josie had no intentions to return to him after so long.
He felt that Josie had closed herself off so tightly that no other man except him could get to her.
He was too self–righteous. He was too careless.
He had ignored Samuel’s love for Josie and overestimated his own position in Josie’s heart.
When Josie was fifteen, she had locked away her emotions. Was she really in love with him? Henry did not dare to think. He was afraid that Josie would one day realize that she did not love him after all.
Regardless of whether Josie loved him or not, he was destined to be involved with her in this lifetime. He would not let go.
He would most certainly not.
As for the methods Cecilia told him, they did not seem to work on Josie at all.
He could not wait any longer.
He had to deal with Spike and Quinton as soon as possible and get Josie back to his side..
He could have no need or want for anything, but he could not be without Josie.
People could call him crazy or paranoid/for all he cared. Humans were selfish. He wanted to live.
He admitted that he had made a mistake. He knew he was
wrong.
But he couldn’t… It seemed that he couldn’t lose Josie.
The three of them were engrossed in their own thoughts. Everyone had their own helplessness and pain to bear
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Everyone seemed to have experienced unreciprocated love.
“Samuel, you have your family, your sister, and your grandfather. You seem to have the world, and I can’t help but be jealous of you.” Zachary was right. Samuel was too pure. The world seemed to favor him.
“It’s not the first time you’ve said you’re jealous of me. You said it as though the world had abandoned you. If Spike and Hazel don’t want you, it’s their loss. You’re lucky enough to be adopted by Grandpa John, regardless of why he did that! Henry, luck, or the lack of it, depends on how you see yourself.”
Josie had gone to the cafeteria to buy food, leaving only Henry and Samuel in the ward.
After a long silence, Samuel spoke again. “Originally, the person I envied the most was you, who could live with Jo. Grandpa John loved you so much. He wanted to give you the best. He would even let you have Jo. You had friends and a lover, but you
blew it.”
Samuel really thought of Henry as a brother, but Henry did not want it.
Josie used to love Henry to the point of losing herself, but Henry pushed her away.
Henry looked at Samuel with a breath caught in his throat, as if he had been stabbed by a knife. He could not retort at all.
“Even without Josie, you have the whole world. You have friends and family. You have everything. I only have Josie. Without her, I would die.” Henry’s eyes had terribly reddened at that point. He was not kidding.
Without Josie, he would go insane.
He didn’t know how important Josie was to him before, but now he realized why he had not gone crazy after learning about his past. He realized why he had not gone crazy when Spike and Hazel found him.
Despite facing so many conspiracies, terrible truths, and the disgusting mother–son relationship, he had not gone crazy because he had someone to hang on to.
That person was Josie.
After three years of marriage, although he was not aware of his feelings for Josie and did not even know that he loved her, he never came back late. Ashley would hype up the rumors about him, but he always came home on time. He knew that Josie was waiting for him at home.
He did not want Josie to sleep alone.
He was not used to eating outside food. He only ate the food prepared by Josie. He had long ago relied on Josie even more than she depended on him.
“Jo asked me why I’m afraid of Spike, what my weakness is, and what leverage Spike has on me. What should I say?” Henry was lying on the bed, his breathing getting weaker. “What should I say? Should I tell Josie that she’s my weakness?
From the beginning, Spike had been threatening him with only one thing, and that was Josie.
“Samuel, Josie is too weak, but I don’t want her to become stronger. I am used to her vulnerability. I protect her. I want her to be vulnerable forever, so she will always need me. I’ll drive away everyone and everything around her that could make her leave. I’m even willing to snap her wings. I won’t permit her to leave the country. I don’t allow her to take too many exams and competitions to show off her skills… I’m afraid that she would take off and leave me.”
Samuel clenched his fingers and suppressed his anger. He was trembling. “You’re sick!”
“That’s right. I just want to tell you that I’m sick. I’m crazy. You know that very well, don’t you?” Henry closed his eyes. He placed his arm on top of them as tears rolled down his cheeks.
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He could feel pain. He could cry too.
No one ever really cared about him.
Josie loved him very much and treated him well, but had she really thought about what he needed?
He had his faults too. Similarly, he did not know what Josie wanted. That was how they ended up here.
He tried to make up for it, but Josie did not give him a chance.
He felt indignant, but he was also terrified.
He could not lose Josie.
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Samuel got up and walked to the bedside. “Samuel, you and Ashley are the same. She brings up her depression all day long. and now you’re here threatening me with your illness?”
Samuel’s eyes had reddened, too. His emotions were somewhat out of control. “You’re just using our bond with you to emotionally blackmail and exploit Josie and me! What right do you have?”
Samuel wanted to be selfish too. He wanted to toss Henry aside and leave him to fend for himself. Henry could love whoever he wanted and let loose his insanity. He could even end his own life if he so wished!
But Samuel couldn’t do it.
He was quite similar to Josie in this regard. The two could always be easily manipulated by emotions.
“That’s right. I just want to threaten you with my life and have you return Jo to me…” Henry’s voice was hoarse as he delivered a threat that could not be ignored.
“If you insist on competing with me, I swear I really won’t be able to control myself.” For Henry, this was not a threat. He was afraid.
He really could not control himself.
If someone else heard that, it would ce off as a threat.
But Samuel knew that Henry feared himself.
Only Samuel himself and John knew about Henry’s illness.
John was extremely concerned about Henry’s feelings because of his mood disorder.
Samuel was the one who accompanied Henry when the man experienced his worst outburst.
However, Samuel could not understand how John could trust Josie to care for Henry who was so temperamental.