CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: JOSEPHINE, I REALLY LOVE YOU

Nathaniel Gallagher, with a face full of panic and anxiety, rushed over to snatch the phone. He was clearly afraid Josephine Thompson would make a sound.

"Nathaniel, is everything handled? When are you bringing our son to Vessia?"

"..." Josephine heard the voice on the other end, and her heart suddenly choked up.

Nathaniel Gallagher took the opportunity to snatch the phone from her hand and headed straight to the bathroom, "Hey, it’ll be soon, I’ll head over after I’m done here."

"Is everything alright? I’ve been calling you, why weren’t you answering?"

Nathaniel responded vaguely, "No, no, nothing’s wrong. I’m in a meeting right now. I’ll call you back once I’m done!"

"Alright, then!"

Nathaniel quickly said a few words, and hurriedly hung up the phone.

Josephine was thunderstruck, her mind a complete mess, unable to snap back to reality.

She hadn’t heard the voice before!

She always held a sliver of hope, hoping it was a misunderstanding, hoping for a turnaround.

But now, having clearly heard the voice!

The person truly existed.

All her fantasies turned into disillusionment.

Nathaniel Gallagher looked at her with a face full of melancholy and anxiety, "Is this what you wanted?"

"Do you really want both of us to be unhappy?"

Josephine stood there like a wooden statue, her heart slowly sinking into an ice cave.

And then.

She suddenly blacked out, collapsing forward in a state of exhaustion.

Seeing this, Nathaniel Gallagher quickly rushed over a few steps, holding her tightly, "Honey, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!"

He held her so tight, as if once he let go, she would disappear forever!

Josephine fainted for a few minutes before consciousness returned.

She opened her eyes in confusion, looking up at his face. Tears uncontrollably flowed down, drop by drop, falling on his chest.

Nathaniel’s eyes were filled with guilt and pain, and he reached out to wipe her tears, "I’m sorry, I know I deceived you, I deserve to die!"

"Can I make it up to you in other ways?"

He wanted to compensate her with money.

But she was never short of money.

Everything he could offer, she already had. Moreover, she never valued material things.

He also knew that she just wanted a pure and sincere love.

"If you’re willing not to divorce, I’ll still be a good husband as always."

Josephine, her face full of tears, looked at him with a heart ashen, "...And her?"

"She...," Nathaniel paused guiltily for a few seconds.

"Josephine, she had an accident eight years ago and became a vegetable! I thought... I thought she would never wake up again."

Josephine’s heart trembled, she felt even more pained, "So, you married me because of this, didn’t you?"

She always thought.

He had an affair after their marriage.

But she never imagined that she was the other woman.

This was something she couldn’t accept at all.

She would rather be single for life, rather never have a man in her life. She firmly refused to interfere in someone else’s relationship, much less destroy someone else’s love.

"...Josephine, I was also left with no choice. She lay in bed for four years, and I waited for her for four years."

"I really thought she would never wake up, but I never expected she would miraculously wake up last month."

Josephine felt a chill all over, wanting to see through him to understand how heartless he truly was, "What do you plan to do now?"

"I don’t know."

"Give me some time. I will deal with this for sure."

Hearing this, Josephine coldly pushed him away, and gave him a fierce slap, "Pa!"

"Nathaniel Gallagher, I hate you, I hate you to death!"

"Why did you lie to me? Why make me bear the debt of your feelings?"

"And you even made me give birth to your and her child, how could you do this?"

"I’m sorry!" Nathaniel painfully closed his eyes.

If he had known ’she’ would wake up someday,

He would never have done this.

She had lain in bed like a vegetable for eight years, with doctors declaring that there was a very slim chance of her waking up.

In those years she was paralyzed, he sent her to the best nursing home, hired the top care team for her, and the annual care fees alone exceeded a billion.

In his heart, he loved her.

But...

The love that’s been sealed for too long will ultimately be covered by dust.

He was a normal man, he needed a lively wife, needed to live a normal life.

"Get out, I never want to see you again." Josephine broke down in tears, pounding him as she was submerged in pain.

Indeed, the more beautiful something is, the more poisonous it is.

She had once been so grateful to the heavens for giving her such a perfect man.

Now she finally knew.

Underneath the perfect appearance was an abyss.

Nathaniel felt a heart-wrenching pain, tears streaming down as he held her tightly, "Honey, I love you, I really love you, I can’t lose you."

"She will stay in Vessia and won’t return to Audenburg. Can you just pretend she doesn’t exist?"

"Let go, get out!" Josephine’s heart ached, a surge of emotions rising to her throat.

"Cough, cough... cough cough..."

"Don’t get so worked up."

Josephine retched a few times, black fog clouding her vision.

And then, she blacked out again, completely losing consciousness.

"Josephine, Josephine..." Nathaniel called anxiously a couple of times, hurriedly dressing her in clothes, and ordered someone to drive her to the hospital.

...

Audenburg University Hospital.

When she woke up again.

She was already lying on a hospital bed.

Master Thompson and Auntie Lena were by the bedside, looking at her with worried expressions, "Josephine, you’re awake?"

"...Where am I?"

Master Thompson looked at her with concern, "You’re in the hospital now, don’t think about anything, just rest well."

Josephine Thompson took several minutes to finally regain consciousness.

Bitter tears welled up in her eyes.

But seeing her grandfather’s gray hair, she truly didn’t want to worry him over her matters, "Grandfather, I’m sorry for making you worry again!"

The old man wiped his tears, painfully saying, "It’s not your fault, it’s all because of that scoundrel Gallagher."

"...Where’s Nathaniel Gallagher?"

The old man replied with hatred, "He’s in another ward, I heard his wound got infected, and he’s in emergency treatment. It’s better if he dies, so he won’t harm my Josephine anymore."

"..." Josephine held back her tears, unable to say a word.

Now, there’s nothing more to say!

Besides wanting to divorce quickly, she had no other thoughts.

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

"Grandfather, I’m okay, just very tired, don’t worry about me."

"Then take a good rest, grandfather will be here taking care of you."

"Okay." Josephine drowsily closed her eyes again.

She just wanted to block out all the bad things now.

Not letting these rotten people and things affect her mood.

...

The Pinnacle Residence.

Vivian Shaw had been anxious these days, staying home for five days without going out.

Henry Gallagher had been rescued, and the five robbers were caught.

She kept worrying the robbers would give her away.

"What should I do? They’ll definitely give me away!"

"If my brother finds out this is related to me, he definitely won’t forgive me, he’ll definitely..."

The more Vivian thought, the more uneasy she became, feeling utterly distressed.

"Maybe, I should just confess, beg my brother for forgiveness. Maybe he’s already aware, just waiting for me to apologize. Thankfully, Henny didn’t get into big trouble, if I sincerely apologize, my brother will surely forgive me."

"Yes, I’ll do that."

Vivian made up her mind, quickly got up to wash, then changed clothes and went to the hospital.

...

Afternoon.

Nathaniel Gallagher, after waking up, insisted on seeing Josephine Thompson.

"President Gallagher, your wound can’t be delayed any longer!" The nurse’s urging was anxious.

Nathaniel Gallagher covered his bleeding left hand, forcibly pulled out the IV tube in his arm.

His face was pale as paper, cold sweat fell down his jawline, yet he stubbornly walked towards Josephine Thompson’s ward.

"Out of my way, I need to see Josephine."

The doctor and nurse urged him with worried expressions, "President Gallagher, your condition is even more severe than Mrs. Garrison, you must receive proper treatment."

"If treatment is delayed, your left hand could become disabled."

Nathaniel Gallagher seemed not to hear, stumbling as he pushed open the door to Josephine Thompson’s ward.

Inside the ward.

Josephine was resting against the headboard.

Nathaniel suddenly came in.

"Josephine, how are you?"

"Leave, I don’t want to see you." She turned her face away, her voice squeezed from deep in her throat.

Nathaniel didn’t leave, his blood-stained hand bracing on the bed’s edge, "Josephine, I beg you. I’ve arranged everything in Vessia, she’ll continue to stay in the sanatorium, we can return to how things were..."

"Return to how things were?"

Josephine turned abruptly, eyes red yet stubbornly refusing to cry, "You made me a stand-in, made me raise your child, now you say everything can return to how it was like nothing happened?"

"I’m sorry, I..."

Josephine felt desolate, "Leave, I don’t want to see you now."

Nathaniel’s tall and broad frame swayed, his eyes turned crimson.

The nurse hurriedly persuaded him, "President Gallagher, Mrs. Gallagher needs a quiet recovery now, her heart is irregular, she can’t be agitated."

"And, your hand also needs proper treatment. Otherwise, it could become disabled."

"Josephine, please calm down first, once your mood is better, I’ll slowly explain to you."

"If you can’t forgive me, I’ll respect your decision as well."

Nathaniel said desolately, then turned to leave.

He felt equally chaotic now, needing time to calm himself.

Leaving the ward.

Nathaniel walked heavily and dejectedly towards his own ward.

Just reaching the ward door.

Vivian Shaw suddenly appeared, tearful, timidly calling, "Brother."

Nathaniel was stunned, looking at Vivian in confusion.

Only a month of not seeing her, and she was thin and haggard beyond recognition.

"Vivian, what are you doing here?"

Vivian couldn’t hold her tears, "Brother, I’m sorry, please forgive me."

She said, then "thud", knelt straight at Nathaniel’s feet, sobbing bitterly.

"..." Nathaniel was taken aback, looking at her in bewilderment.