CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53: YES, I’M CRAZY, NATHANIEL GALLAGHER—DIE, DIE, DIE

Vivian was overwhelmed with grief, sobbing uncontrollably, "...sob... I’m sorry, brother, I really didn’t mean to, I..."

Nathaniel Gallagher looked shocked, hurriedly squatting down to help her up, "Let’s get you up first, stop crying, what exactly happened?"

"Brother, I... I..." Vivian Shaw’s throat felt like it was stuffed with razor blades, making it hard to speak.

She dared not tell her brother.

She had spiked his bowl, hoping to be with him. Unexpectedly, it all backfired terribly.

All because of that bowl of chicken soup.

"Get up first, don’t cry, tell me what’s up, I’ll back you up," Nathaniel said heartachingly, reaching to wipe her tears.

She was already frail and petite, weighing only over 70 pounds.

Having not seen each other for a month, she was likely under 70 pounds now. Like an underdeveloped high schooler, a puff of wind could probably blow her over, his heart ached watching her.

"Brother, I... I was wrong!" Vivian cried like pear blossoms in rain, initially wanting to confess.

But seeing Nathaniel’s bemused expression, it was clear he still didn’t know she had provided the robbers with critical information.

Since her brother was unaware, why should she confess?

Nathaniel tried to help her up with concern, "The ground’s cold, get up now, we’ll talk about it slowly!"

Vivian’s nose twitched, her mind spinning, "Brother, I’m sorry, I came back from Arcadia without telling you."

"I know you meant well, wanting me to toughen up in Arcadia. But I just couldn’t handle their work environment and lifestyle. I lost nearly 10 pounds in just half a month. If I stayed longer, I’d die!"

"So, I sneaked back, would you blame me? Sob sob sob..."

Hearing this, Nathaniel touched her palm-sized face tenderly, "... Silly girl, if you really didn’t want to go, you didn’t have to. No need to kneel and cry like this, I thought something big had happened!"

"Don’t cry, get up now!"

Assured he wasn’t really mad.

Vivian breathed a little easier, weakly and pitifully threw herself into his arms, crying like a child who had been beaten, "Brother, brother, sob sob sob!"

Nathaniel sighed, patting her head, "Alright, stop crying, silly girl."

"As long as you’re not mad, I’m relieved. Brother, I really missed you, I was so scared you’d be angry and ignore me forever." Vivian clung tightly to him, crying with grievance, her fragility evident.

"Brother isn’t mad at you, seeing you looking so haggard makes me feel bad too." Nathaniel held her, helping her up.

Faced with such a weak, helpless, weeping little girl.

What man wouldn’t want to be her protector?

Vivian still refused to let go, looking at his wound with tearful eyes, crying loudly again, "Brother, are you hurt? How did you get hurt? Is it serious?"

"It’s nothing, nothing!"

She kept crying, he could only patiently comfort her!

"Brother, how could you be so careless? Don’t you know I’d worry? Let me take a look!"

Vivian clung to his arm, taking a look and crying out, then taking another look, crying even louder.

"I’m really fine, silly girl stop crying, you’re breaking your brother’s heart here."

In the hospital corridor.

Josephine Thompson watched coldly, feeling nothing but disgust, a sharp pain in her head.

Ha, men.

Always taking and exploiting.

Typical one-on-one while keeping others on standby.

"Ruby, go handle the discharge procedures!"

Ruby looked worried, "President Thompson, the doctor said you need to stay in the hospital for two days, please listen to the doctor!"

Josephine Thompson’s face was tense, heading towards the elevator, "Go do it! I’ve gotten much better, no need to waste time hospitalized."

"Oh, alright!"

Upon hearing her, Nathaniel hastily let go of Vivian, rushing forward to stop her, "Josephine, where are you going?"

"Your health is weak, you can’t leave the hospital."

Josephine forcefully shook his arm off, slapping him with a swing, "Slap!"

"Get your filthy hands off me, don’t touch me!"

Nathaniel looked helpless but still intensely affectionate, "... Josephine, I sincerely worry about your health. Wait until you’re better, okay?"

Josephine gazed at him, cold and detached, "Take care of yourself, don’t fuss over me. Please appear in court on the 5th of next month."

"Nathaniel Gallagher, I’ve gathered enough evidence. If you still refuse to divorce, I won’t hesitate to expose everything."

After speaking, she turned to leave.

This time, if he still refused to divorce in court.

Then she would expose his deceitful marriage and the grave physical and mental harm he had caused her.

Of course, each of these allegations would be a national scandal. She didn’t want to resort to this unless absolutely necessary.

After all, the Thompson family’s reputation is everything.

Nathaniel couldn’t rest easy about her discharge, immediately blocking her path again, "Josephine, don’t be reckless okay? Anger is one thing, but don’t joke with your health."

Josephine, overwhelmed, lashed out at him, "Get away from me, don’t touch me!"

"Hiss..." Nathaniel winced in pain, cold sweat breaking out as his wound was hit.

Burning up with a fever, he stumbled a bit, struggling to stand.

Seeing this, Vivian rushed to assist, "Josephine Thompson, what are you doing? Don’t you see my brother is injured? How can you be so rough with him?"

"Get lost!" Josephine’s disgust was palpable.

She just wanted to leave this place quickly, far away from Nathaniel and Vivian, never to be involved again.

Vivian choked back a sob, "How dare you swear at people?"

Josephine glared coldly, "If you don’t move, I’ll get physical."

Tears gushed from Vivian’s eyes, and she immediately complained to Nathaniel, "Brother, look at her! She’s always so rough and bullying."

Nathaniel’s head spun, still trying to keep calm, "Josephine, please be good, go back to your room, alright?"

After saying that, he instinctively went to hold her.

"Slap!" A sharp sound.

Josephine glared at him with complete loathing, delivering another slap without hesitation.

Nathaniel’s face inclined briefly, then returned upright, his tone pained yet allowing, "Go on, keep hitting, until you’re no longer angry."

"Hitting you would only dirty my hands," Josephine said coldly, turning towards the elevator.

"You can’t be discharged until the doctor confirms it. I won’t allow you to leave!"

Josephine Thompson felt a choke in her chest, angrily pushing him, "Nathaniel Gallagher, get lost, don’t block my way!"

Seeing this, Vivian immediately stepped forward to hold her arm, "What are you doing? Can’t you see how your brother looks now? How can you bear to hit him?"

"Josephine, you’re too rough!"

"Go die." Just hearing Vivian’s voice made Josephine uncomfortable. She turned around and slapped her again.

"Ah!" Vivian screamed.

Then, covering her face, she trembled and hid in Nathaniel’s arms.

"Brother!"

Seeing this, Nathaniel frowned tightly, "Josephine, you can hit me however you want, but you can’t hit her."

"Both of you get out of my way!" Josephine, overcome with emotion, was filled with anger.

She grabbed the cylindrical stainless steel trash can by the elevator and started smashing it at the two of them.

"Go to hell!"

Vivian, being smaller, got hit on the head by the trash can and was immediately knocked to the ground, "Ugh, brother... brother..."

"Bang bang--"

She was hit heavily a couple more times, screaming continuously.

Nathaniel hurriedly shielded her behind him, "Josephine, have you gone mad?"

Josephine swung the trash can again, hitting him hard, for the first time losing control in a hysterical breakdown, "I am mad, Nathaniel, you go die, die, die--"

"Dong--don don--"

Nathaniel got hit hard a few times, but he remained standing.

The last hit landed on his head, "Bang!"

Blood trickled down the side of his face.

Vivian and a few nurses nearby were terrified, "Mrs. Gallagher, stop hitting, please."

"Uh..." Nathaniel felt dizzy, stumbled a couple of steps, and his tall, sturdy body fell forward.

"Brother, President Gallagher!"

Vivian and the nurses rushed to support him.

"Thump!" Nathaniel fell heavily to the ground, his vision darkened, losing consciousness.

"Brother, brother, wake up."

The nurses hurriedly brought over a wheelchair, "Quick, take the President back to the ward."

Josephine felt a jolt in her chest, her out-of-control emotions coming back to sanity slightly.

She put down the trash can, feeling a slight release of the oppressive anger in her heart.

"Ding!"

The elevator opened slowly.

Without looking back, she entered the elevator and closed the door.

Now, she just wanted to get as far away as possible.

Before the court session on the 5th of next month, she didn’t want to see Nathaniel Gallagher again.

...

Left the hospital.

She felt somewhat aimless, the sun making her feel dizzy.

She felt lightheaded and instinctively squatted on a stone block by the road to relieve it.

About ten minutes later.

Ruby finished the discharge procedures and hurried out.

"President Thompson, are you okay? You look very pale."

Josephine exhaled heavily, trying to calm and adjust her emotions, "I’m fine, just a bit dizzy."

"So where to now?"

"...Back to The Antiquarian Market!"

"President Thompson, is your body okay for this?"

"No problem, let’s go!"

"Oh, okay, I’ll get the car."

A short while later.

Ruby drove the car over.

Josephine opened the car door and got in.

Ruby started the car and drove towards The Antiquarian Market.

Josephine leaned against the car seat, closing her eyes to rest.

The car hadn’t been driving long.

"Buzz buzz buzz..."

The phone vibrated.

She lazily pulled out her phone to take a look; it was a message from Jamila Jacobs.

She opened it to see.

Jamila sent a photo, along with a screenshot of a newspaper with an interview news article.

Josephine clicked on the photo to take a look.

It was a picture of Nathaniel Gallagher with a woman.

They seemed to be attending a ribbon-cutting event.

Nathaniel was in a suit, smiling gentlemanly. The woman was young and beautiful, spirited and radiant.

"...Is this Vivian Shaw?"

Looking closer, it wasn’t Vivian Shaw.

The woman’s features resembled Vivian’s by about sixty to seventy percent, with almond-shaped eyes, a small upturned nose, and a sharp chin.

However, the woman in the photo looked much healthier, more vibrant, with a much better temperament than Vivian Shaw.