Chapter 1025
In the end, Carol could only nod. All her comfort and status had come from her husband and son. Now, with her son on the verge of being taken away, the only thing she could do was obey her husband in everything. Those four words – obey her husband completely – were now etched deeply into her mind. She understood where her fortune came from, and that was precisely why she clung to it so tightly.
Julian didn’t resist at all as Carol led him upstairs. In that moment, all he could think was how fake she was. She had agreed to let Albert hand him over, and now she was the one begging Grace for a few more days? Julian couldn’t even figure her out anymore. But none of that mattered now. All he needed to know was that from this day forward, he would live for himself.
After bringing him upstairs, Carol sat with him in the room for a long time. Guilt gnawed at her, but more than that, she felt helpless. She held Julian’s hand and sat beside him. “Julian, this is all our fault. If you do end up in prison, please… take care of yourself.” She promised again and again, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure someone sends you things. I won’t let you suffer in there.” Julian said nothing, his face blank and vacant, his eyes unfocused as he stared into the distance. No one could tell what he was looking at. Was he memorizing the look on his mother’s face as she repeated those hollow reassurances? Or was he reluctant to part with the home he’d lived in for over twenty years? All Julian could do was sneer silently in his heart. He hadn’t realized until now just how much of a joke he really was. In over twenty years, he hadn’t even made any meaningful memories in this house. He remembered seeing his parents argue when he was younger, but at the time, he’d been too naive – he’d assumed he’d imagined it. He’d even believed that his parents had a good relationship until today when he witnessed his father lashing out at his mother with such venom. Turned out, this house had always been like this. It never changed. A mother who refused to divorce. A father who resorted to violence.
Julian watched as Carol busied herself packing his things, and all he felt was ridicule. He was going to prison – what was there to pack? As she worked, Carol kept rambling on. “The weather’s cold, make sure to dress warmly. Get along with the people over there. Don’t try to act tough. Just do what you’re supposed to do, that’s enough…” Julian’s expression stayed cold from beginning to end. Since they’d already decided to give him up, why bother saying so much now? He didn’t understand it, but he didn’t say a word either. If someone wanted to pack for him, let them. As far as he was concerned, from this day forward, he and the Hayes family were done. Whatever connection they once had was over.
Once Carol ran out of things to say, she reluctantly returned to her room. The moment she walked in, she jumped in surprise. Albert was already sitting inside. “You scared me. Why are you sitting here in the dark?” she muttered. Albert lifted a hand, stopping her from turning on the light. He pulled her close, his voice low and secretive. “Did that boy say anything?”