During the darkest time in my life, I felt depressed because Anthony was absent when I needed him the most. I didn’t feel any better even though many people cared about me, to a certain extent that I was reluctant to mention his name for a long time.
Back then, Anthony was overwhelmed by vengeance. Despite the possibility of falling into a trap, he willingly risked his life to seek revenge and neglected the baby and me.
Since we had eventually walked out of the bitter past together, I believed we ought not to be entangled in it ever again.
“Needless to say, Rylee was the one who took care of you for two months. That was why you wanted to repay her kindness by agreeing to marry her.” I put on a faint smile and teased him.
Upon hearing that, Anthony shrugged and didn’t answer my question directly. “Well, it’s not the whole story. She always cried and even threatened to commit suicide, and I wasn’t strong-willed enough to reject her. Besides, I had no other choice because I owed Parker. Anyway, since we were only engaged, any of us could back out anytime.”
“Hmph—” I snorted in disdain and said sarcastically, “Well, it seems that I lost back then because I wasn’t coquettish enough.”
“It’s not too late to try it now.” Anthony narrowed his eyes and put on a naughty grin.
I waved my hand in response and turned around to leave the room. “Forget it. Mr. Featherstone, if you’re so nostalgic about the good old days, feel free to look for your old friend. After all, Rylee will be more than happy to take you in.”
I couldn’t help but spurt out some rancorous rant once we talked about Rylee.
Fortunately, our conversation ended because Anthony didn’t respond to it.
Surprisingly, Joseph was already in the living room when I came out. It appeared that he had been waiting for quite some time.
My eyes darted from him and the wardrobe at the back. After a while, I said expressionlessly, “Have you heard everything?”
At that moment, Joseph only lowered his head but did not speak.
I was irritated when he refused to answer me at the wrong time.
As such, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and said with a stern face, “You might not want to listen to me, but I’ll make it clear anyway. Your boss and I are a family. Please don’t keep things as secrets from me as though you are wary of an outsider. Get it?”
Usually, I wasn’t naggy and wouldn’t continue to ask something that I wasn’t supposed to know. However, since Joseph always kept things from me, I couldn’t help but confront him directly.
“Got it!” Joseph replied with his head high. Besides, he was only gazing at the ceiling instead of me.
Although Joseph had answered me, I still felt that it was rather weird. Is he trying to play games with me? Could it be that he promises me now but intends to only follow Anthony’s orders as usual?
“You—”
“What Mrs. Featherstone wants is what I want.”
As I wanted to threaten Joseph, Anthony suddenly came up to me. At that time, he looked gentle with his casual outfit and loose hair.
Since Joseph didn’t respond, Anthony added, “From now on, you have to tell Mrs. Featherstone everything that she wants to know.
Hearing that, I felt a sense of relief and held my head high.
Joseph looked at Anthony for a while and turned to me. The next moment, he stood straight and saluted us. “Understood!”
Bang! When Joseph suddenly stepped on the floor with his leather shoes, I was frightened and patted my chest to calm myself down.
Before I came to my senses, Joseph put on a stern face and explained, “Mr. Featherstone was wounded because Mr. Moore shot him. Back then, Mr. Moore shot Mr. Featherstone in his knee, hoping to fulfill his daughter’s wish to marry Mr. Featherstone. Mr. Moore even threatened to put a bullet in Mrs. Featherstone’s belly if Mr. Featherstone refused to marry Ms. Lorraine—”
“Shut up!”
The room fell silent instantly, and Anthony’s expression turned grim.
“I asked you to tell Mrs. Featherstone things that she wants to know. It doesn’t mean that you have to confess everything on your own.”
At that time, I could imagine that Anthony asked himself why his long-time assistant suddenly had a low IQ.
Sometimes, one could see things clearer from an outsider’s perspective. Although Joseph was probably not good at words, he cared about Anthony and remained silent as Anthony bore the unpleasant past for a long time. Now that there was a chance to speak up, Joseph decided to use the opportunity to let me know the truth.
Meanwhile, I hoped that Joseph would reveal secrets in the heat of the moment more frequently.
“Forget it. Leave us alone.” Anthony cast a cold glance at Joseph and sent him away.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Featherstone,” Joseph lowered his head and said in a deep voice before leaving the house.
Nonetheless, I could see his visible smile once he lifted his head.
He’s indeed Anthony’s subordinate. It looks like Joseph has become braver lately and even dared play a trick on us.
Meanwhile, Anthony murmured, “How unruly! It’s time to recruit a new assistant to make him more vigilant.”
Initially, I thought that Anthony was irritated. However, when I looked up at him, he was neither angry nor delighted. On the contrary, he looked gentle in his pajamas and slightly messy hairstyle.
Unknowingly, I pursed my lips and smiled. It’s not that Joseph had become bolder. Instead, time has ground away Anthony’s anger and softened his heart.
John was the one who helped me out of depression back then. On the other hand, Anthony’s salvation came a bit too late.
After pondering over it, I thought it was better late than never. After all, many people were entrenched in their toxic mindset and couldn’t escape from it. In comparison, both of us were considered lucky to be blessed by God.
Meanwhile, Anthony felt a little uneasy and embarrassed as I stared at him. Nevertheless, he pretended to be cold and said, “Joseph is aging and suffering from memory problems. I don’t blame him.”
It seemed to me that Anthony had acquired another skill acquired by most married men—lying through their teeth.
I crossed my arms, behaving like I wouldn’t let him go until I got an answer. Then, I narrowed my eyes and glared at him as though I was telling him that I wouldn’t believe his nonsense.
After scanning me from head to toe, Anthony rested his forehead on his palm and laughed aloud. “I can’t hide anything from you now.”
Anthony then placed his arms on his waist and heaved a long sigh. Then, he beckoned at me with his finger smilingly and said, “I’ll tell you everything. Come here.”
Knowing that I got my way, I wasn’t in a rush and refused to do as he said right away. Instead, I merely raised my eyebrows and shrugged. I wouldn’t move an inch if he didn’t give me a satisfying answer.
In the end, Anthony had no choice but to explain everything.
“On the same day you were abducted, there was a guest in Rylee’s birthday party who knew my parents’ whereabouts. Since he left the party midway, I rushed over but was ambushed. The Moore family’s subordinates rescued me.”
Anthony paused for a while and continued, “Back then, Dad thought Rylee was his biological daughter, and so he wanted me to get engaged with Rylee to repay him. He felt humiliated after I refused. When I was about to leave, he shot me in the left knee with a gun. Hence, I had no choice but to rest in the Moore residence under their surveillance.”
Although Anthony remained composed, I noticed that he instinctively moved his body a bit as he talked.
Perhaps worrying that I wouldn’t believe him, Anthony added, “My knee was shot, but the nerves on my leg were not injured. Since Dad loved his daughter so much, he wouldn’t be heartless enough to cripple me. That is also why I can still stand and walk before you now. After that, problems came one after another, and your emotions were rather volatile. Hence, I chose not to bring it up for the time being.”
With that, Anthony went on in a self-mocking manner. “Since I brought everything upon myself, I wouldn’t mind if I were to become a cripple. At the very least, I can treat it as my redemption.”
Immediately, I knew that he wished to seek redemption for our first kid—Macy.
It was perhaps true that Anthony was stubborn and obsessed with seeking revenge. However, no one knew that Anthony was under immense torture deep down.
Also, no one could foresee the terrible consequences that a wrong decision could bring about to others. Since we had come so far, I believed God wanted us to cherish our future instead of punishing ourselves with the past.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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