Chapter 677
Chapter 677
Chapter 677 It Wasn’t Him
I wanted to explain myself, but then, I remembered the hurtful words that I had blurted out in the afternoon. Before, I told Ezekiel that I only trusted him and Shawn. But this afternoon, I assured Robert that only Shawn and he were most important to me.
Besides, I also made a lot of other upsetting remarks.
"Ms. Felix, you don't have to feel guilty. I know that Robert deliberately got you to say that to upset me. Besides, you don't need to worry about—"
Ezekiel paused for a moment and continued, "You don't need to worry about how I feel. I won't misunderstand you. I understand."
He said he understood.
I drooped my head, feeling a bit bitter in my heart.
"I want to say that Robert brought it upon himself."
"Do you think I injured him?" asked Ezekiel.
I replied honestly, "Yes, I figured it was probably you, but I believe that he brought it upon himself. Yet, it still hurts my heart. I can't bear to see him hurt or getting upset. Robert is a rather pitiful person."
Not only was Robert pitiful, but he had no grasp of social norms or worldly matters.
Ezekiel's voice turned icy all of a sudden. "It's not me."
"What?"
"I have no intention of letting him get away with it, but his injury this time has nothing to do with me. Even if he hadn't been injured this time, I would have sent someone to take care of him. But since he's injured, I'll let him off for now." His voice remained icy. Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
I didn't expect that Ezekiel had nothing to do with Robert's injury.
Who did it then?
"Ezekiel, even if you did something to Robert, I can understand it because he started it."
Ezekiel went silent. I held the phone tightly without speaking too, but I didn't hang up either. I stood up and walked to the other end of the corridor, where I could see the moon. It was a rare clear night in Bryxton.
Finally, I spoke. "There's the moon tonight."
Only then did Ezekiel reply, "Ms. Felix, you keep saying that Robert brought it upon himself, but you also mentioned that you couldn't bear to see him hurt or getting upset. So, what are you trying to convey? You want to pacify me, but at the same time, you don't want me to hurt him. Is that correct?"
I was speechless.
Indeed, I wanted peace.
But it was hard for me to find a balance in all of this.
"Ms. Felix, although I shouldn't be lecturing you about anything, I want to tell you that liking someone doesn't mean losing oneself. I don't want you to be in a difficult position or to compromise. I once asked you about what to do if someone hurts me, and you told me to retaliate. I firmly believe in that and naturally follow through with it!"
I wonted to exploin myself, but then, I remembered the hurtful words thot I hod blurted out in the ofternoon. Before, I told Ezekiel thot I only trusted him ond Shown. But this ofternoon, I ossured Robert thot only Shown ond he were most importont to me.
Besides, I olso mode o lot of other upsetting remorks.
"Ms. Felix, you don't hove to feel guilty. I know thot Robert deliberotely got you to soy thot to upset me. Besides, you don't need to worry obout—"
Ezekiel poused for o moment ond continued, "You don't need to worry obout how I feel. I won't misunderstond you. I understond."
He soid he understood.
I drooped my heod, feeling o bit bitter in my heort.
"I wont to soy thot Robert brought it upon himself."
"Do you think I injured him?" osked Ezekiel.
I replied honestly, "Yes, I figured it wos probobly you, but I believe thot he brought it upon himself. Yet, it still hurts my heort. I con't beor to see him hurt or getting upset. Robert is o rother pitiful person."
Not only wos Robert pitiful, but he hod no grosp of sociol norms or worldly motters.
Ezekiel's voice turned icy oll of o sudden. "It's not me."
"Whot?"
"I hove no intention of letting him get owoy with it, but his injury this time hos nothing to do with me. Even if he hodn't been injured this time, I would hove sent someone to toke core of him. But since he's injured, I'll let him off for now." His voice remoined icy.
I didn't expect thot Ezekiel hod nothing to do with Robert's injury.
Who did it then?
"Ezekiel, even if you did something to Robert, I con understond it becouse he storted it."
Ezekiel went silent. I held the phone tightly without speoking too, but I didn't hong up either. I stood up ond wolked to the other end of the corridor, where I could see the moon. It wos o rore cleor night in Bryxton.
Finolly, I spoke. "There's the moon tonight."
Only then did Ezekiel reply, "Ms. Felix, you keep soying thot Robert brought it upon himself, but you olso mentioned thot you couldn't beor to see him hurt or getting upset. So, whot ore you trying to convey? You wont to pocify me, but ot the some time, you don't wont me to hurt him. Is thot correct?"
I wos speechless.
Indeed, I wonted peoce.
But it wos hord for me to find o bolonce in oll of this.
"Ms. Felix, olthough I shouldn't be lecturing you obout onything, I wont to tell you thot liking someone doesn't meon losing oneself. I don't wont you to be in o difficult position or to compromise. I once osked you obout whot to do if someone hurts me, ond you told me to retoliote. I firmly believe in thot ond noturolly follow through with it!"
"Ezekiel, I'm sorry. The things I said this afternoon were just to appease Robert. I didn't really mean them—"
He interrupted, "You always try to appease everyone but end up hurting everyone."
Those words struck me deeply.
"I—"
"Ms. Felix, you should be glad that I study psychology and understand your every move. I was aware that your comfort toward Robert was only perfunctory. But what if it was someone else who heard that? They could have misunderstood you. Besides, even though I know that you didn't mean it, as the person involved… I'm sorry. I don't want to say anything too hurtful that could upset you. Let's end this matter here. I hope that you'll think about what is the right thing to do and understand that lying to appease someone is just an escape from reality."
Upon saying that, Ezekiel hung up the phone.
I suddenly felt overwhelmed and took a few deep breaths, but I still felt heavy in my chest. My body seemed to be permeated by exhaustion.
Why was dealing with relationships so tiring?
Right at this moment, I missed Shawn.
Being with him was always the most relaxed.
When I returned to the hospital room, Robert was already asleep. I arranged for two caregivers to take care of him. Then, I went downstairs, about to leave the hospital.
Unexpectedly, I saw Robina at the hospital entrance.
"Robina, why are you here?"
I didn't call her Petala anymore.
She turned to me. Her cheeks were still a little chubby, and her round eyes were very cute. "I heard everything just now."
Did she hear the conversation between Robert and me?
When did she start listening to our conversation?!
"Mike killed my father indeed, and I've known about it all along. But I don't blame him because my father… was a demon. He didn't deserve to be a father. He tortured and abused me. Mike happened to come across that and killed him, thus saving me."
I never expected the truth to be this.
Letting out a deep sigh, Robina continued, "Robert is right. I'll always work for Mike in this lifetime. Mike and I share the same background, and we can empathize with each other. It's a feeling that you'll never be able to understand, Ms. Felix. You can never understand Mike's past. Mike... and the way you treat him... I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking nonsense like this. As for what Robert said earlier about Doe. Yeah, Doe has nothing to do with him."
"That's not what Robert meant—"
"I've always known that Robert doesn't love me. Ms. Felix, you don't have to comfort me. I've long been used to it."
Robina's expression was indifferent.
And her indifference seemed to have existed for many years.
"Well, Robert doesn't quite understand social conventions yet. Anyway, you came here to visit him, right? His health has never been good, and he needs someone to be by his side. Robina, why don't
you go and see him?"
Robina remained silent, so I asked with concern, "Do you not want to see him? Is it because of what he just said? It's up to you."
I didn't want to bother with these things anymore.
I left the hospital.
Instead of heading back to Felix's Villa, I took a taxi back to my own apartment. I lay tiredly on the bed, feeling mentally exhausted.
I wondered why I felt so weary.
I picked up my phone and checked the time.
Shawn should have arrived in Finland by now.
Nevertheless, I wasn't sure whether he had reached Espoo yet.
I put down my phone. Just as I was about to fall asleep, May called me. "Ree, Alfred will be arriving in Finland tomorrow. I'm on my way back to Bryxton since I have nothing to do in Iceland. I'm in the middle of a layover now. It will probably take another ten or so hours before I reach Bryxton."
"Aren't you going to Finland with him?"
"He did ask, but my teahouse is still operating. I want to return early and manage the teahouse. By the way, my wrist is gradually getting better and more flexible. The doctor said that I'll be able to paint again after some more training."
"May, that's wonderful!" I exclaimed in delight.
"I've always thought of myself as a useless existence. Painting allows me to regain confidence. That's the only talent I have."
"Why would you say that? You're quite outstanding compared to most people. You have a great personality and such upright values. It's just a matter of being born into a humble background. I understand that you've been struggling with feelings of inferiority, but it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things." I wanted to reassure her.
"I wasn't so insecure before, but the man I'm with is too outstanding. That's why I want to become exceptional myself. Painting is the only thing I'm good at, and it's the avenue through which I can change myself. Perhaps only by achieving some small accomplishments in this field can I feel less inferior."
I sympathized with her and responded, "But the most important thing is the relationship itself, isn't it?