Sam eyes widened in surprise. He immediately held Beryl in his arms. He took a glance at Beryl and to
Jacob to whom he cautiously explained, "Don't worry, Mr. Jacob. Maybe Miss Beryl is just king of
estranged of you, considering that it has been a long time since she saw you. I'm sure she will be fine
after a while..."
Sam stopped talking. Before he could finish, Jacob had turned his back and ignored them without even
looking back at them.
Sam's eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. He patted Beryl's back again, trying to coax her once
more to stop the poor little thing from crying. This little girl had been crying ever since she probably met
her father and how her father had treated her cold and indifferent. Sam had been patient all this time,
but he really had to find out soon why Jacob became like this, hoping that the family would once more
be reunited and happy.
Meanwhile, in the VIP ward of the hospital, Jack stared blankly on the wall in front of him. The food on
his bedtop table were starting to get cold and looked barely touched.
Jack's mind was off somewhere. The doctor's words before he was left alone, echoed in his ears,
affecting his mood like a magic spell. "Sir, you had been seriously injured from the accident. I am sorry
to say this, but although the injury is no longer life-threatening as we all hoped, your legs couldn't be
saved and it will be very difficult for you to stand up again."
Bang! The sound of a crash echoed on the room, taking Jack back to reality. He unconsciously let go of
the glass of water he was holding, smashing the cup on the cold tiled floor. He stared at the glass that
was splintered into pieces and wet with drinking water.
His eyes moved to a huge piece of glass just right next to a man's feet, covered with expensive
handmade black leather shoes. The man stepped forward avoiding the glass shards and made heavy
footsteps towards the foot of the bed that was free of broken pieces of glass.
Jack knew without having to look at the man's face and just the shoes, who that man was. He turned
away to the other side of the room, which was a huge glass window with a small potted plant and air
humidifier on the sill. He then said with disgust, "Why are you here, Jacob? Are you here to laugh at
me? Mock me? Cuff me and take me back to jail?"
As if Jack's words never affected him, Jacob looked impassively at Jack. "Sign the contract."
He dropped a contract on Jack's leg. Jack's eyes turned towards the contract and wonderd if Jacob
placed the folder there on purpose to remind him how useless it was now.
Jack's face suddenly turned dark and gloomy when he opened the folder. He stared over the contract
for a while and then turned to look at Jacob with blank but piercing eyes. He asked coldly, "What do
you mean? Is this a compensation? Who do you take me for? A beggar? Really? Are you trying to pay
me off after what you had done to me?"
Jack scoffed and rolled his eyes in disdain. Jacob looked back at him expressionless with obvious of its
indifference. "I'll save you the bother of reading the contract. It entitles you to own money in stock, real
estate, and stock deposits of the company. I believe that amount and the properties it entails will be
enough to spend the rest of your life without worries of the future."
Jack sneered and repeated, "Without worries? Are you hearing yourself?" He muttered those words
over and over again. He started to feel the hype and adrenaline surge over him, making him explode
into a sudden excitement. "Do you think what I've been looking for and lived for all my life is just for
something like this? Of course not! What I want, what I had, are all taken away from me now!"
Jacob's eyes remained emotionless. There wasn't even any hint of pity or guilt in those hollow eyes as
he sneered and replied, "It serves you right."
Jack's eyebrows furrowed into a frown. He felt anger and rage burning inside of him. "All of this is your
fault! You took my career, ruined my reputation, lowered down my status, and you even stole my
beloved woman from me! You! You took that all away from me, and you tell me that I deserve all this?
What the hell did I ever do to you? And now this? You've even made me lose my legs, and let me
become a good-for-nothing as if everything that you had taken from me wasn't enough yet to satisfy
your greed. I really wish that you go to hell, you son of a bitch!"
Despite Jacob's ignorance on Jack's sentiments ever since he came in here, the words "beloved
woman" caught his attention.
His eyes squinted unconsciously and thought, 'I took the woman he loved? Really? Then, can the
woman he was talking about be Emily?
If it is really Emily, then it was no wonder Jack risked his life to save Beryl.'
Because everyone insisted that Jacob was a father to Beryl and a husband to a woman named Emily,
Jacob was convinced that he lost some of his memory. He didn't show this realization in front of Jack
and just ignored his words without replying or uttering a single word.
Jack looked at Jacob, but he couldn't read his expression nor his mind, making his mood anything but
calm. Jack scoffed and chuckled under his breath in mockery. His eyes turned red when he turned to
face Jacob again and asked, "Jacob, why don't you just die? If only you were dead and everyone would
have been happy! You just bring misery to the people around you! Why can't you just leave and hide
yourself where you don't interact with anyone? Why do you have to keep coming back and making
things worse?"
Vicious and evil words didn't faze Jacob at all as if he was used to getting death threats and cruel
words thrown at him, rendering him numb and immune to influence. Finally, his blank eyes turned into a
mocking glance. "Let me remind you that escaping from jail is a felony. If it weren't my daughter you
tried to save, then I would have thrown you back in prison where you could rot forever, considering that
it looks like you wouldn't be able escape anymore in this state. Anyway, I will leave the contract here
and ask someone to pick it up tomorrow. It's up to you if you want to sign it or not. Also, if you want to
die, feel free to do so." Jacob finished, raising his chin up to declare his dominant stand, ready to leave
this room.
"You son of a bitch!" Jack couldn't help it any longer and was not able to control himself. He suddenly
lounged at Jacob and tried to reach for Jacob's neck.
However, he forgot that his legs were so weak and broken that he fell heavily on the ground before he
could even touch Jacob. A few nearby glass shards pierced his skin. Jack winced in pain and looked
terribly awkward and humiliated as he was sprawled on the floor like that.
Jacob didn't even flinch and budge as if he already expected that something like this would happen. He
looked down at him like a noble emperor looking down at a disgusting town criminal even without
looking at Jack with disdain and contempt.
"Such a shame," Jacob commented, making Jack's anger burn once more.
He raised his head and stared back at Jacob still with red eyes. He wished that the earth would just
swallow him alive, but he wasn't going to give Jacob that satisfaction of making him feel powerful. "I
swear to God, Jacob, you are going to pay the price and get what you deserve for all that you have
done to me! You will pay!" Jack howled.
"Well, I'm afraid that you will never succeed. You'll be spending the rest of your life bound to a
wheelchair. If I were you, I would not waste my energy into unnecessary plan of actions." Jacob turned
and didn't look back at him again, not even waiting for a response as if Jack was just a mere nobody.
Jack glared at the back of Jacob until he went out of the door as if his stare would shoot laser and
would kill Jacob. He did not move his eyes, and it stayed on the closed door for a long time, his mind
once again lost in oblivion. It was only until the medical staff came and placed him back on the bed and
treated his cuts from the glass shards was he ultimately returned to reality.
The staff left as soon as Jack was treated. Jack laid on the bed on his back, feeling pain everywhere
but mostly tired from everything that had happened in his life in the past few days. He recalled the last
time he laid on a very comfortable bed and closed his eyes. His lips were formed in a straight line.
He heaved a deep sigh in his heart. 'My legs… It has stopped functioning and cannot be cured at all. I
can't stand or walk anymore. I have become a disabled person. I have become useless.
Who would like such a thing? Even I dislike such a state.
Now that I think about it, is this my retribution? For placing Jacob in a car accident… For forcing Emily
to drive down the cliff… Am I being punished because of all that? If so, I have tasted the bitter fruit of
my own actions.'
Still, anger and hatred surged through Jack at the thought of Jacob. He hated him so much that
thoughts of killing Jacob always crossed his mind like clockwork.
Even then, he didn't regret losing his legs to save Beryl, because this was the last thing he could do for
Emily.
'I'm sorry, Emily. I managed to protect your daughter. But I don't think I can come to your rescue now.
I am too weak now, and I don't think that I can save you, but don't worry. You won't be needing me
anymore.
I know that Jacob will save you and make you happy, while I am just a poor guy wishing for your
happiness.' A tear rolled down Jack's face, and not long after, he was off to dreamland.
Meanwhile, after leaving the hospital, Jacob didn't return to the company or even head home. Instead,
he went directly to a very private and luxurious medical institute.
As soon as he entered the double doors, he was immediately accomodated for. He was led into the
office of one of the many renowned doctors in this place. A senior professional attended to him
instantly and to whom Jacob mentioned his concern. Jacob then was checked in the laboratory filled
with expensive equipment of high end technology and was then asked to wait in the office once more.
After a few minutes, the doctor came in with the results on his hand. He sat on the head of a U-shaped
arrangement of chairs where Jacob sat on his right. Jacob patiently waited for the doctor to be settled
in before he asked what his diagnosis was. "Mr. Gu, it turns out that you did lose a part of your memory.
It's also strange, because it was a man-made intervention and not from an accident on the head. Do
you know if you asked for some part of your memory to be erased? If not, you probably have to be
cautious of the people around you if these memories were taken from you against your will, but as a
doctor, my primary concern now is if you are sure that you want to restore the memory that you have
lost. The procedure may not be difficult but..."
The doctor trailed on about the procedure that was about to be done if Jacob was to choose. He wasn't
listening anymore as a gentle face of a woman appeared vaguely on his mind. It was blurry, but
obvious that it was a woman, and Jacob wanted to see that face clearly. The mist was blocking his
clear vision.
There was a strong desire of wanting to know who this woman was inside of his head.
'Is it the Emily that everyone talked about? Is she the woman that I had forgotten?' he thought.
"I want to restore all my memories," Jacob suddenly stated, interrupting the doctor from explaining the
details of the procedure.
Besides, whatever the procedure was, Jacob already made the decision.
The expert was stunned and immediately knew that Jacob wasn't listening to his explanation of the
risks of the procedure. Then again, medical professionals were trained to be patient. He then repeated,
"There is a certain risk, and some unknown sequelae may occur. Are you really determined to continue
on with this?"
Jacob nodded and answered with a determined "Yes". He never once regretted the decisions he had
made. "Very well," the expert said and led him back into the laboratory for the procedure.
He laid in bed and was given general anesthesia, so that he would be unconscious throughout the
treatment.
He closed his eyes as he waited for the anesthesia to kick in and make him fall asleep. The blurry and
vague image of a woman appeared into his head one last time before his mind flew to dreamland.
After such a long time, Jacob finally woke up. The ceiling now was different from where he was hours
ago in the laboratory. His mind processed and recalled what he was dreaming about during the
procedure.
He remembered seeing the vague image of the woman as clear as day now, and she was just as
beautiful as he had imagined her to be.
Then again, there were other parts of that memory lost and erased that made Jacob furrow his
eyebrows and forehead wrinkled as if he seemed to have dreamt of something unpleasant.
"Mr. Gu, were there memories restored now? Memories that weren't there before?" The expert asked
with great concern. This procedure was new, and the chances of it working were actually low. 'This is
only the first step to wake up your memory. If it doesn't work..."
"Of course, it works," Jacob interuppted. He looked at the doctor and then back at the ceiling in front of
him. His eyes flashed a sly light, and he scoffed, "I remember everything now, and the dots are finally
connecting. That's why I always feel like I lost something, because I really did lose pieces of the whole
puzzle."
The doctor then went on about the next steps, but Jacob's mind was off somewhere else again. He
finally knew who Emily was.
The memory that was restored in his mind told him that Emily was his enemy, a vicious woman.
The doctor then went on about the next steps, but Jacob's mind was off somewhere else again. He
finally knew who Emily was.
The memory that was restored in his mind told him that Emily was his enemy, a vicious woman.
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