This whole scenario seemed like a dream to Jacob. Never had he imagined that this sort of thing would
happen to him. He paused for a few seconds because his throat suddenly felt sore.
"I didn't understand what that meant back then. So instead of worrying about it, I just nodded. He must
have been very sad at that time. I can't even imagine the pain he must have felt."
Hot tears welled up in Jacob's eyes. It is often said that men don't cry. This however, didn't apply
whenever they were very sad. There is a level of sadness that could make a man immediately start
shedding tears. Now he understood what that meant. He was experiencing it firsthand.
"I'm sorry, Jacob. It's all my fault. Assuming I didn't misbehave, we wouldn't have to suffer like this for
the rest of our lives. My bad actions got us into this dilemma. I know my brother hated me. But he
forgave me and gave me the courage to move on with my life."
James sobbed like a child who was just spanked by his mother. He buried his face in his hands and
wailed loudly. If the tears that rolled down from his eyes weren't convincing enough that he was really
repentant, there was no other way he could express what he was feeling. James' heart was really
heavy with guilt.
The people he held dear to his heart had become the greatest pain in his life overnight.
James had a miserable fate. All his life he had always been very unlucky. Things didn't seem to go well
for him. And his happiness never lasted. It was hard for anyone to accept that the woman that they
loved was now their brother's wife. James had suffered a lot as he watched the love of his life be by his
brother's side.
What saddened him the most was that their son had become someone else's son. For so many years,
everything that James did was just to atone for his sin. He felt very guilty and every step he took was to
make amends for the atrocity that he committed.
He tried so hard to wash his sins away. Although these acts of restitution couldn't get rid of all the guilt,
it was enough for him to have a moment of peace in his heart. Those actions temporarily satisfied his
hunger for tranquility.
Jacob stared at James with wide eyes. He was obviously shocked by the sudden outburst of tears. He
had never seen him in such a countenance before. At that moment, he was totally bewildered by the
fact that such an elderly man was crying like a baby. Although Jacob knew that the man wailing in front
of him was his biological father. He couldn't bring himself to start calling him Dad.
Since Jacob was still a little boy, he had always known this crying old man as Uncle James. Sadly he
would have to continue calling him that despite the recent revelation. At that moment, Jacob's heart
ached. He wasn't particularly happy about it.
"Uncle James, let bygones be bygones. Let's put all that happened in the past behind us. My father will
forgive you from heaven. He knows all the efforts you made to apologize for so many years. I know that
he would be proud of you."
Jacob said soothing words just to console James. But this only made him sob louder than before. The
old man's body continued to shake as he cried uncontrollably. This was his mistake and he had to carry
the guilt with him for the rest of his life.
Even though his son called another man his father, he had to bear all that despite the immeasurable
pain that he felt.
This was just the reality. People could always bear the pains and suffering that life brought them. But
whether they would collapse because of the hardship was another story entirely.
Giving up was easy. But what would they do after they gave up? Jacob was confused as regards what
step to take next. Could his life become peaceful in the future? Would life bring him good tidings?
This uncertainty was what saddened him the most at the moment. He didn't give a damn about the
chaos caused by Alice. In fact, he felt like everything she was doing was just a farce. So he didn't
stress over it.
But Jacob had to focus on this discovery. If he didn't investigate the issue, James would probably keep
it as a secret forever. James would choose to bear the pain silently. Perhaps he would have decided to
take the secret to his grave.
Of course, Jacob didn't think he could help James if he confided in him. Some pains couldn't be healed
just by sharing. Nevertheless, he could show James that he would always respect him. And the respect
wouldn't just be because of their blood connection.
Even though Jacob couldn't treat James as his father, he felt like the relationship between them was
like that of a father and son. They bonded quite well. Right from when he was young, James had
always been nice to him. So, he knew that he was a good man.
And Jacob also depended on him to an extent. Generally speaking, people were emotional creatures.
They were driven by the feeling of their hearts. Everyone got along with those who stood by them
through thick and thin.
"Jacob, do you hate me?" James asked nervously after a long pause. He had managed to stop crying.
He was ready to accept the fact that Jacob might hate him. But if Jacob said that he didn't resent him,
then it would be harder for him to accept that. Actually, this matter was very difficult to handle.
This was because moral principles were involved. And moral principles often made family affairs more
difficult to deal with. In fact, it complicated things. Hearing that question, Jacob picked up the apple on
the table and took a huge bite without peeling it.
At that moment, he had to do something that would cause a distraction. This was so that James
wouldn't notice that he had to think before answering the question.
As he chewed, Jacob thought about the question thoroughly for a few seconds. Then he shook his
head.
"I don't blame you, Uncle. Neither do I feel any resentment towards you. This matter has already
ended. You should have continued to live a guilt-free life long ago. Everyone is bound to make
mistakes when they were young. It doesn't matter,"
Jacob said with a serious look on his face. He then took another bite from the apple. The crunchy
sound echoed round the whole room.
James knew that Jacob was trying to hide his true feelings. But the truth couldn't be concealed forever.
James had always wanted to know the answer to his question. He longed to know how his son felt
about him.
He never dared to ask his late brother that question. This was because he would feel uncomfortable no
matter the answer that he gave him. Even if James had dared to ask, the question would have brought
sadness to his brother. So, he never attempted to stir up trouble.
But he was able to ask Jacob because he was his son. James felt that his whole life would be in vain if
he hated him. After all, Jacob was the only family he had left.
"I'm truly sorry, Jacob. I have been atoning for my mistake through my doings all these years. But I
know all of those things are useless. What happened cannot be undone." James choked with sobs and
he clenched his fist tightly. As he wept uncontrollably, his fingernails dug into his flesh.
However, the pain in his hand couldn't be compared to the one he felt in his heart. Assuming he could
exchange the pain in his hand with the heartache, he wouldn't hesitate to do so. He really wanted to
stop the anguish he was feeling at that moment.
Jacob stared blankly at him as sadness flashed quickly in his eyes. He understood the man sitting in
front of him more than anyone else. James was just a distressed and heartbroken old man.
For most of his life, James had lived remorsefully and in self-condemnation. He had also lived in
service of other people.
Honestly, he might never think about his own wellbeing. He was more concerned about how other
people fared. On one hand, James had to bear the guilt for what he had done to his brother. And on the
other hand, he had to hear Jacob call his brother "Dad". During that time, James could only gnash his
teeth in sorrow. There was nothing he could do about it then.
Fortunately, everything was over now. He no longer had to suffer in silence. As a matter of fact, his late
brother had chosen euthanasia— medically induced suicide for him. James knew this more than
anyone else.
His brother was a thorn in his flesh. However, no one could understand him unless he made it clear.
But when he opened up, it only made people sad. Most of them were unhappy to hear his grievances.
Just like that moment, Jacob regretted telling him the truth. Oftentimes, when people told the truth, they
thought it was the best option. However, after they would regret it and wish that they never did.
These simple words contained something that could make people regret. They weren't consoling at all.
No one wanted to live a miserable and wretched life. But after all that happened, they were never able
live peacefully.
Without uttering a word, Jacob looked at James. His eyes were filled with sincere pity for him. After
seeing how Jacob looked at him, James lowered his head in despair. The once strongman who was a
backbone to many people all through his life was now just a miserable old man.
Life was just like the game of chess. If a player took a wrong turn, he or she would lose the game
entirely. James knew that all he did now was to atone for his past mistakes. But his mistakes had long
been buried in history.
"Uncle, let's forget about all that and focus on the future. I will put it all behind me. I hope you can forget
it faster than me. You have already carried that guilt for far too long." Jacob stared at James intensely.
At that instance, his expression wasn't that of sympathy but of pure love.
"Jacob, did you resign from the company because of me? It is all my fault. Don't be silly. It is not easy
for anyone to get to your position. The seat of the CEO is highly coveted but only a few people could
measure up to it. You have to cater for your family. How do you intend to make money if you resign?"
James asked with his black eyes filled with concern. Worry lines had already appeared on his
forehead. Jacob was no longer the young man who had just graduated from college. Once a man got
married, he automatically became the backbone of his family.
And the backbone isn't supposed to be broken, or else the whole family will come crashing down. To be
honest, Jacob's decision could result in a total disaster for his family.
"Uncle, I actually thought about it for a long time. Of course, I didn't act on impulse. I don't take any
action without evaluating all my options. I just want to prove my ability." Jacob stared at James with
firmness in his eyes. He already made his decision and it was final!
"Ability? Jacob, what I said to you previously was just to remind you. My intention wasn't to blame you.
I would never do that. We all know how capable you are. So, there is absolutely no need for you to
prove it."
James felt a lump in his throat as he spoke. Thinking about the gentle reminder that he gave Jacob
previously, he wished that he wouldn't take it to heart.
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