When He Chose Her Over Justice, I Chose Revenge Over Love - Chapter 76: Chapter 76
You are reading When He Chose Her Over Justice, I Chose Revenge Over Love, Chapter 76: Chapter 76. Read more chapters of When He Chose Her Over Justice, I Chose Revenge Over Love.
Mom came to find me at the research building.
She just stood there in the blazing sun, watching me walk toward her.
"What is it?"
She hesitated, glancing at my thin arms:
"Ivy, you've lost weight."
I frowned, finally noticing the pink thermos in her hands.
In my memory, she'd never cooked before.
I forced a smile and turned to leave.
She started crying, quickly grabbing my white sleeve:
"Ivy, Ivy don't go yet."
"Mom was wrong. Mom didn't know the truth back then."
"Mom's regretted it all these years. You were so young then, didn't understand anything. Mom shouldn't have blamed everything on you..."
"When you disappeared three years ago, Mom looked for you everywhere..."
She was my mother, the person who gave me life.
But those good memories couldn't make up for the pain I and Dad had suffered.
Seeing her made me remember all the awful things from three years ago.
For me, it was pure torture.
I turned away from her and looked up, taking a breath.
Once my breathing steadied, I turned back around, looking at her expressionlessly:
"Don't come looking for me again unless it's important."
"Ivy..."
I pried her fingers off one by one and didn't stay any longer.
"Just pretend I'm dead."
After everything was settled, I went to the prison.
Just one week later, Xavier looked much more haggard with dark circles under his eyes and bruises on his arms—probably got in a fight recently.
With his personality and no Hartwell family backing him up, nobody would kiss his ass anymore.
"Ivy, do you forgive me now?"
I suddenly laughed.
"Xavier Hartwell, I don't want your delayed, fake, disgusting love."
"I want you to suffer like I did—even more than I did. That's an apology."
He didn't seem to care about going to prison at all.
Just asked one question:
"Will you come visit me?"
Remembering the day he made me stab him with his hand, he said stubbornly and with certainty: "That day, you were really scared. You love me—you didn't want me to die."
I admitted: "I was scared that day."
His fingers curled slightly.
Then intense hatred blazed in my eyes as I added:
"I was scared I might actually kill you and destroy everything I have now."
The last bit of light in Xavier's eyes seemed to die out.
The day after I got back from prison, Xavier killed himself.
When I heard the news, I was writing a report.
I'd been writing for ages without adding many words.
My advisor gave me a few days off.
"Go rest. You've been too exhausted lately."
I covered my face and broke down crying.
Not for Xavier's death.
But because of him, my life had been turned upside down in just a few years.
I'd almost been destroyed.
Walking out of the lab, the sky above was brilliant blue with fresh air.
I finally felt relief:
"Ivy, it's all over now."
Later, I gave lectures at prestigious universities in many countries.
Never dated again.
Maybe because I was traumatized.
Maybe I'd outgrown that phase.
Whatever the reason, the past was past.
There were always fresh yellow chrysanthemums at Dad's grave.
The students he'd sponsored over the years had built new lives for themselves at all different careers.
They'd still coordinate visits to see him together.
On the headstone, the man's kind face was forever frozen at forty.
I touched the photo through my tears:
"Dad, nobody's talking bad about you anymore. Those students all remember your kindness."
"I'm doing great now too—nobody dares bully me anymore."
After catching my breath, I spoke again, my voice slightly choked:
"I miss you a little too..."
She just stood there in the blazing sun, watching me walk toward her.
"What is it?"
She hesitated, glancing at my thin arms:
"Ivy, you've lost weight."
I frowned, finally noticing the pink thermos in her hands.
In my memory, she'd never cooked before.
I forced a smile and turned to leave.
She started crying, quickly grabbing my white sleeve:
"Ivy, Ivy don't go yet."
"Mom was wrong. Mom didn't know the truth back then."
"Mom's regretted it all these years. You were so young then, didn't understand anything. Mom shouldn't have blamed everything on you..."
"When you disappeared three years ago, Mom looked for you everywhere..."
She was my mother, the person who gave me life.
But those good memories couldn't make up for the pain I and Dad had suffered.
Seeing her made me remember all the awful things from three years ago.
For me, it was pure torture.
I turned away from her and looked up, taking a breath.
Once my breathing steadied, I turned back around, looking at her expressionlessly:
"Don't come looking for me again unless it's important."
"Ivy..."
I pried her fingers off one by one and didn't stay any longer.
"Just pretend I'm dead."
After everything was settled, I went to the prison.
Just one week later, Xavier looked much more haggard with dark circles under his eyes and bruises on his arms—probably got in a fight recently.
With his personality and no Hartwell family backing him up, nobody would kiss his ass anymore.
"Ivy, do you forgive me now?"
I suddenly laughed.
"Xavier Hartwell, I don't want your delayed, fake, disgusting love."
"I want you to suffer like I did—even more than I did. That's an apology."
He didn't seem to care about going to prison at all.
Just asked one question:
"Will you come visit me?"
Remembering the day he made me stab him with his hand, he said stubbornly and with certainty: "That day, you were really scared. You love me—you didn't want me to die."
I admitted: "I was scared that day."
His fingers curled slightly.
Then intense hatred blazed in my eyes as I added:
"I was scared I might actually kill you and destroy everything I have now."
The last bit of light in Xavier's eyes seemed to die out.
The day after I got back from prison, Xavier killed himself.
When I heard the news, I was writing a report.
I'd been writing for ages without adding many words.
My advisor gave me a few days off.
"Go rest. You've been too exhausted lately."
I covered my face and broke down crying.
Not for Xavier's death.
But because of him, my life had been turned upside down in just a few years.
I'd almost been destroyed.
Walking out of the lab, the sky above was brilliant blue with fresh air.
I finally felt relief:
"Ivy, it's all over now."
Later, I gave lectures at prestigious universities in many countries.
Never dated again.
Maybe because I was traumatized.
Maybe I'd outgrown that phase.
Whatever the reason, the past was past.
There were always fresh yellow chrysanthemums at Dad's grave.
The students he'd sponsored over the years had built new lives for themselves at all different careers.
They'd still coordinate visits to see him together.
On the headstone, the man's kind face was forever frozen at forty.
I touched the photo through my tears:
"Dad, nobody's talking bad about you anymore. Those students all remember your kindness."
"I'm doing great now too—nobody dares bully me anymore."
After catching my breath, I spoke again, my voice slightly choked:
"I miss you a little too..."
End of When He Chose Her Over Justice, I Chose Revenge Over Love Chapter 76. Continue reading Chapter 77 or return to When He Chose Her Over Justice, I Chose Revenge Over Love book page.