Chapter 526 I Can't Live Without You
Lola covered her head, eyes squeezed shut in pain.
Johnny was stunned.
He didn't mean to; he just didn't want Lola to leave. He had so much to explain, and he didn't really mean to hit her. But deep down, he knew no excuse would make it right.
He had slapped her because she mentioned Melissa, and that was the truth.
Johnny reached out, trying to check on her. "Let me see if you're okay."
Lola shoved him away, hard.
She looked up at him with eyes that were cold and distant.
Johnny's heart ached, his voice rough. "We'll talk about everything else later, Lola. Let me take you to the hospital first."
"No need! We're done!" Lola snapped. She slowly got up, sidestepped him, and headed for the door.
As she passed, Johnny tried to grab her, but Lola shook him off. She walked quickly but collapsed at the door.
"Lola!"
Late that night at the hospital, after an exam, they said Lola had a mild concussion and needed to stay overnight for observation.
Johnny came back to the room after paying the fees.
Lola was awake, leaning against the headboard, staring out the window, lost in thought.
"Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat."
She didn't look at him, just said softly, "You should go. I'll have my assistant come stay with me."
Johnny left quietly. But half an hour later, he came back with a pizza from her favorite place.
"At least eat something." Johnny set the food down and handed it to Lola. "If you don't have the strength, I'll feed you."
Lola knocked the food out of his hands, making a mess on the floor.
Her tone stayed the same. "Leave. I don't want to see you. I'll return your $20 billion within a week. Johnny, you don't owe me anything; you just did what you wanted. From now on, we're done."
Johnny's throat tightened.
He said, "If you're hungry, I'll get you something else."
He patiently cleaned up the mess, then poured Lola some water. Lola couldn't get rid of him, and she was genuinely uncomfortable, so she lay down and ignored him.
By morning, she wouldn't need to see him anymore. But how could it not hurt?
Her face still stung. The slap from Johnny in his rage had left a mark. No one had ever dared to hit her before!
She never imagined the one to hit her would be Johnny, and for someone else.
Was he really Johnny?
The Johnny she had brought home, who grew up with her on a small bed?
If he was, how could he fall for someone else, and how could he hit her?
Lola gently closed her eyes. It was time to wake up from a dream that had lasted nearly 20 years!
They stayed in a stalemate, almost sleepless all night. Early in the morning, Lola sat on the bed and called her assistant to come handle her discharge.
After hanging up, Johnny looked at her with deep emotion.
He whispered, "Lola, it's not what you think with her! We only dated for three months, and when it didn't work out, we broke up. She later married Travis, and now we're just friends."
Lola didn't want to hear any explanations.
She got dressed, walked to the window, opened it, and said softly, "Johnny, I gave you all my patience, but you repaid me with disgust. Whether you and Melissa are innocent doesn't matter; what matters is that you put her photo on your desk and slapped me in a fit of rage for her. What are you still explaining? Am I really not worth loving?"
Lola finished speaking and rubbed her forehead. Her head was still a bit dizzy.
Johnny slowly walked up behind her, holding her shoulders and burying his head in her shoulder. "Lola, forgive me this time! I can't live without you."
After wandering for eight years, he finally knew what he wanted. He didn't know why, when Lola said those harsh words, he lost his temper. He couldn't defend himself; he could only beg for her forgiveness.
But Lola gently pushed him away. She had nothing more to say to him.
Just then, the assistant came in, about to speak, but the atmosphere made her feel uneasy.
Lola spoke calmly, "Handle my discharge."
The assistant looked at her face and hesitantly asked, "Ms. Hawkins, your face?"
Lola replied indifferently, "Got bitten by a jerk."
She finished speaking, grabbed her bag, and walked straight to the door.
"Lola! We..." Johnny called out to her, his voice heavy.
Lola snapped, "I don't want you anymore!"
Then she stormed off.
The ward door had opened and closed. Johnny stood there, suddenly feeling the sunlight painfully glaring. The assistant asked softly, "Mr. Flores, what happened between you and Ms. Hawkins? What's wrong with her face?"
"I hit her! She doesn't want me anymore!" Johnny's tone was one of utter desolation she had never seen before.
The assistant was stunned.
Lola was discharged and went straight back to her apartment. She needed a good sleep. If she slept, she wouldn't think about or hate Johnny.
In the afternoon, she woke up and wanted to cook something. But the house was filled with traces of Johnny. She closed the fridge and ordered takeout. Then she started packing his things. He had brought in four large boxes, and now she stuffed all his expensive clothes and accessories into them and left them in the living room.
She thought, 'Johnny will come to get them.'
Sure enough, he came in the evening, using her key.
Lola was wearing a black silk robe, holding a glass of red wine. She kicked the luggage at her feet. "Leave the key and take your things."
Johnny slowly took off his coat. "I'll cook for you."
He walked towards the kitchen.
Lola threw the wine glass at the back of his head, spilling red wine everywhere.
Lola walked to the door, pointing outside. "Didn't you hear me? Johnny, I said I don't want you anymore. Get out of my house, get out of my life!"
Johnny turned around, his eyes filled with deep emotion. He asked her what it would take to calm her down.
Lola lowered her eyes. "When you left me, even if you were with anyone else, it didn't disgust me as much as this! Get out, I don't want to see you!"
Johnny took out two tissues and wiped his shirt clean. He looked at Lola. "What if I beg you?"
Lola smiled faintly. "Do I look like someone who would soften?"
Johnny stared at her. "What if there's someone who could make you soften?"
Lola sneered. "Then go ahead and try!"
Johnny slowly walked up to her. Lola didn't move away, but he grabbed her head and kissed her deeply. Lola was stunned and instinctively tried to push him away, but he was terrifyingly determined.
The kiss lasted about ten seconds.
Johnny's lips were stained with blood.
Lola slapped him. "Get out!"
She threw all his things out, leaving nothing behind.
As she closed the door, Lola leaned against it. Her body slowly slid down, and she hugged herself tightly, burying her face for a long time.
Lola returned to her old life. Besides work, she occasionally went out for a drink. When she came home, she saw Johnny once or twice, but they just passed by each other.
A week later, she managed to gather the $20 billion. She had her assistant personally deliver the check to Johnny.
That day, Johnny stared at the check, lost in thought for an entire afternoon.
He knew in his heart that the only person he had ever loved was Lola. Having spent so much time in Kyro, he thought his brief relationship with Melissa was no big deal until Lola asked about the photo frame, and he realized Lola couldn't accept it. It was a man's instinct to want to hide it, but Melissa's unexpected appearance let Lola know.
As he was about to leave work, his phone rang. It was Frederick calling.
Johnny answered, "What's up!"
Frederick's tone was slightly tense. "Johnny, come back home."
Johnny looked at the check in his hand, guessing the reason, and replied, "Okay, I'll be right back."
Half an hour later, Johnny's car stopped in front of the mansion. The house was quiet, not a servant in sight. Frederick was sitting in the living room, clearly waiting for him.
Johnny entered and respectfully greeted Frederick.
Frederick looked at him quietly. After a long while, he spoke softly, "Johnny, you all have grown up. Charlotte and I have discussed it, and it's time for you to be independent. Kingsley has taken over the Hawkins Group, Lola has joined the Wise Counsel Law Firm, and Sienna has Charlotte's arrangements. As for you, I plan to give you the Vertex Innovations Group. From now on, you'll be on your own."
Johnny was slightly stunned. Giving him the Vertex Innovations Group, making him independent. It sounded like inheriting the family business, but in reality, it meant Frederick didn't want him anymore.
Johnny knew the reason was Lola. Frederick had found out about their situation. It wasn't Lola who told him, but Frederick had his ways.
Johnny didn't want to leave, nor did he want the Vertex Innovations Group. What was the point of having so much money if he left the Hawkins Family?
He pleaded softly. "I don't want to leave home!"
He had grown up in the Hawkins Family and knew their rules. He placed his bag aside, took off his coat, and knelt in the study.
Frederick sneered. "Why are you kneeling? You were quite tough when you hit Lola, weren't you? Johnny, regardless of anything else, even if Lola isn't the one you love, she's still your sister. Charlotte and I together couldn't treat you as well as she did. But what did you do? You slapped her so hard she got a concussion! Who in this house would dare hit her? Have you ever seen that?"
Johnny started unbuttoning his shirt. Soon, his upper body was bare.
Frederick didn't hold back, pulling out a belt and starting to hit him.
Frederick wasn't just feeling sorry for Lola; he was also disciplining Johnny. He didn't hold back, and soon Johnny's back was covered in welts, bleeding profusely.
It hurt a lot. But Johnny didn't make a sound; he just endured it.
It wasn't until Frederick was tired that he cursed, "Johnny! I've always been reluctant to hit you, but today I can't help it!"
Johnny whispered an apology.
Frederick threw the belt aside! He looked at the kneeling man, the child he had raised, and felt an indescribable pain.
He made up his mind. "Johnny, if you want to stay in this house, then cut ties with Lola!"
Johnny gritted his teeth. "I love Lola, I don't want to cut ties with her!"
Frederick said coldly, "You can only choose one: being my son or being Lola's husband! Johnny, you're a smart man; you should know which choice is safer. Even if you choose Lola, she might not accept you."
Johnny looked up at the man. He had never asked Frederick for anything, but today he wanted to.
Frederick didn't soften.
Johnny, injured, knelt in the study all night, but Frederick didn't change his mind.
In the morning, Johnny left. He wore a white shirt, his back covered in blood, and walked straight out of the Hawkins Mansion.
Charlotte called out to him, "Johnny!"
Johnny turned around, looking at Charlotte, the woman who had given him warmth. He knew that if he gave up Lola, he could still stay in this house. He could still have Frederick, Charlotte, and his siblings. But he no longer had the right to have Lola. A man's promise was that important.
He didn't want to give up Lola. He had given her up for eight years; he didn't want to give her up again. Maybe if he held on a little longer, Lola would come back to him.
Johnny smiled faintly and said, "I'm sorry!"
From that day on, Johnny never returned to Hawkins Mansion.
At night, Lola was drinking at a bar. She was beautiful and wealthy, always surrounded by attractive men and women, all of whom were notable figures.
Tonight, an attactivenewcomer was pursuing her—20 years old and very clean-cut.
Lola was in a bad mood. She leaned on the bar, smiling. "I'll give you $700,000 to sing for me all night, okay?"
Of course, it was okay!
When Lola left, there was a cold smile on her lips. Spending money to buy happiness, how straightforward and efficient!
She took the person home, lay on the couch, and the young man played the guitar and sang for most of the night. Later, she got sleepy and told him to leave, but he wanted to stay, half-kneeling by the couch.
Lola patted his face. "Come here, I'll tell you a story."
The young man leaned in.
Lola closed her eyes and spoke softly, "Once upon a time, there was a little girl who, at the age of eight, brought home a dog! The dog grew up well, and she treated him very well, but she never thought that the dog would leave when it grew up."
The young boy listened obediently.
Lola smiled, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She fell asleep, covered with a small blanket.
In the early morning, the apartment door opened.
Johnny came in with breakfast, and as soon as he entered, he saw the coat on the couch and the two people lying there.
Lola's face was nestled in the embrace of a young man.
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