Chapter 442 The Death of Mike
The second that rope hit the ground, Wilber felt like he'd just busted out of jail. He quickly added, worried Juliet might change her mind, "Juliet, I swear I'll do it. From now on, we won't mess with each other anymore."
Juliet nodded, looking like the innocent girl she used to be.
"Alright, I'm... I'm outta here," Wilber said, lifting his foot, desperate to get away from this mess.
But then, Juliet's face twisted in horror. She screamed, "Dad!"
Wilber spun around and saw Mike's wheelchair teetering on the edge of the rooftop, starting to slide forward.
They were over ten stories up. If Mike fell, that was it. Everyone's faces were frozen in panic, except for Mike's. His empty eyes stared at the dark sky, like he had no will to live. He looked numb, almost like he was in a vegetative state.
Juliet's scream snapped Wilber into action. With less than three feet between them, he lunged for the wheelchair. But just as his hand touched it, a massive force slammed into his back.
Wilber stumbled. The pull he meant to give turned into a push. He didn't even have time to react before he saw the wheelchair, with Mike in it, go over the edge and plummet to the ground.
Wilber, who should've fallen from the momentum, was grabbed by the back of his neck. He collapsed at the edge of the rooftop, his legs like jelly.
The fall only took a few seconds, but for Mike, it felt like forever. He closed his eyes, the buzzing in his ears drowning out everything else, as memories from his past flashed before him. He saw himself as a young boy, working hard to escape his small village and make it in the big city. He eventually did, landing a job at the Wright Group. Even though he was just a janitor, it was enough to get by. He was honest and simple, but he envied everyone around him.
He thought, 'Why do they get to sit in comfy offices, making big bucks, while I have to scrub floors on twenty-plus stories over and over again?'
Meeting Shirley was a game-changer for Mike. She was privileged but kind and gentle, unlike the others who looked down on him. She went out of her way to protect his dignity, making up clumsy excuses to have him pack meals, help him lower his rent, and even wait for him at his door to go to work together.
He remembered one sleepless night when he saw Shirley parked under his old apartment building before five in the morning. That flashy luxury car looked so out of place there. She smiled and said she was giving him a ride, even though her home was in the south and his was in the north.
She told him that in love, no one was unworthy of anyone else, that everyone was equal. But she wanted him to join her family.
Underneath her glamorous exterior, she was just like everyone else. In his eyes, she was just as malicious, trying to trap him in the Wright family.
All Mike wanted was a simple, happy life with his family. He thought Shirley had spun this beautiful dream for him, only to shatter it.
But right now, all he could see was Shirley's smiling face. That face that still popped up in his dreams, young and beautiful, waving at him.
"Shirley." Mike remembered the day he first met her, twenty-three years ago. He carried Shirley down those dark stairs, step by step. A tear rolled down Mike's cheek, lost to the wind.
With a loud crash, all the years of entanglements and hatred seemed to vanish in an instant.
Juliet screamed, "Murder!"
Wilber turned around, dazed, and met Juliet's triumphant smile. A chill ran down his spine.
Luann suddenly jolted awake, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. She slowly sat up.
As soon as she moved, Myron woke up. He reached out and turned on the bedside lamp. "What's wrong?"
He was still groggy, but seeing Luann covered in sweat snapped him awake. He quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe her sweat.
Luann clutched the fabric of her nightgown at her chest, her heart aching like it was being twisted. "I dreamed of my mom."
Myron pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back. "And what else?"
Luann shook her head, murmuring, "I dreamed she said Mike was going to find her to atone."
Myron comforted her, "Don't worry. It's just a dream."
Luann nodded. Myron held her like that, gently soothing her until she was almost asleep. Then the phone rang.
"It's Geoffrey." Seeing the name, Luann felt a sudden unease. He had never called her at night before.
Luann answered and put the phone to her ear.
On the other end, Geoffrey's serious voice said, "Ms. Weaver, please come over. Your father passed away half an hour ago."
Luann was stunned for a long time. Then she said, "Okay."
After hanging up, Luann felt conflicted. Even though Mike's death was inevitable, hearing the news didn't bring her any joy for avenging the Wright family.
Myron immediately got up to change clothes and took out a big, thick coat to wrap around Luann. She looked like a kid in an adult's clothes, sitting there as Myron buttoned it up.
"Let's go," Myron said, then picked her up and walked out of the villa.
As they reached the police station entrance, Luann saw Holly, who ran over and hugged her, silently comforting her. Holly had been an orphan for as long as she could remember, never knowing what family felt like. But Luann had experienced it firsthand. No matter how much she hated Mike, they were still family by blood.
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