Chapter 113: He's the Bastard
Although Emily had previously said she knew Isabelle was Bryan's girlfriend, Isabelle could tell that Emily, despite not liking her, was secretly encouraging her to be with Henry to keep him out of trouble.
Because Bryan had rejected her, Isabelle had almost accepted being with Henry. So, she felt at ease around Emily.
But now, things were different.
Isabelle sensed that Henry was genuinely letting go and keeping his distance. Emily's casual, sister-in-law-like demeanor felt strange.
"Emily, I already ate lunch. I'm not hungry. I have some things to do at home. Bye, Henry!"
With that, Isabelle hurried out.
Emily watched her leave thoughtfully, then set the food on the table and poured soup from a thermos into a bowl. "Your brother bought a turtle for tonight's dinner. Drink up."
Henry saw that the thermos was full of soup.
"Sis," Henry laughed, "You brought all the soup. Are you planning to add water and MSG to it tonight?"
Emily scoffed, "Jason eats out all the time. He's had all kinds of good food. He won't miss this soup. Drink up."
She prepared to feed him.
Henry asked her to place the soup on the bedside table, saying he could drink it himself.
Emily wanted to say that if Isabelle were here, he'd probably ask her to feed him. But she realized that saying such things might sound jealous, which didn't suit their current relationship.
Emily placed the bowl and spoon near Henry, served herself some food, and asked, "What's up with Isabelle? She seemed off."
"Sis," Henry said, "I know you're trying to help me avoid getting hurt. You don't like her but still asked her to talk to me. If I got together with her because of that, you probably wouldn't accept her, right?"
Emily glanced at Henry, "Does my acceptance matter?"
"Of course. They say an elder sister-in-law is like a mother. If I ever get a girlfriend, I'll definitely take your opinion seriously."
Emily scoffed.
First, she didn't want to be like a mother to Henry.
Second, she felt Henry was insincere.
While Henry didn't know her first thought, he quickly guessed the second from her expression.
"I'm serious," Henry said, taking a sip of soup. "If I ever get a girlfriend and you disapprove, I'd seriously reconsider."
Emily took a small bite of food and, while picking up more, said, "If it weren't for your brother, we probably wouldn't know each other. So, my place in your life depends entirely on your relationship with him. You haven't even called him 'brother' once. Do you expect me to believe you'll listen to me?"
Henry blurted out, "He's not my brother!"
As soon as he said it, Bryan's image flashed in his mind.
But he didn't feel anything for Bryan yet. He just thought that if Isabelle married Bryan, she'd be his sister-in-law. He had held her all night and touched her everywhere. How awkward would it be to see them again if they reconciled?
Emily continued eating and said, "I always thought you were loyal and sentimental, but what you said makes me uncomfortable. You're not biological brothers, but his parents raised you. You call them mom and dad and went to jail for your foster mother. Why can't you call him brother?"
Henry replied, "First, he never let me call him brother. When I did, he and the other kids called me a bastard and said I wasn't worthy. Actually, he's the real bastard!"
Emily frowned.
Although she didn't like Andrew and was increasingly annoyed by him, partly due to Henry's presence, she couldn't accept Henry calling Andrew a bastard.
She believed Henry was too bitter and feared he might end up in jail again.
"Henry," Emily said, "Your brother was also young back then. Even though he was a few years older, he was still a child. You've seen how he treats you now. Even if you don't call him brother, you shouldn't call him a bastard."
Henry shook his head, "I'm not insulting him. It's the truth. He isn't my foster father's son. He's my foster mother's and the village chief's son. His father is Joshua, the man I crippled!"
Emily's eyes widened, "Really? Does Andrew know?"
Henry shook his head, "He doesn't. I didn't either. I heard Joshua sneaked into our house every night while I was away. When I returned, I attacked him. As I was about to stab him in the heart, my foster mother stopped me, saying he was Andrew's father!"
Emily asked, "Could she have said that to save his life?"
Henry shook his head, "I hadn't noticed before, but after she said it, I saw Andrew's eyes and his bullying, selfish nature. He's just like his father! I went to jail for six years for attacking his father, and he never considered me his brother. Why should I call him brother?"
Emily wanted to know more about Andrew's mother but was more concerned with another issue: "If that's the case, why did you come to Harbor Springs with us when you got out?"
Henry glanced at Emily but said nothing.
He couldn't say it was because he was captivated by her beauty.
Emily saw the answer in his eyes and blushed slightly. She quickly poured him another bowl of soup to hide her embarrassment.
Just then, Emily's phone rang. It was Andrew.
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