Chapter 13: Family Meeting
When Andrew came back, Emily had finished cleaning the kitchen. Seeing how relaxed Andrew appeared, Emily knew that he must have reached an agreement with Isabelle, maybe even received some kind of promise. They thought Henry was unaware of this, as he was sitting with his back to the window. Just as Emily was about to suggest the three of them go shopping together to buy clothes for Henry, he glanced at Andrew and said, "You think you've settled everything with her, and now there's nothing left to do, right?" Emily and Andrew were both taken aback, and Andrew pretended to be clueless as he asked, "Settled what with whom?"
Henry said expressionlessly, "Back when we were in the village, you were so easily deceived. Now that you're both university teachers, how can you still be so naive? Sean was brought here by her, that's true, but now that I've beaten him to that state, it's not up to her whether he comes back looking for trouble." Andrew paused, realizing that Henry was right. After all, Sean and his brothers had suffered a great deal, and even if Isabelle promised him something, they wouldn't just let it go.
Andrew awkwardly smiled and said, "When I talked to her earlier, she said we should forget about this. And I also told her that I would cover all the medical expenses for her friends." Henry coldly remarked, "What about the nutrition fees, nursing fees, and mental distress compensation?" "We'll take care of those, no need to argue about it," Andrew replied. Henry said, "Don't just focus on winning the fight, because if you end up paying afterwards, even if it's just the medical expenses, you still lose. Since you've lost, they will continue to make your life miserable. I've told you before, you don't need to get involved in this matter. From the beginning to the end, it's my mess, and I never asked for your help. I'm warning you again, whether it's her or anyone else from your school, no matter how I deal with them, it's best for you not to interfere."
Andrew looked at him, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness, not knowing where to begin. Emily had enough. She sat down on the sofa and said, "I think it's necessary for us to have a family meeting. Andrew, you sit down. Henry, come over here and sit as well." Andrew looked at Emily in disbelief, thinking, "Have you lost your mind? Why would you want to have a meeting with Henry?" But Emily had already spoken, and he was worried that Henry would lose face and make it difficult for them to live under the same roof, so he immediately said, "Henry, come, sit over here."
Henry coldly replied, "I'll sit right here." Andrew didn't expect Henry to leave in a huff, so he quickly said to Emily, "It's fine, the living room is not that big, he can hear us." Emily knew that Andrew was afraid she would insist on it, and Henry was not giving face, making it hard for her to back down, so she found a way out for herself. Although Emily believed she understood Henry's mindset, she was still unsure of her position in his eyes. Therefore, Emily no longer forced the issue and continued to probe further to see where she stood with Henry.
"Andrew," Emily said, "although I have never seen anyone more formidable and ruthless than you, from the moment I first saw you until now, despite being afraid of some of your actions, I realize that you do have your own principles, and you are very insightful. I wonder, just like the words you said to your brother earlier, you are truly someone who understands reason. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that you have encountered all kinds of people during your many years in prison. But what I don't understand is, how can someone as reasonable as you not understand the importance of respecting your brother?"
Andrew quickly interjected, "Emily, that's not fair. Henry does respect me enough, otherwise, how could he have been so protective just now? That's just how he is, he has never been good with words since he was young, but he is kind-hearted. If anyone dares to bully me, he is the only person in this world who is willing to risk his life to fight for me."
"Is that so?" Emily glanced at Henry and said, "But I don't think he did it for you, he did it for his own pride. No matter what, in the eyes of others, you are his brother. If someone bullies you, it's like slapping his face. It's not that he's afraid of you being bullied, but he doesn't allow anyone to disrespect him, that's all!"
Henry was shaken: "This Emily is really something, she can even see through this?" Andrew understood what Emily meant, but he said, "Hey, isn't that different? Stop beating around the bush, Henry didn't go to school, don't confuse him." Emily blinked and looked at Henry, asking, "You understood what I meant, right?" Henry calmly replied, "Just say what you want to do."
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