Chapter 138: The Selfish Andrew
Emily sat down next to Henry, only about ten centimeters away from him.
Emily had no intention of seducing him, and Henry knew it. She was just captivated by the story he was telling.
Henry initially thought of moving slightly to the side, but ultimately decided against it. He felt that ignoring Emily’s seating gesture was the best choice to avoid any awkwardness.
Henry continued, “One day, Andrew was hiding in the woods, peeping as usual. Feeling guilty, he saw Austin passing by and, fearing he would be discovered, immediately ran out of the woods. If he hadn’t run, nothing would have happened, but Austin noticed him.
Austin rushed over and beat him up, and Leon happened to see it. She was just about to undress and immediately rushed out. Austin accused Andrew of peeping, but Leon defended him because she hadn’t started bathing yet.
However, Andrew was afraid of Austin and never realized that Austin was his half-brother. Leon had already defended him; all Andrew had to do was deny it and say he was doing something else, like relieving himself in the woods. But instead, he, feeling guilty, said I was the one peeping, and when Austin discovered me, he chased me away. He claimed that I ran fast, so Austin didn’t see me but saw him instead.”
Emily frowned, “How could he do that?”
Henry smiled bitterly, “If it were just that, it would be fine. I had never done such a thing and didn’t even know one could peep at Leon bathing in the woods. After Andrew got beaten up, he went home and lied to me, saying there was something magical in the woods and that I should go see it the next day at around 5 PM, promising I wouldn’t regret it.
In his eyes, I was always just a bastard, never a brother. Even when I initiated conversations, he barely responded. So, when he suddenly told me this, I was very excited, thinking he was about to take the college entrance exam and leave the village and wanted to mend our relationship. Without thinking much, I went to the woods at the time he mentioned the next day.”
Emily immediately asked, “Did you see Leon bathing?”
Henry was taken aback by Emily’s focus on this detail. He smiled bitterly, “When I arrived in the woods, I found nothing unusual and felt very strange. I never thought Andrew would deceive me. Just then, Austin rode his motorcycle to the edge of the woods and angrily approached me. It turned out that Andrew, seeing me go to the woods, didn’t tell Austin that I was going to peep at Leon bathing again.”
“That bastard!” Emily fumed. “Even if he was scared, he shouldn’t have set you up like that!”
Henry sneered, “He wasn’t just afraid of Austin. Later, I realized he was afraid that the whole village would find out about his peeping, which would ruin his reputation for life. So, he decided to make me the scapegoat.”
Emily asked, puzzled, “So, did you take the blame?”
Henry said, “At the time, I was completely confused, seeing Austin storm towards me without knowing why. The motorcycle’s noise was loud, and the woods were close to Leon’s house. Hearing the noise, she thought Andrew had gone to the woods again and was caught by Austin. Leon genuinely liked Andrew and, worried he would get hurt, rushed out with a chopping knife from the kitchen. Seeing me in the woods, she was stunned.
Austin was tall and strong, already in his twenties, while I was only sixteen and not as physically strong as I am now. More importantly, I didn’t know what was happening. He punched me, knocking me to the ground, and then kicked me repeatedly. I rolled several times, got up, and asked him why he was attacking me.
Leon rushed between us, using her body to shield me, telling him to mind his own business. Austin pointed at me and cursed, ‘You little pervert, I never expected you to be peeping at Leon bathing! If Andrew hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have believed it!’
Leon immediately understood what was going on. She scolded, ‘Henry is my family. What does this have to do with you?’ Although I was young, I quickly realized Andrew wanted me to take the blame. But in that moment, thinking of our brotherly bond and grateful to my foster parents for raising me, I angrily shouted, ‘I do like her. I watch her bathe every day. What are you going to do about it?’
Leon was stunned, looking back at me. Austin immediately rushed at me. In a fit of rage, thinking I was protecting my brother, I grabbed the knife from Leon and swung it at Austin’s head. Austin tried to grab it, but I cut his hand, causing it to bleed profusely. He pulled back in pain, and I slashed at his head. The knife, shaped like a crescent, didn’t fully cut his head, but the tip made a gash, causing more blood to flow. He turned and ran, and I chased him with the knife, shouting, ‘I do like her. I watch her bathe every day. What’s it to you?’
Emily was deeply moved, instinctively grabbing Henry’s arm, and asked anxiously, “What happened next?”
Henry sneered, “The whole village knew I liked Leon and peeped at her bathing every day. Andrew had discovered and chased me away. I became known as a quiet but lustful rogue. Andrew, on the other hand, was seen as a virtuous youth with ideals. That year, he had just been accepted into college and needed a scholarship. After I injured Austin, he went to Austin’s house, knelt before Austin’s father and Austin, and begged for forgiveness. Everyone thought he was doing it for me, his brother, but he was worried about not getting his scholarship. He never dreamed that Austin’s father was actually his own father. Later, Austin’s father paid for his tuition and living expenses. My foster mother told me this later; I didn’t know before. If she hadn’t told me the truth, I would have killed Austin’s father, Joshua, two years later.
This is what Andrew did back then. He’s cowardly and selfish but not stupid. Do you think Jason has ulterior motives towards you? Andrew can see that. Back then, he framed me for his own sake. Today, he can betray you for his own benefit!”
Emily’s hand still tightly gripped Henry’s arm, but her face showed a skeptical smile.
Henry said, “If you don’t believe me, I can teach you a way to test him on the spot.”
Emily asked, “What way?”
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