Chapter 232: The Verdict
Naughty Brad, even from miles away, still had that magic touch, making my heart race and leaving me totally speechless.
Blushing, I pouted and gave a half-hearted kiss to the phone screen. Before hanging up, I heard Brad's husky laugh.
I tossed the phone aside, but I wasn't feeling it.
I just felt this heavy weight on my chest, like something was pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.
Jenny's presence was stressing me out big time.
Brad noticed I was off too. Not even thirty seconds after we hung up, he shot me a text: [Baby, my forever love, wait for me to come back.]
Forever love. I stared at those words, totally zoned out.
They sounded sweet, but they didn't lift my mood.
I had to admit, Jenny had me on edge.
I trusted Brad with any other girl, but Jenny was different.
Given what went down with Daniel, it was hard not to think the worst with Jenny around. My mind was a total mess.
When Daniel stirred up trouble, I was the one caught in it. I held on because I was dead set on being with Brad forever, so I didn't let Daniel win.
But with Jenny, Brad was the one caught in it. I trusted Brad's love for me, and no matter what he felt for Jenny, he would never betray me.
The real issue was, if Jenny's leg really couldn't be fixed, what would happen to her life? What would Brad choose? And what should I do?
Jenny was only two years older than me, in her prime. She might end up disabled and bedridden for life from saving Brad. This disaster might have wrecked her life, making it unlikely she'll ever rock high heels again.
More importantly, she got hurt saving Brad.
A life-saving grace—if she asks to marry him, what would Brad do?
All of this was up in the air. I thought Brad's frustration was tied to these issues. He was so smart; he must have thought of this before me. After all, he knew about Jenny's condition long ago.
The thought of possibly losing Brad in the future made me feel heartbroken. This feeling of just watching things spiral out of control but being unable to do anything made me feel so down.
And I was powerless to change any of it.
All I could do now was wait—wait for things to unfold, wait for fate to deliver its verdict.
Only now did I truly get why Brad was so deeply pained when I agreed to take care of Daniel. Why he always looked at me with such uncertain eyes, never wanting to leave my side.
It was because of love, but also because he couldn't control the outcome.
Daniel's eyes and legs got better after a second surgery. He was faking it to force me to be with him. But what if Jenny really couldn't recover?
I couldn't think too much about this, or it would be unbearable.
Mia knocked and walked in.
The living room light was bright, and she walked in backlit. In just a few days, she seemed to have gained weight—not in her face, but her body.
"Mia, have you been snacking too much at night? Your waist looks a bit thicker."
Mia paused, lowering her head, and responded softly. She climbed into my bed and snuggled up to me. "Not happy?"
I didn't say anything.
In front of a good friend, I didn't want to hide my feelings.
Mia stroked my hair and said softly, "Anything I can do to help? Don't bottle it up; it'll eat you alive."
She was right. We were grown-ups now. We had to handle our own messes and not always run to our parents. Having a good friend to vent to was a blessing.
So, I spilled the beans about Jenny's injury and her little sightseeing trip with Brad on Saturday.
After hearing the whole saga, she was just as stumped and couldn't come up with a fix. The whole situation was so clear-cut and aboveboard, making it frustrating but leaving no room for criticism. If I did anything, I might come off as ungrateful.
I had to swallow the frustration; there was no other choice, and that was the most annoying part.
"Jane, be real with me. Do you trust Brad so much that nothing can shake your faith in him?" Mia held my hand. Her fingers were a bit cold, and I held her hand back, warming each other.
"I trust Brad. As long as he needs me, I will always trust him. But the main issue now isn't with me; it's with Brad."
I believed Brad wouldn't betray me while we were in love, but I couldn't be sure his feelings wouldn't change when faced with a debt of gratitude.
Since I had been through this kind of thing myself, I knew the decision-making process was particularly agonizing.
Mia said, "True, a man's heart can be fickle. They can say they love you to death, but when they change, they change completely. Blind confidence can blind you, and in the end, you'll be the one hurt."
Before she finished speaking, sadness began to flow in Mia's eyes, probably thinking of her painful relationship with Benjamin.
Benjamin hadn't been around lately. She seemed calm, eating and working as usual, but she was really hiding her feelings and healing quietly. So many years of love couldn't be let go just like that; it took time to smooth over the past.
I was hesitating whether to tell her about Benjamin's engagement. Given her current state, I decided not to. I'd let her have a bit more peace before breaking the news.
After all, they were never lovers anymore. Whether she knew or not wasn't important.
Besides, how could Benjamin compare to Brad?
Benjamin did such inhumane things. My Brad wouldn't. At least in the matter of loving me, he had never made me lose faith.
"Whatever, what's meant to come will come. When it happens, I'll deal with it. I have a clear conscience. At worst, we'll go our separate ways."
I irritably pulled the blanket over my face, saying irresponsible things to cover my insecurity.
But secretly, I vowed in my heart, go our separate ways? Brad, you wish. You wouldn't get away this easily. If you dared to betray me, I'd drag you down with me. I wouldn't let you run off to someone else.
Mia was quiet for a while and then said, "Go our separate ways? Easy to say. Can you really let go?"
"Love is a matter between two people. If he really lets go, I won't hold on. I won't be an obstacle in someone else's love. I have my dignity too."
"That doesn't sound like you. You're retreating before anything has even happened."
"I'm not retreating, just preparing for the worst. As for Brad, unless he tells me himself that he doesn't love me anymore and wants to marry someone else, or..." I raised my hand in the air, clenching it hard. "Even if it means a bloody battle, I will not let go."
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