Chapter 314 In Comparison, the Heart Grows Colder
Brenda felt kinda guilty with Enrique giving her that look. She didn't think much, just spun around and yanked him over to shield her from the mess at that moment.
He was always saying he'd protect her, right? So, wasn't it his job to take the hit? But, of course, she couldn't just blurt that out.
With teary eyes and a face full of guilt, she said, "Enrique, I didn't mean it. I just acted on impulse and pulled you over. Who knew Elizabeth would come barreling in so fast?"
She kept insisting it wasn't on purpose, that she didn't mean to use him as a human shield.
Everyone was left speechless. Did she really think it looked accidental? Anyone with half a brain could see she deliberately pulled Enrique to take the fall.
Nobody said a word; they all just stared at Enrique, waiting to see if he'd fall for Brenda's story again. No matter what they thought, it was up to him to decide.
Enrique didn't expect Brenda to say that. If she had just owned up to it, he would've felt better. After all, in a moment of danger, her actions were kinda understandable.
But this instinct also cut deep. It showed that, in Brenda's mind, he, her brother, was always expendable.
Having been the scapegoat before and now used as a shield, even a fool wouldn't believe her actions were unintentional anymore.
He forced a bitter smile and said, "I could have stepped down and rested, but I stayed to protect you. I did protect you and took the hit. Even if you hadn't pulled me over, I would've wanted to protect you."
What he hadn't expected was that while his instinct was to protect her, her instinct was to use him as a shield at the first sign of trouble. This made his previous claims of genuine protection seem utterly ridiculous, especially given that he had repeatedly trusted her. No wonder others thought he was a fool; he really was.
In a weak voice, he added, "Let's not have any more ties in the future."
Brenda felt a bit relieved hearing his earlier words. She even regretted her quick action a bit because if Enrique said he'd protect her, he would've done it.
She was about to say something heartfelt when she heard his final words. She stared at him in disbelief. What did he mean by no longer being involved? Was he planning to ditch her too? He had promised to protect her! Wasn't his voluntary protection the same as her pulling him over?
Brenda felt wronged. How could he say something that sounded like he wanted to cut ties and not care about her anymore?
She was about to speak, but Enrique saw the hurt in her eyes and felt even more disheartened. She didn't even check how badly he was hurt or ask if he was in pain. Instead, she felt wronged by his words. All his years of love were in vain. At this moment, not just his heart, but his whole body felt cold.
He didn't want to face Brenda anymore, nor did he want to hear her speak. "Please take me to the hospital," he said to the medical staff, then closed his eyes.
He was disappointed of this kind of Brenda. At this moment, Richard, Arnold, and Kevin's words echoed in his mind. He used to not care and couldn't listen, but now he couldn't help but hear them.
Turned out, everyone else had already seen through Brenda's selfish, cold, and ruthless nature. Only he had been the fool, always making excuses for her and believing her lies.
He even went after Elizabeth for her, but in the end, Elizabeth, the one he hurt, didn't harm him. Last time in the garden, she even saved his butt.
But Brenda, the girl he loved for over ten years, could ditch him anytime. When she yanked him over to shield her, did she even think about whether he'd get hurt? Probably not. To her, what did it matter if her expendable brother got hurt?
For over a decade, he had been blind to her true nature; she was a master at pretending. She wasn't even a blood relative and never truly valued their bond. She always took their love for granted and never thought about giving anything back. He couldn't help but wonder, 'If it had been Elizabeth earlier, how would it have turned out?'
After Enrique finished talking, the medics quickly carried him out and loaded him into the ambulance. In emergencies, Aevum City let ambulances in through a special gate.
Enrique was put into the ambulance, and Kevin, who had been in the stands, hurriedly joined him.
The ambulance sped away.
Kevin looked at Enrique worriedly and asked, "Enrique, how you holding up? Are you hurt bad?"
What had just happened had freaked him out. He had seen through Brenda's little schemes and coldness before, but he never expected her to be so ruthless and heartless.
At home, all five brothers doted on her, but the one who cherished and protected her the most was Enrique.
Brenda wanted to study abroad and wished for their company, but none of them wanted to leave the country. Initially, Enrique was also reluctant, but he went with her anyway. Later, when she wanted to get into the entertainment industry, Enrique learned to be a director just to protect her.
Whatever she wanted to do, Enrique was always there. Even when Elizabeth first came back, Enrique was the coldest to her, all for Brenda's sake. But this was how Brenda repaid the one who cherished her the most?
Her calm action of pulling Enrique to shield her from the disaster made Kevin feel cold. The situation was so sudden, there was no time for thinking; Brenda's instinctive reaction showed her true colors. She never truly cared about Enrique and was ready to ditch him at any moment. Even if it meant endangering his life, she didn't care.
Her coldness was hard to swallow, but it was the truth. It also made him feel lucky that he had started to distance himself from Brenda because of previous incidents. Otherwise, he didn't know if he would end up like Enrique.
Although they had been thrown under the bus before, it was mostly to cover for Brenda's screw-ups. Enrique was really getting the short end of the stick!
Hearing Kevin's voice, Enrique opened his eyes to find Kevin filled with worry and anxiety, asking about his injuries and how he was feeling. This was how a family member should act.
He recalled Brenda's expression and reaction from the incident to leaving. There was guilt, gratitude, avoidance, and grievance, but no worry or anxiety.
Comparing the two, his heart grew colder. He couldn't help but breathe rapidly in anger, causing his upper body to tremble in pain.
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