Chapter 190 You Have to Take Care of Me
"Joseph? Was it Joseph who had it out for Mary?"
Watching the first half of the video, Charles and the others pieced together what happened.
Turns out, Joseph had attacked Mary, slapped her over a dozen times, and tried to ruin her reputation to force her to call the cops.
The real monster was Joseph.
In contrast, James was Mary's savior. He had pulled her from the brink and had pummeled Joseph, giving her a much-needed outlet for her anger.
Although the latter part of the video, showing Joseph and the bodyguards' whereabouts, was missing, the footage provided enough clarity on the events.
Seeing Joseph's brutality against his daughter and recognizing that James had put aside personal grievances to save her, Charles and Addison felt a burning shame. They had initially judged James harshly, but now they saw him as a hero compared to Joseph.
Yet, the Smith family still thought James was worse than Joseph. They even slapped James and wanted to drag him to the police.
"Did you see that? Did you see that?" Kaitlyn suddenly burst out. "The Joseph you all thought was so great did this to my sister. And James, who you always looked down on, protected her without a word. You can't tell good from bad, and you even slapped James. You're blind."
Kaitlyn didn't get why James was so set on a divorce before, but after seeing her parents' foolishness tonight, she understood.
If it were her, she would've divorced in less than a month. The fact that James held on for a year showed his true love for her sister.
"Kaitlyn, how can you talk like that?" Abigail scolded, looking stern. "Is that how you talk to your parents?"
Kaitlyn shouted, "If you don't want me to say it, then go find James right now."
Christopher frowned. "Find him for what?"
"Find him for what?" Kaitlyn was almost losing it. "He saved my sister, don't you need to thank him? Mom slapped him by mistake, don't you need to apologize? Not knowing right from wrong and not fixing your mistakes, is that even human?
"When did the Smith family become so unreasonable?"
Kaitlyn's heart ached as she thought about James. He had been wrongly accused of wrongdoing after saving her sister. Even after being slapped by their mother, he hadn't retaliated—he had silently endured it.
'What kind of man is this?'
Kaitlyn recalled the look in James' eyes when he left. It was the same look that had both unsettled and captivated her. His gaze was so detached, so sorrowful, and so profoundly melancholic.
"Enough!" Addison couldn't hold back anymore.
"Thank him for what? Apologize for what? Mary is James' wife. It's his job to save her. I haven't even blamed him for not protecting her well, and you want me to thank him? Why should I?"
Even though she knew she was wrong, she would never apologize to James.
Kaitlyn laughed in anger. "Mom, they're divorced. Legally, they have no relationship. James saving my sister isn't his duty, it's a favor."
Addison argued, "Whether James and your sister are divorced or not, he has to save his own woman. Watching his own woman suffer and talking about duty and favor, that's not a person, that's a jerk."
Christopher and the others nodded in agreement. "That's right, it's what James should do."
"If you don't apologize, you should at least say sorry, right?" Kaitlyn wanted to slap her mom. "You wronged him and even hit him. No matter what, you should apologize."
Charles voiced his dissatisfaction, "Kaitlyn, enough. She's your mother, watch your attitude."
"I only care about right and wrong, not attitude." Kaitlyn showed no respect for her father. "If you're wrong, you should apologize."
"Apologize?" Addison argued confidently, "Can you blame me for the situation at that time? There were only the two of them in the room, a man and a woman, disheveled, and your sister was hurt. James didn't explain anything. Can you blame me for thinking he was the bad guy?
"And he was so late in saving your sister, letting her suffer a lot. Slapping him to remind him was very appropriate.
"Even if we take a step back, I'm still his former mother-in-law. I was like a mother to him. What's wrong with a mother slapping her son-in-law? Can't I do that?
"And seriously, does he really expect an apology? He should be thankful he's not getting hit by lightning!"
Kaitlyn was completely desperate, feeling immense pity for James.
This man had suffered so much in the Smith family.
She felt a wave of sadness and discomfort.
"You are all such jerks. I'm never coming back to the Smith vamily," Kaitlyn screamed and then rushed out of the room.
She was going to find James.
Soon, Kaitlyn spotted James in the parking lot, standing tall, lonely, and desolate.
"James, I'm sorry."
As James was about to open the door of his Audi to leave, Kaitlyn ran up from behind and hugged him tightly.
"It was my fault. I was so focused on saving my sister that I didn't tell my parents it was you who sent the message, causing them to misunderstand you.
"I'm sorry, really sorry. I was wrong, and so were Mom and Dad. I'm apologizing to you on their behalf as well. Please don't be angry."
Grief, guilt, pain, and regret—every miserable emotion surged through Kaitlyn's heart. Coupled with the harshness of her parents, it felt like she was in agony worse than death.
Desperately, she clung to James, unwilling to let him slip away from her grasp. She felt an overwhelming fear that if she let go, he would vanish from her life forever, leaving not only her sister's chances of reconciliation in ruins but also erasing any chance she had of seeing him again.
As she replayed the video in her mind, Kaitlyn was profoundly shaken.
If any man did this for her, she would be willing to marry him even if it meant dying.
But unfortunately, this man was her brother-in-law. Kaitlyn's mind was in turmoil, but no matter what, she didn't want James to leave her world.
"I'm not blaming you."
James stopped opening the car door, gently pried Kaitlyn's fingers off, and then turned to smile at her.
"You are you, and your parents are your parents. I won't lump you together with them. Go back and take good care of your sister. Don't let her get hurt again. Besides, what I did tonight was just a small effort."
He was full of kindness toward Kaitlyn but still had no good feelings toward the Smith family.
He knew that even if Addison and the others realized they had wronged him, they wouldn't admit it or apologize. Otherwise, Kaitlyn wouldn't have come out alone.
"James, does it still hurt?" Kaitlyn unhesitatingly reached out to touch James' cheek. "I'll get some ice for you."
"No need, it's just a small matter." James smiled faintly. "Besides, I'm used to it."
"I'm sorry." Hearing the words "used to it," Kaitlyn felt another pang in her heart. She didn't let James put her hand down and kept rubbing his cheek.
"Can you come back to the Smith family? Can you reconcile with my sister?
"You don't know how much she misses you. She sits on the balcony in a daze for several nights. And my mom's cooking is terrible. I still prefer your cooking.
"James, why don't you come back?"
"I can't go back." James smiled gently, looking at her pretty face. "Many things, once broken, are hard to mend. Besides, going back would only cause more trouble for me and your parents."
Of course, the most important reason was that James didn't want to return to the oppressive environment of the Smith family.
Kaitlyn pouted and hummed, "Is there nothing in the Smith family that you miss?"
James remained silent, and his silence spoke volumes.
Kaitlyn became a bit bratty. "Not even me? This little beauty?"
As soon as she said it, her face turned red. The words were too ambiguous and suggestive.
"Don't worry about adult matters." James wiped away Kaitlyn's tears with a smile. "Go back. I'll treat you to a meal in a few days when I'm free."
"I can't go back." Kaitlyn tugged at James' shirt, speaking with her head down. "I got kicked out of the Smith Family."
James was slightly stunned. "What do you mean?"
"You have to take care of me," Kaitlyn said.
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