Chapter 423
"Joseph, please, calm down. I am your mother," Mabel implored, her voice a shaky whisper, strangled by fear. "What you're doing is beyond the pale. The world will revile you for it."
A harsh, bitter laugh escaped Joseph's lips. "As if I'm not already the object of universal scorn. Why did you even bring me into this world? You're the vilest woman I know. You sicken me," he spat out, his voice a hysterical scream. Mabel's body dangled in his grip, suspended precariously above the ground.
"Are you truly intent on ending my life, you madman?" she gasped.
"I am mad, yes, driven to insanity by you," Joseph retorted, his sanity teetering on the brink. Suddenly, a piercing scream from Cassie rent the air behind him.
"Joseph, stop this madness!" she cried.
His body convulsed, a violent shudder running through him. His handsome features blanched instantly, turning a deathly pale.
He couldn't bring himself to look back at her, fearful of the disgust and terror he might find in her eyes.
He was weary, bone-deep and soul-deep.
His mental state was deteriorating rapidly, his chest a cauldron of simmering rage.
In the past, he had managed to restrain himself from harming Mabel, but not today.
The thought of being confined within the stark, desolate walls of the asylum again was unbearable.
Four barren walls, with no one to offer him comfort or solace.
"Joey, come to me," Cassie beckoned, her steps measured and cautious.
"Enough! Don't come any closer," Joseph roared, his handsome face contorted with torment. "I'm ill, I could harm you—do you comprehend that?"
Cassie's heart clenched at the sight of the stranger before her, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm not afraid. No one is born this way. Besides, you're not the one to blame; it's those who've caused you pain."
"Enough, I don't believe it," Joe retorted, shaking his head in confusion. "My mother lied to me just like this, and then before I knew it, I was abandoned at the mental hospital."
Mabel's expression hardened. "But Joe, if I hadn't sought treatment for you back then..."
"Silence," Joe snapped, his anger flaring suddenly. "You're the reason I fell ill in the first place. Where were you when I was locked in a closet for days on end? Or when I was stripped of my clothes in winter and nearly froze to death?"
His voice escalated with each word, and it seemed he might completely lose control.
Cassie was at a loss too, until Lucas appeared with a syringe. "It appears you're the only one who can approach him. Inject this into his arm, and it'll sedate him."
"But I've never done this before..." she protested.
"You can do it," Lucas said firmly, his face impassive. "We can't let Joe's life be destroyed."
"Alright," she agreed reluctantly.
Taking a deep breath, Cassie discreetly pocketed the syringe and slowly advanced towards Joe.
"I told you to stay back, can't you understand?" Joe barked as he noticed her approach.
"I can't just stand by and watch you suffer," Cassie shouted back, her voice choked with tears, louder than his. "Joe, you can't be so selfish. You insisted that I stay by your side. Because of you, I'm disfigured, and everywhere I go, I'm ridiculed as a freak. You said you didn't mind, that you wanted to bring me happiness, and that you'd prove it over a lifetime. Is this your proof?"
Joe looked at Cassie's tear-streaked face and seemed suddenly lost, like a child. "I..."
"Don't you understand? I love you, regardless of your appearance," Cassie continued, her voice breaking as she moved closer. "I won't be frightened by your past. Instead, my heart aches for you more. I want to bring warmth to the rest of your life. If you're sick, that's okay. I can be with you. If it can't be cured in a year, then I'll be with you for life."
Her voice trembling, she added, "Likewise, if I were the one who was sick, you wouldn't abandon me, right?"
Joe froze, the madness in his eyes slowly receding.
Seizing the opportunity, Cassie administered the injection in his arm. He looked back at her without resistance, his gaze slowly losing focus.
His grip on Mabel’s hand gradually loosened, and he slumped to the ground.
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