Chapter 544 The Final Farewell
As they neared Justin's hospital room, Chris heard horrible screams. The person leading the way had a strained look and shot Chris an awkward smile before jogging toward the room. By the time Chris arrived, the attendant had just pulled up his pants. Justin was lying on the bed, covered by a blanket.
"He's incontinent, you know how psychiatric patients are; they tend to lose control," the attendant said gravely. "I was just about to clean him!"
Justin, catching sight of Chris at the door, immediately started wailing, "Chris, Chris, you finally came to save me! This bastard, he—"
Before Justin could finish, Chris cut him off icily, "Whatever he's done to you, you deserved it."
Justin was stunned, and so was the attendant.
"You don't have to worry about me," Chris said to the attendant. "He's not new to this kind of behavior with others."
The attendant's tense expression faded to an awkward smile. "Got it!"
"Chris, I am your father!" Justin's voice was ragged with furious howls.
Chris dragged over a stool and sat opposite Justin. "It's lucky for me you're my father because then I have the right to sign my name on all the papers that will keep you trapped here."
Justin was struck dumb; he had hoped that, once his mental assessment came back normal, he could leave. But from what Chris was saying, he seemed to plan on locking him up here for life.
"You are now considered legally incapacitated, and as your guardian, I'm the one who decides if you leave this place," Chris said, every word deliberate.
"Chris, you can't do this! You can't!"
"As a child, my mother loved me deeply," Chris said, his eyes reflecting an endless despair. "But when she passed, she harbored such resentment towards me. Tell me, now that I’m punishing you on her behalf, do you still hate me?"
Justin saw Anne's shadow on Chris's face once again.
He screamed in terror. Chris watched as the caregivers scrambled to subdue Justin. Chris's desire to converse withered. He stood up, ready to leave.
"Chris, are you going to abandon me?" Justin yelled with all his might.
For a fleeting moment, Chris was transported back to the dim past.
As a young boy, he ran into the room where his mother was kept, took her scarred hands, and fled the prison-like house.
Chris snapped back to the present. Justin's shrill voice was still echoing behind him. He didn't look back. With determined steps, he walked out of the hospital room. The Chris that was trapped in the childhood home also tightened his grip on his mother's hand, stepping from darkness into the dazzling sunlight.
"Mom, I'm sorry.
"I hope you’re now at peace.
"I hope you’ve reunited with your loved one."
Thalassa picked a good day to hold Maria's funeral.
Many people from the Walker family attended. Scarlet and Matt were present, as were Chris and Shawn. Janna also attended the ceremony.
Fiona and Darwin participated as family members mourning the death. Business associates who worked with Thalassa also paid their respects.
Selena’s family was there too, and so were Ronald and Spencer.
The turnout was impressive. Due to the widespread attention Maria's case received nationally, it became a sensation.
Numerous media outlets staked out the funeral home intent on catching a glimpse of the high-profile attendees, quickly uploading any footage they got online.
"This lady had such high status?" one might wonder.
"I heard that Darwin and Fiona attended as family. What’s Maria's story?"
"Upstairs, I heard the deceased's daughter is the godmother of Fiona's two children."
"My idol also came to support her husband," someone recognized Scarlet.
"Men who cherish their wives are quite popular these days."
"What's this story about men cherishing their wives? Can someone enlighten me?"
"It's not just about cherishing wives, you know. Mr. Matt is a boss, but he earned this moniker because of the legendary stories from his early days in the company where he was notoriously attentive to his wife. That's why they jokingly call him a man who cherishes his wife."
Twenty years ago, there was a thread on a forum run by employees of a certain company where they'd vent their frustrations. It reached tens of thousands of posts. If anyone wanted to read about loving husbands doting on their wives, they could head over there and have a look.
"What's the connection between them and the deceased? Seems pretty farfetched, right?"
"Have you heard it's related to the Solomon family?"
"Do the whole family really need to attend the funeral?"
"Let me solve this mystery for you, the deceased's daughter is Kenny's wife. I'm his old college buddy, been friends with him for years, and he hasn't posted a single tweet until recently. His first tweet was to announce his marriage, and every tweet since has been about his wife. I know it's not quite the right time to say this, but they're just so sweet!"
Under that, the replies were all skeptical.
[Pictures or it didn't happen, don't buy it!]
Soon after, someone posted a screenshot of Kenny's tweet.
It was the very same announcement everyone was talking about. Although the screenshot was small, Thalassa's presence was undeniable, impossible to hide.
When this photo was shared, someone else posted two more photos from the event.
They were sneak shots of Thalassa and Kenny thanking their guests.
"Wow, Thalassa looks stunning, even with her nose all red from crying. She's so fragile and adorable!"
"Kenny isn't looking at the guests, he's only got eyes for Thalassa. He's the picture of a husband who's concerned for his wife. They're so perfect for each other!"
"But you guys shouldn't think less of Thalassa, she was already making waves in an overseas company long before she met the young Chris."
"And speaking of which, I can't help but think about what I read on that crime analyst blogger's page. That murderer who's been leeching off Thalassa, demanding millions from her!"
"Damn, that's rough for Thalassa."
From then on, the people on the internet took sides.
They continued to be shocked by the case.
Along with the gossip, and in awe of Thalassa's incredible connections.
The internet was buzzing with discussion about it all.
Unaware of this, Thalassa finished thanking the guests.
Kenny took her to rest.
As she sat on the couch zoning out, Chicago showed up.
"Chicago, what's wrong?"
Chicago didn't speak, but climbed onto Thalassa, and hugged her tightly. "Just need a hug."
A twinge of emotion surged in Thalassa's heart.
She closed her eyes, gently patting Chicago on the back.
"Babe, I am fine, no need to worry."
Chicago nodded, but held on tight.
Chicago's soft embrace was healing for Thalassa.
She even dozed off for a bit whilst holding Chicago.
In her dream, it seemed like Thalassa had returned.
Back to the days when the old house wasn't old, her father was still there, her mother hadn't left.
After Maria's funeral was over, Thalassa went on to arrange for Maria's cremation.
The mortician had skillfully restored Maria's appearance to her natural state. Before cremation, Thalassa took one last look at Maria.
"Goodbye, Mom," she whispered softly. "I'll take good care of myself, so don't worry." After speaking, Thalassa lingered with her gaze before moving aside to watch the staff wheel Maria away.
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