Chapter 295 "You may rise, I will sign."
His face was a mask of earnestness, his gaze pleading with them to understand, to believe. But the furrow in Dennis' brow only deepened, mirrored by the worried crease in Kaitlyn's forehead.
They weren't buying it. And really, who could blame them? Such severe burns... Everyone knew they were a life sentence. To claim otherwise, to cling to the impossible hope of a complete recovery... It was the talk of a man whose mind, as well as his body, had been ravaged by the fire.
Their resolve solidified. It was imperative for them to rescue Jennifer from such a fate, from the oppressive yoke of a life shackled to a man whose body and psyche were both fractured.
"James, sweetheart," Kaitlyn began, her voice thick with sympathy, "we know you love Jennifer dearly. And we understand why you'd say this, why you'd cling to this... fantasy. But you have to be realistic. These scars... They're not going away. We've spoken to the doctors, James. The damage..." she hesitated, her gaze faltering, "the damage is...extensive. Even your...your ability to father children..."
She trailed off, unable to continue, her words replaced by a choked sob. Dennis put a comforting arm around her, his own expression pained.
"We only have Jennifer, James," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "We'd hoped... We'd hoped for grandchildren, for the Johnson line to continue. But after five years... And now this..."
He shook his head, his face a mask of despair.
James felt a surge of frustration, of helplessness. "Dad, Mom, please. You have to listen to me. I'm a doctor. I know my body. Yes, for most people, these injuries would be... Well, they'd be devastating. But I'm different. My... My physiology, it's unique. I heal faster, stronger. In three months... I'll be as good as new. You have to believe me."
His words, however, were met with pitying looks. They regarded him with the gaze one might reserve for a delusional child, his statements rendered devoid of substance and untethered to reality.
Kaitlyn reached for his hand, her touch gentle, her eyes filled with a mother's sorrow. "James, this... This has been a terrible shock. It's alright to... Just...let us handle this. Let us take care of everything. Just sign the papers, darling. For Jennifer. For yourself."
And with that, Dennis placed a document on the bed before him. A divorce agreement. Crisp, clean, and utterly soul-crushing.
"It's for the best," Dennis murmured, placing a pen beside the document. "Consider it...a final act of kindness. To us. To Jennifer. Set her free, son. Let her find happiness."
James stared at the document, his vision blurring as tears welled up, hot and unwelcome. He leaned back against the pillows, his chest constricting, each breath a shallow gasp.
Does Jennifer know about this? Does she want this? The thought echoed through the hollow chambers of his heart.
"Does... Does Jennifer agree to this?" His voice was a broken whisper, barely audible.
"She... She'll understand," Kaitlyn said softly, her gaze flickering away from his.
Hope, fragile and desperate, flared within him. "Mom, you're saying...she hasn't agreed?"
Kaitlyn's gaze hardened, her voice regaining its steely resolve. "She will. She has to. It's for the best."
"No," James said, his voice gaining strength, "I won't do it. Not without talking to her. We made a promise, she and I. In sickness and in health..."
But before he could finish, Kaitlyn did something that shocked him to his core. She sank to her knees beside the bed, her eyes pleading, her voice thick with tears. "James, please. I'm begging you. Sign the papers. Don't make this harder than it already is."
"Mom, what are you doing? Get up, please." He tried to rise, to help her up, but his movements were hampered by his injuries.
And then Dennis was beside her, his own face etched with desperation, his voice breaking as he spoke. "James, we're begging you. We only have Jennifer. Have mercy on us, son. Let her go."
And then, to James' utter astonishment, Dennis bowed his head and touched his forehead to the floor. A kowtow. A gesture of utter supplication.
The sight of his father-in-law, a proud and stubborn man, humbling himself like this broke something within James.
"Okay," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I'll sign."
Relief washed over Dennis and Kaitlyn's faces, tears streaming down their cheeks as they thanked him, their words tumbling over each other in their haste.
"No need," James murmured, his voice hollow, devoid of any trace of victory.
He gazed at the divorce papers with a tearful gaze, his tears trickling down onto the page and blurring the words that seemed like a sentence of death.
Dennis, eager to finalize everything, flipped to the last page, pointing to the signature line. "Just here, James. It's a simple signature. And then your fingerprint, and it's done."
"Okay."
He picked up the pen, his hand trembling. He stared at the blank line, his name a foreign entity, a betrayal waiting to be inked. Five seconds ticked by, each one an eternity. And then, with a heart heavier than lead, he signed his name.
James.
The finality of it hit him like a physical blow.
Dennis, with shaking hands, produced an ink pad, guiding James' finger onto the paper, capturing his fingerprint, a permanent mark on a document that severed the ties that bound him to the woman he loved.
Exhaustion, both physical and emotional, washed over him, leaving him feeling drained and empty.
"Dad, Mom," he whispered, his voice barely a thread of sound, "I... I need to rest now. Please...just go."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
