Chapter 1545:
“Try yelling. Maybe your legs just need a little extra motivation.”
Fear silenced Maddox. The anger faded, leaving nothing but desperation.
“You can’t just leave me here! I’m your father. You have to do something—find the best doctor and fix this!”
Smoke curled from Charlette’s lips as she let out a slow breath, her eyes cold.
“You ought to be grateful you’re in Klathe—a place with laws. If this were anywhere else, you’d already be gone. And you actually want me to help you walk again? Keep dreaming.”
Letting Maddox rot in that bed seemed like the lesser evil. Why offer a clean escape when he could suffer instead? A swift end would be a mercy he didn’t deserve. Charlette decided he should live out his days helpless and bitter.
When Maddox realized Charlette had no intention of paying for his treatment because of their strained relationship, he tried a new tactic—drawing her sympathy.
Tears spilled down his cheeks as he pleaded, “Charlette, I messed up before. Can’t you let it go? I only ever wanted you to be better. Every time I hit you, it was for your own good, so you’d learn. Look at you now—you’ve become so capable. Don’t hold it against me. I’m still your father, your only family. Please don’t leave me like this. Help me one last time. That’s all I’m asking.”
Pausing, he added, “I promise I won’t bother you anymore. Whatever you say goes. Pay for my treatment, and I’ll quit gambling. I’ll never touch a drink again. I’ll change everything, I swear. Don’t turn your back on me, Charlette. What am I supposed to do if you walk away?”
What was he supposed to do, indeed?
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩸ⅽ𝗈𝗺
With hardly a glance, she put out her cigarette. Her voice was cold.
“People like you don’t change. You’ll die exactly as you lived, wasting every chance.”
Charlette felt nothing for him—not a flicker of pity. Pitying him would have meant betraying the little girl who’d once needed protection.
Charlette said, “I won’t let you die that easily. I’ll pay your hospital bills, and then I’ll put you in a nursing home. You’ll get to spend your days stuck in bed, watching the world go by from the sidelines.”
She’d choose a “suitable” nursing home for Maddox. She’d make sure he was surrounded by people who made life “interesting.”
Terror flickered in Maddox’s eyes.
“You can’t do that to me! I’m your father. It’s your job to look after me. I want to stay with you in your home, not rot in some nursing home.”
A low laugh escaped Charlette.
.
.
.