A bankruptcy took Harry’s father’s life, and his mother suffered greatly in raising him amidst illness.
Yes, even if there was hatred, it was towards Hattie’s father. At the time, Hattie was just a six-year-old child who could not understand much.
To kick a man when he’s down, you have to be in the well for others to throw stones at you.
But Harry’s eyes were blinded by hatred. Why did the Stewart family fall into ruins overnight, while the Mason family remained untouchable?
Why did he kneel on the ground, with his fiancée walking past him without a second glance?
Rather than hating the true enemies of his family, Harry hated the accomplices like the Mason family.
Hattie had been sleeping for too long, her body stiff. When she finally woke up, she tried to move, but she had no strength. Even lifting a hand was a struggle, let alone sitting up.
Harry tried to give her water, but Hattie refused.
In the end, he had to call the nurse. After drinking some water and eating a bit, she finally regained some strength.
Looking at Harry standing beside her, she remembered what he had said earlier.
Even murderers had a chance to defend themselves in court for probation. Why should she strike him down with a single blow?
Just like before, most people who make mistakes do not look within themselves for faults, but find excuses and reasons from their upbringing, family background, and even from the victims.
“Harry, come closer,” Hattie said with a frown. As he made his way toward her, thinking she was in pain, she suddenly slapped him, her chest rising and falling, her lips pale with sickness.
For Harry, the slap was neither painful nor unbearable. Hattie was looking for an outlet for her pent-up frustration.
The nurse in the room watched the scene unfold, briefly surprised, before silently applauding Hattie’s action: well done!
As their eyes met, one mocking, the other embarrassed.
“Did that make you feel better?” Harry asked hoarsely.
Feel better? Could a weak slap compare to one-tenth of her pain?
Hattie took a deep breath and spoke, her voice strained, “Harry, thank you for this time. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to remove my uterus.”
With no painkillers and the anesthesia wearing off, the wound stung. Hattie’s slap had grazed her abdominal wound, bringing tears to her eyes. But she forced a fierce smile, “Congratulations, you’ve finally destroyed the organ in my body. I no longer have to fear getting pregnant with your bastard.”
Looking at Hattie’s grimace, Harry froze in place, feeling a tightening noose around his heart.
Especially the mocking arc of Hattie’s mouth, it felt like a knife scraping his heart.
“We can adopt children in the future. Hattie, Fiona and I are over. I severed one of her fingers. If you hate me and want to get back at me, to make me suffer the way you have, you’ll have to wait until you’re well again. Three years ago, you stabbed me 29 times. I let you stab me again this time, as long as you spare my life to make amends.”
To those unaware of the context, his speech might be mistaken for a romantic gesture.
“Just a finger for Fiona?” Hattie mocked.
“A finger has already changed her life. I can’t let her go to jail, it’s my debt to her.” Harry couldn’t bring himself to tell Hattie the details of what happened when she was imprisoned. He feared she would hate him and Fiona even more.
“Harry, you have to understand, it’s your debt, not mine. When I asked if you loved me before, you said you didn’t know.” Hattie sneered, “If you don’t know, then you don’t love enough. If you truly loved me, you would seek justice for me, make those who hurt me pay for it, instead of just pretending to make amends without any actions.”
The kindness Harry spoke of was perhaps the most disgusting thing in the world.
His fleeting tenderness was like cleaning new shoes meticulously, but once worn out, he wouldn’t care if they got dirty. People were usually like this. Initially, even a frown from them would make him feel for them, but eventually, even if they were dying, he wouldn’t be too concerned.
Moreover, Harry was a heartless man from start to finish.
Hattie had never hoped that Harry would do anything to Fiona. It was better to take matters into her own hands.
Harry indeed didn’t deserve to say the word “love” to Hattie. Loving someone meant being unable to see them hurt, seeking revenge for those who harmed them, and always favoring them. It was about wanting to protect them at all costs.
But he had repeatedly hurt Hattie and let others bully her.
Harry dared not utter the word “love,” because he simply wasn’t worthy of it.
Saying he loved Hattie while hurting her, that kind of love was laughable, even to himself.