When he got up and went out, he met Jacob. This time, no blame had been put on Jacob.
He had always been Michael's pride. And not only that, Jacob did his best to make his father happy. He
was more than willing to give up on his dreams.
According to him, dreams were nothing. He strived to become a good son. If anything, his actual dream
was to accomplish his father's dream. And Michael's only dream was for his son to run his company
well.
That's why Jacob worked so hard.
When his mother passed away, Michael had called him towards him.
"Are you sad to lose your mother?" his father had asked softly. Michael himself was on the verge of
tears, but he tried to bring comfort to his son.
Jacob nodded and tears began to stream down his face. He lifted his head and saw his father had
begun to cry as well. This memory was deeply ingrained in his memory. After all, this was the first time
he had seen his father cry.
Perhaps his father had only cried once in his life. He took Jacob's mother's death quite badly.
"I'm as sad as you are. But from now on, we have to be strong, understand?" Michael turned around
and wiped his tears quietly. It looked like he didn't want Jacob to know how hurt he was. Jacob stood
still, listening to his father's words.
Michael went on, "So, no matter what happens in the future, try not to cry. You have to be strong. Can
you do that?" Throughout this conversation, his voice was strong and gentle. Jacob's eyes were on his
father, seeing how red his father's eyes had gotten.
Jacob wiped his father's tears and said, "Dad, stop crying. After all, you said we shouldn't cry."
Back then he was a child. But as he grew up, he often replayed this conversation, slowly understanding
the pain his father had been in. In spite of that, he hadn't neglected Jacob. He came to comfort his son.
When Jacob made a mischievous mistake and everyone said that he was hopeless, his father had faith
in him. It was his father's firmness that made Jacob who he was today.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have reached anywhere. Now he wondered if his father would stop being by his
side in the future. Jacob couldn't imagine what would happen to him without his father.
He felt everything had been strange. Without his father, he would lose the sole support that he wanted
in life. He working hard would seem to lose all meaning.
Without his father, his enthusiasm to work for the company would also wane. Perhaps he would choose
a quiet place and live there with Sara.
So many thoughts began to spiral in his mind. He dismissed the thoughts that went in the direction of
giving up. He wouldn't let his father's painstaking efforts to be in vain. He had to shoulder his father's
responsibilities, no matter what.
'I won't give up!' he thought to himself.
"Uncle James, what are you going to do?" Jacob tilted his head and tried to be calm, but his hands
were trembling. James had always lived with his father. He couldn't help but wonder what would
become of him.
James didn't say anything for a few seconds. Instead, he looked at the door of the ward in a daze.
"Life and death are decreed by fate. We can do nothing." When James spoke, his voice was eerily
calm. If someone else had said it, Jacob would punch him to the ground. But he loved James and
coming from him, this answer sounded reasonable.
"What is fate?" Jacob was in a daze, and the pain in his heart only increased. No one could know the
pain he was in right now. The loss of a loved one was much more painful than material loss.
After all, he could earn money easily if he lost it. But once a human life was lost, there was no way to
replace it.
Jacob looked at the ward nervously as if he could somehow make his father stay.
"Happiness is fate, sadness is fate, pain is fate. Grief and joy, all emotions and desires can be
described as fate." After thinking for a moment, James enlightened Jacob with an answer. For some
reason, his answer sounded philosophical.
His words were true. Do what we might, nobody could stop these emotions from coming. For a few
seconds, Jacob glanced at his uncle.
"So, is everything fate?" Jacob sounded and looked pathetic. He was overcome by an urge to cry but
he remembered his father's words. Having no choice, he held back his tears. His eyes were red.
"We can only do one thing. And that is, we can cherish the people who are with us." James lowered his
head after he spoke. This was a simple truth that he had come to understand after it was too late.
He was overcome by regret. Regret was always the main object of his life. And from his experience, he
gathered it was more painful than any physical pain. Such people couldn't even talk to others about
their pain.
Since it wasn't possible for them to change the past, their only choice was to remain silent. Jacob took
a deep breath. This winter was really long and cold.
"Will the future be better?" Jacob looked at the two people present there expectantly.
Sara felt sad, but she didn't know what to say. She couldn't promise him everything would be fine. After
all, at the moment the future looked bleak.
The whole room was deadly silent. For a second Sara wondered if the whole thing was an illusion.
No one answered Jacob's question. Sara and James just looked at each other, speechless. They
couldn't know anything for certain. They also didn't have the heart to say no.
The best way was to say nothing and allow the eerie silence to persist.
"Back then, I thought that if I managed the company well, my father would be able to live a peaceful life
in retirement. But now, it doesn't look like it. I was totally wrong. I was so busy with work, I couldn't
spare time for my father. I don't know how he is doing."
Jacob covered his head, self-blame and self-pity were eating him alive. He couldn't extricate himself
from it.
Seeing this, Sara felt sad, but she knew there was nothing she could say that would comfort him.
Words couldn't help him right now. Having no choice, she could only watch him. Perhaps he would feel
better after he cried out his pain.
"I thought I could help him achieve his dream. I forgot that his health was deteriorating. He needs
company and love. Maybe in the pursuit of fulfilling his dream, I neglected taking care of him."
Jacob sat straight with bloodshot eyes. Perhaps it was because he had endured too much sadness, or
perhaps his pain had reached its peak. Jacob looked haggard and dispirited, so unlike him.
"It's not your fault. Life keeps people busy. You had your own problems to deal with. Moreover, you
were busy fulfilling your father's dream. You have done a good job." James held his hand. James was
in pain too. He had no desire to speak. But seeing his nephew look so gloomy, he couldn't help but try
to cheer him up.
He knew everyone would depend on him. If he fell, many people would also fall along. Therefore, he
had to show courage in the face of adversity. He was determined to fulfill his duties.
Jacob wasn't convinced. He shook his head and said, "No, I am at fault. I always thought I had made
the right choice. But today, when I saw my father lying on the bed, I realized that I was careless. I
should have spent more time with him."
Jacob spoke in a low voice. He felt like this was the beginning of his misery. Nobody else could say
anything that would make him feel better.
Overcome by pain, he was doubting his choices. He couldn't help but wonder if his choice had led to
the current misfortune. Jacob narrowed his eyes as if he was thinking about a lot of things.
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