Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1591

“I’m telling you, no way! If you dare to die, I’ll have you thrown out of the Warner family! I’ll make sure the whole family turns its back on you! I’ll make my parents turn their backs on you!” Bernard’s face was etched with sorrow. “Jeremy…” The scarred old man started to sob. “You can’t do this to me. I hated you for so many years, I searched for you for so many years, and I just found you! You can’t just walk away!” “Ever since Mom and Dad died, I haven’t had a single good day! Now I’ve finally found you, and life is finally getting happy, but you’re going to abandon me and leave this world alone!” “What am I supposed to do if you die? What about me?” The old man cried his heart out, a man in his sixties weeping like a child in front of Bernard. It’s like they say—no matter how many decades pass, you’ll always be the little brother in their eyes.

He knew that life and death weren't Bernard's to command, but he couldn't stop himself from complaining, from trying to scare him. As if a good scare could somehow magically make Bernard better.Bernard’s vision blurred as a heavy weight settled in his chest, stealing the very air from his lungs. He watched his brother cry, watched him rage and roar, watched him vent all the pain and despair in his heart. Only when he was spent did Bernard step forward and pull him into a hug. He patted his shoulder gently, like an older brother comforting a temperamental younger one. “Don’t be sad. I’m an old man. Even without the poison, I wouldn’t have many days left.” “When I’m gone, Evan will be here for you. Evan is your family now, too. And Elysia, and Elliot, Emmett… they’re all your family.” “Besides, they can be with you all the time. Unlike me, stuck deep in these mountains. Even if I weren’t dying, I couldn’t be by your side every moment.” “Jeremy, some things are just fate. We can’t change them.” The scarred man choked back a sob, his already rough voice now even hoarser. “Is… is it really hopeless?” “Yes, it’s hopeless.” “Not even Tracey can fix it?” Bernard sighed softly. “The poison is in my bones. Even she can’t do anything about it.” “…” The old man broke down again, crying with the pain of utter despair. They say strength is silence, but some grief is too heavy to hold back. When a man’s heart truly shatters, even the strongest soul will weep. After what felt like an eternity, the old man finally asked, “When were you poisoned? Who did it? You’re so skilled, how could you have been poisoned?” Bernard helped him to a nearby rock and sat beside him. He sighed. “Back then, they kidnapped you and our mentor’s wife. They gave me two choices: die, or play their game.” “Playing their game meant holding a press conference for the whole world and admitting that I had cheated in all my matches against those other schools. Then, I’d have to fight them all again and lose on purpose.” “I chose to die, without a second thought.” “Admitting I cheated and then losing on purpose… that wouldn’t just have destroyed my reputation and the Warner family’s name. It would have disgraced every fighter in this country. How is that any different from being a traitor?” “Our mentor always said, ‘Better to die with honor than live as a fraud.’” “This poison… they injected me with it after I chose death.” The old man was stunned. “!” Bernard continued, “Of course, I didn't plan on actually dying. You were just a kid back then. With our mentor and his wife gone, I was the only family you had left. If I died, what would happen to you?” “I’d known the old doc, Tracey, for a long time. We made preparations beforehand. I knew the poison wouldn’t kill me right away.” “Her medical skills are incredible. If I wasn't so old now, with my immune system failing, my body would have been able to keep this poison in check.” The old man was speechless. “…”