After Josie had sorted out her emotions, ten minutes had already passed. Emerging from the bathroom, she found Paul staring blankly at the scenery outside. She said to the nurse, “I want to go out.”
The nurse coaxed him, promising to take him out once he finished the bottle of medicine. Josie felt a pang of sorrow. She approached Larry and said, “Show me the diagnostic report.”
Larry handed her a thick stack of reports. “As early as yesterday, Mr. Russell had a full-body examination. The current diagnosis is that apart from dementia, he has some underlying conditions that he’s always had, but nothing else of major concern.”
The mere fact of old age dementia was enough to break Josie’s heart. She found it hard to imagine how Paul had endured those past two years and how much psychological pain he must have suffered.
She meticulously went through each page, murmuring to herself, “It’s all my fault… If only I could have been more careful…”
Larry was about to offer some comfort when suddenly, a commotion came from outside, growing louder and closer. It was Justin’s voice. “Who the heck let her in!”
The door was flung open abruptly, Justin, still clad in his hospital gown, stormed in furiously. The bodyguard trailing beside him was visibly troubled. “Mr. Peeple, you said not to stop him, so we…”
Josie studied Justin. Compared to two years ago, he was no longer as young. He had grown a beard, adding to his mature masculine charm.
At that moment, he looked at her, wishing he could harm her.
Larry discerned the underlying complications and signaled for the bodyguards to retreat with him. With gritted teeth, Justin almost snarled at Josie. “So, you finally decided to come back.”
She clenched the report in her hand. “I’ve always wanted to come back.”
“Get out.” Justin flung the door open, issuing a stern order to leave.
“I won’t leave. In the days to come, I will personally take care of Paul, not letting him out of my sight even for a moment.” She stood there stubbornly, yearning to make amends for everything that had transpired in the past.
“No need, Josie. I will never trust you again. You are nothing but a selfish woman, deserving to be abandoned by the Olsen family!” Justin, who had been holding back his anger for two years, let it all out, cursing vehemently. “The man behind you is not your father. He’s mine. Only I would treat him well. Spare me your false pretenses!”
After enduring his barrage of insults, Josie became surprisingly calm. “Are you done? Do you feel better now?”
Justin tightly gripped the doorknob, his eyes also red.
“In my presence, you vented two years’ worth of pent-up resentment. You should feel somewhat relieved, right? If you still want to curse, feel free to continue. I won’t retort. However, I insist on taking care of Paul personally.” Josie walked up to him, bowed deeply, and said, “Justin, I’m sorry. Please give me a chance to make amends.”
In Justin’s eyes, there was nothing but confusion. His body was trembling. “Why did you come back? You left, didn’t you? Weren’t two years of carefree living enough for you? Have you come back to torment me?”
A hint of sadness was concealed in Josie’s eyes. All she could do was shake her head.
“Do you have any idea what state I found my father in? H-He was sitting on the ground, eating pasta with his hands. The pasta had even gone bad!” As Justin recalled that scene, tears inevitably fell, and he couldn’t help but sob uncontrollably.
Upon hearing his description, Josie was also moved to tears.
“He didn’t even recognize me. Did you know that, Josie? No, Liana.”
She could only continue apologizing. “He will recognize me, I’m certain of it. I will ensure that he remembers.”
Just as in the past, Paul had subtly indicated to her numerous times that she was Liana.
He had evidently always remembered her, and presumably, that would remain unchanged in the future.
