Eventually, I stopped thinking about it altogether.
A man who brought his mistress and illegitimate son into the house the moment his wife died—could I really expect him to care for the child she'd left behind?
Seeing my eyes redden, Julia's gaze flickered. She reached for my arm.
"Joseph, are you worried that once the Gilbert heiress dies, you'll have no one to rely on? Or are you afraid of catching some disease and not being able to afford treatment?"
"Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll bring you back and take care of you. I'll find you the best doctors. It's not that I don't care about you—it's just that Neil is so timid. I can't bear to make him suffer..."
Her words nearly made me retch.
I shook off her hand and pressed the knife to my wrist the same way Neil had, my voice cold.
"Fine. Don't give me the shares. I'll end it right here, right now."
"You said it yourselves—the Cresthaven princess isn't someone to cross. She's already been matched with the Simmons heir. If I die before the wedding, you can let Neil clean up the mess for the family."
My stepmother immediately tugged at my father's sleeve.
"Honey, we can't let Neil walk into that trap."
"The princess won't live much longer. The Gilberts will definitely choose a new heir. When that happens, our Neil will be a widower—and if he catches something too, how will he ever show his face again?"
"What if it's incurable? Joseph is a lost cause anyway—let him die. But Neil can't be buried alongside him!"
Neil's eyes welled with tears on cue.
My father had his assistant bring over the share transfer agreement and signed it immediately.
He didn't forget to reassure Neil that he'd give him even more shares as compensation.
I laughed coldly to myself. Go ahead. Give him whatever you want. In the end, I'll take it all back.
I won't let my mother's legacy fall into the hands of these parasites.
The emcee's voice cut through: "The ceremony is about to begin. Will the bride and groom please prepare to enter?"
Julia's eyes lit up with anticipation as she took Neil's arm and hurried away.
My father insisted that it would look bad if the groom's brother didn't attend, and dragged me into the banquet hall.
A last-minute groom swap—in all of Cresthaven, that kind of scandal was rare. Mocking, curious glances swept over me constantly.
When the ceremony finally ended and my father left to see off the guests, I found my chance to slip away.
But Julia called after me.
"Joseph, I know today was hard on you."
"I know that without you, I wouldn't be where I am today. Once the Gilbert heiress passes, I'll bring you back immediately and make it up to you properly. Neil won't object."
Julia and I had been college sweethearts. Back then, she was just a poor student, and I was the son my family never wanted.
We'd found solace in each other. Leaned on each other.
We used to say that even without Simmons Corp, we'd find our footing in Cresthaven together.
To help her start her business, I'd swallowed my pride, scrambling to raise capital and recruit talent for her.
Worried she'd be taken advantage of, I'd studied business management day and night, poring over complex case studies, becoming her personal consultant.
She'd once held my hand and sworn she'd give me a home. That she'd never let anyone hurt me again.
She broke that promise.
I had no interest in wasting words on her. I turned to leave.
And walked straight into Neil, holding a wine glass. He spoke timidly.
"Brother, I wanted to toast you. Thank you for stepping aside for me and Julia—and for taking my place in the marriage."
Julia praised him for being so thoughtful, then looked at me.
"Joseph, Neil means well..."
I cut her off, my voice ice.
"Julia, do I need to remind you that I'm allergic to alcohol?"
"Besides—the wedding suit was tailored to his measurements. You knew his body that well. You've been sleeping together, haven't you?" My lip curled. "I don't drink toasts from mistresses and their bastards."
