Chapter 374 Following Him


    At that moment, Jacob realized why he always seemed so serious. Furthermore, he and James


    seemed to have some sort of connection even since he was young. It was only then that he understood


    why.


    Once, Michael saw Jacob spending time with James. Unconsciously, he avoided interrupting thetter


    two. At first, Jacob thought it was only by chance. However, he realized now that idents didn''t often


    happen in this world.


    "Yeah."


    Jacob swallowed arge lump in his throat. He had no idea what to say.


    "Are you aware?" As if trying to convey an unknown meaning, James narrowed his eyes.


    A surprised expression painted Jacob''s face as he stared at James. Everything the former feared


    turned out to be true. Thetter didn''t even mince words.


    "Yes, I am." Jacob slowly nodded with a miserable look. There''s no way he could face Michael


    anymore. He felt like he failed Michael''s love for him.


    "I thought that I can keep it a secret from you forever. Unfortunately, you turned out to be as smart as


    me,"


    James dejectedly admitted. If they weren''t having such a serious conversation, such words would


    sound like apliment for Jacob.


    "Dad," Jacob blurted out with watery eyes.


    "Huh? What did you just say?" There was a hint of excitement in James''s voice. His body was


    unknowingly shaking. If he wasn''t sitting on the sofa, his legs would be wobbly, causing him to


    fall.


    "Although I now know the truth, I will still refer to you as Uncle. My father will remain as my dad." Jacob


    wiped his tears and turned the other way.


    After calming down, he stared at James as if nothing happened. They owed Michael for this. It cannot


    be redeemed any more.


    "Why do you know about it? Did my brother tell you the truth?" James''s voice still trembled.


    Unfortunately, the small hope he had in his heart instantly disappeared.


    "I was sorting out my dad''s belongings one time. By ident, I stumbled upon his case. After reading


    some of the stuff there, I learned that he was infertile ever since he was young,"


    Jacob admitted in a callous tone. It was his true reason for quitting thepany. Since he wasn''t part


    of the Shi n, he decided to return to them everything that wasn''t supposed to be his.


    "Jacob, I understand how you feel. You might find this hard to believe, but my life is filled with regret.


    Aside from that, I also remained single so I can stay with you and take care of you."


    Tears welled up in James''s eyes. Despite living a long life, he still couldn''t figure out what to do. There


    were still a lot of things he was unable to do. For example, he couldn''tmand his destiny nor see


    how it will go.


    "So, what is the truth?" Jacob asked with furrowed eyebrows. Then, he reached into his pocket and


    took out a cigarette case. Stressed, he reflexively wanted to smoke.


    A frown painted James''s expression. For most of his life, he kept such a secret in his heart. Today, he


    had to remember such awful memories. It was a story about three people. James didn''t have the heart


    to tell it.


    "Actually, your mother and I were childhood sweethearts. Unfortunately, she didn''t find me as a suitable


    husband at that time. As such, she decided to marry my brother instead."


    He weakly leaned on the sofa as saying such things took all of his energy.


    "What happened next?" After deeply inhaling from his cigarette, Jacob puffed out a cloud of smoke. It


    felt like James didn''t do anything unforgivable.


    "Sadly, she felt miserable after the wedding. Your mother realized that a marriage without love feels


    empty. Of course, she remained loyal to my brother and never divorced him."


    Nostalgia clouded James''s eyes. He seemed to instantly age as he remembered the past.


    Jacob''s jaw dropped.


    He had no reply for what James just said. Since no evidence was presented, it seemed like a biased


    story. However, Jacob felt that the man before him wasn''t despicable enough to disgrace a departed


    person.


    "Then, one day, your mother visited a bar and had some drinks. I also happened to be there. We talked


    and drank together. After getting drunk, we—"


    A painful expression painted his face as he suddenly stopped talking. Anyone could see that it left a


    scar on his heart. It was pointless to tell whether he was still loving her or otherwise at that time.


    "Although my brother learned of our sin, he remained quiet. Instead, he forgave me and your mother


    for what we did. Because of that debt, I had to follow everything he said. However, it seemed our sin


    also created anotherplication."


    The pain was still obvious in James''s face. Of course, Jacob was aware that he himself was the


    mentionedplication. There was no way an infertile person could have a child. Michael must have


    suffered so much prejudice at that time.


    "Your mother''s pregnancy gave me mixed emotions. It made me realize that life is full of twists and


    turns. She wanted to have an abortion. Fortunately, my brother convinced her to keep you."


    A heavy sigh escaped James''s breath as he writhed on his seat. He was greatly indebted to Michael.


    Staying in the Shi n was his way of retribution.


    Furthermore, he also wanted to keep an eye on Jacob. Sadly, James had to watch his child call


    another man "Dad". It was a torturous way of living.


    However, he was still willing to live in such a situation because of the debt he owed his brother. Michael


    forgave James for cheating. Thetter felt very grateful to that favor.


    Moreover, Michael never remarried after the death of Jacob''s mother. Additionally, he treated Jacob like


    his own son. James often felt rxed when he could see Jacob at home.


    However, he would always be nervous whenever Jacob left the house. After all, his brother owned the


    house.


    Everyone in that ce felt miserable. James knew that his brother''s pain was no less than his.


    Moreover, he thought that his brother was treating him better than he deserved.


    After telling the truth, James readied himself for Jacob''s anger. Moreover, James understood why his


    brother chose euthanasia at that time. However, he decided not to tell anyone.


    Not choosing euthanasia would mean that his suffering in this world would continue. It was humiliating


    to continue living. Jacob''s existence was humiliating for Michael. However, the child wasn''t aware of it.


    Moreover, it wasn''t the kid''s fault as he didn''t wish to be born out of sin. Moreover, Jacob couldn''t deny


    the fact that he was already alive.


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    Even though Jacob wasn''t his biological son, Michael still treated him like one. James felt like a


    thousand needles were piercing his heart.


    His brother epted the situation with generosity and open-mindedness. On the other hand, James


    only experienced self-loathing and regret. Indeed, Michael always seemed better than him.


    James had realized this long ago. In his mind, he felt like a fireflypeting with the stars and the


    moon whenpared with his brother.


    Jacob let out a heavy sigh. "I remember thest time I saw my father. He asked me to take care of


    you."