Chapter 734
Chapter 734
Chapter 734 I’m Not Him
Ezekiel's kick was devastating, and the pain in the spot he hit was excruciating. Coupled with my pre- existing discomfort, I felt utterly miserable, especially while getting drenched in the pouring rain.
My white dress was completely soaked, and I shivered, looking at the man holding a red umbrella before me. His gaze was filled with unprecedented cruelty and rage, but he quickly composed himself. "I'm not angry," he denied.
"Mr. Hastings, you are angry, but I must tell you that what you're doing is wrong. These people... those who are killing each other here—they have been your loyal followers. They devoted themselves to you, so what fault do they have? Just because you are inexplicably upset, it doesn't give you the right to vent on them. You really have no mercy in your heart," I said it candidly.
I should not have said that because Ezekiel never had any mercy.
He was always seen as the destroyer by everyone. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
Suddenly, Robina grabbed my wrist. "Don't say anything more. It'll only anger Mike further," she whispered.
Ezekiel's expression changed dramatically. He looked at me in disbelief. "You dare to defy me? Do you really think I won't hit you?"
I stared at him fearlessly and said, "Mr. Hastings, you just kicked me just now, and I'm in a lot of pain. You even bit my shoulder earlier, and it hurts too!!"
I wanted to make him aware of my pain.
I wanted to force him to acknowledge it.
Ezekiel tightly gripped the red umbrella. "Shut up!" he shouted.
His pupils reddened. The strong wind blew, causing his shirt to flutter, and he seemed to lose control of the umbrella. His gaze locked on me, scrutinizing, as if he was seeking some kind of answer.
My body swayed as I struggled to stand up, but I clarified to him, "I told you before that I have a wonderful brother. He is the gentlest person in the world, yet also the cruelest. He had always shown me his tender side, but now... now he's revealing his most ruthless and heartless side to me. I never expected him to treat those who follow him this way... But I don't blame him. I never would blame him because he's now in a dark abyss. I promised him once that no matter what, I would extend my hand to pull him out."
"Shut up," Ezekiel coldly scolded.
I approached him, pressing on step by step. "What are you afraid of deep down, Mr. Hastings? Are you afraid that the brother I mentioned is actually you? There's no use being afraid because he is you!"
Ezekiel suddenly stepped back, his eyes filled with immense fear, and he looked panicked. I continued, "I have no reason to deceive you. I've been telling you from the beginning that my name is Ree. You should be able to sense it... You should be able to feel that I am her. I want to say... I really want to say..."
I was exceptionally weak and could not bear the strength in my body, and I knelt on the ground with tears streaming down my face. The rain poured, and no one could notice that I was crying.
In a low and sorrowful voice, I said, "Zeke, I'm really in pain and very sad. Can you please come back? I'm sorry. It was a casual remark back then... I'm sorry. Even though I kept saying I wanted to marry you, I betrayed you and forgot about you. I left you suffering in the darkness all alone, making you lonely until now, making you—"
"Shut up! Just shut up! Don't say it anymore! You're not her! You're not Ree! You're not. You're not... Don't talk to me... Please, don't say anything anymore, okay?" Ezekiel looked terrified, and his words were incoherent.
Ezekiel threw away the red umbrella and turned away. He left the villa, and Robina quickly came over to support me.
"Follow him," I urged.
"We can't," Robina said hesitantly.
"We can't just leave him alone at a time like this."
I pushed Robina away and left the villa. I stood at the doorway and saw Ezekiel walking to the right in the pouring rain. I followed, also getting soaked, but I did not dare to get too close. I could only follow him from a distance. I knew that Ezekiel must be sorrowful at this moment.
Perhaps because he had hurt me, and so he was grieving.
Perhaps because he was still considering whether to believe me or not.
Or maybe he was struggling with his thoughts.
Just a few hundred meters away, Ezekiel stumbled and fell into the grass. I rushed over to help him, but he pushed me away forcefully. "Go away, don't touch me. You're not her. You've never been her."
He still could not admit that I was her.
This version of him...
It saddened me deeply because it was like his spirit struggled in hell and was unable to find solace.
He seemed to have never experienced happiness.
Ezekiel had a lonely soul.
In his entire world, there was only me.
His feelings for me went beyond just a crush.
It surpassed the love he held in his heart.
Suddenly, I recalled what Robina said about faith.
He was the faith of many, and I was his faith—the belief he had held onto his whole life.
The rain was pouring harder, and Ezekiel covered his eyes with his palm, his voice filled with sorrow. "If you were her, wouldn't everything I've done recently be a joke? She must have heard all the things I said to Shawn. I never intended to confide in her about anything, I was afraid that I might burden her... If you really are her, then she knows everything, and I've repeatedly hurt her. If you truly are her… how should I move on from now?"
Ezekiel sat up, burying his face in his palms. "Ree, can you not be her?" he asked with a low voice.
Ezekiel asked me not to be her...
His shoulders trembled as if...
Is he crying?!
He was always a strong-willed man; always as steady as a rock.
He never showed any emotions and was always living in his world.
But now, he was crying because of the fact that I was Ree.
This incident had indeed hit him hard...
I suddenly understood that this was like a towering mountain pressing down on him, both physically and emotionally. He could not escape it, and no one else could get in. At this moment, I had no idea how to comfort him because he had sealed his heart so tightly.
I called out softly, "Zeke."
His shoulders shook even more violently.
"I've been trapped in dreams lately, unable to distinguish between dreams and reality. I wish it were just a dream, but I also yearn for it. Those memories are too sweet. They are like poison to me. It's a sweetness that I will lose after having it. Ezekiel might be satisfied with that situation, but not Mike. And now, the one in front of you is not Ezekiel, not the Zeke you want."
He looked up with despair and then reached out to touch me. However, his fingers trembled, and he hesitated in mid-air before pulling back. "I want to be the Mr. Hastings you want, not your Zeke. I am not him." His voice was unusually gentle this time.
"So, being Mr. Hastings will make you happy, right?"