After much pleading from Emily's part, Jacob's obstinacy diminished. He could never really turn Emily down, so after managing to stand his ground for a while he softened his tone. "... Fine. Let's leave now," he said.
As soon as he agreed to her requests, he withdrew his tenderness and glanced through everybody, coldly, like a hot knife cutting through butter. "I will let you go, but only this one time," Jacob added.
Since Mark was not around, nobody else dared to stand in their way. After the couple left hand in hand, Debby sat down on the ground all of a sudden, with her head down, lost in deep thoughts.
Soon Abbott and Bess went inside to visit Tina, while Andrew and Debby were left outside, forbidden from entering.
Meanwhile, Jack who happened to be in the same hospital, soon came to learn about the news. In spite of the doctor's refusal, he came over to see Emily, but she was already long gone. Broken-hearted and disappointed, Jack had to go back to his ward without success.
Ironically, different people shared the same sentiments with Jack in the same day.
Outside the hospital.
Jacob walked Emily to the car with his caring arms around her shoulders. He did not ask her about anything, instead he sat her down inside and told Sam, "Go back to the Tyrone Mansion."
"Jacob, why don't you ask me about what happened?" asked Emily, in a hoarse voice. Emily finally broke the awkward silence, and snuggled down in Jacob's arms. She looked like a lion cub cuddling up to its mother.
Jacob patted Emily's head gently with his hands, while brushing her long and soft hair between his fingers. "I want you to tell me, but it's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I'll understand," he said.
Emily's nose twitched, while drops of tears fell down her face. "I don't feel like talking about it right now. But I'm feeling terrible," she said.
The sound of Emily's trembling voice, broke Jacob's heart almost instantly. He gently raised her tear-stained face and tried to wipe it dry with his kisses. "Don't be afraid. I am here for you, always," he said.
Human beings are strange creatures. No matter how tough they pretended to be in front of strangers, they could easily break down in the face of their loved ones, just by their slight tenderness.
"Jacob... Nobody wants me..." Emily said, as she completely broke down in front of him. Emily's vulnerability showed unmistakably, on her tear soaked red eyes. "My biological parents love Tina more, while my foster parents, prefer Tina as their daughter over me. I'm tired of being unloved..." she added.
The hateful look on their faces was something that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
"None of them treated me fairly. None of them ever wanted me..." she said, crying with despair and self-pity.
Emily's so-called real brother saw her as an enemy, and her so-called real parents didn't see her as their daughter. Moreover, her foster parents tried to strangle her to death, because of Tina!
Why? What did she ever do to them?
If not for anything else, the fact that they had lived together for more than twenty years should have stood for something. Did they not have any love for her? Perhaps they did have feelings for her, but those feelings fell short in comparison to how they felt for Tina.
"No, you are wrong. I want you," Jacob said to her, as he kissed her hair and held her tighter in his arms. "You will always have me, no matter what," he assured her.
Emily held on to Jacob's shirt firmly, like a drowning man clutching at straws. At the moment, he was her only redemption and consolation prize. "Jacob..." she murmured.
Only by Jacob's side could she feel like her life had purposes, instead of living like an empty shell.
"I am here, always and forever," Jacob whispered. Jacob was disheartened, but he didn't allow his emotions to show and bleed onto Emily. He wished that Emily could draw a clear line between her, the Tao clan and her foster parents. He wanted her to be self-dependent, so that when the time came, she wouldn't be so heartbroken.
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