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 the latter two. At first, Jacob thought it was only by chance. However, he realized now that accidents didn't often happen in this world.
"Yeah."
Jacob swallowed a large 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. The latter 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 a compliment 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 become 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 accident, 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 the company. Since he wasn't part of the Shi clan, 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't command 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.
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