A Man with Nerves of Steel (Joseph Hart) novel Chapter 372

Chapter 372

“Oh, well. People come and go. None of us live forever.”

Joseph thought he had come to terms with life and death after spending so many days immersed in philosophy. But when news of Grace’s death reached him, he couldn’t help but grieve.

Back when he worked in the ICU, he had watched countless critically ill patients slip away despite every medical effort to resuscitate them. Through it all, he had remained detached.

It wasn’t because he was cold or heartless; it was simply because he shared no personal connection with them. In a hospital, every life was precious, but professional distance was a matter of survival.

Ultimately, Joseph stayed away from Croma. Just as Mavis had said, he had no justification for showing up. If he appeared at the funeral, he would only tarnish her memory with scandal. By staying away, their secret remained safe, and she could rest in peace as Mavis’ legitimate, virtuous daughter-in-law.

All Joseph could do was quietly track the arrangements from afar-the memorial service, the timing, and the final resting place.

That night, Joseph dreamed again. In his dream, Grace was standing in the middle of a road, drenched in blood, as if she couldn’t bear to leave this world behind. He tried calling out to her, but she remained silent, staring blankly as tears of blood began to seep from her eyes.

He jolted awake, consumed by a profound sense of emptiness. Even smoking and drinking did nothing to ease his sorrow.

Late that night, Cora arrived. As soon as she opened the door, the stench of cigarettes and alcohol hit her immediately, making her frown. She found Joseph sitting by the window, a fresh cigarette burning down. The ashtray before him was overflowing with butts, flanked by a cluster of empty liquor bottles.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, walking over to fling the window open to air out the room.

“Grace died in a car accident. Did you know about that?” Joseph asked. After not speaking for three days, his voice was slightly hoarse.

“I… I didn’t know! I’m so sorry for your loss. You can keep smoking!”

Cora had taken the cigarette from Joseph earlier, ready to put it out. But when she realized he was acting like this because of Grace’s death, she placed the cigarette back between his lips.

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