The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 134

Marcus let out a heavy sigh and didn't finish his sentence.

Jocelyn sensed something strange in the exchange, but she didn't read too deeply into it. She assumed the "debt" Marcus mentioned simply referred to the twenty-plus years of mistreatment she had endured in the Evans household.

Seeing the situation spiral so drastically out of control, Jeremy was completely lost.

"Dad, are you having an affair or something?"

The second the words left his mouth, Jocelyn kicked him hard in the leg.

Jeremy winced in pain. "Why else would Dad ask for a divorce and walk away with nothing? Unless he's gone completely senile!"

Marcus looked at his son with utter disappointment.

"You're a grown man now. If you keep living like this—reckless and useless—even if I left the entire fortune to you, you'd blow through it in a heartbeat. You're just waiting to bleed this family dry."

He then turned to Jocelyn, his face lined with profound guilt.

"Jo, your dad is useless. I'm so sorry. You've been my daughter for twenty-eight years, and I failed entirely in my duty as a father. I didn't protect you."

"I thought that if you married the man you loved, your life would finally get better. I never expected..."

"Jo." Marcus's eyes grew red with tears. "If living in the Lowell family is too hard, then leave. Leave Adrian. Find someone who truly loves you, understands you, and cares for you, and live a good life."

"Jo, if you aren't happy, I'll never have a moment's peace, even in my grave."

"Dad..." Jocelyn's throat tightened painfully, a suffocating knot blocking her voice.

Diana suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Jocelyn by the collar.

"This is all your fault! Every single time you come back here, you ruin everything for everyone! Jocelyn, you're a curse on this family! You're poisoning all of us!"

Jocelyn felt like her heart had been ripped open.

It hurt.

And it was so cold.

This house felt like an icebox.

A loud thud accompanied by the family's horrified gasps echoed through the room.

Marcus had stumbled backward, his chest slamming hard into the corner of the heavy wooden table before he collapsed onto the floor.

The arguing stopped instantly.

A terrifying, suffocating dread seized everyone in the room.

"Jocelyn!" Diana screamed, her voice dripping with pure venom. "I am begging you!"

"You are already married to the Lowells. Go be Mrs. Lowell and stay the hell away from us! Don't ever come back here and tear this family apart again! Do you hear me?!"

Jocelyn's eyes were distant and empty, as if her very soul had been drained away.

Diana's words drove like icy spikes into her eardrums, shattering what little was left of her heart.

Through trembling lips, Jocelyn forced out a single word.

"Okay."

The red light above the emergency room turned off. The lead doctor pushed through the doors.

Diana rushed forward.

"Doctor, is my husband going to be okay?"

Jocelyn stood a few feet away, her feet feeling like blocks of lead. She couldn't take a single step closer.

But the doctor's words rang out clearly.

"It was a severe heart attack. We've already placed the stents. We've done everything medically possible. Now, it's entirely up to the patient to see if he can pull through."