They Beg For My Return (Camila Jackson) novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204 Harry Extra 2

Back then, Harry thought it was only right to protect Agnes, believing his actions were justified and without fault

But now, as he reflected on the past, he was struck by the realization of just how cruel he had been to a fifteen–year–old girl

And this was only in the first two days after Camila returned to the Jackson family. Over the three years she lived there, incidents like this happened repeatedly, almost every other day.

Harry felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, the pain to intense left him gasping for air

His face twisted in anguish, his brows furrowed tightly, forming deep lines. Sweat dripped down his forehead in large beads, mixing with the tears streaming down his face.

During his ten years in prison, the structured routine had helped ease his chronic stomach issues.

But now, a sharp, stabbing pain tore through his stomach, reminiscent of the time he vomited blood from a perforated ulcer The agony was so unbearable that it felt like it might rip him apart.

Unable to hold on any longer, he collapsed onto the folding bed, curling up tightly. He clutched the diary to his chest as if it were his lifeline, tears soaking its cover. Over and over, he choked out the words, “Camila, I’m sorry I’m so sorry…

It was hard to tell how much time had passed before the stabbing pain in his stomach finally eased. By then, Harry was drenched in cold sweat, his body completely drained of strength.

Forcing himself to sit up despite his weakness, he reached out with trembling hands and turned to the next page of the diary.

[June 20, 2007, Sunday, Overcast.

[I spent a week in the hospital, and today, I finally got to go home.

[These past few days, I’ve felt wronged and disappointed by my family. But when I saw Mom and Dad running around, worried sick about me, afraid something might happen, I couldn’t stay mad at them.

[At the orphanage, no one cared when a child got sick. You just had to lie in bed, all alone, and hope your body could fight it off.

[I waited fifteen years for this family. They’ve hurt me deeply, but they were the only ones who cared when I was in the hospital.

[I should be angry at them for being so cold, but I can’t help holding onto the little bits of kindness they’ve shown me.

[I kept telling myself that people have hearts, and if I just tried hard enough, one day they’d truly care about me. So, I was so excited to go home. Even after everything, I still wanted to be accepted.

[I bought small gifts for everyone in the family with the scholarship money I’d saved up. I thought maybe these gifts would make them happy, maybe they’d help us get closer, and maybe, just maybe, they’d finally let me be a real part of this family.

[But when I got home and eagerly handed out the gifts, Harry’s reaction crushed me. He glanced at the tie I’d picked for him, a flicker of disgust crossing his face, and then he tossed it straight into the trash.

[His voice was cold as he said, “What is this garbage? Do you want me to be the joke of the office? Stop bringing me this kind of junk.”

[Mom and Dad barely looked at the gifts. Their expressions were hard to read, but I could tell they thought it was cheap and embarrassing.

[Yeah, maybe I am poor. My scholarship money wasn’t enough for fancy gifts, but I still gave it my all, trying my best to show them I cared.

[At that moment, it felt like a thousand needles were stabbing into my heart. The pain was unbearable. I didn’t know what else I could do to make them see me as family. Maybe… maybe I shouldn’t have come back at all.

[The family I longed for never longed for me.]

[June 21, 2007, Monday, light rain.

[I got punished again today. The frustration and helplessness made me wonder if this family was ever really mine. [Before leaving for school this morning, I left a note: “If you don’t want me here, I’ll just go back to the orphanage.”

[If there is no love, there’s no point in torturing each other I’ve been used to being alone for a long time. Living in solitude is still better than enduring constant disdain every Successfully unlocked!

[With a heavy heart and dragging steps, I went to school. The entire day, i was distracted, my mind replaying all the hurtful

moments at home.

[After school, I decided to ride my bike back to the orphanage. The rain fell steadily, cold and relentless, soaking me through and chilling me to the bone.

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Chapter 204 Harry Extra 7

[When the familiar gates of the orphanage came into view, a rare sense of peace washed over me. But before I could even park my bike, I saw the Jackson family’s car parked right in front of the entrance.

[Dad stepped out of the car. He didn’t even glance at my drenched state. Without a word, he slapped me across the face The slap echoed through the rain, sharp and unforgiving, leaving my cheek burning with pain

[Pointing a finger at me, he roared, “You ungrateful brat! We searched for you for years, and now you pull this? Running away to threaten us–what were you thinking?”

[His eyes blazed with fury, his face twisted in anger, as if I had committed some unforgivable crime

[Clutching my stinging cheek, tears welled up in my eyes, I tried to explain. “Dad, I wasn’t trying to threaten you. I just don’t want to be hit or scolded anymore-*

(But before I could finish, Mom cut me off. Tears streamed down her face, her voice trembling as she accused me

[“It’s so late. Where have you been? Were you out with bad company? Girls your age are so easily influenced. If you mess up and ruin your reputation, you’ll drag the whole family down with you!”

[Her eyes were filled with disappointment and anger, and her tears felt like the sharpest condemnation.

[Then Harry stepped forward, his tone cold and menacing. “If you dare disgrace the Jackson family, you’ll face the consequences. I’d rather lock you up than let you embarrass us.”

[In their words and their eyes, I felt like a criminal guilty of the worst sins. No matter what I said, it felt like nothing could change their minds.

[They dragged me back to the Jackson residence. As soon as we stepped inside, Harry shot me a cold warning. “If you don‘ t straighten up, you can forget about going to school.”

[School is the only way I can escape this life. I can’t give it up–it’s all I have left. I told myself, maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I just haven’t tried hard enough to make them see me differently.

[From today onward, I’ll work even harder to change their perception of me. Even if all this house gives me is pain, I can’t stop hoping for a shred of warmth–a place to belong, a real home.

[Camila, you’ve got this.]

As Harry read those words, it felt like the Camila of the past was standing right in front of him–vulnerable yet fiercely determined, fighting to survive amidst the family’s misunderstandings and accusations. His hands shook uncontrollably. and the diary nearly slipped from his grasp.

“How could I have been so blind, so heartless? What kind of person am I?” he muttered, his voice heavy with regret and self -loathing. Tears blurred his vision, soaking the yellowed pages of the diary.

Harry couldn’t bring himself to read any further. He didn’t need to. He already knew what Camila must have written. For three long years, the family had given her nothing but cold indifference and cruelty.

Memories surged through him like a flood. He could see it all–the yelling, the punishments, the disdainful looks. Week after week, they tore her down, leaving her to pick up the pieces alone.

The images overwhelmed him, leaving him gasping for air. His head throbbed with pain, the ache cutting straight to his soul. “Camila, I’m so sorry. I swear, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

Harry shoved the diary into the drawer and stumbled out of the room. He had to find Camila–he had to beg for forgiveness. His hair was a mess, his face streaked with tears, as he rushed straight to the door.

He stopped the first person he saw and asked, “Have you seen my sister?”

The person frowned, confused, “Your sister? Who’s that?”

“My sister–Camila! Have you seen her?”

The person shook their head. “Sorry, I don’t know her. Haven’t seen anyone like that.”

Harry didn’t give up. He went from one person to the next, asking desperately, his voice trembling, his actions frantic. But everyone he approached either shook their head or waved him off.

He was standing in the middle of the street, his eyes hollow. “Ten years… Camila, why aren’t you home? Where did you go? I was wrong. I have to find her. I need to apologize. Where is she? Camila, where are you?” he whispered.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, a spark of hope breaking through his despair. “Giovani,” he muttered. “That’s right–ten years ago, Camila was with Giovani. She must be at the Campbell residence.”

Clinging to this last shred of hope, Harry took off running toward the Campbell residence. His steps quickened with every stride, as if sheer determination could close the distance between him and Camila.

His heart raced, torn between hope and fear–hope that he might finally see her, and fear that she might never forgive him. Finally, Harry arrived at the Campbell residence. The tall iron gate stood cold and imposing under the sunlight. He rushed forward, slamming his fists against the gate, the metallic clang echoing sharply. “Open the door! Let me in. I need to see

Chapter 204 Harry Extra 2 Camila.”

His voice trembled, raw with years of pent–up guilt and regret bursting forth. “Camila, it’s me–Harry! I’m out of prison now. I came here just to see you.

“Are you inside? If you are, please come out, okay? I was wrong–so wrong. I came here to apologize to you.”

He kept pounding on the gate. He hoped, prayed, that someone inside would hear him, that Camila would come out. But as the minutes dragged on, the gate remained firmly shut, and the silence was deafening.

Harry’s heart sank deeper. Fear gnawed at him–fear that Camila wasn’t there, fear that she didn’t want to see him, fear that she would never forgive him.

He pounded harder, his voice cracking with urgency. “Camila, I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. Please, just come out. I’m begging you!”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the villa’s door creaked open. Hazel stepped out. She walked to the iron gate, her gaze cold and unyielding. Her voice was sharp and indifferent. “She’s not here. Go back to where you came from.”

Hazel looked much older than Harry remembered. Her hair was completely gray, and her back was hunched.

After Camila and Lucy passed away one after the other, Hazel had been devastated. She spent six months in the hospital before being discharged.

Since then, she had been living at the Campbell residence, her health too frail to do much. The Campbells had taken her in, providing her a place to live out her remaining years.