My Precious Family 2 [Jenlisa]

Chapter 264: Regret

"Your family. What happened to them?"    

As far as Bear knew, he told them that everything about his family was good and well. He was certain he didn't leave any trace or clue. However, her question proved she saw through his lie.     

"Hah..." Bear let out an airy chuckle, setting his attention back on the road. "Madam surely reminds me of someone."    

"Your previous employer again?"    

"Yes." He smiled bitterly at the thought. "There's no lie she wouldn't see through, and it was almost ridiculous how she could see through people so easily."    

"I guess she had to do that because people lie all the time."    

"Perhaps."    

"So?" Jennie slowly set her eyes on the driver's seat, keeping her attention on his side profile. "What's the deal with your wife and son? Why aren't you with them anymore? Did you get a divorce and dump you?"    

Bear smiled subtly, eyes on the road. "I didn't have a divorce. She wouldn't leave me, no matter how cruel I was to her. How I wish she simply got fed up and left because her husband couldn't give his all."    

"..." Jennie pressed her lips, swallowing down the building tension in her throat. "So, what happened?"    

There was a long, awful silence in the car after her question flew out of her lips. Bear didn't react while she held her breath, preparing her heart for any heart-shattering news.     

"It was a car accident." When Bear mustered the courage to tell his story, a bitter glint flickered across his eyes. The corner of his mouth was still curled into a helpless smile. "It was pouring hard, and the road was slippery. She was in labor and she was all alone."    

His grip around the steering wheel tightened, taking a deliberate pause. "So, she had to drive herself while in labor, in the middle of the night, and under the pouring rain. She eventually reached her destination, but unfortunately, not the way I hoped for."    

Jennie drew a deep breath, lips quivering as she could imagine the screech of the tires and piercingly loud honks before the crash. She swallowed another tension in her throat that was almost choking her, looking away from him.     

"Is that so?" she replied, barely making out a sound.     

Bear didn't answer this time, and they journeyed home in silence. When they reached the building, Bear offered to carry Jevin to the penthouse. The little master was tired, so he didn't wake up.     

There was no exchange between Bear and Jennie, even after reaching the penthouse. Bear carried Jevin to his room while Jennie followed two steps behind him.     

As Bear laid the little master on his bed, Jennie initiated the conversation.     

"Where were you that night?" she asked, leaning against the door's jamb, watching him straighten his back.     

Bear cast her a quick look, standing beside the little master's bed. "I was... somewhere."    

"Where?"    

"Grieving someone else's death," he answered truthfully while holding her inexplicable gaze. "Before my previous employer's death, I thought I already accepted her fate. However, when I held her stiff and cold hands, I was wrong."    

Bear drew a deep breath and breathed it out helplessly. "I... couldn't accept it. I fell into a despicable loop of drinking and wasting away, hoping to die and follow her."    

"I thought I could do better, considering I witnessed more deaths that took away my freeLisa to sleep. But I was wrong. Losing another loved one didn't feel easier," he continued under his breath, opening his tightly secured heart for a reason he couldn't understand. "However, what I didn't realize sooner was that while I was drowning in sorrow, my wife's pain was double. Yet, she held on to me and tried to understand me."    

"It was too late for me to realize I still had her." Bear cleared his throat as he lowered his eyes, enduring the wounds in his heart that had never healed. "I already lost her when I realized I focused on the people I lost, more than those who were still present."    

And because of that, Bear had clung to life stronger than ever. He endured the pain and regret, living as long as he could, seeing life as punishment for his wrong decisions.     

Being alone for the rest of his life was his punishment and karma.     

As Bear kept his head down, he saw a pair of shoes a step before him. When he raised his head, all he saw was Jennie raising her fist and punching him straight in the chest.     

"Scumbag," she breathed out, throwing another weak punch on his chest. "Stupid old man."    

Jennie continued to throw punches to his chest while calling him names under her breath.    

Idiot.    

Fool.    

Jerk.    

Those were only a few examples of the insults she spewed at him while punching his chest. Initially, Bear thought she was simply upset at his story and how awful he was as a husband to his wife. However, his breath hitched when tears started falling from her eyes.     

"I hate you for this." Her knuckles this time settled on his firm chest, with his hand wrapped around her thin wrist. "Why...? You should've stayed with her."    

His grip trembled slightly, gazing down at Jennie Kim. He would understand her reaction if she was Jane, but Jennie Kim didn't know anything about him until now.     

"Because... I was not perfect," Bear breathed out, feeling his palm sweat while holding her wrist. "People always have regrets, and that will be mine. Forever."    

"Your forever regret?" she scoffed, looking up at him. Her eyes flashed with contempt and anger, grinding her teeth as her disappointment in him reached its peak.     

"Madam Manoban, it was already in the past and a chapter of my life I have to move on to." Bear huffed, fighting himself to keep a level head and not succumb to the ridiculous ideas in his mind all day.     

However, everything that he told himself all day went down the drain when Jennie spoke through her gritted teeth, furious.     

"Bernard!" Her voice shook, eyes bloodshot. "Can you hear yourself? Esme was there when you needed her the most! And yet, where were you when she needed you?!"