"Listen." Instead of blaming Benard, Zayn warned. "I don't want someone to love me out of sympathy. A relationship built upon sympathy is meaningless, and I don't need it!"
Benard kneeled before him on one knee and begged for his forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Mr. Giblo. Please forgive me."
"All my life as a businessman, I've been through hell, but nothing had ever taken me down. Even now I'm on the brink of death, I'm not afraid of dying, because I've lived my whole life with dignity. So please don't take the last shred of dignity away from me. You hear me?" Zayn said in a calm but sorrowful voice.
"Got it." Benard kept his head down. Tears began to well up in his eyes.
It must have taken this egoistic man a lot of courage to admit how vulnerable he was at this point. Zayn must have trusted Benard wholeheartedly to make that remark.
He hoped Benard could understand him and stop doing anything that would upset him further.
"All right." Zayn let out a deep sigh. "You may go."
"I'm so sorry…" Benard apologized in a hoarse voice and left the room.
After a final puff at his last cigarette, Zayn returned to his bed. He was a little worn out, and his back hurt. Suddenly, he recalled how weak Dr. Feroma was before he passed away.
Right now, he felt just as weak and sickly.
I can't sleep. I got to stay awake!
Zayn had to remind himself to stay awake as he was afraid he would pass away in his sleep.
After fighting off sleepiness for some time, he gave in and dozed off.
In his dream, countless demons grabbed him from below as if they were trying to pull him into the abyss.
He struggled to escape but to no avail. His body was so stiff that he did not have any energy to fight back.
All of a sudden, he heard Jombo's voice from afar. "Stay strong, Zayn. You cannot fall. The entire Giblo family depends on you."
All these years, he had pushed himself beyond his limits, but at this point, he could not take it anymore.
"How are you feeling? Are you tired? Come, take a break." His father's gentle voice emerged from the other side.
Zayn knew his father had never cared about power or prestige. All his father ever wanted was for him to be happy.
Yet, in reality, Zayn never had the chance to experience such love and care, as his father passed away at a young age.
Growing up, Zayn had no choice but to live up to Jombo's expectations and fulfill all the responsibilities as a Giblo.
"Honey, come to Mommy. Come here…" His mother's compassionate voice emerged next.
The love and care his parents showered upon him in his dream had comforted him for a bit. How he wished he could leave everything behind and not have a care in the world.
But soon, all sorts of voices echoed in his ear. "You mustn't fall, Mr. Giblo! Divine Corporation needs you, and Giblo Group needs you! The Giblo family cannot survive without you!"
"Our livelihood depends on you, Mr. Giblo. Our lives are in your hands!"
Once again, these voices reminded him of all the responsibilities he had to shoulder.
Zayn dared not put his guard down. He had no choice but to persevere.
In his dream, he also saw the innocent smile on his children's faces. "Daddy! Daddy!"
Zayn felt much better after seeing their adorable faces and hearing their vibrant voices.
A pair of dainty hands gently tapped on his. The person then whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, I'm here with you. I'll be with you till the end of time."
Carla…
What Carla said in his dream gave him hope.
He grabbed her hands and tried to crawl up from the ground. Yet, all of a sudden, she pulled her hands away and shoved him into the abyss.
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