Chapter 141
A gust of cold wind swept by, and Kyle could not help but shiver. It was only late October, yet he felt as if snow were imminent. The entire world seemed engulfed in a piercing, bone-chilling cold. He thought that he would never regret the things he had done in the past!
After all, if one doesn’t look out for oneself, even heaven and earth would punish them. He was no different from anyone else. He only took a slight advantage of Josie.
She was intelligent and obedient, consistently completing her assigned tasks promptly and with excellence. Over time, he had grown accustomed to relying on her to prepare experimental materials for him and even to complete certain assignments for him. As a result, he would have ample time to socialize, manage his relationships with others, climb the social ladder, and make himself look even more glamorous.
But he never forced her. Everything she did to help him was entirely voluntary. How could he have known she had no time to eat or sleep? How could he have known she would become malnourished!
He has always believed he was not at fault. If there was any fault, it was Josie’s own fault!
However, today, Joseph’s questioning made him feel a wave of shame. How could he have taken everything Josie had done for him for granted? Simply because others behaved the same way, he became accustomed to ignoring everything about Josie.
She was clearly so thin, her face devoid of any color, with persistent dark circles beneath her eyes. How could he fail to notice this, and how can he continue to exploit and use her time again and again?
Kyle reached out and grabbed his collar, gasping heavily for breath. Perhaps it was a sudden awakening of his conscience, or perhaps his conscience had not yet been entirely extinguished. In any case, he felt deeply uncomfortable, as though a heavy weight was pressing on his chest, making him feel anxious and restless. He regrets and reproaches himself, feeling ashamed of everything he has done in the past.
“Kyle?” A gentle voice called from behind. Natalie approached with a worried expression and asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Kyle straightened up, lowering his gaze slightly.
A trace of disdain flashed through Natalie’s mind. He showed no mercy when he kicked out Josie before, so who is he trying to show this guilt and remorse to now?
“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let me treat you to a meal.” Without waiting for a response, Natalie pulled him into the restaurant next door. Before Kyle could intervene, Natalie had already instructed the waiter to serve the dishes.
“Kyle, Josie still refuses to forgive you?” Natalie pursed her lips slightly. “In fact, there is no need for you to feel guilty. After all, he did not compel Josie to do anything. Every action she took was her own choice. As adults, we are responsible for our own decisions, are we not?”
It was just a single sentence, and Kyle felt his sense of self-blame and guilt lessen somewhat. “That’s true, but I was also wrong. Even though I knew she was very busy, I still asked her to help me with experiments and data processing.”
Natalie cursed inwardly. ‘Your biggest mistake was not being ruthless enough toward Josie. You’ve already done it. So why pretend to be a good person now?’
“Haven’t you already paid the price for your mistakes? Moreover, the consequences aren’t over yet. I heard from the teacher that the school will requisition Josie’s thesis, and both her experimental data and thesis will be published in the university’s internal journal.” Natalie blinked and reached out to pour a cup of tea for Kyle.
That would be quite cruel to Kyle.
“Are you… Are you telling the truth? Did the teacher really say that? How could this happen? This can’t be allowed. If this doesn’t work, I’ll go to the teacher!” Kyle stood up in shock and began to panic.