Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

After about half an hour of walking, Leonard finally left the busy downtown and made his way into a nursing home.

When I got to the entrance, I saw a bunch of kids laughing and crowding around him. He was handing out toys, and the kids were over the moon, singing and dancing around him, all shouting, "Thank you, Grandpa Leonard." I walked up and called out from behind him.

"Uncle Leonard."

He stiffened and slowly turned around. When he saw me, he gave a complicated, weathered smile.

I realized it had been almost two years since I last saw him. In that short time, he seemed to have aged a lot. His wrinkles were deeper, and his hair was whiter. He dressed simply and shuffled along, looking nothing like a company president. To me, he just seemed like an ordinary, lonely old man.

The nursing home courtyard had some greenery and long benches for people to rest.

Leonard and I sat down on one of the benches.

"Uncle Leonard, do you know where Bella is?"

At the mention of Bella, Leonard's face showed a hint of sadness. He looked at the kids playing nearby and gently shook his head.

"Bella hasn't contacted me. I don't know where she is or how she's doing."

Having been friends with Bella for so long, I kind of understood her personality and her complicated relationship with her dad. This time, Zachary's incident was indirectly caused by Leonard. Bella had some resentment, but when Zachary said he'd handle his own problems, I think Bella might have had some doubts. She knew he was involved in some shady stuff but didn't stop him, maybe holding onto a bit of hope.

Now, Bella hadn't contacted Leonard, maybe out of resentment, or maybe she didn't want him to know about her current situation.

A paper airplane flew in front of Leonard. He bent down to pick it up, and a little girl ran over to take it from his hand.

"Thank you, Grandpa Leonard!"

Leonard lovingly patted her head and smiled, "You're welcome. Go play."

Watching the little girl hop away, Leonard said, "When Bella was little, she had two little pigtails. When she ran, her pigtails would bounce, and she was so cute. I always think of her when she was little. She was very obedient and always clung to me, wanting to hold my hand wherever we went."

Leonard suddenly laughed, as if recalling something.

"Even when she wanted to watch ants move, she would drag me along. Back then, I seemed to have a lot of patience. No matter how busy I was, when Bella came to me with her innocent and adorable voice, I couldn't say no. I was a grown man, but I was always wrapped around Bella's little finger. I had no choice but to put down whatever I was doing, pick her up, and go see whatever she found fascinating." Leonard was lost in his memories, a loving smile on his face, but his eyes were shiny with tears.

Listening to his story, I could picture it all. The indulgence and affection of a father's love I knew that feeling too. I thought that before Leonard's heart changed, Bella must have been really happy. But in the years that followed, they lived in hatred.

Maybe those early years were the happiest and most harmonious times for Bella and Leonard.

After everything had passed, people always tended to remember the good times, while the painful and unbearable memories were automatically sealed away. Leonard's memories of that time were still so vivid. "Now, Bella will never come to cling to me and act spoiled. She hates me so much. But I'm worried about her. What parent doesn't love their child? Although I was a scoundrel before, I still love her!" Leonard's voice choked, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He seemed afraid I would see, so he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve, but his eyes were already red.

Hearing Leonard talk about these things made me feel bad too, especially seeing him so sad now. It felt like something was stuck in my throat.

"Uncle Leonard, don't worry. Bella is a strong person. She can get through any difficulties. I believe in her."

Leonard wiped his tears with his fingers and sighed deeply with his head down.

"I may have done many things wrong regarding her, but I just wanted her to have a good life and not suffer in the future. Looking back now, I realize I was wrong. When I got money, I became arrogant. That's the main reason she hates me. I shouldn't have stopped her from being with Oliver. I tried to smooth her path, fearing she'd face hardships, but I only made things worse and caused her more suffering. The consequences of what Andrea did shouldn't be borne by Bella. I should be the one suffering."

Leonard's voice was broken by sadness and tears, which he could no longer hide.

I felt equally sad and didn't know how to comfort him.

A few children ran over and held Leonard's hand.

"Grandpa Leonard, don't cry!"

As Leonard saw this, his tears flowed even more. He gently patted their heads.

"You are all good kids. Go play."

The children ran off again. After sitting for a while, Leonard finally calmed down. When he spoke again, his voice was very calm.

"People make many mistakes in their lives. At the time, they don't realize it. It's only when they look back in old age that they see how foolish they were."

He didn't finish, but I could feel his regret.

However, making mistakes inevitably led to bad outcomes. "Emily, I know your career is going great right now. But let me give you some advice: no matter how busy you get, don't neglect your family. Cherish what you have, so you won't regret it later."

I should let go of my hatred. Ethan was in so much pain after doing the right thing by turning in his own family; he needed my understanding and comfort more than ever. Why should the grudges of the previous generation affect the next? Suddenly, everything felt clear.

When I left the nursing home, Leonard was still playing with the kids. I thought he's channeling all his love for Bella into these children. Because he didn't cherish it back then, he's in pain now.

A few days later, it was the day of Victor and Linda's trial.

After Ethan and I got out of the car in the courthouse parking lot, we saw Richard, and then Faris stepped out of the car.

Richard saw us, his face a mix of gloom and suppressed sadness. Faris patted his shoulder, and we walked in one after the other.

Victor and Linda were brought in. Victor walked calmly, while Linda kept her head down, probably feeling ashamed and scared. Ethan and I sat together, with Richard and Faris in the row in front of us.

When they appeared, Richard's hand, which was resting on the back of the chair in front of him, tightened.

Following the procedure, the prosecutor presented a tape, something couldn't be seen much of these days.

When the tape was placed in the recorder, I glanced at Ethan beside me.

Ethan appeared calm as he looked at the judge's bench, but his face was pale.

I couldn't help but hold his hand tightly. His palm was sweaty, and I was just as nervous. We didn't know what truth the tape would reveal.

The tape contained a conversation between Victor and Linda, fully exposing the truth behind my dad's car accident.

The judge asked Victor and Linda if the recording was accurate. Linda was already pale with fear and didn't dare to speak. Victor, however, admitted everything and recounted the events.

On the day Uncle Sam had an accident at the quarry, Victor and Linda tried to bribe other workers to testify that Uncle Sam had caused the accident by not following the rules. My dad, on his way to the quarry to load gravel, heard about Uncle Sam's accident. When he arrived, he overheard them urging the workers to lie. My dad and Uncle Sam were friends, so he couldn't let them bury the truth and said he would report them. At that time, the quarry was not doing well; it looked prosperous on the surface but was hollow inside.

Victor was addicted to drugs and spent money recklessly, even using Ethan's mother's dowry to pay wages. If the incident blew up, Victor would not only have to pay compensation but might also face a shutdown, cutting off his income. The other workers didn't want to lose their jobs and were willing to cooperate, but my dad was determined, so Victor and Linda decided to kill him. Victor had Linda stall my dad while he tampered with my dad's car, leading to the accident that killed my parents. My dad was always a righteous man. Back to that time, he must have been in a hurry to seek justice for Uncle Sam, driving fast. That's why he lost control on that long, steep curve, resulting in the accident. Hearing Victor personally reveal the truth, imagining the scene, I tried to suppress my agitation but couldn't control the trembling in my chest.

Richard froze for about half a minute after hearing everything, then collapsed into his chair as if all his strength had been drained.

Victor was sentenced to life in prison, while Linda got 15 years.

After the verdict was announced, Linda started crying, while Victor remained calm, standing tall and composed. Even when he was taken away, his expression was peaceful, and his steps were steady. He looked over at us, his gaze lingering on Ethan.

Ethan looked at Victor, his Adam's apple moving slightly, his expression complex.

"Richard!"

Linda cried out for her son.

Richard slowly stood up, his shoulders slumped. No matter how much Linda cried, he didn't look at her. He turned and staggered towards the exit.

Though he didn't say a word, his sorrowful and disappointed back said it all.

Linda stared blankly at Richard as he walked away, her cries diminishing, leaving only tears streaming down her face, as if all her fear had been swallowed by Richard's coldness and pain.

I watched it all with a calm detachment.

Everything had its roots. When they did those heinous things, they should have expected such consequences.

As I walked out of the courthouse, I saw Richard sitting on the steps outside, crying without any regard for others' stares. He cried so miserably, like an abandoned child.

Faris stopped on the step where Richard was sitting, grabbed his arm, and pulled him up.

Richard, crying and wiping his tears, followed Faris passively, stumbling like a drunk until Faris finally shoved him into the car.

Before getting into the car, Faris looked up at me, who still stood on the steps.

The scene of us talking in front of Uncle Sam's grave a few days ago was still fresh in my mind. Back then, we were confused about the truth. Today, everything was revealed, and the wrongdoers were punished.

Faris gave me a faint smile, looking tired, filled with many emotions, as if comforting and encouraging me, and also showing a sense of relief. I think when he pulled Richard away like a big brother, he had already chosen to let go.

If he could see Richard differently, I could certainly do the same for Ethan.

Ethan said softly, "Let's go."

I nodded.

A few days later, we visited Starlight City Prison.

Victor, with a shaved head and wearing prison clothes, sat across from us.