Chapter 1168: Chapter 1168: Heartbroken Before It Even Began?
Isabelle Martin deeply understood the meaning of the phrase ’joy turning into sorrow’ for the first time in her life.
Today was her first date with Jeffrey Foster. She held the greatest expectations and joy, but little did she know that what she thought was the beginning turned out to be the end.
The disparity was too great, making it hard for Isabelle to bear.
She wanted to run after him but heard her mother sharply say, "If you dare chase after him today, you will no longer be a daughter of the Martin family!"
Isabelle looked at her mother in shock, "Mom..."
"Can’t you see it yourself? He came here today and personally apologized to us, intending to break your hopes completely. If you continue to entangle, what are you considering yourself to be? And what are you considering your father and me to be? Isabelle, if you give up everything, even your pride and parents, for a man, do you think you will have a good outcome?" Mrs. Martin’s words were very heavy.
Isabelle’s face turned deathly pale, and her struggling actions weakened. She could abandon her dignity but couldn’t abandon her parents and her own life.
Because her life is not just hers; it was given by her parents. In this world, no one loves her more deeply than her parents. She is a child raised in a honey pot, spoiled but not unruly. For love, she could give up everything and sadden her parents, but she can’t let them experience the pain of sending off their child’s youth with their old age.
Today, Jeffrey Foster’s intention was very clear: he could not guarantee her safety if they were together.
Her parents could tolerate her man being eight years older and could reluctantly accept her man being blind, but they could never accept her being in life-threatening danger with this man.
Jeffrey Foster singlehandedly ended any possibility between them.
Isabelle felt both hate and heartbreak.
Seeing her daughter’s heartbroken state and her weakening body due to her words, Mrs. Martin felt a strong pain in her heart and reached out to hold her, her voice hoarse, "Isabelle, don’t blame mom..."
Isabelle buried her head deep into her mother’s embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.
Beside them, Kent Martin stood helplessly, unsure of what to do until a nurse called his name. He snapped out of it and hurriedly went to retrieve the scans. As the doctor said earlier, his head was basically okay and just needed a few days of good rest.
"Mom, sis... I’m okay. Shall we go?" Kent cautiously approached with the scans.
Mrs. Martin nodded. She wasn’t too interested in her son’s well-being but gently whispered in Isabelle’s ear, "Isabelle, stop crying. Mom will take you home."
Isabelle said nothing, nor did she resist her mother’s actions, following her out of the hospital.
Steps leaving the hospital, cold wind greeted them, making Isabelle’s eyes sting more. She bit her lip in discomfort, and the next moment, her brother shielded her from the wind.
Isabelle looked up at her brother and saw this usually unserious guy protecting them from the wind. Her heart was pricked lightly; it turned out that unbeknownst to her, her brother had already become more mature.
Why did she keep being so spoiled?
With a bitter smile, Isabelle reversely held her mother’s hand and followed her brother to get into the car.
Mr. Martin, arranging the driver to send Jeffrey Foster away, had been waiting for them. He only glanced at Isabelle before starting the car when they got in.
The family remained unusually silent during the drive home. Once inside, Isabelle adjusted her mood and smiled at everyone, "Why are you all pulling long faces? I’m the one who got dumped, not you."
"Alright, stop smiling. It looks ugly," Mrs. Martin gently rebuked.
Isabelle reached out and wiped her reddened eyes, "Who says? This is called ’tears on pear blossoms’."
"Exactly, looks quite sympathetic." Kent surprisingly didn’t contradict Isabelle.
Isabelle intentionally rubbed her arm, "Ugh, Kent, don’t gross me out!" After teasing her brother, she looked at her parents, "Alright, you all should go to sleep, I’m fine now."
Finishing, she raised her head defiantly in case anyone worried, hummed lightly, then said she was going to shower and returned to her room.
The three Martins watched Isabelle leave, their expressions complicated. After a long time, Mr. Martin was the first to speak, "Do you think Isabelle will be okay?"
"She’s forcing a smile." Kent responded, stroking his chin.
Mrs. Martin’s face remained stern, "Forcing a smile is better than losing her life someday!"
"My wife is right. If we’re not tough now, it’s irresponsible to Isabelle." Mr. Martin agreed with his wife.
Kent felt it was exaggerated, "Is it really that scary?"
"Just think about what you just went through," Mrs. Martin directed her gaze at her son.
Kent immediately recalled when his car was intercepted, then found himself surrounded and had no idea what was happening. His heart raced as he frantically called for help, but no one answered. Just as he struggled, the car door opened, and he was knocked unconscious.
At that time, he thought he would die.
"Scary." Kent replied, throat sweating, finally feeling uneasy.
"It’s good you know fear, and those interceptors and stalkers were from Jeffrey Foster. If it were truly revenge from those others, how do you think things would turn out? Or they kidnapped your sister to threaten Jeffrey Foster; what would happen then?" Mrs. Martin continued questioning her son.
Just imagining the scene made Kent shiver, thinking dating someone could be dangerous?
"The Martin family is just ordinary people; how can we handle such chaos? Jeffrey Foster is good, but unfortunately, our family can’t withstand it. Luckily he had the foresight to break your sister’s thoughts this way; otherwise, it would be us doing the wrong thing." Mrs. Martin sighed softly at this.
She could see that Jeffrey Foster didn’t actually lack feelings for her daughter; otherwise, he wouldn’t make such a decision. But what use is affection if the fit isn’t right?
"Alright, let’s end this matter here. Let’s not mention that person anymore, especially in front of Isabelle." Mr. Martin understood his wife’s meaning and didn’t want to discuss it further, interrupting with a reminder.
Mrs. Martin and Kent agreed and involuntarily looked toward Isabelle’s room.
"Watch over your sister these days." Mrs. Martin added, tiredly heading upstairs, Mr. Martin following his wife.
Kent looked at the MRI scans in his hands and shrugged. What a bloodshed caused by love, yet as the victim, no one cared about him, and the days ahead didn’t seem bright.
While Tsukkomi in his heart, Kent still strode upstairs to knock on Isabelle’s room door.
Isabelle heard the noise and groaned weakly, "Kent, go to bed early, don’t bother me."
"Always yelling at me!" Kent replied but waited a long time without further response, causing a bit of panic, "Isabelle, say something, don’t scare me!"
...
Refresh later.
Chapter 1168
Isabelle Martin understood deeply for the first time in her life the saying: joy begets sorrow.
Today was her first date with Jeffrey Foster. She was full of hope and joy, yet what she thought was the beginning turned out to be the end.
The disappointment was too great for Isabelle to bear.
She wanted to chase after him but heard her mother sternly say, "If you dare to chase after him today, you will no longer be a daughter of the Martin family!"
Isabelle looked at her mother in shock, "Mom..."
"Can’t you see for yourself? He came here today and apologized to us to end your feelings for him. If you continue to pester him, what are you making of yourself? And what of your father and me? Isabelle, if you give up your life and dignity, even your parents, for a man, do you think it will end well for you two?" Mrs. Martin’s words were harsh.
Isabelle’s face turned pale, and her struggling actions weakened. She could give up her dignity but couldn’t give up her parents and her life.
For her life wasn’t just hers; it was given by her parents, who cherished and loved her the most. She was a child raised like a princess, pampered but not reckless, willing to sacrifice everything for love, yet couldn’t let her parents suffer the tragedy of a white-haired person mourning a black-haired one.
Today, Jeffrey Foster made it clear that he couldn’t guarantee her safety if they were together.
Her parents could tolerate her liking a man eight years older, could reluctantly accept her loving a blind man, but could never accept her being in life-threatening danger with him.
With his own hands, Jeffrey Foster ended any possibility between them.
Isabelle felt both angry and heartbroken.
Mrs. Martin, seeing her daughter so devastated, softened because of her words, felt a deep heartache. She reached out to hug her daughter with a hoarse voice, "Isabelle, don’t blame mom..."
Isabelle buried her entire head in her mother’s embrace, unable to stop crying.
Beside them, Kent Martin stood helplessly, not knowing what to do. Until a nurse called his name, he snapped out of it and hurriedly went to retrieve the X-ray films. As the doctor had said earlier, his head was basically fine, just needed a few days of rest.
"Mom, sis... I’m fine, should we go home?" Kent Martin carefully asked, holding the films as he approached.
Mrs. Martin nodded, not particularly interested in her son’s well-being, only softly asking in Isabelle’s ear, "Isabelle, stop crying, mom will take you home."
Isabelle said nothing but didn’t resist her mother’s actions, following her out of the hospital.
As they left the hospital, a cold wind hit them, making Isabelle’s eyes sting even more. She bit her lip uncomfortably, and in the next moment, her brother blocked the wind in front of her.
Isabelle looked up at her brother and saw him standing protectively in front, shielding her and their mother from the cold wind. Her heart ached slightly, realizing that unknowingly, her brother had become more mature than she was.
Then why did she keep acting willful?
With a bitter smile, Isabelle reversed her hand to hold her mother’s hand and followed her brother into the car.
Mr. Martin, who had arranged for the driver to send Jeffrey Foster away, had been waiting for them. Seeing them get into the car, he glanced briefly at Isabelle before starting the engine.
The whole family remained unusually silent during the ride home. Once inside the house, Isabelle adjusted her mood and smiled at them, "Why are you all looking so gloomy? I’m the one who got dumped, not you all?"
"Alright, stop smiling, it looks awful." Mrs. Martin replied quietly.
Isabelle reached out and wiped her red eyes, "Who says? I call this ’peach blossoms in rain’."
"Exactly, very endearing." Kent Martin rarely went along with Isabelle.
Isabelle purposely touched her own arm, "Tsk, Kent, don’t disgust me!" After teasing her brother, Isabelle looked at her parents, "Alright, go to bed soon, I’m fine now."
After saying that, Isabelle, afraid they wouldn’t believe her, purposely tilted her head and huffed before leaving a sentence about going to shower and returning to her room.
The three Martins watched Isabelle leave, their expressions complicated. After an unknown amount of time, Mr. Martin was the first to speak, "Do you think Isabelle will be alright?"
"Obviously forcing a smile." Kent Martin answered, touching his chin.
Mrs. Martin’s face didn’t look good, "Forcing a smile is better than being killed one day!"
"You’re right, honey. If we’re not heartless now, we’re being irresponsible to Isabelle." Mr. Martin agreed with his wife.
Kent Martin felt it was too exaggerated, "Is it really that scary?"
"Based on what you just went through, what do you think?" Mrs. Martin looked at her son.
Kent immediately recalled his car being intercepted, and before he realized it, he was surrounded, his heart pounding as he called his parents and sister for help, but no one answered. By the time he struggled further, the car door was already opened, and he was knocked out.
At that time, he thought he would die.
"Terrifying." Kent Martin recalled, sweat forming on his forehead, finally feeling fearful.
"Just knowing fear is good, and this was Jeffrey Foster’s people intercepting, tracking you. If it was indeed those people retaliating against him, what do you think would happen? Or if they kidnapped your sister to threaten Jeffrey Foster, then what?" Mrs. Martin continued questioning her son.
Kent shivered at the thought of such a scene; was dating someone really this dangerous?
"Our Martin family is just ordinary people; how could we withstand such turmoil? Jeffrey Foster is good, but sadly, we are not blessed to accept him. Fortunately, he was wise enough to end your sister’s thoughts this way; otherwise, the ones doing bad would have been your father and me." Mrs. Martin sighed lightly.
She, having lived through it, could see that Jeffrey Foster wasn’t truly unfeeling towards her daughter; otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such a decision. But what use is their affection when they aren’t suitable?
"Alright, let’s end it here. Never bring up this person again, especially in front of Isabelle." Mr. Martin understood his wife’s intention and didn’t want to discuss the matter further, interrupting while reminding them.
Mrs. Martin and Kent Martin agreed; then they involuntarily glanced towards Isabelle’s room.
"Watch your sister closely these days." Mrs. Martin added this before trudging upstairs, and Mr. Martin quickly followed his wife.
Kent Martin looked at the MRI films in his hand and shrugged, thinking this was really a bloody case of love, yet as the victim, no one cared, and he would probably not have a good time ahead.
Despite this Tsukkomi, Kent Martin still took large steps upstairs to knock on Isabelle’s room door.
Kent Martin looked at the MRI films in his hand and shrugged, thinking this was really a bloody case of love, yet as the victim, no one cared, and he would probably not have a good time ahead.
Despite this Tsukkomi, Kent Martin still took large steps upstairs to knock on Isabelle’s room door.
Upon hearing the noise, Isabelle let out a muffled grunt, her tone lacking the indifference she forced in front of her parents, "Kent, go to bed early, don’t come and bother me."
"Always being mean to me!" Kent retorted, but after waiting for a long time with no response from the room, he couldn’t help but panic, "Isabelle, say something, don’t scare me!"