Chapter 201 Henry Began the Surgery
"Oh, I'm good. No worries," Neil said, trying to sound casual.
Henry wasn't convinced. Neil appeared worn out, as if he had been through a lot, but Henry chose not to press further and simply continued flipping through his book.
Later, Neil made some coffee. When he handed it to Henry, he looked all kinds of nervous and even forced a smile. "Sorry, it's nothing fancy."
Henry took a tiny sip.
Neil knew Henry wasn't a fan, so he sat down and gently asked about Henry's family, especially Taylor's illness.
Henry zoned out for a second, then said calmly, "The surgery's tomorrow. She'll be fine soon."
Neil lit up, his voice full of joy. "That's great! She's such a sweet kid, and Grace has done a great job with her."
Neil always felt bad about not being there for them.
But he knew it was his own fault. He didn't blame anyone, not even Henry for not acknowledging him. Just having Henry visit was a big deal.
Henry didn't say much and didn't stick around long.
After about 10 minutes, he got up and said, "It's late, I should go."
Neil looked a bit let down. "Leaving already? You just got here."
Henry looked at Neil under the light, feeling a mix of emotions for the man who gave him life but didn't raise him.
He put a bank card on the small table. "There's $3 million on this. The password is my birthday. Use it to get a small place, and the rest should cover your retirement."
After a pause, Henry added, "I won't be coming back."
He thought, this should be the end.
He'd hated Neil for over 20 years, but when Neil's life was on the line, he still made sure Neil wouldn't be left with nothing.
But he couldn't bring himself to say "Dad."
Neil, with shaking hands, picked up the card and said, choking up, "Henry, I don't want your money. I don't need you to take care of me."
But Henry tilted his head back a bit, his face showing a bitter smile. "Let's leave it at that. I've done my part, and now we're even."
He left into the night.
Neil, in his thin clothes, ran after him, but by the time he got downstairs, Henry was already gone.
He didn't give up, chasing after the car, shouting, "Henry! Henry!"
The night wind lifted Neil's worn-out shirt, adding to the sadness.
Henry gripped the steering wheel tightly, thinking he'd repaid Neil for giving him life, and it was better to cut ties now to avoid future pain. Yet, his eyes remained moist.
The car pulled up to Tranquil Heights. He got out and went up to the second floor.
Grace was awake. She sat in the dark, looking around blankly. She'd had a dream that Henry had died.
At that moment, the bedroom door opened, a sliver of light came in, and Henry walked in.
Grace looked up at him and murmured, "Where did you go?"
Henry walked to the bedside and sat down, smiling gently. "Just had to take care of something. Did you have a dream?"
Grace stared at him intently.
She didn't bring up the dream, thinking it was bad luck. Later, when Henry lay down next to her, she took his hand, the warmth slowly calming her down.
She thought, 'Dreams are just dreams, not real!'
As Grace was drifting off, she thought she heard Henry whispering in her ear, saying if they had a kid tonight, they should name him Avery Montague.
In the morning, Grace kept thinking about it, convinced it was just a dream.
Henry told her she was too tense.
But Grace didn't think so. She always felt something was about to happen, and that feeling just kept growing. She couldn't help but worry about Taylor's surgery.
Before the surgery, Grace's anxiety hit the roof. She even asked Henry if they should push it back a few days to see how things went.
Henry squatted down, hugged Taylor, and kissed her little face. He softly asked Taylor if she was scared. Taylor, with tears in her eyes, hugged him tightly and said she was scared.
Henry held Taylor, feeling a pang of sorrow.
He gently said, "Daddy's here! Daddy promises after your nap and the surgery, you'll feel much better."
Taylor pouted, not wanting to let go of his neck.
But Henry had to go into the operating room first.
He gently pried those little arms away, looked deeply for a long time, and kissed her again and again.
Finally, when he stood up, he hugged Grace tightly. In front of others, he kissed her on the corner of her mouth, and said gently like a husband, "I'll be in the operating room with Taylor, everything will be fine, don't worry."
Grace's heart was pounding. She murmured, "Henry,"
Henry gave her one last hug, then quickly walked into the prep room. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to let go, afraid he would say something he would regret.
He changed into surgical attire and quietly lay on the operating table to get the anesthesia.
Henry remembered what he had said to her three years ago, "Grace, if you want to leave, I'll give you freedom."
He owed her so much, hurt her so much. No matter how he tried to make up for it, it was never enough.
Henry had already arranged for a professional manager for the Montague Group. If he didn't make it out of the operating room, Grace would have time to adjust.
He thought in the future, Grace would manage the company well.
Henry wasn't reckless with his life, he wasn't indifferent to this world, he had attachments and couldn't bear to die. But maybe it was karma, the heavens punishing him for not being able to be with her.
Henry wondered, 'If I give my life, will it earn God's mercy and give Taylor a chance to live? If I let go completely, will Grace be a little happier?'
The door to the operating room gently closed.
The general anesthesia began to take effect, and Lucas whispered in his ear, his voice hoarse. "Henry, we're starting."
Henry was already under anesthesia.
He just blinked lightly to show he understood.
He slowly lost consciousness, but his mind was in agony.
In his haze, he seemed to hear Taylor's voice, calling for Daddy, asking in her innocent tone why Daddy was there, why Daddy was wearing the same clothes.
Later, Taylor cried, asking why Henry wasn't moving.