Chapter 178 She Won't Come

"What the hell are you yelling about?"

Howard frowned, muttering a curse under his breath as he strolled in with his hands in his pockets.

His steps were unsteady, suggesting that his injuries hadn't fully healed and he was forcing himself to be here.

He saw me, nodded, and waved with a smile. 

He greeted Alan too, chuckling, "Look at this, the lovebirds are back together. Nancy, have you been crying? I've known you forever, and this is the first time I've seen you like this. Next time, cry for me too, will you? Haven't I treated you well over the years?"

Before he could finish, he awkwardly scratched his nose and gave a sheepish smile, "Don't blame Alan. I'm the one who dragged you into this."

"Howard, there's no need to cover for me. It's my fault. I owe Nancy an apology, and I'll make it up to her, no matter what it takes," Alan said with a bitter smile.

"Save your sweet talk. When you apologize, don't say I didn't warn you!" Howard glared at Alan and then glanced at Erica, sighing, "Don't worry, Zoey doesn't know. Her grandma is in the hospital, and Zoey is with her. I saw it myself. Zoey is a good girl, very filial. She doesn't know about this. Her grandma needs someone with her, and Zoey is the best person for that."

He sighed again, scratching his head and cursing, "I was never meant to have kids, but I've treated Zoey well. I've watched her grow up and loved her like my own daughter. But she never called me 'Dad.' She's as stubborn as you two. Twenty years have flown by... I'm getting old. I've lived long enough. From now on, you two just live your lives well. Damn, it's a real shame."

"Alright, it's your turn, you sickly guy."

Howard glanced at Frank, ready to scold him, but seeing Laura lying beside him, he swallowed his words. 

He looked at Alan, understanding what had happened, and said solemnly, "A lifetime of brilliance, love or hate, self-imposed or not, a rough fate... I wanted to say, 'Why bother?' But now I think, 'At least you got what you wanted.' Frank, it's time to let go of the past."

With that, he turned and walked toward Ronald.

"Don't go over there!" Erica and I shouted at the same time.

Howard waved us off without turning around, "In the movies, the main character always shows up last. I've wasted twenty years. Let me have my moment."

His unsteady steps and carefree demeanor seemed comical, but I couldn't find it in me to laugh.

Howard reached Ronald, squatted down, and the two faced each other, their profiles turned toward us.

Howard studied Ronald's face as if he hadn't seen his old friend in years. After a long while, he suddenly said, "What the hell are you looking at?"

I was stunned, but then I remembered this was typical Howard.

What surprised me more was that Ronald actually lowered his head, pulled out his last cigarette, lit it, and sat down, smoking silently.

Howard craned his neck, scratched his nose, and looked at Ronald with puppy-dog eyes, "Got another one?"

Ronald glanced at him but said nothing.

"I told you twenty years ago to quit smoking. It's bad for you. You didn't listen. Back in the dorm, you almost choked me to death. My sinus problems are probably your fault. You owe me," Howard said angrily.

"I've already paid you back, haven't I?" Ronald replied.

"That's true," Howard grumbled, then his expression changed, and he asked seriously, "I'll ask you one last time. Was my wife's death related to you? Answer me!"

His voice rose a few notches.

"Family is off-limits, especially yours," Ronald replied without looking up.

Howard nodded, his body trembling slightly before he steadied himself, "Yeah, it seems some people just have bad luck. I have bad luck because I meet people with bad luck."

He muttered a few more words, then looked at me, "Ronald, why do I sound like you? Damn it, I need to stay away from you. I mean, I'll stay away from you. You just stay at Silverlight City Legal Journal. Don't say you don't want the shares. I transferred them to you. You get 60%, Zoey gets 40%. That's it."

"Howard, what are you planning?"

By now, I understood Howard's intentions. He was clearly making arrangements for his affairs.

"The boss is talking. Don't interrupt," Howard said impatiently, shaking his head. "This time, let me handle it. You step back. You'll still get your year-end bonus."

Even at a time like this, he still spoke so nonchalantly.

Howard mumbled something under his breath, tilted his head, and looked at Ronald, "Anything else you want to do? Any regrets? Like eating something? The barbecue stand around the corner from Silverlight University is still open. How about one last meal and a couple of beers?"

Ronald shook his head.

"How about I find you a big-breasted, curvy woman with great skills, a gentle voice, and wearing black stockings? One last hurrah? No? Even though you and Erica are divorced, I can't betray a friend. How about this..."

Howard started gesturing animatedly, "I'll have everyone turn around. I have some classic AVs on my phone. Too bad I didn't bring headphones. If you don't mind, we can play it out loud. You can have one last go. How about it?"

Ronald looked at Howard and slowly shook his head.

"Then what do you want?"

"I'm waiting."

"Waiting for who?"

Ronald didn't answer.

"Waiting for Godot? You remember that play? In 'Waiting for Godot,' nothing happens. No one comes, no one goes. It's an absurd ending," Howard said, his chest already bleeding. 

The severe blood loss and deep wound were almost fatal. He had forced himself to come here from the hospital, following Frank's plan to cut all the detonator wires.

Finally, he came to the rooftop to say his goodbyes.

For someone who had just woken up from a coma, this was like burning through his life force.

Howard pressed on his wound, his hands covered in blood. He wiped them on his expensive suit pants, his face suddenly darkening.

"Zoey won't come. If you had any humanity left, you wouldn't want to see her!"