Chapter 258 Just for Her
William couldn't accept this outcome. He didn't want to stay here for another second.
Right now, he just wanted to get away from this place as fast as he could — this place that had stripped him of his dignity and confidence.
He turned and rushed upstairs, his leather shoes clattering on the stairs.
Without stopping, William burst into the bedroom he had shared with Isabella, then quickly locked the door behind him.
Like a refugee fleeing disaster, he rushed to the bed and dropped to his knees in front of Isabella.
He looked at the white figure on the bed, silent for a long moment before slowly speaking.
"Isabella, I'm sorry. You can't blame me."
"I need Donny to become my final executioner."
"He's really changed a lot. It's a pity you can't see it anymore."
William took Isabella's hand and rubbed it against his own face.
He closed his eyes, unwilling to let go.
"He's calmer than Ambrose. He's a doctor. He said he would cure me."
"But Isabella, I know there's only one way to cure me — and that's to kill me."
William shook his head. "I'm someone who should have died long ago. I don't deserve to live, yet I'm the one who's lived the longest."
The floodgates over William's repressed memories began to loosen, bit by bit.
"Isn't this Isabella, the one who killed her own sister? How dare someone with blood on her hands step through the doors of a charity auction?"
"She's rotten to the core."
William kept shaking his head in denial, but those detailed, degrading words still slowly bored into his ears.
He hated these memories because every single moment held Isabella's tears.
But these memories were the only memories he had of Isabella.
If he let go of these memories, he would lose Isabella, too.
Tears flowed from the corners of his eyes onto Isabella's hand.
William didn't notice. He just kept rubbing her hand.
"Isabella, they were right."
"You killed your own sister. You can never wash away that sin."
"I brought you here to make you see clearly that someone like you deserves to be nailed to the pillar of shame, forever living under other people's condemnation."
Those vicious words that came from his mouth, and Isabella's silent face, slowly rose up in his mind.
William's eyes flew open. He shook his head, unwilling to remember any more.
But those images — the images of tormenting Isabella — kept flashing through his mind beyond his control.
Those lifeless eyes, without ripples, without grievance, made William's tears flow uncontrollably.
That night, Isabella had been nothing more than a woman for him to vent his sexual desires on.
At that time, she was already suffering from severe depression and schizophrenia.
William couldn't forgive his past self. He could only take the small knife and carve another long gash into his left arm.
But this time it had no effect.
He could only blame Donny in his heart. It was all his fault.
All because of his intrusion, adding even more misunderstandings between him and Isabella.
Now Isabella was dead, and he showed up.
Why did he always have to oppose him?
William couldn't feel the pain in his arm. He could only pick up the knife and drive it into his left thigh without holding back.
This time, he finally felt that calming sensation.
The blade sank completely into his flesh. William's whole body convulsed with pain. He trembled, forcing himself not to cry out.
Slowly, he moved his injured left leg to the side.
William sat on the floor, looking at the small knife with only its handle visible in his thigh.
He let out a foolish, broken laugh.
"I won't give up. I won't let them change me."
"I'm William. There's nothing in this world I can't have."
Downstairs, three dog cages held three different people.
Donny was between two women — a position William had carefully arranged.
He wanted to make Donny see those degrading scenes.
He wanted Donny to watch them relieve themselves right in front of him.
And this time, not even blankets were provided.
William ordered Dylan not to give Isla and Juniper any clothes from now on.
He wanted these two women to be completely exposed.
He wanted to keep Donny from getting any peaceful sleep either.
This was the only way he knew to fight back against those voices in his head.
Donny leaned against the cage with his eyes closed, remembering the days when Isabella was still alive.
Remembering the days when they were children.
Back then, he sat next to Isabella in class.
Back then, Isabella was a whole head taller than he was.
She always teased him about never growing up, saying he'd be short forever.
When those classmates ganged up to bully him, almost everyone — including Donny himself — had nearly forgotten his own name.
But it was Isabella who stood up for him — Isabella, who was bigger and taller than he, always protecting him.
He heard Isabella's dream was to become a doctor, and his dream became the same as hers.
Thinking of these memories, Donny's lips curved into an innocent smile.
As if he had returned to childhood, when the sunlight was warm, and death had not yet separated them.
Donny thought about how brave little Isabella had been — she not only protected him but could protect herself, too.
Those memories had frozen in childhood as they grew up.
These were memories William never had.
Of course, he would be jealous. Of course, he couldn't forget that girl from childhood.
That's why he became a doctor. That's why he was jealous of William.
But now Donny wouldn't be jealous of him anymore.
Isabella had become everyone's memory.
Isabella — she wouldn't cry anymore.
Juniper, having narrowly escaped death, slumped in a corner of the cage.
She didn't dare provoke Donny anymore.
She even wanted to thank him.
Thank him for sparing her life, for letting her keep this dog's life a little longer.
Her former confidence in her own judgment had completely collapsed today. William wasn't unwilling to kill her — he just needed the right trigger.
Juniper could only pray that the trigger would never appear again.
By comparison, being pregnant with a homeless man's child no longer seemed so unbearable.
Unlike Juniper, Isla pressed her legs together and covered her chest with her hands.
Although her dignity as a woman had been trampled, she wasn't on his list of pets.
William simply wanted to humiliate and torment her.
Only after Isla made sure she was covered as best she could did she speak to Donny.
"Everything started because of me. I'm the reason you've become like this."
"Mr. Dickson, I'm sorry."
Isla's apology was sincere — an apology meant for both Donny and Isabella.
Unlike the shrew who had cursed at the funeral, today's Isla could finally think calmly.
Donny opened his eyes. "You don't need to apologize to me. The person who deserves the apology most is Isabella."
"Just because I wanted to save you doesn't mean I don't dislike you."
Donny was already holding himself back. Isabella wouldn't attack her mother, so he wouldn't either.
He was doing this only for Isabella.