Chapter 111 Crying So Loudly
Grace's eyes instantly became hollow and vacant.
She stared at Alexander in stunned silence, unable to make any sound for a moment—not even a word of protest.
Max said angrily, "You believe what she says, so why don't you believe what Mommy says?"
Alexander's voice was ice-cold, "I only believe facts."
He looked at Grace, clenched his fist slightly, then released it, saying flatly, "Grace, this was just an accident." He kept emphasizing it was an accident.
But Grace knew that Alexander wasn't choosing Emily's word over hers.
On the contrary, he probably knew the truth and had gotten his answer. He knew it was Emily who pushed her down, that Emily had tried to kill her.
But he was choosing to protect Emily.
After all, this involved charges of attempted murder. If he also admitted that Emily had pushed her down, that would be attempted homicide—a felony.
Naturally, he couldn't admit it. There was no surveillance at the scene, no witnesses. When it happened, it was just her and Emily—no one else was there. Investigating and gathering evidence would be nearly impossible.
Now it was simply conflicting accounts—a classic he-said-she-said situation where neither side had hard evidence.
But Grace knew that Alexander would protect Emily to the end.
After all, Emily was the love of his life, so naturally he would shield her.
But what about her?
She had just experienced the threat of death and nearly died. Didn't her feelings matter?
Didn't the truth and justice she sought matter?
Grace felt it was unfair. Although she'd experienced countless injustices throughout her life, none had ever compared to this one in making her feel so heartbroken and sad.
Grace said numbly, "Alexander, if my and Emily's positions were reversed—if she were lying in this hospital bed fighting for her life, if she said I pushed her down—how would you treat me?"
She looked up with urgent need for an answer, staring at Alexander's face. "Would you treat me the same way?"
"There are no 'ifs.'"
Alexander's characteristically emotionless voice stated matter-of-factly, "You are you, and Emily is Emily. You're two different people—how can you mix them up?"
Grace said, "So it's a hypothetical."
Alexander cut her off, "No such hypothetical exists."
Grace's composure finally cracked. Her face flushed red, her lips trembled violently, and tears began swirling in her eyes.
She turned her face away and stubbornly closed her eyes, trying to force the tears back, but still, teardrops kept falling.
"I'm so envious," Grace murmured in a lost voice. "Emily gets this kind of favoritism—even after doing something like this, she still doesn't have to pay any price."
Max was truly angry now.
Was this man here just to upset Mommy?
Max said, "You're a bad man!"
Liam chimed in solidarity with Max, "You're a bad man!"
Max said, "You're working with that bad woman! I hate you."
Liam nodded vigorously, "I hate you!"
"And you!" Max suddenly turned around and glared at Liam. "I hate you too—you're working with them."
Liam's eyes widened with hurt. Max's outburst immediately made his eyes well up with tears.
Liam clasped his little hands together and helplessly stepped back half a pace, shaking his head, trying to distance himself from Alexander.
Max said, "He's your daddy, and that woman will be your stepmother in the future. You're the real family."
Hearing this, Liam frantically shook his head.
He didn't want that woman as his stepmother!
Seeing Liam innocently shaking his head, Max clenched his fists and suddenly pushed him. "Just go away!"
Liam landed hard on his bottom. Max's unexpected cold rejection caught him completely off guard, and he fell solidly to the floor. He looked up at Max sadly, his little mouth trembling. Tears blurred his vision and dampened his eyelashes, but he held back from crying, only letting out choked whimpers from his throat.
Max said, "Go on, just leave!"
Was Max really sending him away?
He didn't want to leave Grace or Max.
Liam desperately shook his head, looking both innocent and wronged. His little hands curled up by his eyes as he began crying sadly, "Wah wah wah wah..."
Alexander was startled. Throughout Liam's life, he'd rarely seen him cry like this—looking so pitiful, as if he'd been abandoned by the entire world.
He walked over and picked up Liam, who only cried louder.
"Wah wah wah wah..."
He cried as if his heart was breaking, and Alexander couldn't comfort him no matter what he tried.
Max watched Liam's pitiful appearance and felt some remorse. He turned away in frustration, irritably running his hands through his disheveled hair from sleep.
He hadn't meant to make Liam cry.
But his hatred for Alexander had also affected Liam, so in his loss of control, he'd told Liam to leave.
Liam carefully reached out and grabbed the hem of Max's clothing, sobbing, "Don't... don't make me go away."
Max turned his back, seemingly unmoved.
Grace came back to her senses and saw that Liam was crying, not knowing what Max had said earlier.
"Liam, don't cry." Unfortunately, with her fractures, she didn't even have the ability to hug and comfort Liam.
Liam couldn't hear Grace's words in his distress. He just stared longingly at Max's resolute back, crying as he asked, "Aren't we best friends?"
He sobbed while tugging at Max's clothing. "We're... the very best... friends."
"We used to be," Max said coldly. "Not anymore."
Hearing this, Liam's crying caught in his throat. The shock was overwhelming. After a few seconds of silence, he opened his mouth wide—so wide you could see his little uvula clearly—and then,
"WAAAAH!" From Liam's tiny body came earth-shaking cries.
Max was startled by the crying and spun around, looking at Liam in disbelief.
No one could have imagined that Liam's small, thin body could produce such tremendous volume.
"Max doesn't want me anymore... wah wah wah wah wah." Liam cried with such grievance and desperation, his little face flushed red, crying as if he couldn't breathe. "Wah wah wah wah... Max can't not want me... wah wah wah."
Unlike other children who kick their legs while crying, he just slumped on the floor, his little hands constantly rubbing his eyes. Even his cute little ears drooped listlessly, evoking pity in anyone who saw him.
Max's expression froze.
Outside the door, a crowd had unknowingly gathered.
There were patients' family members, doctors, and nurses.
They'd been passing by when they heard such loud crying from the room, wondering which child was being bullied. When they got closer, they saw Alexander holding Liam.
Max stood awkwardly to the side—it wouldn't be right to comfort Liam, but it also felt wrong not to. He somewhat regretted being so fierce and harsh with the little guy.
He put his hands on his hips and said to Liam, "Stop crying!"