Chapter 40

"Leave us alone," Mr. Robertson ordered after a few minutes of silence. 

Kathryn's eyes wavered, she could feel her fingers slightly tremble as she tried to move her legs, following what the towering figure just uttered. She was about to head to the door when Zachary's hand suddenly caught hers, stopping her from leaving. 

Kathryn stared at Zachary's eyes then, only to find them hard and serious as Zachary sternly whispered, "Don't leave." 

"Let her leave, we'll do a serious talk," Mr. Robertson's voice wasn't far from Zachary's tone either. 

Zachary turned to his father, eyes red in anger, "It was you. It was all your fucking fault Kathryn had to suffer by herself. I'm not going to let this go, you hear me? If you dare hurt Kathryn again, I swear to god I'm gonna kill you!"

Mr. Robertson frowned then, his eyes casting that of disappointment. "This isn't going to work…Zachary, Kathryn can’t give you a child. She can't make you happy." 

Zachary scoffed, tightening his hold to Kathryn's hand as he said, "What do you know about happiness? Is forcing me to marry a woman I don't even know going to make me happy? Well, I think not. That's YOUR happiness. But that isn't true either. Since you're just a low sad man who doesn't know what happiness feels like." 

"Zachary…" Kathryn pulled Zachary’s hand, trying to calm her lover down, but it was to no avail. 

"No. This fucker needs to get it. I'm not someone he can control. And there's no way he's going to hurt you again. I'm not gonna let that happen," Zachary sternly said, glaring at his own father. 

Mr. Robertson observed the interaction between the two, how Zachary still was fuming in his bed and Kathryn's fingers trying to calm him down with a squeeze on his hand. 

The old man sighed, then turned around to leave. He was about to do just that when all of a sudden, a small voice suddenly spoke. 

"Zachary has been lonely…" Kathryn suddenly uttered then. 

Zachary turned to his lover with a confused look. He took Kathryn's hand, but Kathryn brushed her off. Her wobbly legs moved and went to face Mr. Robertson head on. 

"I don't know how you can't love a person like him when he has all the qualities a person would end up liking about, especially… especially when you come to know him more,” Kathryn's face twisted, as if wanting to say the right words to describe the pain of her lover but couldn't, "But he is your family. You are not just a mere “person” in his life. You’re more than that.”

“So, your point is?” Mr. Robertson asked, face void of emotion.

“I’m just a stranger, but I ended up loving your son, sir. And loving him doesn't mean wanting to control him but understanding him and looking after him and believing in him.” Kathryn looked up, looking at Mr. Robertson. “He is more than just what all of us think. He is always more than that.”

Zachary stared at Kathryn, noticing how his lover’s body shook but continued on standing upright and facing the old man who once hurt her with his heart-striking words alone. There was something in the way Kathryn stares back at his father that Zachary found himself unable to look away. 

"I…I don't have anything like most of you have," Kathryn glanced at Zachary, then looked back at Mr. Robertson. "I'm not from a rich household, I don’t have a family, I don't have good looks, I'm not gifted with excellent intelligence or talent, I can only do my best in cooking but I'm not at the top of it either. I'm a very simple person. But, even if that is the case, I can assure you that my love for Zachary is something I can never not have. I can't promise to be the best woman in this world, but I can promise that I will take care of the best man in my eyes… and that is Zachary for me. That’s why…” Kathryn faced Mr. Robertson, whose eyes were unwavering as she bravely faced him. “I’m not going to ask for your approval anymore. No matter what happens, even if you don't like me, even if the whole world is against us, even if people keep doubting the possibility of happiness for us because of our shortcomings, even if nobody believes in our love at all, I will stay by Zachary's side. I will continue loving him and treasure him. I'm not going to prove anything to anyone ever again. I…love Zachary and nobody can ever top that. Nobody can stop me, not even you, Sir.”

Zachary just sat there, dumbfounded as he stared at his lover who faced his cold strict father with determined eyes. He had never seen Kathryn with such fire in her eyes before. It was as if Kathryn was in the middle of a war and she was ready to put her life on the line, everything for her and Zachary's love. 

"I see," Mr. Robertson finally spoke after a long pause. He didn't clearly expect for a young woman such as Kathryn Taylor to suddenly talk back like that. The last time they had spoken to each other, Mr. Robertson considered Kathryn as a pest, a weakling who can't even fight against him. The young woman did ask, begging for Mr. Robertson to see her worth then. But her gaze was full of doubt, insecurities of herself overflowed through her eyes that Mr. Robertson was left thinking this Kathryn Taylor person won't be able to meet up with Robertson's standards. 

Today, however, Kathryn Taylor was different. The way the young woman flashed her eyes on him, how she fought with her own strong words against Mr. Robertson, Mr. Robertson was completely stupefied. He hadn't seen such eyes with strong conviction and passion in a long while. 

It was clear as day that Kathryn Taylor loved his son dearly and seriously.

Mr. Robertson glanced at his son whose eyes were all soft for the young woman next to him. There was no doubt that Kathryn Taylor had that power—squeezing the emotions of people until she broke their walls and build a bridge. That was the kind of person she was. 

Mr. Robertson was too ashamed, but he had to internally admit his shame and defeat. With a slight turn, Mr. Robertson left the room without a word. 

He got the answer he needed. There was no point in doing such a plan, not when his son was put in danger. Maybe his son was right after all. He was just a low sad man who didn't know what happiness meant. 

Mr. Robertson halted in his steps down the hallway, remembering his son's face in the room while staring at Kathryn Taylor who was trying to convince Mr. Robertson with her declaration of love. 

Unconsciously, Mr. Robertson let out a sad smile. 

He was glad, somehow, unlike him, his son got the happiness he deserved. Shaking his head at the sudden image of his son's lover with serious passionate eyes, Mr. Robertson chuckled. He now knew why his son was so in love with a person with a name of Kathryn Taylor. 

The moment the door shut, Kathryn let out a long deep breath she had been holding. She became too emotional and almost cried but luckily, she had shown her braver side today and Kathryn felt proud at that. Letting out another deep breath, she then turned around and was about to say something when she felt a hand on her wrist, pulling her close. 

"Zack…?" The next thing she knew, she was being enveloped into a hug by Zachary's arms. 

"I'm not letting you go," Zachary said, voice low and deep. His hands pulled Kathryn even closer, as if afraid Kathryn would disappear if he didn't. "Never…Not today, not tomorrow, not in this lifetime."

Kathryn noticed how Zachary's voice suddenly trembled then, his arms tightening around Kathryn in every word he uttered.

"…no matter what happens, I'm never letting you go, Kathryn. Do you understand?" 

Feeling the warmth radiating from Zachary's body, Kathryn hugged Zachary back tightly and let out a soft smile, "Yes…I understand."