Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 713

Chapter 713: His life was hers

James didn’t leave Slater, even after Slater woke up the next day. In fact, James cleared Slater’s entire schedule and quietly took all the scolding without burdening him. He stayed in Slater’s apartment, not taking his eyes off him.

James practically lived there, making sure Slater wouldn’t do anything ridiculous again. Moreover, he was scared to lose a friend. So, the man poured all his energy into playing officer, watching this one prisoner 24/7.

Not to mention, how could James leave when Slater had been acting mute for the first week since that night?

Slater would just lie in bed or sit up, staring at nothingness as if he were losing his mind. James had to force Slater to eat and drink; if not, Slater would starve himself to death.

Fortunately, in the third week since the incident, Slater was slowly returning to his usual self. He had started getting better in the second week when he began speaking again, but James remained suspicious. He could only relax now because Slater had shown improvement, backed by the doctor.

"I’ll just take this call," James remarked, casting a glance at Slater in bed. "Don’t do anything. I’ll really scold you then."

Slater indifferently snapped his eyes at James but didn’t say anything. He watched James walk out of the bedroom, sighing as if he could finally breathe without James policing him.

"Not that I blame him," he murmured, gazing at the window across the room. "It was probably hard for him to witness what he did."

Another deep exhale slipped past Slater as he closed his eyes. However, he quickly opened them again as unwelcome memories played before him the second he closed his eyes.

"Hah..." Slater clasped his chest, his heart racing again. Reaching for the glass of water, he chugged it down to calm himself.

When Slater attempted to drown himself, he felt like he had died. For a moment, he was certain he was dead. While he was, all these memories of the past surged in his mind like a flood. They confused him initially, as he had no recollection of those events happening.

But the memory that made the most significant impact on him was from before he woke up after James’s resuscitation.

That memory was of Slater in a motel room all alone, sitting on the floor with his back against the bed frame. He remembered holding a gun, smiling bitterly as tears flowed from his eyes. He recalled opening his mouth and shoving the muzzle in it before pulling the trigger.

When he woke up, all the memories were still hazy. It took him some time for them to grow clearer, answering all the initial questions in his mind. However, the truth didn’t help his situation. If anything, the truth was crippling.

Thanks to James, Slater was still alive. If not for James coming that night and staying, Slater would have done it again, but this time for a completely different reason.

Slater raised his brows, glancing at the photo frame on the bedside table. He reached for it to take a look, smiling subtly as his eyes landed on the family photo inside. The photo was taken a few years ago during Penny’s last visit.

"Look at this, fatty," he murmured, pointing at her smiling face and her chubby cheeks. "She even had a double chin, even at this angle."