Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 1082

Chapter 1082: Don’t take life for granted
“I can’t do it. I can’t… I’m scared…” Patricia whimpered, shaking her head and holding Angel’s eyes.

Angel didn’t carry the sharp expression he had earlier. Instead, his face softened, and he sighed heavily at this piece of work.

“Here,” he breathed out, tossing her a can of beer, which he had bought when he left her earlier.

Patricia instinctively caught it in surprise, but what surprised her the most was when Angel suddenly plopped down a few feet from her. He leaned back on the railing, opening his own can of beer, his arm resting over his knees.

Angel chugged a mouthful, wincing even before he swallowed the beer. Arching a brow, he slid his eyes toward her.

“Are you drinking that or not?” he asked, his voice unfriendly, showing no care.

Patricia clasped the beer between her hands and lowered her head, staring at it. She half-expected him to say more or make fun of her. After all, he had dared her to kill herself and didn’t even stop her. But, to her surprise, he didn’t.

Curious about what he was doing, all she saw was Angel drinking his beer as if he were just chilling in his living room.

“You can laugh now,” she taunted, making him raise a brow at her while drinking. “I can’t do it after all that fight I put up. So, you can laugh now or just say whatever speech you prepared.”

Angel almost spat his beer in frustration. “God. You make even drinking impossible. Are you always this insufferable?”

“What?”

“I’m asking you if you’re always this insufferable?” he repeated, stressing the words in case that would make it clearer. “Damn. Can’t you just chill and give me a break? At least, let me finish this beer — geez! And give me yours if you’re not going to drink it! Obviously, a carton isn’t enough when dealing with you.”

Patricia pursed her lips and threw the can at him, hitting him right in the temple. “Here’s your beer! It’s not like I drink something like this anyway!” she panicked when she heard him say, “Ack!”

“The heck?” Angel caught the can of beer and glared at her, making her shiver. “What is wrong with you!?”

Her mouth opened and closed, but she looked away from him. She peeked at him, but he was no longer glaring at her. Angel was already opening the can of beer and chugging it down as if she hadn’t just hit his forehead.

‘Won’t he go all crazy?’ she wondered, waiting for him to lash out at her. ‘I hit his head.’

But Angel didn’t. Noticing that she was looking at him with such curiosity, he furrowed his brows. “What?”

“Huh?” she flinched. “No — nothing.”

“Tch.”

With that, silence enveloped the two of them again. Patricia glanced at the bridge, catching sight of cars driving past at full speed. No one was stopping to check on the two people just sitting on the side of the bridge.

Patricia clasped her hands in her lap, her eyes stinging again. “Why?” she asked under her breath, unsure if he heard her because of the speeding cars that passed them.

“Ha?”

“Why… aren’t you saying anything?” she asked, tears falling onto the back of her hand. “After everything I said, why are you still here?”

Angel kept his unfriendly gaze on her before looking away. “I don’t like you.”

“Huh?” Patricia slowly looked up at him, her forehead creasing.

“What else should I tell you?” he returned. “You hated everything, lashed out at people because you couldn’t control your emotions, and even tried to kill yourself. Not to mention, you threatened the people in the villa when you could’ve asked them politely.”

He then snapped his eyes at her. “What do you want me to say? Everything already made me angry, but unlike you, I don’t just blame people for it. It’s why I’m drinking this beer on a bridge instead of enjoying it on my couch.”

“…” Patricia hung her head low again, wiping her eyes.

Angel lowered his gaze as he recalled the look on her face when she declared she wanted to die. “You didn’t want to die.”

“What?” she looked up at him. “What did you say? Did you think I was faking it?”

“No. That’s not what I meant,” he responded, looking back at her. “I said it because I saw it. You thought you wanted to die, but you didn’t.”

“What do you know?” she frowned. “If not for this ridiculous railing, I would’ve jumped off it.”

“I’m not daring you to do it. Death… is not a game, and life is not something one should take for granted.” His tone was firmer now, and his expression sharp as he looked her straight in the eye. “If you really wanted to die, you wouldn’t look like someone who wants to be stopped.”

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. All she could do was hold his sharp gaze, gulping.

“Have you seen someone who wants to die?” he asked quietly before a loud honk reached their ears. “I have.”

Angel slowly peeled his eyes away from her as he was reminded of Penny many years ago. “I saw it in the eyes of a young teen. It’s not a look of sadness or anger, but rather… a look of indifference and resolve — it’s terrifying.”

“I’m not saying this because I think you were bluffing,” he clarified, just in case she didn’t get it. Angel set his eyes back on her and sighed. “All I’m saying is, it’s a relief you wanted someone to stop you.”

Angel smiled in relief before casting her a knowing look. “Don’t take life for granted, Miss Miller. If you think no one cares, it’s because no one cares, and that’s fine. This world doesn’t revolve around you or anyone. It just… revolves, and it wouldn’t stop even if all of humanity asked for it to. Time will still tick, and the sun will still rise without condition.”

“So, why don’t you just live a little longer?”

Patricia’s lips quivered, tears welling in her eyes until her vision cleared again. Angel, on the other hand, sighed faintly and chugged his beer.

—

[Short Flashback]

“Angel.”

The ten-year-old Angel hiccuped, feeling the gentle hand on his face. When he looked up, his eyes landed on a woman’s pale, gaunt face.

“Mama,” he called, hiccuping. “Can you live?”

The woman’s eyes softened as she smiled. “I wish, my Angel. But… Mama is running out of time.”

“I’ll buy it for you, Mama,” he reassured. “I asked Uncle Wild to buy it for me. He’ll come back with it.”

“Oh, Angel…” the woman chuckled, caressing his cheek gently. She smiled. “Angel, while we’re waiting for your Uncle Wild, can you promise Mama one thing?”

“What is it, Mama?”

“If Uncle Wild… comes and I’ve run out of time, can you use it instead?” she requested gently. “Use it and live for as long as you can without taking it for granted. For you and me.”

“Mama… why are you saying that? Uncle Wild will come home soon.” He pouted, barely understanding his mother’s request. Even so, he agreed to ease her heart.

Who would have thought it would be the last promise he would make to his mother?

By the time Wild came a week later, covered in bruises, and cuts, and barely alive, she had run out of time.