Ex-wife, Please Come Back
Chapter 259 I Was Fine At Last

One group thought Jacob held the moon and the stars in his hands, while the other did not care much for him.

He didn't have any experience at first, but now he did. It was impossible for him to please everyone as he grew up. Now, there were those who might try to take advantage of him. Although he had the largest number of shares in the company, they would replace a way to get what they wanted.

Jacob also thought of this. His father's death was only the beginning, and he knew this better than anyone else did. No one could protect him now. He would have to fight to keep his business.

"If someone says something unpleasant, don't take it personally," James said, gripping his cup tightly. It was important that Jacob stayed level-headed. He needed to secure his position as the leader, or else Michael's efforts would have gone for nothing.

"I know, Uncle James. I will do my best to ignore whatever they say." Jacob looked out of the window and glanced up at the sky. It was just dawn and there was a little light.

He turned around and read the time on the clock. It was still early, so he might not be meeting those people until much later.

How ridiculous! The first thing he did after his father's death was not to deal with the funeral, but to fix things at the company. Perhaps it was one of the many hardships that came with being part of a rich family.

"When I was young, I was terribly arrogant. I always picked fights with others, and I always went around causing trouble. If Michael hadn't dealt with the consequences for me, I wouldn't be where I am today." James took a sip of his water. The heat had dissipated, and it was cool enough to drink.

During the winter time, water got colder more quickly.

"Why? What happened when you were young, uncle?" Jacob asked in a low voice. The day before, he didn't say a single word. He was surprised to replace out that he could still speak.

Even though his lips were moving, Jacob found the act of speaking strange.

"There's something I need to tell you." James paused and took another sip of water. He was thinking about how to best tell his nephew his story.

He had kept it hidden for so long, and he didn't know how Jacob would react once he told him. Such things were taboo. It seemed that he had locked away all his memories in a box. He had forgotten them over time, and they had gathered dust after all the years had passed.

It was different now. James knew that he needed to pass on his memories now that his brother was gone. Someone had to keep remembering what he and his brother had shared.

Otherwise, they would be forgotten.

It would be too pathetic if he left this world without making his mark on it first.

"I honestly don't think that my experiences are taboo. I just didn't want them to negatively influence you, so I never brought them up." James put down the cup. It seemed a little inappropriate to tell his story so early in the morning. "Okay." Jacob nodded his head slowly. He couldn't wait to hear what James had to say.

"Here goes. When I was young, I was so arrogant. Others always said that I brought trouble with me wherever I went. I found myself joining the underworld, while Michael got to work setting up his own business. The two of us almost ruled this city." James's vision went blurry as he recalled the things of the past. He felt like they had just happened yesterday. However, his brother was now dead. He felt sorrow creep into his heart.

Jacob was shocked, but he didn't say anything. He had known for a long time that James had a troubled past, but he didn't expect that he was part of the underworld.

"At the time, I was cunning. The leader trusted me as his right-hand man. After an accident took his life, I became the leader, and I ruled over all of the gangs in this city.

However, being the leader was not the end. It was merely the beginning. I was not well-equipped to take on such a responsibility. I could only rely on myself. In the past, while I was in constant danger, things had been much simpler for me." James looked out of the window. The sun was slowly rising, but it was still gloomy outside.

"After I became the boss, I gradually began to understand all the dark places of the underground world. Although I might have been successful, I didn't know who I could trust. I didn't know who might have been speaking about me behind my back. I poured a lot of effort into it. I really cared about what other people thought of me. Maybe it was because I was orphaned as a child."

James heaved a deep sigh. "If I hadn't been so stubborn, maybe I wouldn't have become so lonely. Now, I fear that I will be alone for as long as I live.

You see, I had already met the woman of my dreams. She was the love of my life. She was always by my side, and she didn't care about me being a gangster. She just wanted to make sure I was safe. That's why she kept telling me to leave that life and look for a safer and more stable job." James's eyes became moist. It was hard to tell whether he was crying or not, but no tears fell from his eyes.

He had always thought that time would heal all wounds. However, he was wrong. His pain and regret were still as fresh as ever. In fact, he had grown even more regretful as the years passed.

Regret was like a terrible poison, invading every inch of his mind. He used to have nightmares every night about his past life, but they had gotten lesser over time. However, the scar in his heart still remained.

"One day, we had an argument. She ran out on me, only to be captured by one of my rivals. She didn't want to cause me any trouble, and she certainly didn't want to see what those men would do to her. When they weren't looking, she jumped out of the moving car. Unfortunately, she was struck by another car that was running at full speed. I didn't remember what she looked like in death. I only remember her at her most beautiful,"

James said in a hoarse voice. He was trying his best to contain his emotions, and he struggled to keep his tears at bay. Jacob frowned. That was the cause of his aunt's death? It was terribly tragic.

When James looked down, Jacob could see the sorrow in his eyes. However, there was something else. He was guilty. It was written all over his face. He had wanted to die with her.

"Later, when I discovered what had happened, I ordered my gang to murder my rivals. I ended up killing every last one of them. It was a terrible time not just for those who were part of the underworld, but also for the people living in this city. They spoke about us in hushed voices, and no one dared leave their home after dark. More police roamed the streets than usual, but how were they to know how much pain I was going through?"

James took another sip of his water, but he felt it go down like spiced wine would. His throat felt like it was tingling. Maybe what he really needed now was a glass of wine.

However, this was no time to be drinking alcohol. There were important things he needed to attend to.

"I didn't even hold a funeral for her. I didn't want to attract too much attention. Perhaps her only mistake was falling in love with me. I was such a bastard. If she didn't meet me, she wouldn't have died so early. She didn't even get to have a child before she died." James remembered how she said she dreamed of giving birth to a lovely son. She also promised that their son would never follow in his father's footsteps. Now, James really had no one but himself.

Maybe it was his stubbornness that killed all his opportunities. Regret always flooded his mind. Why didn't he stop when she asked him to? Maybe if he did, she would still be alive. After all, he couldn't be a part of the underworld all his life.

If he knew then what he knew now, he wouldn't be so desperate to rewrite the past.

"Later, I couldn't replace myself falling in love with anyone else. I slowly disappeared from the underworld, until I finally found the strength to leave it altogether. I don't know how my brother helped me solve my problems. I always thought that he knew how to navigate life more than I do. Maybe he gave them some money, or he did something else to get them to leave me alone. Anyways, soon, I was free. I was fine at last."