Chapter 6 Cure

• “Watch your attitude!”
• “Where are your manners?! How dare you say that to us! Look at him, Martin! He doesn’t have any respect for us all!”
• “Who are we to tell you? We’re your seniors, and that makes us more than qualified to tell you what to do!”
• Hugo and his siblings were surprised by Harvey’s defiance due to his usual submissive character. He is usually docile, but he is showing us his backbone now! Not only did he talk back, he also questioned our seniority, calling us busybodies for meddling in his affair with Alice! What’s wrong with him? We’re part of the Brown Family, but he, on the other hand, is just an outsider!
• Although Martin hadn’t said a single word all along, his silence didn’t stop him from feeling embarrassed about his siblings’ criticisms and judgement. Therefore, he was somehow relieved and gleeful when Harvey refuted them. While Polly might not be aware of his siblings’ ulterior motive, Martin could smell their intention, so he solemnly told Harvey to watch his mouth.
• “Mind your manners, Harvey.”
• That’s it?! Is that all?! As Hugo thought Martin was going to give Harvey a harsh scolding, he was taken aback by his brother’s terse response even though he did tell his son-in-law to tone down his speech. In that instant, Hugo and Bobby were embarrassed as they grunted coldly, ready to talk back in their defense, but Alice was one step ahead in responding. She was then seen standing beside Harvey while smiling at her uncles. “Uncle Hugo, Uncle Bobby, this is between me and Harvey after all. Since he is my husband, I suppose it’s best for us to decide ourselves whether we should go ahead with our divorce. I appreciate your kind concern, Uncle Hugo and Uncle Bobby! By the way, I’ve recently received numerous complaints that requested the relief of your sons’ duties because they’ve been secretly up to some monkey business in the company. Since we’re a family, I’d like to advise you both to use your time to discipline your kids instead. I’m sure you know how much of a loss it would be to our company if I have to lay them off.”
• Hugo and Bobby’s sons, Hunter and Harry Brown, were also working in the Brown Group; they had been long unhappy with Alice, so when she embarrassed them in front of everyone, it only added to their hatred for her. Thus, they bellowed at the lady and said, “Stop your stupid nonsense, Alice! Grandpa gave us our positions as the managers, so what right do you have to relieve us of our duties just because you’re the president?”
• “Exactly! You’re just a woman, and you should stay home instead of running our company! What kind of iron lady are you if you can’t even discipline your husband well?!”
• Hunter and Harry shot back in a haughty manner, thinking there was nothing Alice could do to them anyway. Nevertheless, a silhouette soon appeared in front of them as soon as they finished their words. It turned out that Harvey was glaring at them with his intimidating stare, sending chills down their spine.
• “What’s wrong with you?! Are you trying to raise a hand to us?!”
• “Hmph! It seems to me that Uncle Martin’s family doesn’t even treat us as their relatives. Look at what he’s done to his useless son-in-law, who is riding roughshod over us! If you ever lay a finger on me, I will make sure you won’t leave in one piece!”
• Alice was stunned by Harvey’s reaction because he was usually indifferent toward her cousins’ mean attitude. What’s wrong with him today?! Is he trying to stand up for me?
• “Easy, Harvey.” Fearing for her family’s safety, Alice immediately calmed Harvey down as she remembered how he hurt Patrick.
• While Alice walked closer to Harvey and gently pulled his sleeve, Martin heaved a sigh of relief and turned his attention to his brothers. “Hugo, Bobby, this matter is between Alice and Harvey, so let’s leave the decision up to them. Anyway, since everyone is here today, I say we should have a meal together.”
• “Hmph! What’s the point of sticking around if we’re not welcomed?”
• “That’s right! I don’t think that’s necessary. They don’t have respect for us anyway. If I were you, I would be ‘proud’ of my daughter and son-in-law, Martin!” Hugo and Bobby left with the rest in a fit of pique, leaving only the four of them in the house a few seconds later. After they left, Martin looked at Harvey with a darkened expression and said, “Think twice before you act, Harvey. Some mistakes can never be undone.”
• Then, Martin begrudgingly walked away and headed upstairs with Polly, while Alice looked at Harvey with a strange gaze. At that moment, she finally understood why Harvey called her up earlier to ask which hospital Patrick had been admitted to. This guy seemed to have planned everything from the start! Although she was impressed by his wits, she reckoned the man still had to do much more to earn her trust and respect. After all, she thought Harvey only dared to stand up to Patrick and her uncles because of the Brown Family’s reputation.
• Deep down, Alice was beginning to admire Harvey’s manliness in dealing with the situation, but she somehow still felt that he could have used a more subtle approach. Well, that only shows that he is all brawn and no brain! He is too impulsive! “I’m going to let you off lightly this time, but here is a word of advice—stop picking fights with Patrick! The O’Niell Family is not as easy to deal with as you think. Besides, if you don’t want to hear any more gossip about yourself, you should probably get a job and prove your worth. I don’t expect you to make a fortune, but I won’t let you sponge off me either.”
• Alice then headed to her bedroom, knowing deep down that she couldn’t change her perception toward Harvey overnight after her ingrained disappointment with him over the past four years. While Harvey might have become a different person now, she still didn’t think he was the man whom she could entrust the rest of her life with.
• Meanwhile, Harvey stood in place with a smile, feeling glad about Alice’s support because, in the past ten thousand years, she was the only one who was willing to stand by him besides his master. Although he knew that she might have done it unintentionally, he was still touched by her heartwarming gesture. Maybe it’s not so bad to have a wife like her.
• Soon, Harvey lay in bed and recalled the moments he went through with Alice in the last four years. She tried to warm up to me in the beginning, but she subsequently distanced herself from me. Now, I’m like a nobody to her, but I suppose I can’t blame her for that because everything will change for the better from now on! I will not let anyone lay a finger on Alice, for she is my wife, although in name only.
• …
• The next morning, Harvey returned to the restaurant he visited the day before. As soon as Josh saw him, he quickly approached and greeted him with a handshake and a flattering smile. “Hey, you’re back, my man!” Ever since Harvey left, Josh had never once stopped thinking about him as he was desperate to find out the cure Harvey could give him.
• In the meantime, Harvey knew what Josh was up to, so he immediately grabbed a pen and a piece of paper before he started writing down the ingredients necessary to prepare the medicine. Then, he handed the paper over to Josh and said, “Gather the ingredients written here to prepare the cure. After taking the medicine, you will need to abstain from all physical pleasure for three days. By then, you will be rid of your illness.”
• Josh was over the moon when he heard Harvey’s words. Did he just say I can recover within three days?! This is so much faster than I expected! At the thought of that, he ingratiated himself with Harvey and said, “You’re really a genius, young man! With this prescription, I’m going to be a real man once again!”
• While Josh’s loud exclaim was heard by many, a man, who looked like he was in his thirties, shot a gaze at him with a sarcastic look. “Gee! Nowadays, people just believe anything when they are desperate for a solution. Look at that young man! He’s got some guts to give anyone a prescription. If anything goes wrong, you’re going to be held responsible for that.”
• “You’ve been complaining about your health for a while, haven’t you, Josh? We were expecting you to pay us a visit for a checkup, but you went to some random guy for help instead. If anything happens to you after that, you’ll be on your own.”
• Josh instantly became hesitant upon hearing that. He then glimpsed at the prescription in his hand and shifted his gaze to Harvey, seemingly in a dilemma now. Although Harvey had accurately pointed out the symptoms of his illness the day before, his thoughts were shaken when he heard what the other two men said.
• Nevertheless, Harvey was unconcerned by his challengers as he calmly drank his tea and uttered, “Don’t worry! You will be cured in three days!”
• Upon hearing Harvey’s answer, the two men couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Therefore, they were prompted by their pride to teach Harvey a lesson even though they initially didn’t want to be straightforward. It looks like this guy is trying to push his luck! They then walked up to Harvey with a glacial smile and said, “You have quite a big mouth, huh? Let’s see what kind of prescription you have there!”