Chapter 39 Pretending to Be Weak

Clara Bennett thought for a moment and said, "True, but I have nothing to do with Samuel Grant now, nor do I want to deal with him anymore. Besides, what he said doesn’t hurt me, and once we’re married, nobody will gossip behind our backs anymore." Her tone was flat, as if this matter had become insignificant to her. William Foster paused slightly, a trace of tenderness flashing in his eyes. "Darling, you really don’t mind telling everyone that you interacted with Samuel Grant because you liked me?" His voice was deep and carried an imperceptible tension, fearing an answer he wouldn’t want to accept. Clara Bennett countered, "Why should I mind?" Her tone exuded a sense of openness and ease, completely unbothered by this seemingly embarrassing question. William Foster gently asked, "Won’t doing that make you feel embarrassed?" His words were cautious, afraid to hurt her dignity even slightly. Clara Bennett became somewhat impatient, "Don’t always talk like that. Didn’t I say already, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you." She almost seemed to be defending herself, her tone slightly agitated, appearing very sincere, wanting to avoid any misunderstanding. William Foster was warmed by her words, "My darling, you really are a good person. In that case, I ought to do something to repay your kindness. Like getting someone to teach Samuel Grant a lesson so he won’t dare spouting nonsense again." When he finished saying this, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, evidently resolute in his decision. Clara Bennett’s eyes suddenly widened, "How do you plan to teach him a lesson?" Mixed with surprise and confusion, clearly, this approach caught her off guard. William Foster remained calm, "Use some old-fashioned method, like picking a moonless, windy night and having a few friends give him a good beating, or directly make him shut up." His words were calm and natural, as if this wasn’t a big deal. Clara Bennett couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth; she truly didn’t understand how this man could seem so harmless yet so unfazed when suggesting such a shocking idea. She couldn’t help but wonder if her previous impression was too one-sided. What happened to the image of the innocent little uncle from the noble family? Doubts lingered, wandering continuously in her mind. In fact, it wasn’t that William Foster didn’t want to appear more harmless; he simply didn’t think his suggestions were too excessive. In his view, these actions were necessary to protect the person he loved. Fortunately, someone was there to remind him, Clara Bennett immediately advised, "No, no, don’t do that. Currently, Samuel Grant just wants to cut ties with me, and won’t continue spreading those words. As for your method, let’s forget it. By the way, did you learn this from your parents?" Her speech was slightly fast-paced, clearly hoping to quickly prevent this potentially occurring violent act. William Foster gently shook his head, slowly explaining, "I learned these myself. In the family, a few elders had hurt me before, so I was forced to learn these self-protection methods." Clara Bennett was stunned upon hearing this, wondering to herself: Could his eye and leg injuries be related to this? Suddenly, she felt a surge of sympathy for him and quickly said in a comforting tone, "Don’t belittle yourself, you definitely aren’t the kind of useless person they say." Hearing the concern in her words, a warmth surged in William Foster’s heart, making the whole world seem brighter. William Foster asked, slightly choked up, "Are you really worried about me?" Upon seeing him like this, Clara Bennett’s cheeks slightly reddened, though she still pretended to be calm in her words, "Of course not. But regardless, please always remember to believe in your value. If you truly need it, in the days to come, I’ll protect you." Actually, from the moment she decided to marry him, until the issue with Samuel Grant was completely resolved, she genuinely wished to stand by William Foster’s side. At this moment, William Foster, sitting alone in the study, fell into deep thought. This conversation stirred his emotions greatly, though there were mismatches between her words and actions, yet it brought him immense warmth and joy. At this instant, he was completely certain that the girl in front of him genuinely cared for him and was concerned about him. Since he hadn’t received any response for a long while, Clara Bennett felt quite confused and looked at her phone, curiously asking, "Hello? Are you okay? Is everything alright over there?" William Foster promptly replied, "Oh, I’ve just confirmed the situation; I won’t let Arthur Davis go find trouble with Samuel Grant anymore. I’ve decided to follow everything you mentioned." Clara Bennett thought, even though William Foster was older than her, possessing a remarkably handsome appearance and a strong masculine charm, yet he seemed so exceptionally well-behaved and obedient in her eyes. This notion brought her a sense of inexplicable pride, but she immediately realized such thoughts might be somewhat abnormal. After all, despite sitting in a wheelchair, William Foster gave the impression of being around six-foot-three, even his wheelchair was taller than average; what mindset led her to label this "tall, handsome guy" as "obedient"? After the phone call ended, both felt somewhat unsatisfied. When the call was disconnected, their hearts still fluttered, as if there were countless words left unsaid. William Foster liked the feeling of pretending to be weak and hoped to gain more similar sweetness, even to transform it from verbal affection into tangible benefits. Every time he obtained care and love from others through this guise, he felt an extraordinary warmth, like being wrapped in a soft cloud, comfortable and secure. And this emotional satisfaction didn’t just stop at verbal concern, it further made him hope to acquire similar good things in other aspects too. He was full of anticipation for the days after marriage. Thinking about the upcoming new life and those warm moments, boundless expectations surged in William Foster’s heart, he could almost envision the scene of them holding hands and spending every ordinary yet beautiful day together. On thinking about this, William Foster became increasingly anxious, directly calling Zam, "Zam, I want to read a few books, to learn how to appear more weak, of course, it’s to help someone else prepare." His voice failed to hide the enthusiasm for learning new knowledge, although he said it was for a friend, it was actually for his own intention. Zam understood this "I’m doing it for my friend" act immediately and replied directly, "Is Mr. William Foster’s friend facing a problem? No problem, I’ll help you find it." Zam’s lips curled into a barely noticeable smile, evidently well aware of Mr. William Foster’s thought, yet he didn’t expose this trivial intention.