Sorry, I'm the Final Boss Now novel Chapter 113

He was afraid of seeing hatred and disgust in Aaron’s eyes.

But then, a pair of thin yet strong arms wrapped around him. “Theobald, I’ve missed you so much!”

The boy smelled faintly of antiseptic, and Theobald’s body went rigid.

“He said he missed me. He doesn’t hate me.”

Slowly, his stiff arms rose to return the embrace, and words that had been locked away for a decade finally escaped him. “Aaron, I’m so sorry.”

The slender boy shook his head. “Theobald, I’m the one who’s sorry. If I had come back to find you sooner, you wouldn’t have suffered for so long.”

Tears welled in both of their eyes, casting a somber mood over the room.

Until Marguerite broke the silence. “Alright, alright, you two. Enough with the sentimentality. It's getting gross.”

The two men broke into laughter through their tears. A decade was a long time, and the distance between them felt immense.

The heavy atmosphere lifted. Theobald reached out with his beaded hand and ruffled Aaron’s hair. “You’ve gotten so tall.”

Aaron’s eyes were drawn to the beads on Theobald’s wrist. “Theobald, do you use those to pray or meditate?”

Theobald was at a loss for words.

Anna presented the gifts she’d brought for Aaron and Marguerite. She also had a silk scarf for Jenny. The gifts for Aaron and Jenny were last-minute purchases from the airport, but Marguerite’s was something she’d brought all the way from Oakfield.

Marguerite helped Jenny tie the scarf around her neck. Jenny’s eyes lit up, and she kept looking down at the colorful silk.

“It looks beautiful on you, Jenny,” Marguerite said softly.

Jenny looked up at her, then immediately untied the scarf and held it out to Aaron. “Here, Aaron. You wear it.”

Her instinct to give the best things to Aaron made Marguerite’s heart ache with a bittersweet pang. This must be why Aaron could never let Jenny go. In all that darkness, they had only had each other, and Jenny must have truly come to see him as her own child.

Marguerite took a sip from the glass Aaron gave her. “What’s your current GPA?”

Aaron blinked. “It’s under a C- average.”

Marguerite was surprised. “That’s actually not bad, all things considered. We have more than half a year before exams. We can definitely get your grades up. What’s the exact average?”

Aaron replied, “An F.”

Marguerite was speechless. She raised her hand as if to smack him, but ended up swatting Theobald on the back of the head instead. Calm down. Considering his circumstances, getting any grade at all is an achievement.

Theobald took the hit without a word, feeling he deserved it. It was his fault, after all. “We’ll take it slow,” he said, comforting Maggie. “Aaron’s a smart kid.”

In the room next door, Hannah was settled in bed after completing her admission paperwork. Joshua came back in after gathering some intel on Marguerite’s room and took Hannah’s hand. “You can’t just lie in bed all day. Let’s take a walk down the hall.”

Hannah was delighted that he was so concerned for her well-being and got up immediately. Holding hands, they walked out of the suite and, as they passed Marguerite’s room, Joshua deliberately paused.