Chapter 192 Fatal mistake

Chapter 192: Chapter 192 Fatal mistake

Back at the president’s house, Catherine quickly pulled Landon away from the scene, taking Erica with them. Both children looked terrified, their eyes fixed on the floor as though they had overheard something they were never supposed to know.

"It’s not what you think," Catherine began, forcing a smile. "We were talking about poultry. Your father wanted a cow slaughtered so we could use the meat for your birthday celebration. Isn’t that right, Joseph?"

She glanced at her husband, who remained frozen in place, stunned by the situation. However, when he noticed the signal his wife was giving him, he quickly regained his composure and forced a smile.

"Exactly, darling. That’s what I wanted to do. It’s your birthday, isn’t it, cuties? We want to make sure you have the best celebration possible," Joseph explained.

Landon narrowed his eyes.

Something wasn’t right. The way his mother had been speaking, the tension in her voice, and the fear written all over her face didn’t look like a conversation about slaughtering a cow. It seemed as though something much worse had happened.

"But why was Mom scared? You both look terrified. It doesn’t seem like we’re talking about cows at all."

Catherine’s heart sank.

Her son was growing up, and she was beginning to realize that she couldn’t keep hiding everything from him forever. Landon was becoming observant enough to recognize when something was wrong, and no amount of excuses would keep him in the dark forever.

"Son, your sister is scared. Take her to your room and stay with her. I’ll be there shortly."

Landon frowned immediately.

"But, Mom, I want to know what happened."

He stopped speaking when he noticed her expression change.

"I said go to your room. Now!"

Erica flinched at her mother’s sudden outburst, while Landon took a hesitant step backward. He stared at Catherine, clearly hurt by the way she had spoken to him. After glancing at Joseph and then back at his mother, he turned around, took Erica’s hand, and walked away without looking back at either parent.

The moment the children were gone, Catherine locked the kitchen door before turning to face her husband.

"Do you see that? Can you fucking see what you’ve done to our children?"

Her voice trembled with anger and frustration.

"I just shouted at my own kids! Something I’ve never done before! Why, Joseph? When is all this shady business going to stop? Yes, you became the president, but right now, it doesn’t even feel like I have a husband anymore!"

Her words struck him harder than he expected.

Joseph took a step toward her, but Catherine immediately moved backward, refusing to let him come any closer.

"No, don’t say that," he pleaded. "Of course I’m still the man you married. It’s just the work I have to do as president. Ever since the outbreak of these disasters, I’ve been working tirelessly to restore our world to the way it used to be. I’m trying, Cathy. It’s not easy. Please, at least listen to me."

He approached her again, raising a hand to touch her cheek, but she shifted away before he could reach her.

"Is that what a president’s job is about?" Catherine demanded. "Killing people and keeping it a secret? Is that your whole new identity now, Joseph? Because that’s exactly what it looks like to me!"

She turned around, intending to leave the kitchen, but Joseph grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"I’m sorry, but you can’t leave. Let me explain. This isn’t what you think it is. Please, trust me."

Catherine grimaced as his fingers tightened around her wrist.

"Stop it, Joseph! You’re hurting me!"

But he barely seemed to hear her.

"I love you! I love our children, too. I would never do anything to hurt either of you. This is just a minor misunderstanding, and I’m sure we can resolve it like we’ve resolved every other problem we’ve faced. Please, don’t be like this."

By then, Catherine could barely process his words.

The man standing before her no longer felt like the man she had married. The person she had loved with all her heart seemed to have disappeared, leaving behind someone she could hardly recognize.

She had stood beside Joseph through difficult times, believing that no matter how much the world changed, their love would remain the one thing she could always depend on.

Now, even that was slipping away.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

With all the strength she could muster, Catherine slapped him across the face.

The sound echoed through the kitchen.

Joseph immediately released her and staggered backward, staring at her in shock.

"Just look at what you’ve done to me!"

Catherine held up her hand, showing him the deep bruises forming around her wrist. His grip had been so forceful that he had nearly twisted her arm out of place.

"Ever since we got married, you have never laid a hand on me. Not once! But look at me now!"

Her voice cracked as she struggled to hold back her tears.

"This is proof that the man I married isn’t here anymore. What happened to you, Joseph? What happened to you out there? Is it the power? Did someone do something to you?"

Joseph covered his face with both hands.

"Shit! Shit! What have I done?"

He stared at her bruised wrist, and the realization of what he had done began to sink in.

He had hurt the woman he loved.

The thought seemed to shatter him. He started to lower himself to his knees, desperate to make her understand that he hadn’t meant to hurt her.

"Please, forgive me. I didn’t do it on purpose. I never intended to hurt you. Just don’t leave me, Cathy. Please, don’t make me stay alone. I love you."

But Catherine only shook her head.

"I doubt you ever did. A man who truly loves his wife wouldn’t treat her like this."

She showed him her injured wrist once more before turning away.

Joseph couldn’t bear the thought of watching her walk out of his life. Panic took over, clouding whatever judgment he had left.

Before Catherine could take another step, he grabbed her again and slammed her back against the wall.

"Catherine, please! I’m begging you. Don’t leave me!"

"Joseph, let go of me!"

She struggled desperately, trying to free herself from his grip. But he held on, his desperation making him oblivious to the danger of what he was doing.

In the struggle, Catherine’s head struck the wall with a sickening crack.

She went completely still.

For a moment, Joseph didn’t notice.

He was too consumed by his desperate attempts to convince her to stay. His head hung low as he continued apologizing, his voice growing increasingly frantic.

"I’m sorry, Cathy. I didn’t mean it. Please, don’t do this to me. I love you. You know I love you, right?"

When she didn’t respond, he finally lifted his head.

"Cathy?"

There was no answer.

He stared at her motionless body, confusion spreading across his face. Then, as though his mind had finally caught up with the situation, he suddenly smiled.

"I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t stay angry with me for that long!"

His voice sounded almost cheerful.

"See? We’re fine now, aren’t we? I knew we could work things out!"

He loosened his grip, expecting her to move or perhaps push him away again.

Instead, he felt something warm trickling over his hand.

Joseph froze.

Slowly, he lowered his gaze.

Blood.

Bright red blood was running down his fingers.

The smile vanished from his face.

For several seconds, he couldn’t move. He simply stared at the blood, his mind struggling to understand what he was seeing.

Then he raised his head.

Catherine wasn’t moving.

"Cathy?"

His voice came out as a whisper.

He staggered backward, releasing her completely. Her body began to fall, but he caught her before she could hit the floor.

"Catherine!"

Panic tore through him.

"Catherine, wake up!"

He shook her gently, waiting for her to open her eyes and yell at him again. He wanted her to slap him, scream at him, or do anything that would prove she was still there.

But she remained unresponsive.

"No, no, no. Please, don’t do this to me."

Joseph lowered her carefully to the floor and pressed his trembling fingers beneath her nose, desperately searching for a sign of breathing. He watched her chest, hoping to see even the slightest movement.

Nothing.

"Cathy, please!"

He began trying to revive her, pressing against her chest as panic overwhelmed him. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and his breathing became ragged.

"Come on! Please, breathe! You can’t leave me like this!"

But Catherine didn’t respond.

He took her hand, squeezing it tightly as though he could somehow force her to return to him. Yet her fingers remained limp in his grasp.

Her skin was growing cold.

Joseph stared at her face, desperately searching for any sign that this was a mistake, that she would suddenly open her eyes and tell him everything was going to be fine.

But nothing changed.

The terrible truth slowly settled over him.

He had done this.

He had hurt the woman who had loved him, the woman who had stood beside him long before he became president. The woman who had given him a family and trusted him with her heart.

And now, because he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, he had refused to let her go.

He had held on too tightly.

And he had killed her.

Joseph’s lips parted, but no words came out. His eyes remained fixed on Catherine’s lifeless face as the weight of what he had done crushed him.

The president who had spoken so confidently about reshaping the world, who had ordered experiments and treated human lives as sacrifices for his ambitions, was now kneeling beside the one person he had always claimed he could n

ever live without.

For the first time, there was no plan he could make, no order he could give, and no power he could use to undo what had happened.

His wife was dead.

And he was the one who had killed her.