Isabella~
"Mr. Thompson, by standing up for your brother in this case, are you attempting to undermine your uncle's authority?
Is a familial rivalry unfolding under the cover of this case?" Journalists inundated Xavier with their inquiries. He glanced at my face, his expression full of amazement and bewilderment, without responding to any of their questions.
"Please pardon us, guys. As you are all aware, our dad is currently in the hospital, and we are right now dealing with many issues." I asked the journalist to leave us alone, and for the first time in my life, the reporter complied, allowing us to enter our car safely.
Xavier and Victor looked worn out, so I took the car key from Victor's hand and started the car engine.
"What was that, Bella?" Xavier questioned me once we left the hospital premises and arrived at the empty road.
"Xavier, what happened? Dad is fine and will return home soon, so why are you acting so worried now?" I held his hand in an attempt to calm him down.
"No, Bella, I am not talking about this; I am talking about the announcement you made in the parking lot in front of a journalist." His tone is filled with uncertainty and a lack of confidence.
"Xavier, when I announced your name as Victor's defender lawyer, I meant it seriously." I stared straight ahead at the road.
"Bella, how could you declare me as his defender lawyer? You could at least ask me first before announcing my name." The anger was bubbling in his voice.
"Xavier, you tell me what I should do at that time. Journalists made Victor their target, so I did what I saw fit at that time." I stopped the car on the street corner and examined his face.
Xavier's face contorted in disbelief. I could see his fear not just of failure but of disappointing the very people he wanted to protect. His reluctance seemed to stem from deeper scars—failures that had left him questioning his identity as a lawyer and as a brother.
"Bella, how can I defend Victor when you already know that I am not a good lawyer, and I am afraid that I can defend him properly, too, in front of Jorawar Uncle?" He voiced his concern.
His uneasiness and worry about defending his brother in court astounded me. I had never witnessed him in such a state of fear before, particularly when it came to his profession.
Dad has already asked Xavier to demonstrate his worth in front of him if he wishes to marry me again, and I believe Victor's case presents the ideal opportunity to rekindle Xavier's self-confidence
"Given that you've already faced Jorawar Uncle once, why are you so afraid to face him again?" To find out what was causing his fear, I gazed into his beautiful blue eyes.
"That was an old story; why did you forget that I lost that case against him? Bella, don't waste our time. Come on, let's find Victor a competent attorney who will firmly defend him in court." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started looking through his contact list.
This wasn't the Xavier I knew. The man I had admired for his confidence and strength seemed diminished, and I couldn't ignore the pang of guilt that surged in me. Was I pushing him too hard? But then again, wasn't this the Xavier who thrived on challenges?
"Xavier, what's wrong with you? Who can defend your younger brother more passionately than you in court?" I couldn't pinpoint the precise reason for his lack of motivation to re-engage in the case.
As far as I can tell, he has always had a strong desire to stand in court. Regardless of the difficulties in his life, he always finds solace in debating in front of the judge, so when I saw his sweating brow and terrified eyes, my mind was racing with questions.
"I can not bear any more guilt, Bella. I will never be able to forgive myself if I lose this case. Why don't you defend Victor in this case? You are far more talented than I am, and I have full confidence that you will bring justice to Victor." Silently, I gazed at him, my mind racing with potential arguments to convince Xavier to stand up for Victor.
"Bella is correct, Xavier; you are the ideal defense attorney in this case. Do you recall that your best law school assignment was a homosexual case study?" Victor's voice breaks the silence.
He listened intently to our debate while seated quietly in the backseat of the car, and his logic now gave Xavier no room to object.
"Victor, But how can I.. ? No law firm wants to hire me, you know. I attempted to handle minor issues like divorce and dowries, but clients did not trust me in those situations. How could you risk your life by putting your trust in someone who has failed like me?" After Xavier's revelation, Victor and I exchanged shocked glances.
I never imagined that Xavier would lose his courage to such an extent that he would label himself as a failure.
"Xavier, you are not a failure; if a child falls on the floor while learning to walk, that doesn't mean that he can never learn to walk. We have full faith in your abilities that you will do your best to save Victor." I tried to motivate him by offering some motivational examples, as I disliked seeing him in such despair.
"But what if I don't succeed?" He continues to mistrust himself.
"No, if and but now that's final, you are going to defend me in this case." Victor's assured tone sealed Xavier's bewilderment.
"However, Dad? Will he let this happen?"
Even though Xavier still has a lot of unanswered questions about this decision, I am glad that he agreed to represent Victor in this case.
As soon as he got home, Xavier got to work on Victor's case without stopping. Additionally, Victor sat next to Xavier and told him his whole tale, which enabled him to delve deeper into this case. As their bonding improved, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
Victor's forgiveness and acceptance of Xavier as his older brother somewhat eased the weight of guilt from my heart.
Dad is also getting better quickly, and the hospital will shortly release him. Despite my repeated efforts to persuade him to forgive Victor and Xavier, he remains resentful of them and refuses to extend forgiveness to his sons.
I tried my best to keep the information about Xavier going to define Victor and who's the opposition lawyer, but I was afraid of how Dad would react when he found out about this news.
When Xavier was preoccupied with Victor's case, James proved to be a tremendous support system and helped me manage both my personal and professional lives while also caring for my father in the hospital.
Only two days remain until Victor's first court hearing, and on the same day, our Dad will be discharged from the hospital.
When Dad returned home, I organized a small welcome party for him. Everything was going smoothly until my hand accidentally pressed the television remote control button during lunch, causing the primary news channel to play the news that we all attempted to hide from Dad.