Wishing everyone all the best in 2026! May good luck follow you constantly! May you have a prosperous start!
Chapter 42: Error°Catharsis
Finn Osborn, lying in the hospital bed in his patient gown, remained pale, his lips so light in color they were almost transparent.
The young man's long eyelashes rested quietly, making it look as if he had merely fallen into a peaceful dream.
But the bandages wrapped around his arm were a glaringly conspicuous crack in this tranquility.
In contrast, the expressions of everyone else were even worse, all of them filled with an inextricable sense of pain and gravity.
Elias intentionally called over Noah's psychiatrist, Dr. Thomas Wydell, who was, of course, also Finn Osborn's psychiatrist. Regarding Finn Osborn's condition, Dr. Thomas was the person who knew it best.
As early as when Finn was taken away by the ambulance, Noah had already revealed everything he knew about Finn's condition in a trembling voice. It was only at this moment that everyone except Noah learned for the first time that the young man, who usually appeared eternally sunny and carefree, actually hid such severe mental shackles behind his back.
And among them, Harry Osborn was the only one—
It was the first time he knew his younger brother had a mental illness.
Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia—when these conditions overlap, they can easily trigger extreme emotions and loss of behavioral control." Dr. Thomas looked at Noah with a grave expression; he could certainly see that Noah's emotions had also been pushed to the breaking point. "This act of self-harm is a concentrated outbreak caused by the combined effects of these multiple illnesses.
“I thought.. he was getting better.” Noah trembled all over, his voice carrying a broken sob. The blood on his hands had been washed away, yet he could still seemingly see that dark, bloody smear. “He was so happy at the birthday party.”
"Finn's condition is indeed moving toward stability; you cannot deny the efforts made during this period. However, this combination of mental illnesses is inherently unpredictable." Dr. Thomas's tone carried a heavy sense of helplessness.
“Patients with Bipolar Disorder experience violent swings between mania and depression.” Dr. Thomas's gaze drifted toward Finn, who was sleeping in the hospital bed. “The way Finn behaved at the press conference and the birthday party was likely a manic phase. In that state, he would appear confident, extroverted, even feel no exhaustion, but it is merely an emotional overdraft.”
When this euphoria fades, when he returns alone to his empty room and all the clamor dissipates, the low of a Depressive Phase is likely to follow immediately." Dr. Thomas sighed deeply, his voice sinking low. "Combined with the intense emotional instability brought by Borderline Personality Disorder, even a small amount of stimulation could cause Young Master Finn to uncontrollably fall into the extremes of self-deprecation and self-loathing.
And then there's Schizophrenia; I am still unclear about the impact Schizophrenia has had on Young Master Finn." Dr. Thomas continued, every word hitting the crowd like a heavy hammer, "But this condition will cause him to experience a distortion of reality, potentially leading to auditory hallucinations and delusions. Perhaps at some moment, he will be swept away by voices in his head, dominated by distorted perceptions, feeling that self-harm is the only way to find relief.
No one spoke.
The rhythmic "beep-beep" of the monitor sounded exceptionally piercing in the stagnant air of the ward.
They all remembered the tragic scene behind that door, where Finn lay helplessly in a pool of blood.
They simply could not imagine what Finn was thinking in that room filled with birthday gifts, how he was being overwhelmed by the tide of depression, how, amidst his chaotic and shattered consciousness, he had lost control and personally carved pain into his own body, knife by knife.
Finn Osborn's self-harm is not a momentary impulse, nor is it as simple as just being unable to think clearly," Dr. Thomas said, his tone becoming more serious. "I am more inclined to believe that his symptoms have caused him to lose control over his emotions and behavior. He might have been in a state of blurred consciousness while doing this, overwhelmed by painful perceptions and chaotic emotions, perhaps even unable to distinguish the consequences of his actions.
The exhaustion of the Manic Phase, the self-collapse of the Depressive Phase, the sensitive paranoia of Borderline Personality Disorder, the cognitive distortion of Schizophrenia.. when these are intertwined, it is nothing more than a vicious cycle.
"Stopping the medication.. will it cause an impact?" Peter asked, his voice hoarse.
Of course. In Finn's case, medication is absolutely necessary for treatment. If he stops taking it suddenly, it will trigger severe withdrawal symptoms, his condition is very likely to experience a violent relapse." Dr. Thomas's brow furrowed even deeper as he looked at Peter with a puzzled expression and asked, "Are you saying that Finn stopped taking the medication on his own?
Noah's gaze also shifted toward Peter, but Peter simply couldn't find the words to speak.
At that time, he naively thought that Finn had been misdiagnosed because of the existence of System PP, so he even told Finn not to take his medicine.
A wave of overwhelming guilt and remorse instantly submerged Peter.
The thought of Finn personally carving those hideous bloody gashes into his own forearm made it difficult for him to breathe.
—It was all his fault.
He didn't realize at all.. that Schizophrenia was merely the most insignificant part of Finn's condition.
Andrew had been huddling in the corner, head bowed and body trembling as he wept. Then, Andrew suddenly slammed his chaotic, pain-filled head violently against the wall.
The sudden thud of hitting the wall shattered the silence.
"Andrew.." Peter rushed over to stop Andrew, preventing his self-harming behavior.
It's all my fault, isn't it? It's all because I messed everything up!" Andrew's eyes were bloodshot, filled with regret. The press conference was such a great opportunity, Finn had successfully seized it, but he had ruined everything because of his own stupidity. "It must be because of that video.. It was I who caused Young Master Finn to fall into this inexplicable storm of public opinion, to be maliciously speculated upon and attacked by that bunch of trash! I clearly knew Young Master Finn had mental illness, how could I, how could I provoke him like that?
It was no exaggeration to say that seeing Finn collapsed in a pool of blood was even more agonizing for Andrew than if he himself had been killed.
If it truly was because of him, that it had provoked Finn into such an extreme act of self-harm.
Andrew bit his lip hard, the taste of blood spreading through his mouth.
—He wished he could destroy himself immediately.
"You should also take a look at Andrew," Peter said softly, walking up to Dr. Thomas.
Dr. Thomas: ".." On-site medical treatment?
Harry had ignored the commotion around him from beginning to end; he simply stood stiffly by the hospital bed, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on Finn's pale face. The young man's eyelashes rested quietly, his features were exquisite—he should have looked vibrant, bright, exuberant.
But at this moment, that face was pale without a trace of color.
It was so quiet that it felt fragile, as if it might vanish at any moment.
"Peter.. You know it too, Finn has mental illness." Harry slowly turned his head.
Harry, who had always been able to face everything with composure and calm, seemed to only now, in this moment, be intermittently regaining his train of thought.
It was only at this moment that he realized how Peter's every ambiguous, hesitant remark—
[Finn does contradictory things, but there is.. a reason for it.]
At that time, Harry had never delved into what that "reason" actually was.
Only at this moment did all the fragments finally piece together, but the truth pierced his heart like a sharp blade.
—Everyone knew that his younger brother had a mental illness.
—Only he didn't know.
Borderline Personality Disorder.
The most typical characteristic of this disorder is extreme emotional instability and extreme behavioral contradictions.
Finn would help him and Marcus deal with things behind his back, gathering all the criminal evidence against them, would even endure immense pressure to step onto the stage of the press conference on his behalf, using an incredibly firm tone to say that they, as brothers, were one and the same.. But once standing before him, Finn was always covered in thorns, attacking him with deliberate sarcasm and harsh words, constantly demanding shares in the Osborn Group.
Just like on the day of the press conference, Finn's green eyes were clearly filled with anticipation, waiting for a single word of praise from him. But in an instant, as if his consciousness had been ripped away, he suddenly donned an expression of cold detachment, using those mocking words to push him away once again.
Only then did Harry realize—
Those contradictions and clashes were nothing more than the struggles of his brother, who was completely unable to control himself under the influence of his illness.
Right at that moment, a detail he had long ignored crashed into his mind without warning.
He remembered Finn's drawing account—Seven Major Sicknesses.
He even remembered the words that Finn had blurted out during their argument at the villa last time—
To put it bluntly, if I actually get sick one day, the money I receive from the trust fund each month would only be enough to buy a single injection at the Osborn Group.
Harry couldn't help but wonder if Finn had also tried to drop hints to him in the past, but he simply.. had never paid any attention.
"I.." Peter opened his mouth with difficulty, not knowing how to answer.
You say he doesn't know, but he actually does;
You say he knows, but he only just found out.
Why don't you know?" Noah asked with extreme sarcasm. "Yeah, why does everyone else know? But as Finn Osborn's brother, you don't know anything.
Because you never cared about him at all.
Noah gave the only answer to this question with cold indifference.
He stood quickly before Harry, his bloodshot eyes churning with long-suppressed pain and anger.
This is your fault.
This is all your fault.
The pent-up emotions seemed to have found their only outlet at this moment. Noah suddenly reached out, forcefully dragging Harry away from Finn's bedside, grabbing him by the collar, slamming him hard against the cold wall.
Harry's body slammed heavily against the wall, making a dull thud.
"Noah!" Peter and Elias's expressions changed drastically as they immediately separated Noah and Harry.
What right do you have to treat Finn like this?" Noah, who was being held tightly by Elias, was still struggling, his voice incredibly hoarse, with the fury in his eyes nearly overflowing. "What right do you have to call him foolish time and time again, to say he is overestimating himself, to say he is good for nothing?
And what right do you have, all this time, to rely on your status as his brother, your status as the heir to Norman Osborn, your status as the CEO of Osborn Group, to mock him, suppress him, deny him?
These words had been suppressed in Noah Hart's heart for far too long.
Yes, because Finn loves to play, he loves playing! When did he start loving to play?
It was after your father passed away, wasn't it?" Noah stared intensely into Harry's eyes, questioning him coldly, word by word, "Was Finn like this before that? Was he ever so conspicuously and actively immersed in parties?
The person who passed away was your father! Before you returned to America, before Norman Osborn died, Finn was the one constantly by his bedside." Noah completely lost control, his voice growing increasingly agitated, "Finn was never a cold-blooded person; he even ruined his health because of this. During that time, there was absolutely no one to take care of him. He had anemia, hypoglycemia, severe stomach issues—did you know any of that?
The moment the words fell, Catherine, who had been standing silently to the side to look after Finn's daily needs, finally could not help herself; she covered her face and burst into tears, overwhelmed by heartache and sorrow. The woman's suppressed sobbing sounded exceptionally clear in the hospital room.
Even if you knew, you would probably just think that Finn was taking advantage of his youth to recklessly ruin his body at the party, wouldn't you?" Noah looked at Harry sarcastically. "Did you know that at the party, he didn't even take a single sip of alcohol?
Noah's words successfully struck home for Harry; yes, he had indeed thought so before.
So what if he controls an entire business empire? Despite having so much money, his father still died of illness. Before he passed, he left almost all of his assets to his own brother," Noah said with a cold sneer. "And then this brother had no concept of brotherhood at all, always maintaining a cold and arrogant attitude toward him.
Harry knew.. at the very beginning of their reunion, he and Finn were not this cold and confrontational.
But exactly when did the change begin? He couldn't tell.
But his memories were suddenly pulled back to Norman Osborn's funeral. Finn Osborn, wearing a black suit and looking pale and haggard, stood before him. With eyes filled with detachment and confusion, he asked hesitantly, ".. Are we going to live together?"
At that time, how did he answer?
Harry remembered. That memory, which he had thought was insignificant, was now becoming clear bit by bit, accompanied by a sharp sense of pain.
He said indifferently—
[There is no need for that.]
At that moment, he rejected Finn, who had just lost his father, without any emotion, as if he were coldly refusing a puppy coming home.
Then Finn would become obsessed with finding that stray dog that couldn't find its way home.
Noah was right; he simply.. never cared about Finn Osborn.
Have you never had any doubts?" Noah's voice carried an explosive, questioning fury. "In the entire month after your father passed away, Finn started attending endless parties and spending money like crazy. Isn't that unusual? And those people—as long as they kept him happy, they could easily secure a substantial investment. Isn't that unusual?
Staying awake in the middle of the night, only to go to the middle of nowhere time and time again to look for some unwanted stray dog..
Aren't these actions unusual for you?
Harry's fists were clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white; the wound from smashing the glass, which had not yet healed, split open once again.