By then, the traffic light had already turned green. The cars at the back were honking incessantly, signaling us to make way for them, causing the bustling urban area to grow all the more chaotic.
After a lengthy impasse, a hint of urgency manifested on Joseph’s calm and unruffled countenance that was all too similar to Anthony’s poised face. “Have you forgotten the three slaps earlier, Mrs. Featherstone? For old times’ sake, please buy some time for my wife and kids. I beg you.”
Indeed, in a way, Rylee couldn’t have found an opportunity to humiliate Joseph thus if it weren’t for me.
Both Joseph’s eyes and the tip of his nose turned red from his emotional state. As I gazed at his face, the scene of John getting beaten up flashed across my mind out of the blue.
In that split second, I realized that I couldn’t bear having anyone else getting hurt even worse because of me. I immediately took my things and slipped out of the car. My movement was so sudden that Joseph was taken aback.
His features froze for a second before he nodded at me solemnly. “Thank you.”
After saying that, he slammed the car door shut with a bang. Getting back into the car, he swiftly started the engine and disappeared into the traffic in a flash.
He has been with Anthony far longer than me, so Anthony definitely won’t allow anything to happen to him. At least, I hope so!
As I stood by the side of the road, I inwardly prayed for Joseph and his family.
Before I knew it, my thoughts drifted away. My mind was filled with Anthony’s different expressions in the past few days—aloof, vicious, arrogant, and the like. Verily, I disliked them all, but I just couldn’t muster up any hatred for some inexplicable reason.
One meets, dates, and gets together because of fate and destiny. Since I’ve been married to Anthony and shared a bed with him for so many years, could there be telepathy between us? If so, those selfish and reckless sentiments of his could be all be explained perfectly!
On my way home in a taxi, the unease within me intensified. Judging from Nathaniel’s actions, this matter is far from being over. If even Joseph has been dragged into this circle of revenge, what about those who are even closer to Anthony and me?
That thought was like a bucket of cold water pouring over me, jolting me back to my senses. I instantly phoned Cameron and Louis. Only after ascertaining that they were both safe and sound did I breathe a sigh of relief.
When the sky was growing dark, worry about Joseph continued to linger within me, so I bit the bullet and gave him a call.
To my surprise, Joseph answered right away. His voice, however, sounded a tad strange. “Is something the matter, Mrs. Featherstone?”
Sensing a subdued atmosphere, I lowered my voice and queried, “Are Savannah and the kids okay?”
“They’re fine,” Joseph replied. Seemingly afraid that I would continue hounding him, he hastily made up an excuse to elude me. “My kids are calling for me, so I’ll talk to you next time.”
“Jo—” Before I had even finished speaking, the disconnect tone drifted into my ears.
Staring at the screen of my phone that had returned to the main interface, I abruptly gave a self- deprecating bark of laughter. It seems that I’m the jinx compared to Nathaniel and the others that everyone is eagerly avoiding me!
But on second thought, it makes much sense. Indeed, it’s safer the further away they stay from me during this time.
After putting down the phone, I realized that Gregory and Audrey had come home at some time. The two children were standing at the side of the living room, holding hands while gazing at me from afar without saying a single word.
At once, I schooled my expression and opened my arms to them. “Quick, come over here, my darlings!”
Audrey’s eyes flicked down to my arms before she dropped Gregory’s hand and sprinted toward me. She lunged at me so forcefully that I was thrown back. Still, she giggled happily and kissed me fervently while hugging me around the neck. “Mommy! I missed you so much, Mommy! I love you loads!”
Undeniably, the warmth brought by one’s flesh and blood could easily banish one’s gloom. Grinning, I righted her and placed her on my lap. Patiently brushing off the strands of hair before her forehead, I inquired about her day at school as usual. “Tell me what you learned today, Audrey.”
At that, Audrey immediately scrambled off me and trotted over to Gregory. Snatching the drawing paper he was holding in his hand, she joyously ran back over to me and spread it open.
“Look, Mommy! I drew this! My teacher praised me in front of everyone in my class. She said that my drawing was the best!”
It was a crayon drawing with a few simple colors, but one could make out the basic outline of several people. Two adults and four children were holding hands as they enjoyed themselves in the grassy meadow under the bright sunlight. Truly, it depicted a blissful and peaceful life.
Audrey didn’t even forget Shaun, making it apparent that she loved every single person in the family.
I spaced out as I looked at it, forgetting to give her an appropriate response. In turn, it resulted in her feeling a sense of uncertainty and uneasiness. “Do you not like my drawing, Mommy?”
“Of course, I do!” It wasn’t until then that I snapped back to reality. I hurriedly planted a kiss on her forehead as a reward. Then I took out my phone and tapped on the camera before taking a picture of the drawing to flaunt it off. “Here, let me take a picture of this beautiful drawing. I’ll post it on Instagram so that everyone can see how smart and incredible my daughter is!”
Such jubilance inundated Audrey that delight danced in her eyes. Lifting her head, she stared at me blankly, like a chubby porcelain doll. “Mommy, if I continue being good, you’ll always stay by my side, right?”
Puzzled, I reached out and stroked her head. “Why would you think that? Regardless of whether you’re good, I’ll always love you.”
Pouting, Audrey shook her head. “No, that’s not true. I was too naughty, so Daddy isn’t coming home. He doesn’t want to be picked on by me anymore.”
At that, her eyes went red. She clutched at my arm and shook it. “Mommy, tell Daddy that I’ll be good. Tell him to come back, okay? I miss him…”
Tears trickled down her face as she spoke, every drop hitting me squarely in the chest.
I hugged her tightly. After consoling her and inquiring about the matter, I finally learned that Audrey had been privately questioning Gregory relentlessly about Anthony’s disappearance in the past few days though she made no mention of it before me. Gregory didn’t understand the matter between adults, so he had picked an excuse that sounded relatively reasonable to shut her up. Alas, Audrey took it to heart and thought that she had driven Anthony away.
Seeing his sister weep, Gregory grew distressed. With red-rimmed eyes, he apologized, murmuring, “I’m sorry, Mommy. I just didn’t want her to think too much. I never thought that she’s bad or anything…”
Ah, they’re all sensible children! How am I to keep my defenses up in front of them?
I beckoned Gregory over and hugged them both. Tears promptly escaped my eyes, but I held myself back and kept my sobs silent.
They don’t understand anything, but ironically, it’s also as though they understand everything.
After I had released the bottled emotions within me and put the children to bed, it was already nine o’clock at night. Just when I was planning to sleep earlier so that I could wake up early tomorrow to make a trip to the hospital, my WhatsApp notification started pinging like crazy.
I saw a brief preview of a video that Emery had sent me. In just the time I spent picking up my phone, several voice messages came in back to back.
After unlocking my phone, I was about to play the voice messages out of habit when my attention was suddenly snagged by the thumbnail image of the video.
The man in the video’s thumbnail image was none other than Joseph, whom I had parted ways with a short time ago. However, he seemed to be in a bad way with his eyes sunken and dark eye bags below them, a world of difference from the strong man in my memories.
Trembling, I tapped on the first voice message, and the others played sequentially.
“Come over and help me figure out how to deal with this. I found him in the alley behind The Jade. There are no other wounds on him apart from a few prick marks. He has probably been injected with a high dosage of drugs, and the other party is determined to have him addicted at a single go. They’re really ruthless.”
And so it went.
A buzzing started in my mind. So, Anthony still didn’t protect him in the end?
I rushed over to The Jade, only to see Emery waiting anxiously at the door. From the looks of it, she had been waiting for quite some time.
While leading me in, she murmured, “This way. I have someone watching over him.”
“Are you sure it’s drugs?” I asked softly, harboring a final shred of hope within me. Like Anthony, Joseph was an outstanding man, so he shouldn’t be tainted with such a nasty substance.
“In all likelihood, it is.” Emery sighed regretfully, saying nothing further.
At the end of the corridor on the first floor, tall and burly bodyguards were keeping guard outside the room door on the right, one on either side. Their indifferent expressions made it so that no one dared to approach the room.
Emery stopped for a moment at the door and questioned one of them, “Did anything happen?”
“Everything has been normal,” the bodyguard replied.
In response, Emery nodded. “Okay. Open the door.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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