Chapter 18

Joseph knew Irene's suggestion was deadly, but he couldn't stop replaying her words in his mind. When Tiana lay asleep in the hospital room, he would stare at her face, thinking, "Everything would be fine if Grandpa just died." When the nurse wheeled Tiana into the yard to get some sun, Joseph continued thinking about how he could make Philip drop dead. When Tiana completed her discharge process and linked arms with Elliot, discussing which country, which college, and which major she would choose, Joseph's desire to see Philip dead reached its peak. As Tiana and Elliot walked out of the hospital, arm in arm, they ran into Joseph. To be precise, he was waiting there for her. "Ana…" Joseph hurried forward, shoving a piece of paper into her hand. "Look, it's my divorce certificate. Irene and I are divorced now. I've never loved her—I was only with her out of family pressure. She and I are over now." Tiana didn't take the certificate. It fell pathetically to the ground. She looked at