Chapter 43

Joseph reluctantly picked up a rib, took a small bite, and found it surprisingly delicious. But he was a man who cared about his image, so after just one bite, he placed the rib at the edge of the bowl. After dinner, Nancy claimed to have a bit of a headache and went home with Liam. Joshua stayed a little while longer, chatting with the grandmother, before preparing to go home as well. "Grandmother, if there's nothing else, I'll be going home." Joshua said as he stood up from the sofa, also saying goodbye to Joseph and Melissa on the other side. He still had to go home and prepare lesson plans. Grandma Julia nodded and agreed "Go ahead." "Brother, I'll go with you" Joseph also immediately stood up from the sofa, ready to leave. Grandma Julia grabbed Joseph's arm "Joseph, you're not allowed to go, I need you to stay here with Melissa." she pouted, slightly unhappy. "But I still have work to do, I left my laptop with the company files at home. I forgot to bring it" Joseph explained desperately. He had been pushed around by Melissa the whole evening, and he didn't want to get tangled with this woman for another minute. "That's no excuse!" Grandma Julia guessed that Joseph was planning to run off and fool around with some woman under the guise of working on his files, so she held him back firmly and didn't let him go. "Alright, I won't leave then" knowing that he couldn't win against his grandmother, Joseph had no choice but to obediently stay put. "Then I'll go with Melissa to see my brother off." "Mhmm" Grandma Julia nodded in satisfaction. As Joseph walked towards the door, Alvin and Alvina ran over to say goodbye to their uncle. "Goodbye, Uncle" Alvin waved his little hand and Alvina, on the other hand, ran up to Joshua to ask for a hug. "Uncle, come to see Alvina often, I'll miss you!" she cooed in a cottony voice. "Alright, Uncle will come to see you whenever I don't have class" Joshua turned around and promised the kids. "Mhmm, that's great!" exclaimed Alvina, clapping her hands. Melissa and Joseph put on their shoes, preparing to see Joshua out. Melissa bent down to tell Alvin and Alvina "Mommy is going to see your uncle out, I'll be back soon. You two play with your great-grandmother for a while." "Understood, mommy." Alvin took Alvina's hand and returned to the main living room. Melissa followed Joseph and stepped out of the front door. "Let's stop here, there's no need to see me further." Joseph had walked Joshua to the door of the garage without uttering a single word. It wasn't until the garage door opened that Joshua halted Joseph and Melissa. "Alright, big brother, be careful on the road." Joseph casually responded, appearing not to be particularly concerned about his older brother. It seemed as though the bond between the two brothers was merely for show. Joshua gave a nod, walked into the garage, and half a minute later, drove out through the iron gate of the Clarkson Mansion. "Joseph, if you have something to say, just say it." Right after Joshua's car drove away, Melissa took the initiative to speak to Joseph. She knew that Joseph had brought her out using the excuse of seeing his older brother off because he wanted to talk to her privately. "Why do you show me your love?" Joseph asked directly. "To play along with your act. Grandma hopes that our love is deep..." "Enough!" Joseph interrupted her, not wanting to listen to this woman's sweet words any longer. Melissa, however, wouldn't shut up that easily! "So, you're not used to women expressing their love for you? Are you actually a dedicated homosexual?" Melissa asked this only out of politeness. This reminded Joseph of the night when Melissa said he was homophobic and deep in the closet. He got more upset and said "You can leave tomorrow." "With the kids?" Melissa asked subconsciously. If Joseph was no longer willing to act, then there's no need for Alvin and Alvina to please the old lady, right? "Of course not, only you will leave. You can visit once a week. And I will double the compensation as promised to you." Joseph said this to probe, he wanted to confirm his guess. "I won't leave. Alvin and Alvina will miss me." Melissa calmly refused. No matter how much money Joseph would give her, she wouldn't abandon them. "Double." Joseph said indifferently. "It's not about the money." Melissa emphasized again, her eyes firmly staring at Joseph, proving that she would not change her mind. "What will it take for you to leave?" Joseph bluntly asked. "Since I've come to the Clarkson family, I won't leave no matter what." Melissa challengingly looked at Joseph. "Just like you once said 'Since you have come, you must be at peace with it'." "So, you really didn't come for the money, did you?" Joseph narrowed his eyes and asked her. Now Melissa was a bit flustered. Why would he ask like that all of a sudden? Melissa felt that something was wrong, so she stupidly smiled. "If not for the money then why? I won't leave simply because I can't leave my children. Isn't it the same for all mothers?" "I believe that part, but your staying here still has a selfish motive." Joseph's gaze became sharper. "What selfish motive could I have? Don't tell me you think I'm trying to seduce you?" Melissa deliberately tried to divert him, with her innocent big eyes wide open, she looked absolutely guileless. "Put away that hypocritical expression. You're staying in the Clarkson family for revenge." Joseph felt it was time to expose her lies. He stared into Melissa's eyes, his tone icy "I've researched your background even before you came here, you're the daughter of Austin Parker, the ex-wife of Liam. Melissa knew she couldn't pretend anymore, she had to try another method to win Joseph's trust and sympathy. She sighed deeply, adding a touch of resentment to her eyes. "Indeed, I am Parker's daughter and Liam's ex-wife, but those were things of the past, many years ago. I've already let it go." "If you've really let it go, why did you appear at the party and slapped Nancy?" Joseph questioned her one after another, leaving Melissa no room to think or argue. "She was the one who started it, hurtful words were spoken, so I impulsively hit her in response." Melissa defended herself. "Liam was promoted and achieved so much largely due to your fathe Parker's support. Now he's the president of the Humphrey Group, don't you want to reconcile with him?" Joseph thought that Melissa was trying to separate Liam from Nancy, aiming to reclaim her original position. "I don't want to." Melissa firmly said. She held her head high, her eyes behind her glasses radiating an unstoppable strength. "Why?" Joseph still had doubts in his heart. "There is no love left between us. If everything is beyond recovery, there is no need to linger." Melissa spoke as if she was telling someone else's story in a calm manner. Every time she mentioned Liam's name, her heart turned weary. But the revenge had to continue. "Why did you two divorce before?" Joseph needed to get a clear understanding of all the questions. He couldn't figure out Melissa's real motive now.