Chapter 44

"Incompatibility of personality" Melissa conjured up an excuse. "Incompatibility of personality?" That reasoning is too vague." Melissa's explanation was not sufficient for Joseph. "Is it really necessary for you to scrutinize our affairs?" Melissa asked impatiently, her anger surging with every question from Joseph "I have to know" Joseph solemnly stated. "Alright then, I fell in love with someone else." Melissa had to continue with this tale, she couldn't allow Joseph to know that she was cast out due to a scheme by Nancy and Liam. Otherwise, her intentions for staying in the Clarkson family would be glaringly apparent. "So, you cheated during your marriage?" Joseph's cold words made Melissa extremely uncomfortable. Melissa glanced at Joseph, compressing her anger and replied, "You could say that." "So, are Alvin and Alvina…" Joseph wanted to know if the two children had anything to do with Liam. "They are not his" Melissa interrupted him directly. How could her children be related to that jerk! "So, whose are they?" Joseph asked immediately. "That question is beyond what I'm willing to answer," Melissa thought Joseph was quite rude. He had no right to probe into her personal issues so deeply. "If you don't answer, I will send you away tomorrow morning, no matter who tries to persuade me" Joseph threatened Melissa. "Joseph, you're going too far!" Melissa glared at Joseph in resentment, raising her voice inadvertently. With his deep-set eyes squarely on Melissa, Joseph retorted coldly "Even if you don't tell me, I will find out." Upon hearing this, Melissa's pupils contracted swiftly. If this matter were to be investigated by Joseph the truth would be revealed. In her desperation, Melissa had no choice but to involve Peter in it. She hesitated, but answered reluctantly "It was the man who called me in the garage that day." "When did you start dating him?" Joseph did not let up, his persistent nature impelling him to dig to the root of things. Melissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With a weak voice, she answered. “Six years ago." Calculating the time, Joseph found that it coincided with the time when he found out about Melissa's divorce with Liam. He looked at Melissa with a gaze that was hard to describe, "Did you cheat on Liam?" "Yes." Melissa simply admitted without defending herself. Joseph nodded, as if from the beginning he had been certain that Melissa was a restless woman. His eyes were filled with disdain for Melissa, along with traces of mockery. Melissa found such a look from others most offensive. She was compelled to explain again "It was precisely because I felt guilty for betraying Liam that I left the house and company to him. I followed that man abroad and lived with him for six years. That's all there is to it. But now, we've broken up. The day I met him was to make it clear to him not to look for me anymore." Melissa added more details to this story. She said she broke up with Peter, just to prevent Joseph from investigating Peter any further. "Broke up again?" Joseph observed Melissa's expression. He did not believe what Melissa had said. "Yes." Melissa faked an exhausted look, she said carelessly "I've known him for six years, I'm tired of him. Just like my relationship with Liam from acquaintance to marriage lasted a full ten years, and there was no longer anything fresh about it. I can hardly blame myself, for I was too young back then, mistaking kinship for love, I should not have married him." Melissa intentionally portrayed herself in a negative light to prevent Joseph from investigating her complicated backstory. "What about the kids? Would that man agree to let you raise Alvin and Alvina alone?" Joseph asked again. He did not want anyone to cause trouble at the Clarkson Family's home in the future. "He doesn't like children, and has no sense of responsibility." Melissa tried to come up with an excuse to brush it off. "Is that so? That day, he told me he would protect you forever." Joseph recalled the voice from the garage phone call that day, which sounded like a remarkably determined statement from a man. "Don't fall for his sweet talk, he's just jealous because you're with me. But I know him too well, he's all talk but lacks real skills. He won't bother you," Melissa said as an attempt to put Joseph at ease, preventing him from unnecessarily worrying and conducting exhaustive investigations. "If he dares to cause trouble for me or take advantage of Alvin and Alvina, I will make sure he dies miserably." Said Joseph fiercely as if swearing to the heavens. Melissa cast him a bored glance, thinking, 'This guy is crazy!' "Mr. Clarkson, I hope we've covered everything you wanted to ask about. It's getting cold tonight, I'm going back," Melissa said, intending to walk into the castle's main entrance. "Hold on!" Joseph called out from behind her. "What did you talk about with my sister at the café the other day?" Joseph suddenly thought of the video that had gone viral online and decided to ask it all at once. Melissa halted her steps, slowly turning around while her mind raced. How did he know about this? Did Nancy tell him? "Pardon?" Melissa feigned ignorance. "Don't play dumb with me, I've seen that video online." Joseph retorted, walking over to look into her eyes. "What video? I know nothing about it," Melissa denied, making sure to never reveal anything about the video because it was part of her revenge plan. "Whether or not you know about the video is irrelevant now, what I want to ask you is what’s going on between you and my sister? Why did you accuse her of being a home wrecker at the party?" Joseph with his inherent sharpness towards problems sensed that the relationship between his sister and Melissa wasn't as simple as it seemed. "I was just jealous of her. We were great friends at school, and now she's Liam's wife, and it makes me indignant. So, I confronted her at the party. I didn't expect Liam to marry Nancy!" Melissa said, making her reason for opposing Nancy appear as just a bout of jealousy. Melissa paused before continuing. "Later, I wanted to know the full story, and she wanted to know why I returned, so we agreed to meet at the café. I didn't expect another argument to brew. But it's not my fault. I divorced Liam and won’t interfere in their lives. Nancy is just being over-sensitive." "I hope so because if one day, I find out that you've rekindled your love with Liam and hurt my sister, I will not let either of you off lightly." Joseph sternly warned, his words aimed to intimidate Melissa. He then issued a stringent instruction to Melissa. "So you'd better behave and keep your act going in the Clarkson household!" Melissa curiously glanced at Joseph, his choice of words was harsh.