Chapter 59

"It's nearly midnight now, and I'm wondering if you're planning to stay out all night?" Joseph taunted Melissa purposely, finding that he could no longer tolerate her lack of moral boundaries. "Even if I stay out all night, I have my reasons, which I suppose are none of your business!" Melissa responded, finding Joseph's statements absurd. She was neither his family nor his girlfriend, so she saw no reason for him to constrain her freedom. "I hope you remember, your purpose here is to please our grandmother. If she sees you coming home tonight in a man's outfit, what do you think she would think?" Joseph looked at Melissa with a dismissive gaze, leaving no doubt about the kind of person he thought she was. Melissa pulled off the suit jacket she was wearing and threw it on the ground. "I don't care what she thinks, Joseph, I'm done playing this charade!" Even during her time pregnant abroad, or when she was a single mother, Melissa had never been subjected to such contempt. She found Joseph's anger inexplicable, and was totally fed up with him. "You may not care about what she thinks, but what about Alvin and Alvina?" Joseph paused and then delivered a cut that deeply hurt Melissa. "Don't forget Alvina still had a fever last night, aren't you worried coming home so late?” At the mention of Alvina, Melissa's emotions immediately became turbulent, as if someone had pierced her heart. Her eyes reddened. No matter how much she tried to stand strong against Joseph, everything felt like it was her fault when she heard about Alvina's fever. Melissa could no longer stand there. She was extremely worried about Alvina's condition, and started running upstairs barefoot. Joseph thought she must be acting irrational due to excessive drinking. He immediately chased after Melissa and caught up with her at the staircase on the third floor. As Melissa passed his room, Joseph pulled her it. In the moment she heard the door close, Melissa was stunned. She came to her senses and realized that she had been pulled into his room. She blurted out instinctively, "Let me out, I need to check on Alvina!" "Alvina has already been put to bed by Aunt Sarah. Are you really going to see Alvina in such a drunken state?" Although Joseph's words were sarcastic, he had a point. Melissa couldn't leave a drunken and late return impression on the child. "Alright, I can move to another guest room to sleep tonight without disturbing Alvina. Please step aside." After contemplating for a while, Melissa also felt that it wouldn't be appropriate for her to meet the children in her current condition. Melissa brushed off Joseph's arm, intending to step out. "Hold on, I am not done with my questions yet!" Joseph turned on the room lights, wanting to have a proper talk with Melissa. "Then you better make it quick, I have a headache and need to rest soon." Hugging her arms, Melissa became increasingly alert. "If you wanted to rest early, you should have come back earlier." Joseph walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, his face remaining icy. He casually pointed at a leather sofa at the foot of the bed, indicating Melissa to sit there. Hesitant, Melissa walked over and as soon as she sat down, she took the initiative to ask. "If you want to know who I went out with today, I'm afraid I can't help you." "Even if you're not saying, I'll find out sooner or later." Joseph put on his arrogant demeanor again, speaking aggressively. Despite his cold demeanor, the room's lighting was dim and gentle. Especially sitting in such a comfy leather sofa, Melissa felt her eyelids heavier. After all, the alcohol in her bloodstream had yet to be completely metabolized. "How was Alvina today? Did she have a fever?" Melissa asked concerningly, with Alvina's condition being her top priority. "She had a bit of fever this afternoon, but it got better after taking the medicine." Joseph replied, and then realized that Melissa has started asking questions before he could. Immediately, Melissa sat up straight and asked, "Alvina had a fever again? How high? Were you the one who fed her the medicine?" "No, it wasn't me. I was not home at that time, Tony was the one who gave her the medicine." Throughout the day at the office, Joseph was concerned about the sick Alvina. In the afternoon, he called home specifically to have Tony measure Alvina's body temperature, to find out she was slightly feverish. "Fortunately, it was a low fever, 37.8 degrees Celsius." Melissa felt a surge of gratitude towards Tony, no wonder Joseph thought so highly of him. But as the thought of Tony came to her, she suddenly remembered something. "Thank you for this morning, having Tony prepare a cold-preventative soup for me. Didn't expect you to actually be a considerate person, even though you've done a good deed but don't want others to know, right?" Melissa didn't say this to thank Joseph, she just wanted to see his expression after being found out. Joseph spaced out for a moment before answering expressionlessly. "You're welcome." Well, look at his attitude! Melissa couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. This man was strange, he could keep such a poker face even when found out, maybe he prefers to be seen as cold and heartless. "Right, you were asking me something, weren't you?" yawning, Melissa prompted Joseph. "Nevermind, I have nothing more to ask." Joseph glanced at Melissa, sighed softly, and shook his head. "Nothing more to ask? Then why did you drag me into your room? I can interpret this is as you taking advantage of the situation." Melissa felt more than ever that Joseph was an utterly baffling person, making capricious decisions. Who does he think he is? Joseph scoffed, mocking her, "I have no interest in lowbrow women like you." What the hell? Melissa almost blew her top when he called her lowbrow. Melissa smacked the square table next to her, not realizing it was solid wood and hurt her palm. She couldn't get angry now, that's what Joseph would want. Changing her thoughts, Melissa put on a smile, softly asking, "Then, what would be considered highbrow in Mr. Clarkson's eyes?" "Anyway, not a 'hot mom' with two children. You should not hang around here anymore." Joseph laid back leisurely on his bed, clearly trying to dismiss her. "Who's hanging around here, it was you who dragged me in here in the first place, alright?" Melissa wasn't sleepy anymore, she was furious, and seriously wanted to give this man a punch.