Chapter 576

"You support me?"

Claire stood up, her voice shaking, "Since I went abroad, when have I ever spent your money?"

She pointed at Jett. "Do you even know Jett's favorite color, what he likes to eat, what he's scared of? You must know, since you're really 'supporting' him!"

Jett shrank back, clearly uncomfortable being the center of attention.

Finnegan's face turned red with anger. "Without me, you wouldn't be where you are today!"

Joseph suddenly stood up and positioned himself in front of Claire, his previously gentle gaze turning icy.

"Mr. Johnson," Joseph deliberately used the formal address, "even as a father, you have no right to criticize Claire like this. Ask yourself honestly, do you deserve the title of 'father'?"

"How do I not deserve it? I brought her into this world, provided for her, isn't that enough?"

Finnegan's self-righteous attitude as a father was infuriating.

Claire sneered internally. "Dad, over the years, the support you gave me was less than what Mom provided. How can you say that so confidently?"

Finnegan's face changed dramatically with anger at Claire's rebuttal. "I'm your father, how dare you lecture me?"

Mabel chimed in, "Claire, no matter what, Finnegan is your father. Without him, you wouldn't be here. He's been busy with the company and neglected you, as his daughter, you should understand and not blame him."

"Besides, if Finnegan's company does well, it benefits you too. How can you not help your father?"

Claire looked at Mabel coldly. "I don't see how my dad's company doing well benefits me, but I can clearly see how you and Jett would benefit a lot."

"So why should I go out of my way when I don't need the money? If you want to gain benefits, go earn them yourselves."

Mabel's face turned ugly; she hadn't expected Claire to speak so bluntly.

Finnegan shouted at Claire, "How can you say that to your mom? Apologize to her now."

Claire refused to apologize. "First of all, she's not my mom. Secondly, I don't think I need to apologize. I'm just stating the truth, what's wrong with that?"

Finnegan was so enraged that he rushed forward to hit Claire.

If Claire were alone, she might have been hit by Finnegan, but now she had Joseph, her husband. Joseph wouldn't stand by and let Claire be bullied.

Joseph raised his hand to block Finnegan's slap, his gaze cold as ice. "I think you haven't realized that Claire is no longer a child. She has a new family now. I'm her husband. Do you think I'll just stand by and watch you hit her?"

"I'm her father, I have the right to discipline her." Finnegan glared.

Joseph's eyes grew even colder. "If you touch Claire, I'll call the police immediately. Don't blame me for being unkind."

With that, Joseph took Claire's hand and turned to leave.

Behind them, Finnegan's furious shouts and the sound of a chair falling echoed.

They walked along the long boardwalk back to the main island, the sea breeze carrying a salty scent across Claire's cheeks.

Her tears finally fell, hitting the wooden boardwalk and quickly evaporating.

In the restaurant earlier, she had only been pretending to be strong and indifferent.

After all, Finnegan was Claire's biological father. How could she not have some expectations? But now it seemed she was wrong. She shouldn't have expected anything from Finnegan, who never treated her like a daughter.

Joseph didn't say anything, just held Claire's hand tightly.

In the distance, a school of fish swam in the shallows, their shadows gentle under the moonlight.

They stayed in a beachside villa, where the sound of waves could be heard as soon as the door was opened.

Claire walked barefoot on the soft wool carpet, suddenly feeling drained of all energy.

"Are you hungry?" Joseph asked softly, his fingers gently combing through her long hair.

Claire realized she had barely eaten at the restaurant.

She nodded, suddenly feeling like a child, "I'm hungry."

Joseph smiled, picked up the room phone, and ordered food.

Twenty minutes later, a waiter brought in a cart with roasted chicken salad, mushroom soup, and pasta—all of Claire's favorites.

"How did you know I wanted these?" Claire asked, surprised.

Joseph blinked. "You stared at these items on the menu for a long time last night."

Claire's nose tingled.

Joseph, who remembered all her preferences and every glance, felt more like family than the so-called father who didn't even know about her allergies.

Claire sipped the soup slowly, Joseph sitting across from her, watching quietly.

Outside, the moonlight turned the sea into a silver expanse.

"I'm sorry our honeymoon had to include this," Claire said softly.

Joseph shook his head, wiping the soup from her lips. "You can't choose your family, but you can choose your partner."

He paused. "I'm honored to be your choice."

Claire walked around the table and sat in Joseph's lap.

She was grateful to have married Joseph. Originally, she had no expectations for marriage because of her parents.

But because of Joseph, she began to have expectations. She believed in her choice, believed her future wouldn't be lonely.

"We'll have a different kind of family," Joseph said, kissing Claire's hair. "I'll remember all our kids' allergies, attend every parent-teacher conference, and never let them doubt they're loved."

Claire looked up at him, the moonlight through the window outlining his gentle profile.

She suddenly understood that some wounds might never fully heal, but they could be covered by new love.

"I love you," Claire said softly, the words carrying more weight than ever.

Joseph didn't respond with words, but sealed her lips with a kiss.

In the distance, the tide gently lapped at the shore, like an eternal promise.

The next morning, Claire found several missed calls on her phone, all from Finnegan.

She put her phone on silent and walked to the balcony.

Joseph was there doing yoga, and he smiled when he saw her.

The sunrise painted the sea in gold and red.

Claire took a deep breath of the salty air, suddenly feeling that past pains seemed so small in front of the vast ocean.

"Want to go snorkeling today?" Joseph asked. "I heard the coral reefs to the east are beautiful."

Claire nodded, smiling as she walked towards the man she would spend her life with.

Behind them, the phone screen lit up again, then faded back into darkness.