Chapter 144
Early morning.
Josephine was jolted awake by the knocking at the door. She crawled out of bed in her pajamas—it was a bit chilly this early. Spotting Preston's jacket draped over the sofa, she grabbed it and threw it on.
She opened the door to find Lorelei standing there, her face twisted in an ugly expression.
Josephine frowned. "What are you doing here again?"
Seeing her in pajamas, still bleary-eyed, and wearing what was clearly a man's jacket—the same jacket she distinctly remembered Preston wearing yesterday—Lorelei let out a cold laugh. Her tone dripped with contempt. "I never imagined you'd stoop this low. Sleeping your way to a master artist's good graces? Really?"
Josephine had just woken up and was still a bit foggy. She rubbed her forehead, slowly coming to her senses. "What nonsense are you spouting this early in the morning?"
"I don't know what tricks you pulled to spend the night here, but selling your body for professional favors? Josephine, I'm disgusted." Lorelei's words were scornful, but inside, she was thrilled. Before coming upstairs, she'd already called Gideon. She was ready for him to see with his own eyes.
His precious wife, showing her true shameless colors.
Josephine's gaze turned icy. "Ever heard of a saying?"
"What saying?"
"Those with dirty minds see filth everywhere." Josephine watched Lorelei's expression sour, then smiled faintly with mockery. "You've used these tactics so often yourself, you assume everyone else does too."
Lorelei's face darkened. After grinding her teeth for a moment, she let out a cold laugh. "Keep up the act. The fact is, you stayed here overnight. You claim you don't know the master, so how could you possibly be staying here? How would you have pajamas here?"
There was only one possibility—she'd had an improper relationship with this master all along.
"What are you talking about?"
Gideon's voice came from behind them.
Lorelei spun around to see Gideon, with Preston and Gemma following behind him.
She immediately rushed over and grabbed Gideon's hand. "I knew if I just told you, you wouldn't believe me. That's why I had you come see for yourself. This is your dear wife—helping Cedric curry favor with Daryl by selling her body."
Gideon's expression turned stormy.
Lorelei had never seen him look this severe, but she wasn't afraid at all. In fact, she grew more pleased with herself.
After today, Gideon would be completely disgusted with Josephine.
Gideon said through gritted teeth, "Shut your mouth and leave with me. Now."
"Even now, you can't face reality?" Lorelei refused to let him sweep things under the rug. She wanted to force him to confront the truth. She even turned to Gemma, whose expression was equally grim. "You probably don't know this, but your husband and this Ms. Kennedy have an inappropriate relationship. Maybe you kindly let her stay here yesterday, but she doesn't deserve your kindness!"
Josephine let out a soft laugh. "This is absolutely ridiculous."
Lorelei whipped around to face her. "Josephine, the facts are right in front of everyone. Denying it won't help."
"Gideon, can you take your person and leave? She's spouting nonsense here. Don't you find this embarrassing?" Josephine shot Gideon a cold glance.
A chill ran through Gideon's chest. He grabbed Lorelei's wrist tightly. "Stop making a fool of yourself here."
"If anyone should be embarrassed, it's not me." Lorelei couldn't understand—did Gideon love Josephine that deeply? Even knowing he'd been betrayed, would he pretend not to see it?
Preston suddenly let out a laugh.
Lorelei found his laughter baffling, but by saying these things today, she'd already offended him. There was no taking it back now, so she might as well go all in. "I admire your talent and character, but I never thought you'd be this kind of person."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you." Preston walked over to Josephine and casually draped an arm around her shoulders, noticing how pale she looked. "Knowing you can't handle the cold, you still come out without bundling up?"
Josephine touched her nose. "But I'm wearing your jacket..."
"Go wash your face. I bought breakfast." Preston patted her back affectionately. Josephine nodded, looking quite obedient.
Lorelei's eyes went wide, staring at the scene before her in disbelief. These two were being so brazen! She turned to look at Gemma, who still hadn't said a word.
Didn't she care at all?
Gemma couldn't even be bothered to spare her a glance. She ushered the father and daughter inside and placed the breakfast on the entryway cabinet. Before closing the door, she looked once at the two people outside. "Don't come to my house again."
The door slammed shut.
Gideon's eyes closed in defeat. His image in his in-laws' eyes had been completely destroyed today.
"They..." Lorelei was shocked beyond words. She'd never witnessed such an explosive scene and didn't know what to say for a moment.
Gideon roughly shook off her hand, his expression ice-cold. "You're truly insane. And stupid."
Lorelei looked aggrieved. "I said all that for your sake. I didn't want you to be deceived!"
Gideon took a deep breath, feeling that everything about today was utterly absurd. When he'd received Lorelei's call and rushed over, he knew something bad was going to happen.
He'd floored the gas pedal the whole way, but still hadn't made it in time.
"Before you came to visit him, didn't you even bother to check his last name?"
"I had no idea." Lorelei looked completely confused.
Gideon laughed bitterly.
His laughter faded as Lorelei watched in bewilderment, his eyes turning cold. "Let me tell you—his last name is Kennedy. He's Josephine's father."
Lorelei froze in place.
How was that possible?
"You said those revolting things in front of a real father and daughter..." Gideon couldn't bear to look at her face, couldn't bring himself to repeat those words.
It was too absurd. He didn't even know what to say.
Finally, he just waved his hand dismissively. "The baby's pretty far along now. Just go home and focus on your pregnancy. Don't wander around causing trouble, and definitely don't appear in front of me. You're not allowed to come to my office either."
One more look at that stupid face, and he worried his heart might actually explode from rage. With that, he turned and strode away.
Lorelei stood there, her expression ugly.
By now, she finally understood—yesterday, Josephine had the perfect opportunity to reveal the truth, but didn't. She'd deliberately played her for a fool!
On the other side of the door, the living room atmosphere was actually quite pleasant.
Josephine lounged lazily on the sofa, holding an apple. She took a bite. "The look on her face was hilarious."
Preston shook his head helplessly. "Since you're planning to divorce Gideon anyway, why not just move back home? Your mom and I could take care of you more easily."
"No need. I got a house from Gideon—Clearwater Ridge, the one we lived in before we got married." Josephine suddenly had an idea. She set down the apple, speaking with growing enthusiasm. "How about you and Mom move in with me instead?"
"Not happening. That house of yours is too big and empty." Preston rejected the idea immediately.
Josephine deflated. Her dad was such an oddball, different from everyone else. Most people wanted bigger houses, but he alone preferred these cozy, simple, smaller homes.
Still, Lorelei's visit had reminded Josephine of something. She probed carefully. "Dad, are you really planning to never pick up a paintbrush again?"
Preston's back was to her, his tone calm. "It's not that I don't want to pick up a brush. It's that I can't anymore. At my age, when you can't do something, there's no point forcing it."
The moment this topic came up, the atmosphere instantly grew heavy.