Josephine was initially baffled by these people, but she soon got the picture. She wasn't just Josephine anymore; she was the daughter of The Clarence Family. Because of that, they didn't care if she had been married or had kids. Whether she was young and pretty or not, people would still be all over her.
That's just how things worked in this society. Being part of The Clarence Family gave her a certain status. After Josephine explained the situation to them, she tuned out whatever they said. Even though they knew she had a boyfriend, they still made those comments. What kind of people were they? Was this what Nicole meant by promising young men?
Nicole didn't expect any of the guys at Lisa's birthday party to be decent. She didn't like them, and neither did Josephine. So, Nicole started calling some of her friends. She couldn't believe that in a place as big as Celestia Springs, she couldn't find someone better than Stuart! Then, she got a call from a friend.
"Honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed," the friend said. "His wife passed away, and he has a kid. I didn't want to bring it up, but he's got a lot of great qualities."
Nicole was hesitant at first. She couldn't see Josephine marrying and becoming a stepmom. But after hearing about his other qualities, she started to reconsider.
This guy was capable, tall, and handsome. He could really give Stuart a run for his money. The only downside was that he had a kid.
But then again, Josephine had Jeffery too.
Nicole thought, why not meet this guy first? If he seemed like a good fit, she could introduce them.
The friend was eager and set up a meeting with Nicole right away.
Nicole was very pleased after meeting him. His demeanor and temperament were, in her opinion, even better than Stuart's!
Josephine said goodbye to Stuart at the door and then took Jeffery home.
As soon as she walked in, Nicole said, "Josephine, is Jeffery back? Come over, we have a guest."
Josephine looked up and was stunned. Why was Rex here?
"Josephine." Rex stood up and smiled at her. "Long time no see."
Josephine initially thought the guest was a relative. Since she returned to The Clarence Family, she had met many relatives. She never expected Rex to be a guest at her home.
Nicole waved her over. "Josephine, come here. Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Armstrong. He knows Gerald too."
Nicole then realized something was off. "Wait, what did you just say? Long time no see? You two know each other?"
Rex nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Clarence. Josephine and I knew each other before."
"That's great," Nicole said. "Now I don't even need to introduce you."
After exchanging greetings, Nicole took Jeffery upstairs, leaving the two of them to chat downstairs.
Josephine was puzzled. "Why are you here? How do you know my mom?"
Rex couldn't say he had someone contact Nicole. He said, "I was meeting a friend and happened to run into your mom. We hit it off, and Nicole invited me over."
Josephine knew Nicole wasn't that warm-hearted. How could she invite Rex over after just one meeting?So she asked directly, "What did my mom say to you?"
Rex smiled. "Relax, sit down, and let's chat."
Josephine was exasperated. "This is my home."
"Exactly, so there's no need to be tense," Rex said. "Or are you saying that now you have Stuart, you can't even have friends?"
Josephine said, "Do you only want to be just friends with me?"
Rex raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.
Josephine continued, "My mom has her opinions about Stuart, which is why she's doing this. But I've already decided to be with Stuart, so we're not breaking up."
"Josephine, no relationship is absolutely stable. Even family ties aren't, let alone romantic ones."
"Yes, since my relationship with Stuart might be unstable, what makes you think you can develop an unstable relationship with me?"
"You," Rex laughed, "always have a way of making people both love and hate you with your words."
Josephine didn't joke with him and said directly, "I've made myself clear. Whatever my mom said, I hope you won't take it to heart. Mr. Armstrong, please leave."
"I was invited by Mrs. Clarence."
"This is my home." Josephine raised her hand. "Mr. Armstrong, please."
Rex had no choice but to get up and shake his head. "Josephine, why do I like your temper so much?"
Josephine ignored him.
When Nicole came downstairs, eager to see how they were getting along, she found that Rex had left.
Nicole didn't dare show her disappointment and asked, "Why did the guest leave?"
Josephine said, "Oh, he had something urgent and left after taking a call."
Nicole didn't believe it. She hadn't known Rex long, but she could tell he was principled. If he had to leave, he would have told her. Nicole looked a bit unhappy.
Josephine sighed and said, "Alright, Mom, I actually asked him to leave."
Nicole was surprised. "Josephine, a guest is a guest. You can't just ask Rex to leave."
"Mom, I knew him before. I understand your intentions, but it's impossible between us. If it were possible, we wouldn't still be just friends."
"You should at least give Rex a chance."
"Mom," Josephine said, holding her arm, "I know you're looking out for me. But you also said I have a family now and won't be bullied. If Stuart bullies me, you can stand up for me, and I'll listen to you then, okay?"
Nicole sighed. "Why do you like Stuart so much?"
"Because I have you as my support, I'm not afraid."
Nicole tapped her forehead. "I can't argue with you."
And that was the end of that.
But afterward, Nicole still enthusiastically took Josephine to various gatherings. Partly to show off Josephine, and partly because she still hoped to find the best boyfriend for her.
At one such gathering, Nicole took Josephine and ran into Stuart.
Josephine knew Stuart was going to a gathering. He had just arrived in Celestia Springs and needed to maintain some relationships.
Stuart had wanted Josephine to go with him, but Nicole had already made plans, so Josephine couldn't refuse.
Neither of them expected to attend the same gathering. Then, at the gathering, Stuart got into a fight with someone.