Chapter 150
Cedric stared at Josephine for a long moment. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was hidden in his gaze, but she couldn't quite read it. Her pulse did that traitorous flutter for reasons she couldn't explain.
She was starting to regret coming to ask in the first place.
"You can go ahead and do as you deem fit," Cedric finally said, his tone neutral as he looked away. "I have a meeting this afternoon, so I won't be available"
Josephine blinked. She wanted to ask something, but when the words reached her lips, she suddenly forgot what she meant to say. Had she already gotten what she came for?
She still stood there, unmoving. Cedric looked at her. "Is there something else?"
Josephine shook her head and turned to leave the office.
Standing outside the office door, Noah looked at Josephine hopefully. "How'd it go?"
"Get ready for this afternoon's meeting," Josephine said.
Noah knew from her words that it was a done deal. "Thank goodness for you today, Ms. Kennedy. Let me take you to dinner sometime."
"Dinner's not necessary. It was no trouble at all." Josephine waved him off and turned to leave.
After work, Josephine headed home with the physical examination form. Preston had been lounging on the sofa reading the newspaper, but the moment he saw the medical paperwork, he stood up immediately. "I'm not doing any checkup."
"Why not?" Ever since the incident, Preston had been resistant to hospitals. Josephine could understand it, but she didn't agree with it.
"It's just a full-body examination to make sure there's nothing wrong with your health." She sat down beside Preston and gently tried to persuade him. "Dad, don't make Mom and I worry. We both just want you to be well."
"I'm perfectly fine right now. I can eat, I can drink, I can run, I can jump." Preston stood up and patted his arms and chest. "I'm in great shape. Besides, this is a physical form from your company for you. You should be the one getting a thorough checkup."
He said earnestly, "You young people are always staying up late and working overtime. Your health is worse than ours. You're the one who should get a proper checkup, eat well, and rest properly. Why don't you just stay at home for a while and let your mom cook you some good food?"
As he spoke, he turned and headed toward the bedroom.
By the time he finished his last word, he'd already entered the room. The bedroom door closed softly behind him.
Josephine's lips twitched as she looked toward Gemma, who was standing in the kitchen doorway.
Gemma was equally helpless. "That's just how your father is. He won't listen no matter what. I tried to convince him before to get a checkup, but he refused."
"Is Dad feeling unwell?"
Gemma sighed. "He keeps getting dizzy from time to time. I'm guessing it might be high blood pressure, or maybe low blood sugar? I can't say for sure, but every time I suggest going to the hospital, he refuses."
Josephine's heart sank.
Originally, she'd just wanted them to get checkups as a precaution, but now it seemed this examination was absolutely necessary. "Mom, this checkup has to happen."
Gemma froze. "You mean..."
"Whether Dad wants to go or not, he doesn't have a choice." Josephine's expression was resolute. She'd already made up her mind.
If Preston didn't want to go, she'd take him by force.
This checkup had to be done. She had to make sure her parents' health was sound. If any problems were discovered, they could be treated early. She absolutely refused to let a situation develop when she'd just decided to come back and be a good daughter, only to have their health deteriorate...
She would not allow it!
The next day.
Josephine got both her parents up bright and early, ready to take them to the hospital. Preston's face was full of reluctance.
Even as they were about to leave, he was still muttering. "I already told you I don't need to go to the hospital for a checkup. Why won't you listen..."
"All I know is that your health is more important than anything else." Josephine was equally stubborn.
And when she got stubborn, Preston and Gemma couldn't budge her. What's more, only Preston was unwilling—Gemma was 100% on their daughter's side.
Preston, isolated and outnumbered, had no choice but to go to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, Josephine ran into two colleagues. One of them was Kenneth.
The other was a woman from their department.
Kenneth spotted Josephine and immediately walked over, proactively greeting Preston and Gemma. "Josephine, these must be your parents, right? Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy, hello. I'm Kenneth Garner. Josephine and I have known each other for years."
Preston had a pretty good impression of this polite young man. "You're here for a checkup too? By yourself? And this is..."
His gaze landed on the female colleague.
The woman was just about to speak when Kenneth said, "She's a colleague from our company. We just happened to run into each other at the hospital today."
The woman's expression dimmed.
Preston sized up Kenneth with satisfaction. He was good-looking, young, and polite...
His mind started working.
Josephine could tell at a glance what her father was thinking. Completely exasperated, she grabbed her father's wrist and pulled him toward the examination room. "You should go get your checkup."
Preston, having been warned off with a glare from his daughter, touched his nose. Even as he was going in, he couldn't help trying one more time. "Kenneth, don't leave just yet. I'd still like to chat with you..."
Before he could finish, Josephine pushed him inside.
The door closed, and Josephine explained to Kenneth somewhat helplessly, "Don't mind him. That's just how my dad is—he's friendly with everyone. He doesn't mean anything by it."
"I think his personality is great," Kenneth said. He wanted to stay and chat a bit longer, but his examination was being called from the other side, so he had no choice but to leave first.
Josephine turned her gaze away. Gemma sidled up to her. "That young man seems pretty good to me, too."
"Mom..." The main reason Josephine hadn't wanted to tell her parents about the divorce in the first place was precisely because she didn't want to be forcibly matchmade by her well-meaning parents.
"I know, I'm not going to pressure you," Gemma said earnestly. "But you need to have some sense about this yourself. You can't stay single forever. What's more, with Gideon's temperament, if you two do get divorced, you need to find someone new as soon as possible. Otherwise, he'll definitely come looking for you again."
Gemma had witnessed her daughter's love affair with Gideon. Truth be told, from the very beginning, she hadn't been optimistic about them.
Gideon was too extreme.
Love and hate are two sides of the same coin
That saying was too extreme. When he loved Josephine, he could give her everything. When the love was gone, naturally, he could be cruel enough to hurt her, too.
Gemma said softly, "Don't give up on marriage just because of one unsuccessful marriage. Life always throws some obstacles at you. Once you overcome them, you can start afresh."
"I understand what you mean." Josephine didn't understand this before, but now she did. "I just don't want to start a new marriage because of him."
Her life was her own to control.
Gemma sighed. "What about Daryl, who came to visit your father that day..."
Josephine shuddered. "He's definitely out of the question!"
Gemma was thoroughly helpless. She glanced casually down the hallway. "I think you just have impossibly high standards. This one won't do, that one won't do. What about that one—would he work?"
Josephine followed her mother's gaze.
Standing not far away was Cedric.