Chapter 46
Josephine had just gotten back to Clearwater Ridge when Briana called.
"Get back to Evercrest Manor right now. Gideon's sick."
Briana hung up immediately.
Gideon was sick. What did that have to do with her?
Josephine couldn't be bothered. She set her phone on the table, then got a text from Briana the next second.
[If you don't want Gideon's grandfather finding out you two are fighting, you better get over here.]
David believed in keeping up appearances. He didn't care if his sons or grandsons cheated, as long as they maintained a harmonious family image that benefited the company's reputation. He wouldn't interfere.
More accurately, David would never agree to a divorce.
If Gideon's affair actually reached David, he'd just forcefully suppress it and make Josephine accept Lorelei's baby as her own.
She took a deep breath, got up, and left.
Fine, she'd go. Hopefully Briana wouldn't regret it.
At Evercrest Manor, Briana handed Gideon a towel. "I don't get you. You're sick—why didn't you call Josephine? She's your wife. She should be taking care of you."
Gideon said nothing.
When he'd gotten home, it had been snowing. He'd gotten wet, then taken a cold shower. That's why he was sick now.
Josephine knocked on the door. The moment Briana saw her, her expression soured.
"Oh, so you know how to come back?"
"Mom, you're the one who called and told me I had to come back." Josephine glanced at Gideon. "I'll go make him some soup."
She turned and left. Briana followed, determined to give her a piece of her mind.
But the moment they reached the kitchen, Josephine suddenly turned around.
It startled Briana. "What are you doing?"
"Mom, I'm a little short on cash lately." Josephine took off her apron and put it on. "I just bought a car—cost me three hundred grand. Pretty much spent all the money you gave me before."
"I gave you over a million dollars and you spent it all?"
Briana was furious. She wouldn't even spend money like that on herself!
And buying a car!
"What do you need a car for? You're a housewife. You should just stay home all day. Where would you even drive? Of course you don't feel bad—it's not your money."
"Who says I'm a housewife? I go to work every day now."
"Where are you working?"
Briana had no idea about the job.
Josephine looked at her with pity. Now here was a real housewife. The Hera System situation had caused such a stir across the city, yet Briana knew nothing about it.
"You don't need to worry about that. Point is, I have a job now. Of course I need a car to get to work." Josephine pulled broccoli from the fridge and set it on the cutting board but didn't cut it. "Mom's so rich, surely you won't mind giving me a little spending money."
"Money? Not happening. Over my dead body."
Josephine immediately put down the knife, took off her apron, and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"I work outside now and get a monthly salary. You want me to come back here, take care of people, make soup, do housework, but won't pay me? Then I'm not doing it."
Josephine had done housework for years. She'd thought she was taking care of her husband, but really she'd just been an unpaid servant. And in the end, she had to endure the pain of her husband's infidelity.
She couldn't even ask for a divorce. She had to tolerate this disgusting marriage.
Asking for some money didn't seem unreasonable.
Briana's hands shook with rage. "You're so materialistic! Money is all you care about!"
"I used to think true love was most important. Now I think money in my hand is most important." Josephine had already reached the entryway to change her shoes. "Mom, don't threaten me with Grandpa either. I don't have anything left to lose. Even if his pressure means I can't divorce, turning this house completely upside down wouldn't be hard."
She'd recently confirmed something.
Gideon still loved her.
Though she had no idea how Gideon defined love, or how he managed to love his wife at home while cheating with a mistress outside.
But that so-called "love" was exactly the leverage she had right now.
Maybe one day Gideon's feelings would disappear.
Whatever. She'd just change tactics then.
She looked back at Briana. "Gideon still hasn't dared tell me about that baby. What do you think—if I confronted him about it, would he choose the baby or me?"
She figured Gideon would probably want both.
The man was greedy like that.
But Briana didn't think so. She'd seen with her own eyes how much her son had loved and cherished Josephine all these years. If David hadn't given the order, Gideon would never have gotten involved with another woman.
Briana gritted her teeth and pulled out her phone.
—$300,000 deposited.
Josephine's lips curved up. "Thanks, Mom."
Gideon came downstairs just then, still feverish. His face was flushed, his breathing hot. "What are you two talking about?"
Josephine had gotten her money and was in a good mood, still wearing a trace of a smile. "Just saying how good Mom is to me. She just gave me some spending money."
"Of course she should give you money."
Gideon came down and saw Josephine standing in the entryway. He immediately went over and pulled her back.
"You finally came back and you're leaving again?"
"Not leaving."
She'd taken the money, so of course she'd do the work. If she treated Gideon like a client she needed to deal with, it seemed more bearable.
Only then did Gideon smile. He leaned his head on Josephine's shoulder and said softly, "Honey, I feel awful. Like I'm burning up..."
He was acting cute.
Gideon, who commanded respect everywhere else, only showed this different side to his beloved wife.
Even Briana had never seen it.
Briana felt jealous. That was her son, yet he only had Josephine in his heart. She pulled Josephine to her side and said to Gideon, "If you're not feeling well, go rest. Don't make your wife worry."
Gideon kept looking back as he walked away.
Briana's expression immediately hardened. "You took the money, now go cook."
Josephine didn't care about her nasty attitude. Who'd complain about a paying client's bad attitude?
She hummed a tune as she went to the kitchen to make soup.
Briana watched her retreating figure, suddenly feeling afraid.
This Josephine was terrifying.
She knew everything but didn't say anything, fooling everyone.
Especially Gideon.
Even after all those entanglements with his mistress, even with a baby on the way, his heart was still in Josephine's hands.
If the baby was really born, would Josephine actually adopt it like they hoped?
Briana shuddered.
She had a feeling things wouldn't go that smoothly.
When Josephine finished the soup and came out of the kitchen, Briana was nowhere to be found. She carried the soup upstairs.
Gideon was leaning against the headboard with his eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, he eagerly opened them.
"Jojo."
Josephine set the soup on the nightstand. "Drink up."
Gideon didn't move. "When I was sick before, you'd feed me."
"You're not a child." Josephine refused. If he wanted to be fed, that was a different price. Too bad the paying client had already left.
She wasn't going to make trouble for herself.
"My hand's still injured. Making you soup just now already hurt it. You sure you want me to feed you?"
Seeing the gauze on her hand, Gideon suddenly remembered. He looked annoyed. "I'm sorry, I forgot. Honey, does your hand still hurt?"
He reached for Josephine's hand.
Josephine dodged. "It's fine. Just drink it before it gets cold."
Gideon took a sip and tasted the familiar flavor he'd missed. He smiled. "So good. My wife's soup is the best."
Josephine said nothing.
Gideon drank every last drop and casually set the bowl on the nightstand. "Honey, how come you're not wearing the bracelet I gave you?"