Chapter 9
Josephine gave a mocking smile. "Of course. After all, I have nothing, while you're the Vice President of the Getty Group with all the power. Who would dare defy you?"
Gideon, sensing her softening attitude, cupped her face. "What's mine is yours."
"Your mistress too?" She couldn't hold back anymore. The words disgusted both Gideon and herself.
Gideon's expression darkened. "She doesn't deserve to be compared to you. She's—" Looking into Josephine's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say those ugly words. Instead, he pulled her into his embrace.
"Jojo, you only need to know that you're the one I love."
So love and physical intimacy could be separated. Josephine felt she'd learned something new today as she gently pushed him away. If she kept up this charade any longer, she might actually be sick.
"I don't care what you want to do, just don't come around me with your nauseating act." She walked away.
Gideon didn't want to push her too hard and let her go. Downstairs, seeing Lorelei, he frowned. "Remember your place. Don't show yourself to Jojo."
Lorelei, still sporting the handprint on her face, looked hurt. "I was just bringing you some documents..."
Briana intervened. "Leave her alone. She should stay here tonight."
"Mom!" He'd finally convinced Josephine to stop talking about divorce; he didn't want to make things worse.
Briana didn't care. "Enough! I just want a grandchild. Don't you want the Getty family inheritance?"
Gideon fell silent. After a moment, he closed his eyes. "Don't go into the master bedroom. Don't touch Jojo's things."
Lorelei suppressed her delight, answering obediently, "Don't worry, Mr. Getty. I know my boundaries."
---
The next day, Josephine went to the Starlight Group, the largest subsidiary under the Getty Group. When Gideon had first made a name for himself, David had awarded him control of this company. The Getty Group itself, of course, remained in Cedric's hands.
Josephine held a nominal position at Starlight with no real authority or responsibilities. She decided to quit. Out with the old, in with the new. The HR manager didn't dare process her resignation and instead escorted her to Gideon's office. Once inside, the manager quickly excused himself.
Gideon asked, "Why resign? Give me one good reason."
"Staying here makes me sick—is that reason enough?"
Gideon responded patiently, "I can have her leave. I promise she won't appear anywhere near you."
"And then what? You'll meet at hotels instead?" Josephine didn't want to ask, but she suspected this was exactly Gideon's plan. He wanted to have both women, enjoying benefits he had no right to.
"Give me some time," Gideon said. "Once the child is born, there will be no more obstacles between us." He tried to take her hand.
Feeling repulsed, Josephine yanked her hand away. "Have you ever heard the saying—'You're biting off more than you can chew'?"
Her evasive movement was as if she were avoiding something filthy. She found him disgusting?
Gideon gripped her shoulders forcefully. "You're disgusted by me? I never held your past against you! Before we got married, you'd already been with another man!"
Josephine froze.
Gideon was blinded by jealousy and resentment. His possessiveness toward Josephine was terrifying—keeping her as a housewife just to prevent other men from seeing her. But the thought of another man having been intimate with her... It made him murderous!
"If you could just give me a child, none of this would have happened!"
Josephine slapped him hard across the face. Gideon's head turned with the force, though he could still see her trembling hand from the corner of his eye.
Josephine suddenly remembered their wedding night—his shock and fury upon discovering she wasn't a virgin. It had terrified her. But he'd quickly comforted her, saying it didn't matter, that he only cared about their future, not her past. She'd fallen helplessly for her lover's false tenderness. But she'd overlooked the jealousy in Gideon's eyes.
She gave a bleak smile. "Gideon, you're quite the actor."
"If I asked you who that man was," Gideon said hoarsely, "would you tell me?"
"No." She would only file for divorce. She had always loved and hated with equal passion, taking what she wanted and letting go when necessary.
"So," Gideon said, a handprint still visible on his face as he twisted his lips into a smile, "I won't ask. Because I won't divorce you."
A chill ran down Josephine's spine, as if she'd been plunged into ice water. It was as if she were meeting Gideon for the first time today, suddenly realizing his obsession and madness went far beyond what she'd imagined.
"I seem to have come at a bad time." Cedric's voice suddenly broke the silence.
Gideon adjusted his tie and casually pulled Josephine into his arms. "Cedric, what brings you here?"
Josephine didn't want to play along and tried to pull away, but Gideon only held her tighter.
Cedric observed, "She doesn't seem too happy about being in your arms."
"Of course she's happy; she's my wife."
Cedric's eyes swept across the handprint on Gideon's face. It wasn't large, but it was fiercely red. "Your wife has quite the arm on her," he remarked casually.
Gideon felt embarrassed and irritated. The last person he wanted to lose face in front of was Cedric.
Cedric turned to Josephine. "I left some documents at your place yesterday."
Josephine finally broke free from Gideon's hold. "They might be on the couch. I'll bring them to you when I find them."
"Thank you." Cedric glanced at her hand—long, with smooth, full knuckles. Such hands, used for hitting someone... what a waste. "Next time, wear gloves."
Before Josephine could process his meaning, he was gone. It dawned on her that he meant... wear gloves so she wouldn't touch something dirty? Cedric certainly had a way with insults without using a single crude word.
"Jojo." Gideon's voice cut through her thoughts. "Didn't you say there was nothing between you two?"
Cedric treated him and Josephine differently—he clearly admired her. Josephine might not have realized this, but Gideon knew it all too well.
Josephine didn't want to escalate the conflict. "You were there that day. He left even before you did."
Gideon calmed slightly but pressed her. "Then promise me you won't speak to Cedric again."
"You're going too far." He had cheated on her, yet he was making demands of her? What kind of logic was that? Josephine's palm itched to slap him again.
"You're interested in him?" Gideon's mind raced uncontrollably. Cedric was exceptional, his position more legitimate than Gideon's, and David preferred Cedric...
"You can't! Do you hear me? You cannot like him!" Gideon's eyes reddened as he gripped Josephine's shoulders painfully. In the struggle, her bag fell to the floor.
"Let go! You're hurting me!"
The cry snapped Gideon back to his senses. He released her and stepped back, only to see a document that had fallen from her bag—divorce papers. The sight hit him like a thunderbolt, making him dizzy.
Josephine tried to maintain her composure. "I drafted these earlier, but if you—"
Before she could finish, Gideon hoisted her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Her struggles and shouts were futile. Gideon only said, "If you want everyone to know about our problems, go ahead and scream."
He carried her to his car and drove back to Evercrest Manor. Gideon carried her all the way to the bedroom, tossed her on the bed, and began methodically unbuttoning his shirt.
Josephine watched in alarm. "Gideon, calm down."
Gideon leaned over her, exposing his chest. "I used to think your body was most important. Now I realize... keeping you by my side matters more."
He captured both her hands in his. "Jojo, give me a child."