Angela spotted Stuart, and it was like a glimmer of hope. "Stuart! Did you hear that? Can you believe what she said? What kind of nonsense is that!"
Stuart didn't even look at her; his eyes were fixed on Josephine.
Unbeknownst to Angela, Stuart had realized she wasn't the one who saved him. However, he remained unaware that it was Josephine who had actually come to his rescue.
So, what had he been doing all these years? He treated Angela like his savior and did everything he could for The Lopez Family.
Josephine was right there all along, yet he treated her coldly and even broke her heart.
At that moment, Stuart felt like his world was crashing down.
Josephine saw his expression and felt uneasy. She stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve. "Stuart, it's not a big deal."
Stuart looked at her, his eyes red. Before Josephine could finish speaking, he suddenly turned and walked away.
"Stuart!" Josephine called out. He paused for a moment but didn't turn back, got into his car, and left.
Seeing him like this, Josephine couldn't help but feel anxious.
Angela chimed in from the side. "What does Stuart mean by this? Could it be that he found out you were his savior and is disappointed?"
Josephine glanced at her and decided not to engage with Angela, who seemed a bit unhinged, and headed to the parking lot to get into her own car.
Having not seen Jeffery for a few days, she decided to pay him a visit.
Jeffery was thriving at Nicole's place, enjoying her constant presence, with Ulysses returning every night.
Not just Ulysses, even Gerald, who used to be super busy with work, now came home early.
Having a kid around really changed things. Nicole said to Gerald, "When Ulysses was little, you weren't like this."
Nicole only said this when Ulysses wasn't around.
Gerald replied, "I don't know. I just feel especially close to Jeffery. Maybe I was too busy with work when Ulysses was that age."
Nicole knew they liked Jeffery partly because he was so well-behaved and cute, and also because he was Josephine's child.
Knowing that Josephine was coming over, the whole family was excited.
Nicole instructed the kitchen to prepare a meal, and Gerald even had someone tidy up the yard quickly.
Jeffery watched and felt like the whole family was welcoming Josephine like a queen. However, upon Josephine's arrival, it was evident to everyone that she was forcing a smile. During the family meal, even Jeffery could sense her unhappiness.
He asked, "Mommy, are you too tired from work?"
Josephine had to say, "Yes, I haven't rested well recently."
Nicole wanted her to go home and rest but didn't want to interfere with her work, so she had a lot of food prepared and even considered getting a new chef for the research institute to cook for Josephine.
After the meal, Josephine saw that Jeffery was adapting well to The Clarence Family. Not only that, but they knew his interests and were finding the best teachers for him.
While his peers were busy with eating, sleeping, and playing, Jeffery's enthusiasm for learning set him apart. And The Clarence Family also noticed that Jeffery picked things up very quickly.
It must be good genes. After all, The Clarence Family members were quite capable, and Josephine was also very good at studying when she was young. Not to mention, Stuart was also exceptionally talented and intelligent. A child born to these two people could indeed be called a genius.
After the meal, Gerald personally drove her back. On the way, he said, "The family will get you a driver and a new car."
Josephine quickly replied, "Is that really necessary?"
"It's a must," Gerald pressed. "That last rear-end collision was no joke."
Josephine laughed, "That was just a one-off."
"We're concerned about those one-offs. We're well-off, so just relax and enjoy it."
Josephine sighed, "Okay."
Gerald asked, "What kind of car do you like? Did you like any of the ones I picked out for you before? If not, I'll take you to a car show to pick one."
"Anything is fine," Josephine said, looking at him. "Going to a car show to buy a luxury car, won't it look bad if people see you?"
"I haven't done anything wrong, so I'm not afraid of being seen," Gerald laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not a big celebrity; no one will recognize me."
Josephine responded with a hum. Seeing her distracted, Gerald asked, "Josephine, is something on your mind?"
"I..."
Gerald frowned, "Is it about Stuart?"
Josephine didn't respond.
Gerald said, "You still like him, don't you?"
Her silence was an admission. Gerald sighed quietly, then reached out to touch Josephine's hair.
He said, "Josephine, if you like him, then be with him. We will always be your strong support. If you want to spend your life with him, then be with him. If you get tired of him when he's old and want someone younger, I'll support you too."
Josephine was immediately amused and called out, "Gerald!"
Gerald finally saw her smile and breathed a sigh of relief. "So, don't have any worries. This time, no one can bully you."
"Thank you, Gerald."
Josephine returned to her office, and half an hour later, she had to go into the lab. Thinking about Stuart's back as he left, she couldn't help but worry.
Josephine tried calling Stuart but got no answer after three attempts. She had to call Jair instead.
Jair answered quickly, "Josephine?"
"Jair, Stuart found out about what I asked you to help hide."
"He knows you were the one who saved him?"
"Yes," Josephine said. "I'm concerned about his well-being. Since he didn't pick up my calls, Jair, could you check on him?"
Jair quickly said, "Okay, don't worry, I'll go find him."
After that, Jair called Stuart, but no one answered. Jair first went to Stuart's company, but he wasn't there. Then he went to the places Stuart usually frequented, and finally found him at their usual club.
"Are you crazy?" When Jair walked in, he was hit by the strong smell of alcohol.
Stuart was guzzling alcohol on the sofa. Jair marched over, snatched the bottle, and smashed it, filling the room with the pungent scent of alcohol.
"What are you doing?" Jair wanted to grab him by the collar and shake him. "Are you trying to kill yourself? Don't you know the state of your own stomach?"
Stuart leaned back on the sofa, eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose, not saying a word.
Jair said, "It's not a big deal! Is it worth this? Stuart, I really look down on you!"
Stuart raised his arm, covering his eyes. Jair couldn't see his expression, but he could see Stuart's jaw clenching and his Adam's apple moving.
Jair added, "It's not a big deal. Josephine doesn't care about this, so why are you torturing yourself?"