Chapter 4

Joseph rejected Cora's unreasonable demands without hesitation. "No way. I meant every word. The paternity test result is real, which means your cheating is real. You've already been unfaithful, so there's no point in keeping this marriage going. We have to di—"

"Joseph, is this the sort of attitude you give me when I'm talking to you nicely? Do you even realize who you're talking to? Do you have to push my buttons?" Cora cut in, her tone turning sharp again. Her superior, high-and-mighty air crashed down on Joseph without restraint.

Joseph fell silent, but he was bitterly disappointed on the inside. He had thought Cora would come clean and agree to an amicable divorce. Instead, she was trying to bully him into backing down.

Seeing that he wasn't saying anything, Cora assumed he had softened. She eased her tone a little. "Joe, I'm not here to fight with you. I spent the night with you at the hotel, had a nice meal with you, and I'm now setting my pride aside to talk this through nicely.

"I've already given you more than enough respect, so you should quit while you're ahead. Apologize to me and come home with me."

To Joseph, it sounded like Cora just wanted him to roll over and be her pathetic little cuckolded husband. He swallowed down his anger and said, "I did nothing wrong, Cora. You're the one in the wrong here. Why are you forcing me to apologize to you?"

"Well, that's exactly where you're wrong."

"I'm not! I trust the paternity test results. If you don't, go get them verified yourself," he shot back.

"Oh, I will. Do you have any idea how badly you've screwed up, Joseph? You went and did a paternity test behind my back without my consent. You took it upon yourself to make that decision. Do you realize what a huge hidden danger you've created for our marriage, our family, for me, and for the kids?"

"I didn't go around telling anyone. If I wanted to do that, I would've gone straight to your parents and asked them to judge between us. Or I'd have gone to court and sued you already," Joseph retorted, finding her words laughable.

"So now you know how an affair can destroy a marriage and a family and hurt the kids? Why did you do it, then? If you didn't love me, you could've just told me. I would've had the decency to walk away.

"I wouldn't have taken your money, nor would I have made you suffer any losses. But instead, you lied to me again and again. You never really saw me as someone who mattered."

Cora saw how worked up Joseph was getting. He clearly wasn't listening to a word she said. She realized that if they kept arguing, the waiter outside the private room might overhear, and their dirty laundry would be aired in public.

She raised a hand to gesture that they stop for the time being. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's not argue anymore, alright? Just come home with me."

"Home? What home? That's your house. It has nothing to do with me!" Joseph refused flatly.

His wife had cheated on him, and none of their three daughters were biologically his. If he had even a shred of self-respect left, there was no way he could go back with Cora. Besides, he'd already decided on divorce and couldn't wait to cut ties with her.

"If you won't come back now, then don't bother coming back ever again!" Cora spat. She was genuinely furious this time and stormed off after that.

Joseph still felt a bit dizzy, so he went to a nearby hotel and got a room there. He turned off his phone and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

He woke up at 8:00 pm, grabbed a bite to eat, and went back to the same bar he'd been at the night before to repay the money for the hotel room. He realized the short-haired woman who'd used his ID to book the room was the bar's owner. She'd paid his room fee and deposit, and now he wanted to give the money back.

To his surprise, he ran into his classmate and coworker, Bill Moore, right at the entrance. Bill had a sexy young woman on his arm, her body pressed tightly against his side.

Joseph was about to greet him, but Bill quickly turned his head away, pretending he hadn't seen him. That was when Joseph remembered that, given Bill's position and status, being seen at a bar like this was really inappropriate.

A chill ran down Joseph's spine as he thought back to what happened the night before. If that woman who took him away had wanted to hurt him, his reputation and career would be destroyed.

Joseph watched Bill get into a BMW with the woman and drive off. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest.

Back in university, Bill's grades had been far worse than his. After they both joined the hospital, Joseph's medical skills were way above Bill's, too. Yet now Bill held a senior title and was the deputy director of inpatient care. He was Joseph's direct supervisor.

At home, Cora had lied to him for over a decade. At work, he was being led by someone with shady ethics and no real academic merit. The more Joseph thought about it, the more pathetic and suffocated he felt.