Chapter 4

Joseph's POV

The other end of the line fell into a brief silence before Cheryl realized something was off. "What is it now?"

I took a photo of the delivery and sent it to her. "Take a good look yourself."

She was speechless for a second, then sighed. "They delivered it to the wrong address."

"Oh, so it was just a wrong address? Nothing wrong about the fact that you took wedding photos with him?"

Cheryl sounded helpless. "Come to my office. I'll explain everything."

I hung up and immediately went to her company. My heart was bleeding.

Cheryl never allowed me to visit her company. She said it wouldn't be a good look. How ironic that the one time she allowed me to do so was because of this?

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, an employee stopped me. "Sir, you're not allowed to enter the office area. Why don't you wait in the reception area instead?"

I was about to explain when Henry suddenly appeared. He waved them off, looking so at ease, as if he were the real owner of this place. "It's fine. I know this guy."

Once I was led into Cheryl's office, Henry poured me a glass of water. "Ms. Sharpley is in a meeting. Just wait here for now, Joseph."

I didn't take the glass. Instead, I slowly looked around the office.

Their matching pajamas were still sitting on the couch. Cheryl's cup had been replaced with a matching couple's set. Even the desk was covered with countless handmade crafts they made together.

I smiled wryly.

After we got married, I used to tell Cheryl that I wanted to make things together with her. She was always reluctant, using work as an excuse and taking one raincheck after another.

Every time, my invitation led to nothing.

It occurred to me then that Cheryl wasn't as busy as I had imagined. She simply didn't want to make time for me.

Henry didn't seem bothered at all. He put those crafts away with a polite smile.

"Don't get it wrong, Joseph. Nothing is going on between Ms. Sharpley and me. I know you're still upset, and I know your married life hasn't been enough to satisfy you. I'll talk to her and persuade her to spend more time with you.

"Still, I have to say, she's a very creative and adventurous person when it comes to these things. You're just too… boring, I suppose. It's no wonder she doesn't want to do it with you…"

Although his words conveyed concern, a provocative smile hung on his lips.

My heart bled profusely. I snickered. "Wow. How do you know so much about our married life?"

Henry smiled, his face turning slightly red. "Ms. Sharpley just trusts me a lot. That's why I saw the video."

As he took out his phone to show me, he continued, "My friends have seen it, too. Honestly, for a man, you're way too reserved. That doesn't make sense, though. Usually, with a father who was a homewrecker, you wouldn't…"

His gaze slowly fell on me. The way he said it sounded like he was trying to cover something up.

A chill shot down my spine. "How did you know about that…"

Henry smiled gently and took my hand. "I'm not trying to do anything here, Joseph. It's just that having a father like that is embarrassing enough. It's only natural that Ms. Sharpley despises you."

I slapped his hand away, my breathing turning ragged. "Don't you dare talk about my dad like that!"

The scandal involving Dad was huge back then. He had always been in poor health, and he married into Mom's family.

Later, when his condition worsened, he could no longer afford to raise me. He took me on a long journey to find Mom. When we arrived, we discovered that she already had a husband and a daughter.

Her husband threw us out. They cursed Dad, calling him shameless. To protect me, he eventually ended his life.

But Dad never knew the truth before. He foolishly believed that his wife had gone away to earn money.

Cheryl had been the only one who knew about this, yet she went and told Henry everything.

My eyes reddened with anger. I raised my hand, my fist tightening. It was then that Cheryl walked in.

Without hesitation, she shoved me away. "Joseph, I asked you here to solve our problem, not to throw another tantrum!"

I pushed her away in return, then grabbed onto her tightly. "Why did you show him our video? Why did you tell him about my dad? You knew he was innocent!"

Cheryl's voice softened, but her expression remained indifferent.

"He only saw it by accident. Besides, he only showed it to his friends. He promised me he wouldn't share it with anyone else. As for your dad…"

She dragged out the words, her tone careless. "It takes two to tango."

I couldn't believe her. An exasperated laugh escaped me.

So much for "he wouldn't share it". So much for "it takes two to tango".

I gathered all my strength and raised my hand, slapping her across the face. But the force ultimately sent me stumbling backward. My back crashed into the bookshelf behind me, and the shelf shook violently.

By the time I looked up, I saw it tipping toward me. My heart jolted.

Cheryl didn't think twice before pulling Henry into safety. The next moment, I was buried underneath everything. My vision started to blur.

In the final moment before losing consciousness, I saw Cheryl running toward me.

When I opened my eyes again, I didn't know how much time had passed. All I knew was that three of my ribs were broken.

This time, Cheryl was the one who texted me first.

"I'm buying you clothes. Which one do you like?"

In the photos she sent, I could still see Henry in the corner, trying on suits. Maybe I was just an afterthought again.

A sudden urge to laugh rose in me. Facing one of the few times she had initiated contact, I found myself not wanting to entertain her.

Instead, I calmly deleted her contact, left the divorce agreement behind, and headed toward the airport.

…

Third-Person POV

For a long time, Cheryl never received a reply from Joseph Marsh.

"Is he still asleep?" she wondered.

She ended up buying him several outfits based on his preferences. When she returned to the hospital, all she saw was an empty bed. Only a signed divorce agreement sat on top of it.

Her eyes widened in shock. The bags in her hands dropped to the floor.