Library
Search
Home / Romance / He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real / Chapter 5

Share

Chapter 5

Author: Wonky Punch
Josiah strode toward me and pulled me into his arms tightly. His body trembled as he called my name.

"Nicole, you have no idea how much I missed you.

"I fell while skiing that day and broke several bones. Luckily, a kind stranger sent me to the hospital, where it took me three months of recovery before I could come back to you."

"I'm alive. Look! I'm perfectly fine."

He grabbed my hands and ran them over his arms and torso as if to prove that he'd truly been on death's door, while I watched him perform in silence.

Only when the awkwardness finally caught up with him did I laugh. "Are you done? The kind stranger who took you to the hospital… Was her name Monica?"

Colors drained from Josiah's face inch by inch. His lips moved before he forced out a helpless smile. "Nicole… What are you talking about? I don't understand."

As my eyes fell on his feigned confusion, three months of grief and rage finally erupted. I swung my arm back and slapped him hard across the face.

"Since you've
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter
Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Latest chapter

  • He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real   Chapter 11

    No sooner had Josiah finished speaking than Claud yanked him away with force and hauled him to the ground."Josiah, stay away from my girlfriend!"Josiah crashed to the ground, eyes bulging with fury as he watched Claud pull me protectively into his arms."What do you mean by that? Nicole is my wife, Uncle Claud! You're my uncle!"Claud coldly looked down at him and gave a short, mocking laugh. "Did you forget? You're nothing more than an adopted child who was kicked out of the Eriksons."Josiah scrambled up to his feet and swung a fist at him. I instinctively threw my arms open and stepped in front of Claud to shield him, which made him go pale with fright.Thankfully, Josiah stopped just in time. "Who told you to get in the way, Nicole? Are you out of your mind?"I met Claud's furious gaze and forced a placating look. "Scold me later. Let me deal with Josiah first."After Claud swallowed his anger, I looked toward a corner and announced, "You can come out now."Monica step

  • He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real   Chapter 10

    Claud's expression turned serious as he leaned in a little closer to me. "That's not an issue. Josiah was just an adopted child taken in by my brother and sister-in-law. "When he came of age, he made a serious mistake and got himself kicked out of the Eriksons. I only paid for his college out of respect for my late brother and sister-in-law."I nodded and took his hand. "Three months' probation. Whether you get promoted to a permanent role depends on your performance."Claud eagerly nodded."Since work's done for the day, shall we get some steak again?"Maybe it was because I'd gone four years without steak, but I'd become a little too obsessed with it. Every two to three days, I had to have steak. It felt off all over if I didn't.Claud had been eating steak with me for a while now, yet he showed no sign of getting tired of it. Every time, he'd find a different restaurant so we could try it out, and today was no different."I just found another great place. Let's go."But jus

  • He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real   Chapter 9

    "I know that I've messed up, Nicole. Nothing's going on between Monica and me. That day was just a mistake any man could have made when he's drunk!""I swear I'll stay away from her. Please just give me one more chance!"Josiah held me so tight and refused to let go, no matter how hard I struggled. That was until a strong force pulled me free and into another pair of arms. When I looked up, I found myself staring at Claud's sharp jawline.His voice came from above my head, "Josiah, I warned you that if you keep harassing Nicole, the Eriksons won't protect you anymore."Josiah's grip on my hand finally loosened, but he insisted, "This is between me and my wife, Uncle Claud.""Between the two of us?" I echoed. His words made me laugh out of pure anger. "Who gave you the idea to fake your disappearance, Josiah? Don't tell me you came up with it yourself. You don't even have the brains for that, and you're only good at being led around by Monica. "She's always the best friend you

  • He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real   Chapter 8

    Claud pulled the car to a stop in front of a steakhouse. I froze when I saw the sign.Standing behind me, he casually asked, "What are you spacing out for? I thought you liked steaks.""I haven't had it in four years…"Josiah had a severe allergy to red meat, so I'd never stepped foot in a steakhouse in the four years I was with him.Claud tugged lightly on the hood of my sweatshirt and chuckled. "So today, I'm treating you to the steak you've missed for so long to celebrate your divorce."I laughed too, then proceeded to order a feast without hesitation.Over dinner, we discussed the upcoming partnership. It was a genuinely pleasant conversation.By the time we finished, night had fully fallen.Claud insisted on taking me home, but as soon as we arrived at my house, I saw an unwelcome visitor waiting at the door.Josiah was crouched by the villa gates, shivering in the cold. His eyes lit up when he saw me. "Nicole, you're back!"I raised a brow, baffled by whatever tricks he

  • He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real   Chapter 7

    Monica refused to leave and insisted on staying glued to Josiah's side.Unbothered, I got into Claud's car and headed for the state vital records office. The clerk smiled when she saw me. "Why are you back again today?""We found Josiah, so I'm here to restore his identity records.""I knew you'd find him. Congratulations!"I nodded and offered no further explanation.As we were leaving, Josiah called out to stop me. "I really love you, Nicole. I was drunk that day at Monica's place, so I mistook her for you…"I turned around and snapped in a cold voice, "Don't say such disgusting things!"…After we picked up the divorce certificate, I stepped to the curb to hail a cab. Claud pulled up beside me in his car. "Where to? I'll give you a ride."I looked at him and meaningfully replied, "Mr. Erikson, Josiah and I are divorced now.""So?""So, as people who were never close to begin with, there's no reason for us to get too involved with each other."He hooked a finger over the

  • He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real   Chapter 6

    "If you want your identity restored, you'll still need my help, Josiah. I'll give you two options."I held out a set of divorce papers."Sign it, and you get to come back to life. If you refuse to sign it, you live the rest of your life as an undocumented citizen."Josiah's chest heaved with rage. He snatched the papers, flipped straight to the asset division section, and then hurled them to the floor."Why should I walk away with nothing?"His face was flushed red, and his eyes were bloodshot. It was a horrifying sight.Once, I would have been terrified of his anger. But now, looking at him, only one phrase came to mind—all bark and no bite.He had absolutely no leverage, yet he still thought he could get the upper hand.I gave a cold laugh. "Because right now, you're an undocumented citizen who has cheated!"He fixed me with a cold stare and suddenly laughed. "Cheated? I just spent the night with my best friend, and we never did anything."When our eyes met, I caught the sm

More Chapters

You may also like

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status