May Our Paths Never Cross

After the call ended, Joseph Quinn went on being busy.

The winter day was just breaking, and the fragrance of food filled the entire kitchen.

At 7.00 am, Joseph placed Chloe Gibson's favorite breakfast and hand-ground coffee on the dining table. He entered the kitchen again to serve some of Rachel Gibson’s favorite pastries and chocolate milk.

At 7.05 am, Chloe came down the stairs.

Joseph poured her a cup of coffee before going to wake Rachel up.

The young girl walked to the dining table and hugged Joseph, saying sweetly, “Thank you so much, Daddy!”

Chloe sipped on her coffee and said, “Oh yes, hubby. Stephen Brooks just came back from abroad, and he’s familiar with hosting-related jobs. He’ll be a perfect fit for the news program you have on hand, right?”

Joseph had brought up his resignation with the excuse of wanting to start a new venture with friends.

His brows fluttered as he said, “Sure.”

Chloe surveyed the man before her with a look of indifference on his face.

“Are you mad?” she asked.

Joseph shook his head.

“Stephen and I are just friends. Don’t overthink things. It’s been six years. Things have long been over between us,” she said.

Her tone sounded candid and honest.

“Yes, I know,” Joseph said as he nodded.

After breakfast, Chloe stood up and got ready to leave.

“Wait,” Joseph suddenly called out to her. “Mom previously mentioned that she has a few properties she wants to transfer to Rachel and needs your signature.”

Chloe picked up a pen and signed it with elaborate flourish.

After seeing her leave, Joseph looked down at the document Chloe just signed and revealed the rest of the content.

The header read: [Divorce Agreement].

Joseph signed his own name in the other field.

All of a sudden, he thought back on the time when he signed that contract with Mrs. Gibson.

Six years ago, Joseph jumped into an icy river and fought to save Chloe, who was trying to take her own life.

When he saw a bunch of men in suits rushing over, he realized he had saved the heiress of the Gibson family, Chloe Gibson.

Her father, elder brother, and sister-in-law had all died in a plane crash. At the same time, her first love and then ex-boyfriend Stephen Brooks broke up with her out of the blue to fly to Pineland for further studies.

With all the blows dealt to her, she chose to cut her wrist and jump into the river.

“Thank you for saving my daughter. I’ll pay for all your mother’s medical bills.”

A while later, Mrs. Gibson came looking for Joseph again.

“Your father died in a hit-and-run accident and the culprit was never found. I can help you reopen the case, but on one condition.”

“What is it?” Joseph asked.

“Marry my daughter, Chloe.”

Joseph received a contract.

It stated the terms clearly.

After the wedding, they would take Chloe’s elder brother’s child Rachel Gibson as their own and fulfill the role of father and mother to the child till she turns six. When that time comes, either party can decide whether to terminate the marriage contract or not.

He had agreed to it.

They didn’t hold a wedding banquet and only registered their marriage.

To Chloe, this marriage merely involved her mother picking a partner whom she would jointly take care of Rachel with.

She didn’t know there was a time limit to this relationship.

“Since I can’t be with Stephen in this life, having any other man as my husband wouldn’t make any difference,” she said.