Chapter 4

After my father's checkup was completed, I returned home to pack some clothes for him.

When the elevator arrived at my floor, I heard laughter before the doors were even open. A huge 'Congratulations' banner was hung at the door, and I pressed my thumb on the lock, but the verification failed.

Applause was suddenly heard coming from inside the house.

"Now that you've carried the bride into the house, you need to be rewarded for it!"

"Kiss the bride!"

I pressed the doorbell, but no one came to the door. I had no choice but to find the spare key hidden under the shoe rack to open the door.

William was carrying Josie in his arms, and her hands were wrapped around his neck. His lips had the mark of her red lipstick brushed against them.

Maude was standing next to them with a basket of flower petals. She was laughing while throwing the petals over their head, scattering the ground with a sea of red.

The house fell silent when I walked through the door. I looked at Josie while still holding the key in my hand. "This is my house."

William put Josie down, and she stepped forward to shield him behind her. "I know that. We're just borrowing it for one night. William didn't prepare a place for the night, and his grandmother insisted that we should go back to our new house after the wedding.

"If we didn't take pictures and videos of our new house, she would keep thinking about it. So, I offered to use our house to show her evidence. This isn't anything serious. I'll just hire cleaners to clean up the house tomorrow."

So, Josie was the one who suggested this. She loaned William our wedding and wore the wedding dress my mom had sewn her, and now, she had even allowed him to move into our house without even talking to me about it.

I did not say a word and headed straight for the guest room. My father had been staying here since my mother passed away, but I stopped in my tracks when I opened the door.

The closet door was open, and all the drawers had been pulled out. Old pictures of my mother were spread all over the ground, and the clothes she had tailored before she passed were strewn everywhere.

A few kids from William's side of the family were chasing each other all around the room, and one of the pictures was kicked to the door during the chase. While running around, someone stepped on it. It was a picture of my mother, and a footprint was left on her face.

The kids were still laughing from all their fun.

"When are the bride and groom going to spend the night together?"

"Time to send them to bed!"

All I heard was a buzz in my head as I dashed over to push away the kid stepping on the picture. "Get out!"

The child staggered a few steps and started to cry when he caught his balance. However, I ignored all of them and crouched to pick up the picture, but his crying had attracted the attention of everyone outside.

"How can you hit children, Sam? Aren't you just Josie's lapdog? You have a big temper for someone who can't leave Jose's side."

"He's just mad at Josie for having a wedding with William. He didn't dare lose his temper at the adults, so he vented it at the kids."

Josie made her way into the room and pointed me in the nose. "Just come at me if you're mad, Sam. Does it make you feel like a big man for bullying kids?"

A few relatives pushed their phones into my face. "Look! This is Josie's fiancé! He's venting his anger at children because he's a useless coward!"

I lowered my head and continued picking up the pictures, but a leather shoe stepped on my hand. It was William's. "You've crossed the line for bullying kids, Sam. Apologize to them."

"Move away," I said in a raised voice.

However, William refused to budge, and he stepped even harder on my hand. Someone standing next to him started demanding that something be done. "How can you be so smug after hitting a child? You can't leave until you apologize!"

About eight people started surrounding me. Someone grabbed me by the arm, and another pushed me down by the shoulders. They pressed me down when I tried to stand up, and my knees slammed hard against the floor.

William stood to the side, pointing at the kids. "Press him down and make him kneel to my nephews as an apology!"

Someone pushed me down by the neck while the cameras were still pointed at me. "Make sure the video is clear enough for everyone to see his apology!"

I could not escape their grasp, and I turned to look at Josie. She stood at the door, but did nothing to stop them. All she did was say nonchalantly, "This will blow over once you apologize. What's the point of fighting against them?"

They released me when they were finally satisfied with my 'apology'.

Some started editing the video on their phones, while others laughed and talked about how they should keep the clip and upload it online if I ever went crazy again.

Josie went to William and hugged his arm. They led the group of relatives out while chatting happily amongst themselves.

I pushed myself up from the floor and watched as she walked away. Josie never looked back, and I promised myself I would never see her again in this lifetime.

After packing up all my father's belongings, I packed my luggage and returned to the hospital. My aunt, Helena Carter, had arrived, and she was chatting with him by his bed.

The doctor told us that my father's condition had stabilized, but he needed to be observed for one more day. If there were no abnormalities, he could be discharged.

I shared the news of my eventual transfer overseas, and my father nodded after listening to me. "Go ahead. My health is fine, and I have your aunt with me. You don't need to worry about leaving me here."

…

The next day, I headed to the airport after my father was discharged from the hospital. Before I boarded the plane, Josie texted me.

[Sam, William's grandmother still wants us to visit her after the wedding. Just wait for another few days. Pick me up the night after tomorrow, and we'll talk about booking a new venue for our wedding.]

She ended the text with two more words: [Love you.]

I blocked her number after reading her text and turned off my phone to board the plane with my luggage.