May Our Paths Never Cross

“Joseph, I’m begging you for the last time. On account of how young Rachel is, can we please extend the agreement?” Mrs. Gibson pleaded. Joseph said firmly, “Mrs. Gibson, we previously agreed that I’d divorce Chloe once the six years is up.” “Alright then,” Mrs. Gibson sighed regretfully. “I respect your decision. It’s been tough on you these few years…” “Thank you. Please keep my plans to go abroad a secret for now.” Chapter 1 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. Chapter 2 Chloe drank herself silly on her wedding night, calling another man’s name again and again. After their wedding, she would often go overseas. The destination was always, without fail, Pineland. One day, Chloe’s drink was spiked. She ended up spending the night with Joseph. When Chloe woke up, she angrily accused him, “Joseph Quinn, how despicable of you to stoop to such underhanded means to secure your position in this marriage!” Joseph felt very indignant. He wanted to say that that wasn't his intention at all, and he’d leave once the contractual term was up. However, two days later, he saw a tenderness in Chloe’s eyes that he had never seen. “Joseph, I just found out that you’re the one who saved me back then. I’m sorry, I did so many nasty things… Maybe I can try to slowly understand you and fall in love with you.” Chloe stopped going to Pineland and cut off all contact with Stephen. She started showering him with care and attention. She would prepare surprises for him over various festivals, buy a small island for him, remember the food he likes and preferences he has, cook soup for him when his gastric issue acts up… Chloe would even call out his name in her dreams. Whenever she woke up and saw him by her side, she would hug him tightly. Time could melt the hardest of hearts, and Joseph gradually found himself falling in love with Chloe. He even wanted to tell Mrs. Gibson that he would do away with the contractual term of six years because he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Chloe. However, before he could do that, he found out that he had heart disease and needed to do an open-heart surgery. “Honey, don’t fear. I’ll be by your side.” Chloe patted Joseph’s back comfortingly and it made the fear in his heart dissipate. After a series of pre-surgery tests, he was about to be pushed into the operating theatre when Chloe received a call. Stephen, who was still far away in Pineland, had a major depressive episode and was talking about taking his own life. “Chloe, I’ll wish you forever happiness in heaven…” “Stephen, don’t do anything rash! I’ll go over to look for you right now!” Chloe left in a rush. Joseph lay on the hospital bed, his heart breaking to a million pieces as looked at Chloe’s back profile disappearing into the distance. A few days later, Chloe finally came back from Pineland and explained her side of the story. “Things are officially over between Stephen and I. We won’t contact each other ever again. Joseph, we’ll spend the rest of our lives together.” However, Joseph saw it clearly that Stephen had long become a thorn in their marriage. He couldn’t force matters of the heart. During those six years, Joseph fulfilled all his duties as a good husband and father. He started taking care of Rachel from when she was six months old. When she could talk, her favorite catchphrase was “Rachy loves Daddy forever.” Every night, she would only fall asleep with him telling her a bedtime story. However, last week, he heard Rachel whisper, “Mommy, Uncle Stephen always buys many toys and snacks for me. I like him very much. “Daddy is too fierce. He doesn’t let me eat chocolate and even forces me to sleep. He’s so annoying. “If only Daddy disappears one day. That way, Uncle Stephen can be my daddy instead…” Recalling those words, Joseph smiled bitterly. He put the divorce agreement in his bag. Ding! He received a new message on his phone. [Mr. Joseph Quinn, we’ve received the documents you’ve submitted. Your visa will be sent to you in about a month’s time, please look out for it.] Very soon, he would be disappearing from Chloe and Rachel’s world. He would never see them again. - After they left, the house was left empty and quiet. Joseph looked up. “Lydia, did you manage to find the photo albums I asked you to?” Chapter 3 “It’s all here,” Lydia said as she carried a huge plastic box over. The box was filled with all the heartwarming memories captured between Joseph, Chloe, and Rachel over the past six years. They truly looked like a happy family of three. Joseph returned to his bedroom, cut himself out of every single photo, and burned it all up. After that, he drove to the TV station. He went straight to the backstage and came out half an hour later dressed in a black suit, heading straight for the broadcasting studio. “Hello, everyone. I am the host of “New Sights,” Joseph Quinn…” After the recording of the show was done, Joseph rubbed his sore neck and returned to the lounge room with the news script in hand. “Joseph, are you sure this guy can take over your subsequent projects?” Percy Klein, the deputy director, handed him a resume. “Is he a distant relative of yours?” Joseph looked at Stephen’s passport photo on the resume, not at all surprised. “I think so.” “Alright then…” Percy left sulkily. The wholly-owned parent company behind Pearl TV station was Gibson Group. It was understandable for a TV program to have its host determined beforehand. Just then, Joseph’s phone rang. Chloe’s gentle voice sounded on the other end of the line. “Honey, I have a last-minute business trip scheduled and won’t be going home for the next few days. Let’s celebrate our anniversary after I’m back.” Before she could say anything further, Rachel’s voice sounded. “Daddy, I really want to go with Mommy. Can you help me ask for leave from my kindergarten?” Joseph nodded. “Did you bring your clothes?” “Yes, I did!” Rachel squealed excitedly. “I’ll miss you, Daddy!” They hung up. Joseph spent the next few days alone. Before he retired for the night, he received a private message on the backend of his social media account. [Hi Joseph, I really enjoy watching “New Sights” that you host. I’m your loyal fan.] The profile picture looked very familiar. Joseph clicked on it and realized that the side profile resembled that of Stephen. Coincidentally, this account user posted on his own page just a few minutes ago. [Thank you to my big and small darling for celebrating my birthday. Feels so good surrounded by love…] In the photo that accompanied the post, Chloe and Rachel were hugging a man as they gave him a kiss on each cheek. The man was indeed Stephen Brooks. There was cream on the tip of his nose, and he was smiling so blissfully. There were a few other photos he shared in the post. One of it was of Chloe blowing his hair while in silk pajamas. Another one was of a luxury mechanical watch and exquisite dishes. There was even a photo of a drawing Rachel made. It was a drawing of three people watching the sunset with the words “Daddy, Mommy and Me” scribbled on it. The so-called business trip Chloe mentioned was in fact a birthday celebration for Stephen. Joseph had thought that he was numb to all this. But when he saw the two people he had given all his love to over the last six years hug another man so intimately, he couldn’t help but feel a nagging pain in his chest. - The next afternoon, Chloe and Rachel returned home. They brought back many things, including some luxury items and even some local delicacies. “Daddy, I missed you so much these few days I couldn’t sleep at night…” Chloe leaped into his arms with tears in her eyes. “Had I known, I wouldn’t have gone overseas with Mommy…” She sobbed. Joseph looked at the little girl in his arms, suddenly finding her so unfamiliar. “Have you thought of how to celebrate our anniversary?” Chloe walked over and lovingly put her head on his shoulder. “Anything is fine,” Joseph said. He thought about it for a moment before saying, “I also have a surprise for you, but it hasn’t arrived yet.” “I’ll adore whatever you give me,” Chloe said as she kissed his forehead. “I remember you being interested in camping a while back. Do you still want to go for that? I can go with you.” Chapter 4 “Daddy, Mommy, go ahead and have fun. I’ll be good and stay at home with Grandma. I won’t bother you two…” Rachel said cheekily. Joseph had a strong feeling they were trying their darndest to please him. He lifted the corner of his lips in a smile. “Sure. Let’s go.” “Alright. I’ll have my secretary prepare everything necessary,” Chloe said. “Oh, yes. Stephen said that he’ll report for work at the TV station tomorrow. You can hand your work over to him and we can go celebrate our anniversary.” Joseph nodded. “I’ll do the handover as fast as I can.” The next day, it started drizzling. Joseph rushed to the TV station and saw a familiar face there. Stephen was wearing a white suit, looking tall and suave. “You must be Joseph,” he said with a smile as he walked over. “My name is Stephen Brooks. I have lots to learn from you.” “Hello,” Joseph said as he shook Stephen’s hand. He had only seen Stephen from the photos in Chloe’s phone gallery. This was his first time seeing Stephen in the flesh. Stephen said slightly awkwardly, “I have much to learn from you. I hope you don’t find me dull, Joseph.” Joseph could see lovebite marks peeking from Stephen’s neck. Perhaps because Stephen noticed the subtle change in Joseph’s eyes, a half-smile appeared on his lips. “Let’s get familiar with the workflow processes first.” Joseph handed Stephen some handover documents he prepared beforehand. Throughout the day, Joseph explained to Stephen the core content of the program. Before knocking off, Stephen went to the washroom and left his phone on the table. He didn’t lock his phone screen. Coincidentally, someone texted him. Chloe: [Darling, are you tired today? [Did Joseph take the chance to bully you? [Please tell me if you feel indignant in any way. Don’t keep it bottled up.] Joseph looked away and smiled bitterly to himself. The handover was finally done three days later. That was also when he officially started his camping trip with Chloe. At dusk, they drove their car to the outskirts of the city and finally stopped near a mountain. Joseph wasn’t actually that interested in camping. It was just that they always chose to celebrate their anniversary at this place. If he rejected her this year, Chloe would certainly get suspicious. It was colder up in the mountain and the air was invigorating. There were many people camping on the mountain during this season. They could see tents and people every dozen meters. Chloe finally found an empty spot where they could set up their tent. As night fell, the two of them sat on foldable chairs and looked up at the night sky. “Honey, if I hadn’t met you, I would probably be a star in the sky now.” “Don’t say that,” Joseph said as he stood up and looked for a sleeping bag. Just as they were about to fall asleep, someone tapped on their tent from the outside. “Sorry to bother, but may we borrow a torch?” This voice… I saw Chloe open the tent. Stephen was standing right outside. “Stephen?” Chloe sounded clearly shocked. “Chloe? Is that you…” The scene before Joseph made him feel an unexpected searing pain in his chest. Each breath he inhaled only exacerbated the pain. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have a program recording tomorrow?” Chloe seemed genuinely surprised by Stephen’s appearance in the mountain in the middle of the night. “The TV station director told me to practice my expressions and articulation in front of a mirror, so he gave me two days’ leave.” Stephen paused midway and looked into the tent. “Joseph seems to be in pain…?” Chloe turned around and saw Joseph looking pale and weak. She hurried over to him and asked, “Honey, do you feel unwell?” Worry was etched on her brows. Joseph bit his lip hard and said weakly, “My fast-saving heart medication…in my bag…” Chapter 5 Ever since his open-heart surgery, Joseph had been bringing his medication everywhere he went. He only had a handful of episodes over the last few years. Chloe swiftly went through Joseph’s bag to look for the medicine. Just then, she heard a dull thud outside the tent. Stephen had collapsed on the ground. He had a pained expression on his face as he clutched his chest, panting hard. “Chloe, is this where the heart is at? Why does it hurt so badly…” Stephen started tearing up. “Am I having a heart attack…?” Chloe’s eyes widened. “What are you doing, being in a daze? Quick, give Joseph his medicine…” Stephen nudged Chloe by her arm. Chloe hesitated for a second before popping the bottle open and pouring out some pills. She was stunned. Only four pills came tumbling out of the bottle, which was now empty. Due to Joseph’s heart issues, she knew that a minimum of four pills was needed for the medication to take effect. “This…this is Joseph’s medicine. Give it to him,” Stephen said as he clutched his chest with trembling hands. “I’m fine…” “Stephen…” Chloe looked at him with tenderness and heartache. Then she turned to look at Joseph, whose forehead was covered in cold sweat. She looked like she was faced with the toughest dilemma. “Chloe, this is my medicine. Quick, give it to me.” Every word Joseph spoke felt like a sharp piercing of a needle. He struggled to move his body in an attempt to snatch the pills from Chloe’s palm, but failed. “Joseph, you went for surgery before. I’m sure this is just an ordinary throbbing pain. You’ll be fine after a while. Let Stephen have the medicine, okay? He looks like he can’t take it any longer.” With that, Chloe immediately stuffed all the pills in her palm into Stephen’s mouth which was slightly open. She instructed him gently, “Chew them and hold them under the tongue.” Joseph looked on quietly as the pain in his chest seemed to have turned numb. A few minutes later, his brows relaxed and he said weakly, “Chloe, I feel much better now. Thank you.” Chloe heaved a sigh of relief, but at the next moment, her body stiffened up when she saw from the corner of her eyes Joseph’s lips turn purple and his eye lids shutting. She was so shocked that the color drained from her face. “Joseph! Joseph, don’t scare me! I’ll take you to the hospital right now!” The nearest hospital from the mountain was at least half an hour away. When they finally made it to the emergency room, Chloe explained the situation to the doctor. She watched on as Joseph was wheeled into the emergency room. She paced up and down the corridor, the look on her face solemn. Meanwhile, Stephen was undergoing detailed checks. Nothing out of the ordinary was found. “You shouldn’t have given me the medicine…” he said, guilt written all over his face. Chloe thought back on Joseph’s deathly pale face and said, “Don’t blame yourself. I’ll bear the consequences if anything happens.” An hour later, Joseph was wheeled out of the emergency room. “He's fine for now. Please remind the patient not to get too agitated or it might trigger his heart problems.” “Alright. Thank you, doctor.” Chloe finally felt a wave of relief. Joseph was wheeled into the ward; his eyes were half open, and he was still in a daze. “This is great, Joseph. I knew you’d be fine!” Chloe held his clammy hands, the tension in her shoulders relaxing. Joseph’s throat was parched as he tried to speak, “How are you so sure that I’d be fine? What if I had died?” Fear filled Chloe’s eyes at the mention of death. Naturally, she could sense the anger in Joseph’s words. Chloe gently rubbed the back of his cold hands. “Stephen has a family history of heart disease, and his elder brother died because of a heart attack. You saw for yourself how he was in such pain he couldn’t even breathe. I didn’t have the capacity or time to think too much. I thought since you went through a surgery before, it was better to give him the medicine instead.” Chapter 6 So…? Stephen’s life was important, while his wasn’t? Joseph thought that to himself with a sneer, but he didn’t question Chloe about it. She never cared for him. What was the point of saying so much and kicking up such a big fuss? What he had to do was to wait for his visa to be approved and issued before leaving quietly. He would have nothing to do with her ever again. Chloe panicked even more when Joseph didn’t say anything. “Joseph, I know you’re mad. You can hit me or scold me, but please don’t bottle up your anger inside. The doctor said that you have to be careful not to agitate yourself.” Joseph took Chloe’s previous explanation and said, “You’re right. I did go for a surgery previously. Stephen was in more critical danger than I was at that time.” He clearly sensed that after going through that incident, he had become indestructible. Whatever Chloe said seemed to no longer have the power to hurt him. The worry on Chloe’s face remained as she said solemnly, “From now on, no matter what happens, I’ll always put you first.” “I’ll trust you one more time,” Joseph said as he forced a smile on his face. Two days later, Joseph was discharged. Mrs. Gibson called to invite the three of them home for a meal. When the housekeeper served the final dish, Joseph led Rachel to sit at the table. “Grandma, my kindergarten is holding a graduation ceremony next week. Would you like to come?” Rachel looked hopefully at Mrs. Gibson. “Oh, I have a dialysis appointment at the hospital that day,” Mrs. Gibson said regretfully as she shook her head. “I’ll attend your school opening ceremony when you go on to grade school, okay?” Rachel wasn’t disappointed when she heard that Mrs. Gibson couldn’t make it. In fact, a flash of secret joy crossed her face. “Okay. Grandma, take good care of yourself!” After, Chloe went to the study upstairs and still wasn’t down when it was almost nine. Joseph walked to the second floor. The door to the study was ajar, and Joseph could hear the muffled sound of conversation from inside. “Chloe, if you divorce Joseph one day…” Chloe cut her off. “Mom, things are going well between Joseph and me. Are you seriously thinking of making me dump him so that I have an arranged marriage with some rich heir?” Mrs. Gibson smacked the table hard in a fit of anger. “Then what’s going on between you and Stephen?” “Oh, Stephen…” Chloe paused for a moment. "Take it that…I’m trying to make up for the regret I have for that relationship in the past. As long as you don’t tell, how would Joseph ever know?” Mrs. Gibson’s gaze met with Joseph’s as he stood outside the door. He remained silent. On the way back, Joseph was looking at the view zooming past outside the window when he received an update on his phone. [Mr. Quinn, the status of your visa application for Dameer has been updated to ‘Personal data verification passed, awaiting processing by the embassy officer.’ Please click the link to enter the official website to check on your application status.] Joseph clicked on the link and saw that he could collect his visa in 15 days. “Honey, what’s making you so happy?” Chloe turned around and saw the corner of his lips lift in a smile. She instinctively looked down on his phone screen. “It’s a secret. I can’t tell you now.” Joseph exited the webpage and merely gave her a mysterious reply. Chloe shrugged. “Alright, I’ll wait quietly for the happy surprise, then.” - Over the next few days, Joseph spent much time at the backstage of the studio, helping Stephen record his program. During this period, many people complained about Stephen’s poor technical skills and know-how. He had to keep repeating his lines because he frequently made mistakes, causing everyone to work overtime and rush to meet deadlines. Chapter 7 “I’ve already apologized to Joseph, but he still seems to be bearing a grudge against me for taking his pills.” Stephen’s voice of indignation rang from the end of the corridor. “He… He and those people from the TV station ganged up to pick on me. My articulation was clearly fine, but they kept nitpicking and finding fault with me. My throat was almost burning up.” Joseph didn’t know what Chloe said in response to him, but he heard Stephen exclaim in shock, “R-Really?” Joseph wasn’t interested to hear any more of the conversation and turned to leave. He returned home at night only to find Chloe in a sullen mood. She walked toward him. “Joseph, you shouldn’t be bullying Stephen as a newbie. Forming cliques to bully others is nothing to be proud of. I take Stephen as an elder brother and as his family. I can't stand idly by watching him get bullied by others. I was the one who gave him the pills. Come at me if you’re mad.” Joseph listened to her before saying, “Then transfer me 10 million dollars to appease my anger.” Chloe looked surprised. Joseph had never been a materialistic man. No matter how expensive the gift she gave him, he never seemed all that fond of it. "Okay." Chloe nodded. "If 10 million makes you happy, it's worth it." In just two days, more than half of the post-production staff at New Sights had been dismissed. The newly-hired employees were all respectful to Stephen and did his every bidding. Percy watched the criticism of the show pile up online. He was so furious, he ended up in the hospital. Joseph couldn't care less. He had already formalized his resignation, anyway. Before he knew it, the day of Rachel’s kindergarten graduation celebration came around. Joseph personally put the graduation hat on Rachel’s head and headed out with her. "Daddy, I forgot my watch. Can you get it for me?" Rachel suddenly said. She usually wore her kids' smartwatch before leaving the house. "Sure." Joseph put his bag in the car and turned back toward the villa. He walked into Rachel’s bedroom. He searched around for a while before finally spotting the kids' watch which had fallen by the head of her bed. He picked it up and was about to leave when the door slammed shut with a bang. He thought it was the wind, but when he went to pull the door open, it wouldn't budge no matter what he did. Bang, bang, bang! Joseph pounded hard on the door. "Is anyone there? Rachel? Are you out there?" No one responded to him. Lydia was usually out at this time to buy groceries. Joseph wanted to make a call, but realized his phone was still in the car. He remembered that calls could be made with kids' watches too. Just as he was about to do it, he found that Rachel’s watch was out of battery. There wasn't a single charging cable in the entire room, either. An ominous feeling crept over him. Did he just get locked in by a child? But why would Rachel do that? Joseph slowly sank down onto the floor and chuckled, almost unable to believe it. He gazed at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, his heart feeling completely numb. He simply waited there, letting the time slip away bit by bit. - "Rachel, why do you have a new daddy?" a little boy dressed in a superhero costume asked curiously. "Hmph! You're jealous, aren't you?" Rachel said with a proud tilt of her chin. "I'm not jealous," the little boy said, shaking his head. "I know that kind of daddy is called a stepdad. Drey Wilson’s daddy is a stepdad, and he says his stepdad hits him when he drinks." "That's not true!" Rachel stamped her foot in anger. "Daddy Stephen would never hit me! He's really nice to me!" "Then where did your real daddy go? Does he not want you anymore?" "No!" Rachel grew even angrier, her little face flushing red. Chapter 8 She had only played a harmless little prank with her father. She would go back and explain everything to him, and everything would be fine. “Rachel, come here, quick!” Stephen waved at her from afar. Rachel’s gloom was swept away in an instant. She hopped over, then grabbed Chloe and Stephen’s hands. She was bounding with joy, a bright smile on her face. After Lydia came back home after buying groceries, Joseph was finally released from the bedroom. There were no records of incoming calls on the phone. Half an hour ago, Stephen posted on his page. [Just experienced the joy of being a father. Children are adorable.] All nine photos he posted were of him, Chloe, and Rachel in all sorts of heartwarming and goofy poses. Anyone who saw the photos would lament how happy they were as a family of three. Joseph felt not a trace of emotion. He guessed that he was probably the only one who could see the post. At slightly past seven in the evening, the mother-daughter pair finally came back. “Rachel said that you’re not feeling well. Do you feel better now?” Chloe asked. “Daddy, I saw you stuck in your room for so long and was worried that you were having heart problems again and needed rest. So I asked the driver to send me to the kindergarten instead. So sorry I forgot to ask you in the rush,” Rachel said. She intertwined her fingers, looking sensible yet remorseful at the same time. “It’s okay, I don’t blame you,” Joseph said as he caressed her head. “I just feel a little sad I didn’t get to attend your graduation ceremony.” Clearly, Rachel had deliberately locked him in the room so that Stephen could attend her graduation ceremony instead. However, he didn’t even care about what Chloe was doing to him. Why would he count it against a six-year-old? “Daddy…” Rachel hugged him tight. “I knew you wouldn’t blame me. You’re the best daddy in the whole wide world!” “You’ll be going to grade school soon, and you’re still so mischievous.” Joseph shook his head, looking helpless. Chloe’s lips were a small smile as she watched them. The sky had turned completely dark. After telling Rachel a bedtime story, Joseph went back to his bedroom to wash up. When he came out of the washroom, he felt a warm woman’s body against him. “Joseph, it’s been a long time…” Her tender voice sounded in his ear. “I feel a little faint today,” Joseph said flatly. Chloe’s breath caught as she gradually let go of him. “Are you alright? Shall I bring you to the hospital to get it checked?” “No need, I’m fine.” Joseph threw the covers back and laid on the bed. He felt the other side of the bed sink in as Chloe’s voice sounded close. “Your mother’s death anniversary is coming soon.” “Yeah,” Joseph hummed. His mother had always been poor in health and died of sickness two years ago. “I’ll go visit her grave with you this year,” Chloe said as she hugged him from behind. “Okay?” She had been busy the previous times and couldn’t make it. “Sure,” Joseph said. Warm sunlight seeped into the room. Although Rachel had graduated from her kindergarten, there was still some time before grade school started. During this period, Joseph would bring her for piano and taekwondo classes. When he returned home at three in the afternoon, he received a letter. Joseph entered his bedroom and locked the door. His visa was enclosed in the envelope. Immediately, he booked a flight for Dameer that would depart the next afternoon. - Joseph didn’t have many things to bring with him, and he was all packed and ready a long time ago. He took out his marriage certification and placed it under the table lamp. After he left, Stephen would be able to officially join the family. Joseph was sure Chloe would be pleased with their sixth wedding anniversary surprise. Chapter 9 Buzz! Joseph looked down and saw a text from Chloe. She was asking him to attend a business gala at eight in the evening at a hotel. The car ground to a halt at the hotel entrance. Joseph walked hand-in-hand with Rachel into the banquet hall. A few familiar faces came over to greet him and chat with him. “Dadd…Uncle Stephen!” Rachel was beaming as she looked at the man from afar. Stephen was wearing a silvery-gray tailcoat, his hair neatly slicked back as he walked straight toward them. Everyone present had heard about the intense romance that Stephen and Rachel had shared in the past. Now that he was back and on such good terms with Rachel, many people couldn’t help but be curious about how things would turn out. “Stephen, are you in a relationship? Your girlfriend looks like a wild one,” a lady said as she looked pointedly at the scratch marks on Stephen’s neck. “Is it any of the ladies here today?” Stephen said mysteriously, “Shh, there’s a child around.” Joseph looked at Chloe who was a short distance away, smoothing out her gown. Her assistant handed her a silk scarf to cover the marks on her collarbone. Their gazes met, and Chloe walked over. There was a faint scent of men’s cologne on her. It smelled similar to the cologne Stephen wore. Joseph pretended nothing had happened and gave her his arm as they went around socializing with other guests. Halfway through the socializing, Rachel fell and ended up with cake on her dress. He brought her to the lounge area to clean up, but turned around and realized that she had fallen asleep. Joseph was about to go fetch a blanket when he heard a woman’s voice from the corridor outside. “I saw it all. What’s between you and Stephen right now? Joseph doesn’t know about it, does he?” “Given his character, how could he remain so calm if he knew?” Chloe said, her voice carrying a stern warning. “Don’t you dare be a big mouth and blurt anything out!” “Now that your first love is back, when are you intending to divorce Joseph? I have a friend who’s a pretty good catch. I’ll introduce her to Joseph once you two get a divorce…” “What’s your problem? Our lives are perfectly fine! Why would I want a divorce?” Chloe snapped rather fiercely. “Joseph saved my life, and his life has been revolving around me over the years. Whenever I fall sick, he'd make me warm soup and take care of me. He’s so head over heels in love with me, do you really think he’ll fancy your lousy friend?” “Tsk! Then why are you having an affair?” “If he doesn’t know it, it’s not an affair.” Their voices faded into the distance. Joseph forced a smile on his face and asked the Gibson family’s driver to come and fetch Rachel home. When he returned to the hotel, he walked into the elevator and saw Stephen standing inside as well. They looked at each other in silence. “You’re a smart man and probably could tell since a long time ago," Stephen said, twirling a finger around his long hair. “What I have with Chloe is true love. You’re hogging something that doesn’t belong to you. You're pretending you don’t care when you clearly feel beyond miserable. Suddenly, the elevator stopped working on the eighth floor. However, they were supposed to go to the fifteenth floor. Joseph and Stephen stood stunned. “What’s going on?” Stephen started to panic. “Quick, think of something!” Joseph dialed the emergency number in the elevator. He soon received a reply. “Hello, the hotel suddenly caught fire and all the elevators have stopped working. Please wait for help and do not jump in the elevator. Otherwise, it might fall.” Stephen was so overwhelmed with fear he collapsed on the ground. Their phones lost signal. Half an hour later, they were still trapped in the elevator. No help had arrived. The smoke was getting thicker as the fire continued burning fiercely. Stephen, fear-stricken, kept yelling at the top of his voice. Chapter 10 Joseph felt suffocated; his lungs felt like balloons on the verge of bursting. Suddenly, the elevator doors opened a crack. Light from outside seeped in. The elevator had stopped in between the seventh and eighth floor, and the concrete floor was blocking their way out. The only way to leave the elevator was to have someone from the outside pull them out. “Chloe, save me!” Tears burst forth when Stephen saw Chloe standing outside. “Just now, the elevator on the east side fell when they were pulling out the last person…” There were a bunch of people outside headed toward the emergency exit. “Did the elevator fall because only one person was left inside and there was an uneven distribution of stress points? If the elevator were to drop from this height, death is certain…” Stephen’s face paled as he stretched his arm out toward Chloe. “Chloe! Chloe…!” As he yelled her name, he jumped twice in the elevator. The elevator swayed. Stephen screamed, his voice piercing. “Quick, pull me up! It’s going to drop!” “Stephen, hold my hand tight.” Chloe seemed to not have noticed Joseph at the side and held Stephen tightly by his wrist. Stephen looked as though he was grasping on his only lifeline and crawled upward with all his might. He kicked the elevator hard as he hauled his body out of the elevator. Just then, the elevator started to drop. Joseph shut his eyes and heard Chloe’s panicked voice. “Joseph!” An intense feeling of weightlessness made Joseph feel like someone was clenching his heart tightly. He almost forgot how to breathe. He swiftly pressed the buttons for the sixth, fifth, and fourth floor. The elevator stopped once more. Joseph’s anxiety lifted for a moment. He felt like he had a close brush with death. Ten minutes later, the firefighting team rushed over and brought him out safely. Chloe rushed over and hugged him tightly in her arms. “Thank goodness you’re fine, Joseph. Thank goodness…” She kept repeating her words, her heart pounding hard as though she was truly frightened. On their way back home, Joseph sat in the back passenger seat and shut his eyes as the lingering fear finally set in. Chloe and Joseph walked into their bedroom. She pondered for a moment before saying, “Stephen was too agitated just now and kept jumping in the elevator. If I didn’t save him first, both of you would be in danger.” Joseph hummed. When Chloe saw him yawning, she looked at him with heartache in her eyes. “Go to sleep. We’ll go visit your mother’s grave tomorrow.” “Goodnight,” Joseph said. The minutes passed. At four in the morning, the house was silent. Joseph threw back the covers and got out of bed. Chloe was still fast asleep. He quietly shut the door. The night wind felt chilly on his skin. Joseph dragged his luggage case. He turned back to look at this place he had lived in for six years and smiled in relief. Leaving this place meant a fresh start to his new life. “I’m finally back to being myself.” It was silent all around, and the road ahead was long. Joseph’s silhouette gradually disappeared into the night…