Skylar added sharply, “Only the filthy–minded see filth everywhere.”
“Shut your damn mouth!” Joanna bellowed in fury.
“Why should I shut up? It’s my right to speak, and I’ll say whatever I damn well please!” Skylar fired back, her voice full of defiance.
Enraged and humiliated, Joanna swung her hand to slap Skylar, but Yosef seized her wrist mid–air.
“Let go of me!” Joanna struggled violently, her voice sharp with anger.
Yosef said in an icy tone, “Miss, hitting people at the slightest provocation isn’t a good habit. If you can’t control your hands, I’d be happy to help you with that.”
“Peasant! How dare you touch me?” Joanna snarled, raising her foot to kick him.
Yosef tightened his grip abruptly.
With a sickening crack, Joanna’s fingers twisted grotesquety.
Joanna shrieked, “You bitches! How dare you bully me like this? I’ll have my dad arrest all of you! I’ll beat you to death myself!”
“Fine, I’ll be waiting,” Yosef sneered.
Fearing permanent damage to her hand, Joanna didn’t linger. Cradling her injured fingers, she stormed off in a huff.
‘Bitch! Tonight, when I teach Skylar a lesson, I’ll make sure that bastard gets some special surprises too. I’ll make sure the two of them never recover from this,‘ she thought viciously.
Night fell in the blink of an eye.
Joanna abandoned her domineering daytime persona and, suddenly gentle and clingy, sidled up to Caden. In a syrupy voice, she cooed, “Caden, you have to try this. It’s absolutely delicious!”
Victor’s face twisted in disgust. “No. I’ll serve myself.”
“Don’t be shy, Caden. Eat up,” Joanna cooed in an exaggeratedly sweet, affected voice that was sickeningly saccharine.
Victor’s face was livid.
He stood up abruptly, looked at Yosef, who claimed the seat beside Skylar before he could, and said with a hard stare, “Switch with me.”
Without even glancing up, Yosef occasionally reached out to serve Adam and Skylar.
Victor snapped, “I’m talking to you, are you deaf or something?”
Yosef replied coolly, “I heard, but no.”
Adam tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Daddy/maybe you could… switch with Un… I mean, Uncle Yates?”
He thought, ‘Dad has no one on his side except me. Uncle Victor and the others already can’t stand him. If Dad pisses them off again, how will he ever get another chance?‘
Yosef was annoyed to see Adam siding with others. He stuffed a mouthful of food into his mouth and grumbled, “Kids shouldn’t meddle in grown–up business. Just focus on your meal.”
Adam’s mouth was stuffed full, leaving him speechless.
1/2
Chapter 176
All he could do was grumble inwardly, ‘Go ahead, Dad, you’re just digging your own grave by pissing everyone off like this. Let’s see how you get out of this mess later.‘
Adam chewed laboriously for what felt like ages before finally swallowing the mouthful of food.
When Victor suggested switching seats, Joanna instinctively glanced at Yosef.
Since it was dinner time, Yosef wasn’t wearing his mask that evening, revealing his sharply chiseled, strikingly handsome face.
Joanna studied him, a sense of familiarity nagging at her. ‘Where have I seen that face before?‘ she wondered, though she couldn’t quite place it.
She thought dismissively, ‘Probably one of Dad’s business associates. If I can’t remember, he must be some nobody!
Rejected by Yosef, Victor gritted his teeth and sat back down in his seat.
Victor glared daggers at Yosef, seething with resentment.
If looks could kill, Yosef would’ve died a thousand deaths by now.
Yosef could feel Victor’s glare burning into him, but he paid it no mind. He kept his head down throughout the meal, either eating or occasionally serving dishes to those beside him.
Skylar didn’t touch the food Yosef had served her, pushing it to the far side of her plate as she ate only what she’d taken for herself.
Adam shoveled food into his mouth, glancing at the pile of untouched vegetables on his mom’s plate and letting out a quiet sigh.
‘Dad’s got a real battle if he wants to win Mom back,’ he thought.
As the meal was winding down, Joanna asked the waiter to bring out the wine.
