Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Alicia leaned into him, continuing her act, sobbing quietly against his chest. “No one here likes me. I should just leave. We can go our separate ways, but please don’t let me be the reason your relationship with your mother is ruined.”
Shelia stood frozen, unable to speak.
Georgia, equally stunned, couldn’t react. They had never seen Alicia put on such a convincing performance before.
Jerald, fed up with the constant arguing, slammed his hand on the table. “Enough! You’re all making a scene over something trivial!”
Georgia, not wanting to escalate things further, quickly stood and moved aside without saying a word.
Jerald rose to his feet, his hands firmly pressed on the table. His eyes locked with Joshua’s and Caden’s. “Both of you, come with me to the study. There’s something we need to discuss.”
Shelia stepped forward, trying to diffuse the situation. “Jerald, maybe we should eat first. Let’s talk after dinner, okay?” Jerald roughly brushed her off. “Stay out of it!”
With his medication freshly taken, Jerald wasn’t as frail as he usually appeared. He marched toward the study, with Joshua and Caden following closely behind.
As the door clicked shut, the room grew eerily quiet, leaving the women alone.
Shelia dropped her facade, her gaze turning sharp as she glared at Alicia. “You’ve certainly gotten craftier since the divorce. No wonder Joshua still keeps you around.”
Alicia calmly wiped away the lingering tears from her face, her voice sweet yet cutting. “Mrs. Yates, perhaps next time, be a bit more careful. If those glass shards had really caused serious injury, it would have been quite the problem.”
Shelia’s expression darkened slightly.
Alicia leaned back, rubbing her temple as a wave of dizziness hit her.
Just then, loud shouting erupted from the study, shattering the silence.
In the study, Jerald’s anger was palpable.
After collecting himself, he had gone over the Yates Group’s financial reports and discovered that Joshua had secretly diverted a significant amount of money. Joshua immediately apologized, explaining where the funds had gone.
However, when Jerald learned that Caden was involved in the scheme, his fury erupted.
“Caden, you’ve spent years with the Ward family. I could overlook the fact that you haven’t contributed anything to me, but to come back here and plot against your own brother? How could you stoop so low?”
Caden, long accustomed to Jerald’s constant favoritism toward Joshua, remained unfazed.
With an indifferent expression, he responded, “So, you called me here for this nonsense? I’m not interested.” He turned to leave, but Joshua quickly blocked his path.
The two locked eyes in a tense standoff.
“Caden,” Joshua said, gaining confidence from Jerald’s presence. “Dad’s right. We’re family, and what you did went too far.”
Caden smirked, his gaze cold. “I didn’t do anything. You handed over the money willingly.”
Joshua’s voice tightened. “You knew about my relationship with Lilliana and used it to trap me, didn’t you?”
“When you asked for my help, your tone was quite different,” Caden replied, his words laced with mockery. Joshua’s expression shifted as he realized how he had been played.
“Enough!” Jerald shouted, his patience wearing thin. “Caden, give back the money, and we’ll forget this ever happened!”
Caden’s smile remained devoid of warmth. “Will that little amount satisfy you?” he asked mockingly. “Why don’t I just hand over the entire Ward family while I’m at it?”
Seething with anger at Caden’s defiance, Jerald reached for something on the desk to throw.
Caden didn’t flinch.
He knew Jerald all too well-lots of threats but never any real consequences.
Jerald had climbed to his position through his marriage, relying on force to control those around him. But he lacked the true power to harm anyone.
Even in his rage, Jerald understood one thing clearly-Caden wasn’t just his son. He was the firstborn grandson of the powerful Ward family, their pride and joy.
Caden didn’t even blink, his icy gaze directly taunting Jerald.
Jerald, enraged, turned crimson with anger and began hurling whatever he could grab.
Outside, the thunder rumbled, blending with Jerald’s furious shouts. “You bastard! You’re just as much trouble as your mother!”
Alicia’s heart raced as she listened to the muffled chaos. She moved toward the study door, her pulse quickening. Just as she reached it, a loud crash echoed-something had broken.
Without thinking, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Jerald was mid-motion, picking up another object, poised to throw it at Caden.
Alicia, acting on impulse, rushed forward. “Jerald!” she cried out.
But Jerald, blinded by rage, swung the object toward her instead.
Alicia hadn’t expected him to lose control so completely. She instinctively raised her arms to protect her face, bracing for impact.
A gust of wind brushed past her. She caught a familiar scent, and when she opened her eyes, she was met with Caden’s shadowed face. Her gaze then dropped to his shoulder, where his shirt had torn, revealing a wound. Blood seeped through the fabric. She froze, her first instinct to help him, but with Joshua watching, she held herself back.
The depth of the wound was unclear, yet Caden’s expression remained stone cold, betraying no pain. His presence exuded a frigid aura that sent a chill through the room. Joshua noticed it too.
His eyes flickered with unease as he approached Jerald.
“Dad, stop throwing things,” he said, gripping Jerald’s arm. His eyes shifted between Caden and Alicia. “Caden’s hurt.”
Joshua glanced meaningfully at Alicia.
Aware of his gaze, Alicia stayed perfectly still, her face pale but her emotions concealed.
In front of her, Caden’s chest rose and fell, his muscles tense, veins bulging beneath his skin.
Alicia could feel the restraint in him. She could see how tightly he held himself back. After a tense pause, Caden turned and left the study without uttering a word. As the door closed behind him, Jerald let out a shaky breath, muttering bitterly, “Son of a bitch, daring to stand against me like this, thinking he’s free now!”
Joshua calmed Jerald down, guiding him to sit before turning his attention to Alicia. “Are you hurt?” he asked gently.
Before he could ask anything else, she spoke, her voice trembling. “I thought Jerald was going to hurt you, so I stepped in.”
Joshua had seen her love for him in the past, so he didn’t question her sincerity.
He let out a thoughtful hum. “I didn’t expect Caden to take that hit for you. It confirms what I’ve been thinking.”
Alicia’s mind drifted to Caden’s wound, a frown creasing her brow. Avoiding Joshua’s gaze, she muttered, “I’ll clean up the study.”
“There’s no need,” Joshua said, gently taking her hand and giving it a reassuring pat. “Let Georgia handle it.” He glanced toward the door. “Go help in the kitchen. I need to talk to Dad.”
Alicia nodded absently and walked away, her thoughts elsewhere.
As she left, Jerald, still catching his breath, grumbled, “You two are divorced, so why does everything between you still seem so unresolved?”
Joshua chuckled lightly. “We were married for years. Bonds like that don’t just disappear.”
Jerald, ever in tune with his son, understood without needing words. He waved a hand dismissively, recalling his own past. “It’s just women. Have your fun if you want. I won’t get involved.”
Joshua turned serious. “As for the Green family, I’ve got it under control. There won’t be any issues.”
Jerald nodded. “As long as you’re sure.”
His thoughts then drifted to Caden, a frown forming. “Caden holds grudges. I lost my temper today, and I’m not sure what he might do next.” The way Caden had looked at him earlier reminded Jerald too much of Caden’s grandfather-intense, cold, and unsettling. At just twenty-five, Caden seemed ready to take on the world.
Joshua, sensing Jerald’s worry, reassured him, “He’s your son. What can he really do? If he had real power, he wouldn’t have walked out without a fight.”
Jerald closed his eyes briefly, considering his son’s words. Joshua handed him a glass of water and continued, “I’ve been digging into Caden’s overseas assets since he came back. He’s hidden things well. I suspect he’s keeping some secrets.”
Jerald’s brow furrowed. “What kind of secrets?”
“Something big. Financial issues or something worse. His pride wouldn’t let him come back just to compete for an inheritance unless there’s more to it.”
Jerald’s expression softened as the idea sank in. It made sense. Besides, given the scope of the Yates empire, why would Caden willingly give up the inheritance?
Still, as long as Jerald remained in control, Caden could do nothing.
“We have his mother to thank for that,” Jerald muttered, “giving me everything she had.” He looked over at Joshua, offering a rare bit of praise. “Alicia reminds me of her.”
Joshua smiled. “Thanks to your guidance, Dad.”
Jerald took a sip of water, reflecting for a moment. He knew Joshua had a knack for pleasing people, but he also knew deep down that Joshua wasn’t quite on Caden’s level.
With a dismissive wave, Jerald said, “Go down and eat. I’m feeling better. You don’t need to push yourself so hard at the company anymore. I can handle things.”
Joshua’s eyes darkened briefly, but he concealed any emotion.
“Alright, Dad,” Joshua replied calmly, masking his thoughts. As he exited the study, he spotted Alicia leaning against a hallway pillar, clearly lost in thought.
“Alicia? What are you doing here?” he asked, walking toward her. Noticing something was off, he added, “Were you scared?”
Alicia wasn’t pretending; she was genuinely shaken. “You were talking in there, but why did Jerald get so angry all of a sudden?”
Joshua shrugged, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. “Caden has a bad temper, and he always manages to irritate Dad. It’s nothing new.”
“I see,” Alicia murmured.
Outside, the rain pounded against the windows, the sound deafening. The thunder rumbled loudly, making Alicia’s face grow even paler.
Joshua noticed her reaction and found himself amused. “It’s just thunder,” he said with a chuckle. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
Alicia, seeing how unaffected he was, asked casually, “Do you like this kind of weather?”
“Yes,” Joshua replied, his smile widening. “I like anything that Caden fears.”