“He’s doing it for the good of the company. Why are you so angry?”

“For the good of the company? Go take a look at what state the company is in right now, then you’ll understand exactly what he’s done.”

Melvin flung his sleeve and headed straight for the living room, taking a seat and waiting for that disgrace of a son to come back. Seeing him like this, Crystal began to worry too. It was the first time she had ever seen him this furious. This time, she truly couldn’t help Joseph. She had no idea what he’d done out there to make Melvin this livid. And what did all this have to do with the company? As far as she knew, her son was just chasing after a woman—how could that affect their company?

Melvin sat upright on the couch, his face stern. Watching Crystal pace around only fueled his rage. If she hadn’t let that boy out, none of this would’ve happened. He jabbed a finger at her. “This is exactly why they say doting mothers ruin their sons. The way he turned out–it’s all because you spoiled him.”

“I…”

Crystal wanted to argue, but seeing how angry he was, she didn’t dare say another word. Fine. Let him say what he wanted.

Meanwhile, Joseph had finally managed to coax Judy after quite some effort. He explained everything–that his so-called confession to Aurora had only been driven by a desire for her money and connections. But the one he truly loved was Judy.

Judy didn’t say anything on the surface, but inwardly, she scoffed. She knew this man’s character all too well by now. Everything he did was for his own benefit–nothing more. Love? What love? At this point between them, talking about love felt meaningless and hollow.

Still, she needed Joseph’s money for now–there was no reason to fall out with him over something like this. It just wasn’t worth it.

“I understand, Joseph. I knew you loved me the most,” she said sweetly, resting gently against his broad chest.

To anyone looking, they seemed like the picture of a loving, affectionate couple, completely in sync and deeply connected. But beneath the surface, everything was already rotting away, especially for Judy. She had seen through Joseph completely by now. This pretense of tenderness was nothing more than a front–she was only staying close for the money in his pocket.

Once Judy was pacified, Joseph finally headed home. When he parked in the underground garage and saw Melvin’s car already there, he froze. That meant his father was back. He glanced at the time and frowned. Why was his father home this early? It wasn’t even close to his usual schedule.

A sense of unease crept into his chest. Sure enough, the moment he stepped into the living room, Melvin was there waiting, seated like a judge, exuding an unmistakable air of authority.

“Dad, you’re back early today,” Joseph greeted, a little awkwardly.

Melvin stood up in an instant. “You little brat–you still remember where home is? You created such a mess out there! Do you have anything you want to say for yourself?”

Joseph blinked, confused. “Dad, what are you even talking about? What mess did I make? I already explained everything to Mom before I left. Didn’t she tell you?”

“I went out on business. I didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you this angry?”