Chapter 30

I thought Hayden would speak to me, but instead, he instructed the driver, "To the Jackson residence."

"Where?" I was startled, unsure if I'd misheard.

Hayden turned to me. "Yosef called and asked us to return for dinner tonight."

"Why didn't he tell me?" I was shocked. I'd made it clear I wouldn't return to that house. I hadn't expected him to circumvent me and contact Hayden directly.

"That's your issue," Hayden replied, his tone as cool as ever.

I stared at him. "You're going too?"

Hayden glanced at me without answering. His expression suggested he found my question absurd.

I was still processing this when the car started heading toward the Jackson residence. It took a moment to compose myself. Hayden was probably going to see Joanna, wasn't he? Yosef usually stayed out of my affairs, so this had to be Sophia's doing. Sure enough, as soon as we arrived home, Sophia greeted Hayden warmly.

"Mr. Parker, please come in. Joanna mentioned you didn't enter the house during your last visit, and I felt bad about it." Sophia's demeanor toward Hayden was as welcoming as a mother-in-law greeting her son-in-law.

"I was in a hurry last time," Hayden replied calmly.

The more Sophia observed him, the more she admired him. She quickly turned to Joanna. "Joanna, hurry and bring out the fruit."

"I'm on it," Joanna said with a smile, heading to the kitchen.

I watched their interaction, feeling a mix of emotions. I hadn't even divorced Hayden yet, and they were all so eager to please him. I wondered if my mother felt the same sadness back then.

Yosef was sitting on the sofa, and when he saw me standing silently, he called out eagerly, "Yvonne, why are you just standing there? Come sit with us."

I didn't want to sit next to Yosef, but my only other option was Hayden.

Just then, Joanna emerged with a platter of fruit. "The fruit today is so fresh. Mr. Parker, you should eat more." She sauntered over and sat beside Hayden, acting overly familiar.

Yosef noticed and his expression hardened. After all, Hayden and I weren't officially divorced yet, and Joanna's actions seemed inappropriate. But Sophia appeared satisfied.

I had no intention of competing with them. I was about to head upstairs to examine my mother's belongings when Hayden suddenly called out, "Yvonne, come here."

My steps faltered, and I nearly froze. I turned to see Joanna's eyes wide with shock. She probably hadn't expected that, even after her advances, Hayden would still think of me.

Sophia gritted her teeth, glaring at me with venomous intensity.

Hayden, however, remained calm, his deep eyes betraying no emotion. I couldn't quite decipher him. Shouldn't he be enjoying his time with Joanna? Was he hesitating because of my father? That seemed improbable.

I hesitated, and Yosef interjected, "Yvonne, come over?"

I hadn't planned to join their gathering, but the expressions on Joanna and Sophia's faces were amusing. A mischievous impulse took hold—watching them become annoyed proved quite entertaining. Since Sophia had hurt and tormented my mother, I felt I deserved some payback. With that in mind, I walked over and sat on Hayden's other side. What a sight—both his wife and his supposed mistress right beside him.

Yosef took in the scene and asked, "Yvonne, I heard you started working at Parker Group!"

"Yeah, just a secretary for Mr. Parker," I replied, deliberately emphasizing the last part. When I married into the Parker family, I'd brought the Jackson family's electronic technology. To show their sincerity, the Parker family gave me some shares. Now, with Hayden asking me to be his secretary, it felt like he was taking advantage of me. I said this intentionally to see how he would explain it to my father.

Yosef's expression shifted slightly at my words.

Hayden quickly responded, "Grandpa said Yvonne and I haven't seen each other for a while. Working together would help strengthen our relationship."

That was such a blunt statement—it almost made my scalp tingle.

Yosef smiled, nodding eagerly. "Mr. Xander Parker is truly thoughtful."

Meanwhile, Joanna's jaw tightened with jealousy, but she didn't dare show it, looking to Sophia for support. She didn't possess her mother's cunning and didn't know how to handle the situation.

Sophia's eyes darted around, and she quickly devised a plan. "Joanna is also working at Parker Group now. With Yvonne and Hayden looking after her, she can relax." With that, she moved and sat next to Yosef. "Therefore, from now on, our family should live happily together."

"Yeah, Joanna is also with the Parker Group. You two sisters should support each other," Yosef nodded enthusiastically. He genuinely wanted a happy family. After all, he'd remarried, and life had to move on.

I glanced back at Joanna, who looked like she was about to explode with rage. She had her heart set on marrying Hayden, but now she could only call him brother-in-law. That had to sting, right?

I couldn't help but smirk slightly, and I changed the subject. "Dad, I heard Joanna and Quinn are going to change their last name to Jackson!"

Yosef paused, then nodded while holding Sophia's hand. "Sophia thinks it makes us feel more like a family." He seemed happy about it; after all, he gained two children for nothing.

"Is that so? You all became a family, while my mother is alone in her grave. Dad, have you ever visited her?" I asked.

The lively atmosphere in the living room suddenly stilled, and smiles vanished from everyone's faces.

"Well…" Yosef's face paled, guilt washing over him. His wife had just died, and here he was, remarried. How could he face her?

"You've forgotten about our family of three," I reminded him coldly.

Seeing the atmosphere grow even more tense, Sophia feigned a sorrowful expression. "Dear, it seems Yvonne doesn't really like us. How about—"

"Don't overthink it," Yosef interrupted quickly, patting her hand for comfort. "You brought Joanna and Quinn here. Soon you'll have a baby boy for the Jackson family. You're all my family."

Sophia wiped away her tears, looking truly pitiful.

I observed this situation and found it oddly familiar. Joanna acting helpless in front of Hayden was just like this—what a family trait. Well, it seemed that Yosef had been completely captivated by Sophia.

Just then, Hayden, who had remained mostly quiet, suddenly spoke up. "Changing the last name isn't a small matter, Yosef. You really should think it through. And by the way, I haven't heard about any funeral service held for Yvonne's mother since she passed."

Everyone was taken aback by his words. I hadn't expected Hayden to intervene for me, and I glanced at him involuntarily—what was going on with him?