Revenge Forged in Prison

Chapter 51: A Stain On Their Reputation

Joseph suppressed his displeasure, careful not to let any emotion show. After exchanging pleasantries with George, he focused on maintaining the conversation throughout their journey.

Unaware of Joseph’s inner turmoil, George continued to chat with him. “Joseph, I heard you’re engaged. What’s your fiancée like? Is she pleasant?”

Joseph’s face tightened, but he quickly forced a smile. “She’s wonderful. Very gentle and generous. My dad also really likes her,” he replied.

With a curious tone, George leaned in. “Is she as pretty as Raquel?”

Joseph let out a hearty laugh, his voice laced with a touch of irony. “Well, she can’t compare to Raquel. She’s just a simple girl from a poor family. Her lifestyle and means are far from ours.”

George said, “Hey, it doesn’t matter if she’s poor! If she has a good character, marrying her would save a lot of future headaches!”

Deborah had grown up in the slums, a poor woman with little formal education and limited exposure to the wider world. When she first married and joined the family, she unintentionally became the subject of many amusing incidents.

But George, who deeply loved his wife, would not tolerate anyone mocking her. His devotion to her was unwavering, and it was from this love that Deborah bore him two children—Yelena and Caleb.

Everything took a sudden turn when Jesse came knocking on their door, creating a whirlwind of chaos. In the aftermath, they decided to make their younger son a scapegoat, even going so far as to change his name to “Caleb Jenkins.”

It was curious, though. George, a man who showed leniency to himself and his relatives, was unreasonably strict with his children. He and his family could marry women from humble backgrounds without a second thought, but when it came to his own sons and daughters, such marriages were simply out of the question.

When Caleb first brought Raquel home, George only accepted their relationship due to Raquel’s respectable family background. Even when George was selling Caleb, it wasn’t just about the price—it was about maintaining the honor of the Quixall name. Selling him for anything less than a decent amount would be an insult to the family’s reputation.

Joseph agreed with him. “You’re right. It’s a person’s character that truly matters; everything else is just fleeting.”

The conversation continued, and before long, Joseph had George laughing heartily. The mood was light and cheerful.

The contrast between the four people in the car was striking: the two in the front seat radiated joy, while the ones in the back sat in heavy silence.

Once they were inside the car, Caleb remained quiet, and despite her desire to start a conversation, Deborah couldn’t find a way to break the ice.

The tension was finally broken by the sound of George’s laughter, which gave Deborah the courage to…

…our dad is… after large women…

…of his hair turned white. Seeing him like this now, it’s truly a rare sight.”

Caleb’s response was cold and indifferent. “Oh.”

Deborah nervously twisted her hands together, trying again. “Caleb, why did you leave so suddenly earlier? You disappeared early in the morning. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find you?”

Caleb scoffed. “You should ask my dad about that.”

And once again, the conversation came to an abrupt halt.

Deborah glanced at her husband, then at Caleb’s friend. There were so many things she wanted to say, but with others present, she decided it was best to save it for when they got home. She didn’t want to become the subject of gossip or ridicule.

Amid the palpable awkwardness, a pleasant ringtone suddenly broke the silence. Deborah reached for her phone, and when she saw the caller ID, a soft smile appeared on her lips. “Yes. Okay,” she replied gently into the phone.

Caleb stole a glance at her. He knew that only two people could evoke such a tender expression from Deborah—Jesse or Yelena. After all, these two were her own flesh and blood.

As Jesse had once explained, a mix-up at the hospital years ago had led to a child from a poor family being mistaken for the Quixall family’s son. That error had resulted in a separation that lasted for two decades.

Caleb had once asked Jesse where his real parents were. Jesse had told him that, sadly, the couple had died in a car accident, both of them tragically losing their lives.

But Caleb never believed it. What could a single DNA test report truly prove? The truth of the situation remained shrouded in uncertainty, and Jesse’s words had yet to be fully verified.