Chapter 126

Hearing Joanna’s words, Ingrid flared up again, shouting, “Did my son commit a crime? It’s not up to you to judge!”

Shaun warned Ingrid, “Shut your mouth!”

Then Shaun said, “Joanna, just forgive Rick this time. I’m begging you. If Rick goes to jail, how can he have a foothold in Greyport? He was in a moment of madness, but he’s learned his lesson. Please forgive him. I’m kneeling to beg you!”

Plop! As Shaun spoke, he knelt before Joanna.

Joanna immediately said, “Dad, get up. Don’t do this.” Disgusted, she quickly looked away. Shaun continued, “If you refuse to forgive Rick, I will keep kneeling!” He was about to kneel again.

Annoyed and frustrated, Joanna held him up. “Dad, please stop it.”

Shaun’s eyes turned red, and tears rolled down his chubby cheeks. He said in a muffled voice, “Joanna, Rick is your brother! You can’t be so heartless as to send him to jail!” He clutched his chest and gasped for breath.

Ingrid shouted, “Your father has heart disease! Get his pills!”

Roxanne replied, “Got it! Got it!” She hurriedly retrieved a bottle of pills from Shaun’s pocket and administered several. After a while, Shaun recovered his breath.

Roxanne cried, patting his chest, “Dad, how do you feel now?”

Joanna nervously asked, “Dad, are you alright?”

Ingrid rebuked Joanna, “Hmph! Your father has heart disease and high blood pressure. Are you trying to kill him with your stubbornness and harsh words?”

Shaun rolled his eyes. “Just be quiet!”

Ingrid snorted, “Hmph!”

Shaun took a deep breath and looked at Joanna pitifully. “Joanna…”

Joanna closed her eyes and sighed. “Dad, enough. Stop talking.”

“I can cut Derick some slack, but I need a written guarantee from him.”

“What guarantee?” asked Shaun.

Joanna replied, “Derick needs to write down the entire process of his crime and sign it. If he dares to hurt my son again, I’ll give the evidence to the police.”

Shaun paused. “Okay, okay. I’ll get Rick to write it now!”

Joanna continued, “Also, Derick needs to go to Irvin’s bed and apologize.”

“No problem! Rick will do it,” said Shaun.

Soon, Derick wrote the guarantee and apologized to Irvin: “I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault. Please forgive me!”

Ingrid interrupted, “Enough! Enough! Rick, you’ve done enough. Let’s go.” She hurried to Derick’s side, and they hobbled out of the ward.

Derick, seriously injured, was taken to another hospital. On the way, Ingrid examined his wounds. “You silly boy! Even if you wanted to do it, you didn’t have to do it yourself! Look at you, so stupid!” She cried, “Oh my, who burned you? You’re scalded.”

Derick, angry and scared, said, “Who else? That bastard Bruce Everett. He burned me. He’s not my brother-in-law, and I don’t want him in our family. I wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t for Bruce! No one would know I did it!”

Ingrid cried, “Mr. Everett? How could he do that to you? I’ll ask him myself!”

“Does it hurt?” asked Ingrid.

“How can it not?” replied Derick.

Ingrid gritted her teeth. “Aww, my sweetheart. My heart aches. It’s all Joanna’s fault! Don’t worry, I’ll avenge you!”

Shaun, angrier, said, “Enough, Ingrid! Rick did this because you spoil him!”

“How am I spoiling him?” said Ingrid.

Shaun continued, “You can’t always protect him. You’re turning him into a loser!”

Ingrid retorted, “It’s all that bitch Joanna’s fault!”

Shaun’s lips trembled with anger. He’d never won an argument with Ingrid. “You’re incorrigible, both of you!”

Ingrid retorted, “Hmph! You’re the incorrigible one!”

Realizing Roxanne wasn’t in the car, Ingrid asked, “Where’s Roxy?”

Shaun replied, “She’s probably with Mr. Everett.”

Ingrid was furious. “Unbelievable! Bruce sided with an outsider! He’s always on Joanna’s side! It’s all because of your daughter. She’s seducing him. I think Bruce and Roxy’s marriage is ruined again.”

Shaun replied, “It’s better they don’t marry if he doesn’t love Roxy.”

Ingrid retorted, “That’s easy for you to say! Roxy will become a joke if she doesn’t marry Bruce. He’s the richest man in Greyport! If we give up Bruce, can we find a better one?”

“You can’t measure a marriage like this,” said Shaun.

Ingrid insisted, “I don’t care. Roxy must marry Mr. Everett.”

Shaun sighed. “You! Sadly, I can’t win a fight with you.” He looked away, angry and speechless.

At the hospital, Joanna stood by Irvin’s bed, refusing to leave. Irvin, frightened, had been sedated and was sleeping soundly. Joanna caressed his face, her eyes filled with maternal love. Bruce watched them silently.

After half an hour, Joanna hadn’t spoken to Bruce. This upset him. Finally, he said, “Irvin is alright now. He’ll recover after resting for a few days.”

Joanna looked up, then back at Irvin. Bruce waited for her to speak, but she remained silent. He thought, I saved her son! I should be a hero. Why doesn’t she thank me? He cleared his throat. “Do you have anything to say to me?”

Joanna was speechless, looking at him in confusion.