Chapter 212
Joshua kept playing the role of her personal porter, carrying Shermaine to the bathroom to wash up.
Shermaine sat on the bathroom counter, brushing her teeth with her electric toothbrush.
“Sheary, let me take a look at your legs,” Joshua said.
“There’s nothing to look at,” Shermaine replied.
Joshua knew he’d gone overboard last night. He gently ruffled her hair and coaxed, “I went out this morning and bought some ointment. Let me put it on for you, okay?”
“Go get the ointment then.” Her words came out a bit garbled through the toothpaste, but Joshua understood. He turned and left to fetch the medicine.
When he came back with the ointment, he examined Shermaine’s thighs. The insides of both legs were chafed raw.
It happened during their last round the night before—even though he knew Shermaine was done and didn’t want to continue, he couldn’t control himself. So he’d made do with her hands and thighs instead.
Shermaine must have applied some aloe vera gel last night, which kept the wounds from getting too bad.
The ointment would help reduce the swelling and fade the marks. It was effective for this kind of thing.
As he spread it on her skin, the cool sensation brought immediate relief, and a subtle medicinal scent filled the air between them.
After finishing with the ointment, Joshua put it away while Shermaine finished brushing her teeth and rinsing her mouth.
“I need to wash my face,” Shermaine said. “Can you grab me a hair tie?”
Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders. Joshua found a small elastic band and, without asking, gathered her hair up and secured it for her himself.
Everything seemed fine until he actually gathered it up—then it hit them both. Neither of them said a word.
Joshua’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he mentally scolded himself. Next time, he needed to be gentler. Shermaine’s skin was so delicate and fair that it bruised way too easily.
After freshening up, they headed downstairs for breakfast. Joshua had prepared everything earlier, so they just needed to reheat it.
Later that morning at the Phoenix Hotel, Natalie knew she was getting torn apart online. She’d been avoiding social media and forums as much as possible.
The only thing that pissed her off was that woman who’d thrown paint at her yesterday—she’d come prepared for the attack.
Jason might not have clinched the top spot, but coming in second place was still a major achievement. Yesterday, Natalie sent out all the invitations for the celebration party. They were throwing it at two in the afternoon to celebrate Jason’s acceptance into Basterel University.
She’d invited the wealthy socialites and friends she’d made since returning to the country, along with relatives from the Keller family side.
But when she arrived at the hotel that afternoon, she was shocked to see a huge banner hanging at the entrance congratulating Shermaine on her academic achievements.
Natalie’s face turned pale with anger. ‘Is Shermaine holding her celebration party at the Phoenix Hotel too?’ she thought furiously. ‘Is this coincidence, or did she do this on purpose?’
Just then, a car pulled up at the hotel entrance. Ruth stepped out and immediately spotted her. “Well,” Ruth sneered. “If it isn’t the homewrecker who seduced my husband.
“After all the public humiliation you’ve faced, you still have the nerve to show your face? I guess some people have no shame. But then again, if you had any decency, you wouldn’t have gone after a married man in the first place.”
“Oh, please, Mrs. Jean,” Natalie shot back. “You don’t know the whole story. Jameson was the one who insisted I become his woman. I refused him several times, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
She continued, her voice steady but bitter. “You’re a woman who couldn’t even keep her own husband faithful, and now you want to blame me for seducing him? Have you ever considered that I’m a victim too? I had his child and endured years of humiliation.”
Ruth sneered. “A nobody like you trying to play the victim card? You know how to put on an act.” She looked down at Natalie with contempt. “I bet you’re dying for your son to be accepted into the Jean family."
“Too bad for you—Sheary just topped the state exams. As long as my daughter and I are around, you and your bastard son will never set foot in the Jean family.”
The reason Ruth hadn’t confronted Natalie before was simple. She’d been afraid that if she made trouble, Natalie would run to Jameson, and he might divorce her. Ruth had no one to back her up before.
But things were different now. Shermaine had asked for her help with something, which meant she was warming up to her. The last time Ruth called, Shermaine had answered the phone.
More importantly, Janice had put her in charge of organizing the celebration party.
It meant that if Jameson tried to suppress her or pushed for a divorce, Shermaine would definitely take her side. With that thought, Ruth felt especially confident.
Natalie’s face darkened as she watched Ruth waltz into the hotel like she owned the place.
After breakfast, Shermaine crashed again and slept until one in the afternoon. When she finally woke up, she felt refreshed and ready to take on the world.
She had to attend the party—there was no getting out of it.
She slipped into a red vintage plaid sundress with thin straps. As for those marks on her neck, she’d covered them up with foundation so well that you couldn’t tell anything had happened.
Joshua was waiting for her downstairs. When Shermaine came down, he noticed her neck looked perfectly clean—not a single hickey in sight.
“What kind of makeup works that kind of magic?” Joshua asked, in that typical clueless-guy way.
“Foundation,” Shermaine said simply.
June was already scorching hot.
“Doesn’t that feel suffocating?” he asked, genuinely concerned.
Shermaine looked up at him and shot back, “Well, what do you suggest I do about it?”
“I’ll be gentler next time,” Joshua said with a slight smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
“You can’t help yourself,” she said, then turned and walked out.
The way she moved was graceful and alluring, but there was also something fierce and determined about her stride.
Joshua couldn’t help but laugh, pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He’d spent the entire morning seriously reflecting on his behavior, but given Shermaine’s denial, he couldn’t help wondering—was he really incapable of changing?
The truth was, he really couldn’t do it.
Chapter 212
The party had already begun, and most of the guests had arrived. Owen was there too.
Sarah had also come. As she stepped out of the car, she was accompanied by someone with curly hair and striking features. Despite her deep-set eyes and defined lace, she had a sweet appearance, dressed in a Lolita style dress.
“Kylie, come on out. We’re here,” Sarah called.
“Okay,” Kylie responded. She climbed out of the car and opened her small floral parasol. Standing there like that, she really did look like a little princess who’d been raised in a palace.
“Grandma, Wallington is scorching. I don’t even want to leave the house. Why do I have to come to someone else’s party?” Kylie complained.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to meet that grandnephew I’m always talking about?” Sarah replied. “Today’s his fiancée’s graduation party. He’ll be there.”
“If you want to see him so badly, why don’t you just call him directly?” Kylie asked.
“When I married your grandfather, I had a huge falling out with the York family. They still don’t exactly welcome me with open arms. Plus, your grandfather’s company is under investigation and could be bought out any day now."
“The person behind Black River Company’s crisis happens to be Joshua. I tried asking him to go easy on us, to let it go, but he turned me down. It’s created quite a rift between us.”
“Why is this Joshua guy targeting Grandpa’s company?”
“Well, that starts with your cousin Kingston.” Sarah patiently explained the whole story.
After hearing everything, Kylie let out an “Oh.” So Kingston had been thrown in jail by Joshua’s fiancée and even had his face disfigured in the process.
Joshua went all out to defend his woman and targeted Black River Company even harder.
Kylie said gracefully, “Grandma, I still have a week before I go back to Rodunst. Let me help you with this.”
“That would be wonderful.”
Kylie was the most brilliant member of the younger generation in the Bynes family. At just twenty-two, she’d already earned several master’s degrees and was a visiting professor at Harrod University. Her reputation abroad rivaled the famous Professor Jean everyone was always talking about.