It was plain as day from Savannah’s voice that she was feigning calmness. However, it was uncertain whether it was to reassure Joseph or to mislead the men waiting to pounce at their house at that very moment.
“Don’t be afraid.” Joseph’s hand tightened around his phone, his angular profile reflected through the rear-view mirror. “I’ll rush home right away.”
Hanging up the phone, he promptly floored the gas pedal with his entire focus on the figure at the red light. Some time later, he remembered that I was still sitting in the back seat and glanced over his shoulder. His face was devoid of expression as he asserted, “I’m sorry, but I can only drive you thus far, Mrs. Fuller. Please alight from the car.”
Despite hearing him, I couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye to his predicament, so I offered, “All this is because of me and my husband, so I’ll go with you.”
Joseph’s brows creased deeply. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Fuller. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I personally feel that things will be much simpler without you making an appearance.”
A feeling of being mistrusted permeated my entire being. For an instant, I was at a loss for words, not quite knowing what I should say to express my sincerity.
In that mere two seconds of stalemate, Joseph made the choice for me. Climbing out of the car, he opened the car door nearest to me without the slightest hesitation and stated firmly, “Here you go, Mrs. Fuller.”
I didn’t want to be the kind of person who left others to their own troubles, so I remained motionless and stared right back at him without getting out of the car.
By then, the traffic light had already turned green. The cars at the back were honking incessantly, signaling us to make way for them, causing the bustling urban area to grow all the more chaotic.
After a lengthy impasse, a hint of urgency manifested on Joseph’s calm and unruffled countenance that was all too similar to Ashton’s poised face. “Have you forgotten the three slaps earlier, Mrs. Fuller? For old times’ sake, please buy some time for my wife and kids. I beg you.”
Indeed, in a way, Rebecca couldn’t have found an opportunity to humiliate Joseph thus if it weren’t for me.
Both Joseph’s eyes and the tip of his nose turned red from his emotional state. As I gazed at his face, the scene of John getting beaten up flashed across my mind out of the blue.
In that split second, I realized that I couldn’t bear having anyone else getting hurt even worse because of me. I immediately took my things and slipped out of the car. My movement was so sudden that Joseph was taken aback.
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