<b>Chapter </b><b>276 </b>
As night fell, Tuff came over to the Kingsley family’s ce to spend the night, just like always.
Surprisingly, Ka wasn’t around.
Amelia made him a cup of coffee and asked, “Howe you have time toe over?”
“Ie over every day.” Tuff found the question odd and started to feel uneasy. “Amy, are you sick of me and trying to kick me out?”
“It’s not that.” Amelia shook her head. “Your mom’s home. Shouldn’t you be spending more time with her?”
“My mom doesn’t need me around.” Tuff shrugged. “After I started boarding in high school, I hardly went home. She’s used to it.”
“And Miss Lambert? Doesn’t she need yourpany?” Amelia asked.
Tuff flinched, and he finally understood Ka and Amelia were trying to make things difficult for him because of Joyce
“Joyce is my mom’s goddaughter. She has nothing to do with me,” Tuff quickly rified.
“Oh, really?” Amelia chuckled. “So if she has nothing to do with you, why did you personally make her fresh juice?”
Tuff suddenly put two and two together and broke into a cold sweat.
‘Seriously? All I did was make Joyce a ss of orange juice at home because my mom made me. Is that a crime now?‘ he thought, feeling a bit exasperated.
“It’s just a ss of orange juice, no big deal,” Amelia said nonchntly.
Tuff wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Yeah, I just made it in passing. It didn’t mean anything.”
“But Joyce made it sound like something else on her Instagram,” Amelia said.
Tuff frowned in confusion.
Amelia forwarded him the picture Wesley had sent her.
When Tuff saw that picture and the caption, he broke out in a cold sweat again.
He called Joyce and put her on speaker right in front of Amelia. “What’s going on with your Instagram post?”
“Hmm?” Joyce repliedzily.
Tuff demanded. “One ss of juice, and you had to show off? And what’s with your caption? Love?”
“Oh really? Let me take a look,” Joyce replied,pletely unfazed.
Facing Tuff’s anger, Joyce replied calmly, “Oh, I left out a few words. I meant to say, ‘I love orange juice.“”
“<b>Ugh</b>! Forgot <b>a </b>few words? You’re a doctor. How can you be <b>so </b>careless<b>?</b>” Tuff shot back, clearly unimpressed.
<b>“</b><b>Tuff</b><b>, </b>I really just left <b>out </b><b>a </b><b>couple </b><b>of </b>words,” Joyce said, sounding casual.
Tuff <b>said</b>, <b>“</b><b>Then </b>delete it <b>and </b>post it again<b>. </b>Also<b>, </b><b>crop </b><b>me </b>out <b>of </b><b>the </b><b>background</b><b>.” </b>
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19:25 Mon, 4 Aug
“No problem,” Joyce agreed immediately, her tone totally calm, showing no annoyance at all.
Tuff let out a breath of relief and tried to appease Amelia. “You heard it, right? It’s just a misunderstanding.”
“I heard,” Amelia said, raising an eyebrow.
She thought, ‘This isn’t a misunderstanding at all. Joyce did it on purpose. When she decided to post it, she had already prepared a way to exin it. What a crafty rival.‘
Amelia figured that with Ka’s fiery personality, she might not be able to deal with Joyce.
Good thing Amelia had the advantage of living two lives, and she knew exactly how to handle it.
“I’ll tell Ka,” Amelia said. “But Tuff, seriously, don’t let Joycee over to your ce anymore. That’s your love nest with Ka.”
“Got it,” Tuff agreed.
Taking her advice, he called Joyce again.“Joyce, don’te to my ce anymore. My wife isn’t happy about it.”
Joyce teased. “Tuff, you’re that afraid of your wife? What, is she a fearsome shrew or something?”
Tuff felt a surge of anger. “Joyce!” he snapped. “Don’t talk about my wife like that!”
“Okay, okay, I won’t.” Joyceughed. “Tuff, I’m leaving now. I promise I won’te again, alright?”
“Mm,” Tuff grunted, still annoyed. His thick brows were still furrowed.
He felt like his anger had started off strong but fizzled out in the end, and it didn’t feel great.
But since Joyce had owned up and fixed things right away, he didn’t have any excuse to keep making a fuss.
Hence, Tuff just sat there, sulking and brooding to himself.
“Tuff you don’t get how women think, so just stay away from Joyce as much as you can,” Amelia said, understanding why he was frustrated. “And Ka has decided to get cosmetic surgery.”
“What?” Tuff was stunned.
Amelia said, “No, don’t! I don’t mind at all. She doesn’t have to put herself through that,” he said, his voice full of concern.
“It’s already scheduled. She’ll go once everything with Mom is settled.”
Tuff felt a deep ache in his chest and let out <b>a </b>heavy sigh
In a daze, that night shed before his eyes again–the sky zing with fire<b>, </b>smoke thick in the air.
A stray bullet had cut through the darkness, and right at that moment, that slender girl came running out. The bullet had grazed her face<b>… </b>
<b>Ka</b><b>, </b>I’m sorry… Tuff muttered to himself.
Sitting across from him, Amelia caught that and was shocked. “What did you do to my sister?”
<b>“</b><b>N</b><b>–</b><b>no</b><b>, </b><b>nothing </b>Tuff quickly shook his head, snapping out of it. “Ka’s still at the hospital, right? I’ll go pick her <b>up</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
<b>After </b><b>Tuff </b><b>left</b>, Ame <b>furrowed </b><b>her </b><b>brows</b>, sensing there was <b>more </b>behind his words.
19:25 Mon, 4 Aug
‘Could he have done something to betray Ka?‘ Amelia wondered.
AD