Chapter <b>59 </b>
“Joseph…” Nina’s voice trembled as she stood by her brother’s hospital bed, his face pale against the white sheets. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her sobs catching in her throat.
Out in the hallway, Joseph was deep in conversation with an oldrade. The man’s expression was tight, worry written all over his face, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite get the words
out.
“Joseph, your kid’s still young. There’s still time to turn things around.”
Joseph nodded, his jaw clenched. “If you hadn’t helped today, I probably wouldn’t have even gotten to see her.”
“The oldmander giving you another shot means he still trusts you,” his friend said, giving Joseph’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Guys like us, we grew up with nothing. Now all we do is chase money, and sometimes we forget what’s really important–raising our kids right. Life gives and takes, you know? There’s always a price.”
He shook his head, sighing.
Ben walked his friend to the door. But before he could say a word, Nina’s voice sliced through the air. “Dad, how could you do that to your own son?” <!--
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She stared at him, her eyes red and swollen, thinking about Joseph’s hands–hands that might never be the same. <fn9959> Updates are released by find?novel</fn9959>
Ben’s face darkened. He strode over, ring down at Nina. “You’re questioning me? You knew Theo was married and still went after him, desperate to be the other woman. Did I raise you to break up someone else’s family?”
Nina’s anger red. “I love him! What’s so wrong with that?”
She wiped her tears away, her voice shaking with frustration. “And don’t act like you didn’t let me be with Theo! Didn’t you say it would help the Miller family? Wasn’t that supposed to be good for everyone? Now, just because you’re worried about your own reputation, you’re ming everything on me?”
The sound of Ben’s p rang out, sharp <b>and </b>shocking. <b>Nina’s </b>lip split, <b>blood </b>trickling down her chin. She stared <b>at </b>the floor, stunned–she’d never been hit before. Ben had always been strict, but he’d
neverid a hand on her. Not until now.
Sobbing, Nina shoved past him and ran out of the hospital, her cries echoing down the hallway.
“Did you hear? The Miller boy broke his
“Where’d you hear that?”
arm
“My husband told me. Apparently, the Parsons family came all the way to Riverdale to back up their daughter. They were ready for a fight, but then it turned out Ben used to serve under the Parsons‘ old man. Back when Ben left the army, his mom needed surgery and they couldn’t afford it–Parsons gave him two hundred grand, just like that.”
13:27
“Wow. That’s like that story–save a snake and it bites you. Some people just don’t know gratitude”
“It’splicated,” the woman said, twisting her ring as she spoke. “I heard Ben handled the whole. thing himself, quick and clean.”
A wave of shock rolled through the café. A father injuring his own son–maybe he didn’t have any other choice.
“It’s all so messy with the Newtons, too. Patricia’s married into the family, Joseph and Theo grew <b>up </b>like brothers. For Joseph to actually hit his brother’s wife? Theo must’ve really embarrassed Patricia in public. And then the Newtons just kept quiet? It was Patricia’s own family that had to step in for her. Makes you wonder about the Newtons, right? Especially since Patricia’s injury was their fault to begin with.”
“Exactly!”
“And don’t even get me started on the Martins. They took her parents‘ money, but when the kid got hurt, did you see them do anything? Nothing. It was always her mom’s side stepping up.”
The café buzzed with gossip, voices rising and falling behind decorative screens.
Kelly and Tina sat together, listening to every word. They were both at the center of the rumors, the subject of everyone’s judgment.
Once, they’d been picture–perfect society women. Now they sat silent, their reputations unraveling with every whispered insult.
Tina watched Kelly carefully, her voice low. “Didn’t you say Theo and Patricia were divorced? If that’s true, shouldn’t you be out there clearing things up? Why is everyone still saying you’re not involved?”