Chapter 28 The Weight of Guilt
For example, her third sister, Maddy, had once hidden Joshua’s phone.
Wendy herself had done something similar.
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She vividly remembered an incident two years ago when their younger brother, Frankie, was playing with fire in the yard. He accidentally set the yard ablaze, which in turn destroyed their parents‘ favorite grapevine. He was terrified and came to Wendy for help, begging her to say that it was Joshua who started the fire.
Reluctantly, Wendy felt helpless and went to discuss the matter with Joshua, asking him to take the blame.
At first, Joshua refused and remained silent. Later, Wendy promised to take him on a tour of the family company, saying that it would help both her and Frankie. That promise made Joshua happily agree to accept the fall.
In the end, Joshua was severely punished by their parents. He was beaten and made to stand as punishment for two hours.
After everything was over, Joshua still came to her cheerfully, telling her he was fine.
Wendy thought him pathetic and ridiculous, and she felt amused. Then, she recorded the entire scene and sent it to her sisters‘ Snapchat group. As expected, all her sisters laughed out loud.
At this moment, Wendy’s entire body trembled uncontrollably, her hands and feet cold as ice. It was as if the blood in her veins had frozen solid.
Every hair on her body stood on end.
It turned out that he knew all along.
Joshua left the hospital quickly, found a bus, and headed home.
Wendy did not follow him, and he felt relieved.
“Joshua, the price of live shrimp and crabs has indeed gone up. We sold everything today.”
“Haha. Joshua, you’re amazing. Your prediction was spot on.”
On his way home, Joshua received calls from Tom and Gwen, his heart swelling with happiness. His mind was now focused on making more money, eventually striking it rich, and achieving financial independence.
He threw himself back into his busy work.
Wendy had no idea how she managed to make it home from the hospital. She felt numb, as though her entire body had frozen over.
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Chapter 28 The Weight of Guilt
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As the CEO of the family business and a top graduate from a prestigious university, Wendy had always been known for her rationality and decisiveness. She approached everything with order and never let emotions get in the way.
But when had she become this way?
Was it when Maddy posted the first video of Joshua in the sisters‘ group chat, or was it something else?
Or perhaps she subconsciously had never regarded Joshua as her real brother, merely as someone she could casually dismiss or toy with.
She hadn’t even realized that she had never truly taken him seriously. Even when he brought her food or smiled at her with eyes full of admiration, Wendy had always seen him as a burden, someone to distance herself from. She never thought it was a problem to occasionally mock or prank him.
But now, all she felt was a deep, bone–chilling cold.
Wendy walked home, utterly lost in her thoughts.
When she arrived at the Fraser Residence, Maggie and David were still sitting in the living room, chatting and watching TV as if nothing had happened. Shirley, Maddy, and Frankie were all there, too.
Judy and Indy had likely gone back to work, given their busy schedules.
Even though Joshua had been missing for seven or eight days, David and Maggie showed no concern. They remained calm and composed as if nothing was wrong.
At that moment, Wendy suddenly didn’t know what role Joshua truly played in the Frasers. She felt a strange sense of unreality wash over her.
Your retribution will come. It’s just a matter of time.‘
Joshua’s words echoed in her mind.
“Wendy, where have you been? The storm isn’t over yet.” Maggie asked when she saw her daughter return.
Wendy stared at them, opening her mouth to speak, but suddenly her phone rang.
“Ms. Wendy, we’ve cracked the phone. Should we bring it to you?”
“Yes. Bring it here. I’ll wait for you at home.”
“Okay. Ms. Wendy, please wait.”
Wendy hung up, taking a deep breath, holding back the tears threatening to fall. “I’m fine. I’m just a bit tired. I’ll go to rest now.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” David asked and noticed how pale she looked.
“I’m fine,” she replied, rejecting his concern as she made her way upstairs to her room.
Not long after, her assistant arrived with the phone.
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Chapter 28 The Weight of Guilt
It was Joshua’s old phone.
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However. Joshua no longer used it, as Maddy had hidden it long ago. He had already changed his number
and switched to a new Snapchat account.
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Promise to Punish My Ridiculous Family
