Chapter 43 He Has Completely Severed Ties
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Wendy was also on her way to find Joshua. Just yesterday, she had managed to get his address from the police, and after a lengthy drive, she finally arrived at the place where he was supposed to be living. But when she got there, disappointment hit her. He wasn’t there.
Joshua wasn’t at the apartment, nor was he at school. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
When Maggie asked her sharply about Joshua’s whereabouts, Wendy quickly responded, “Mom, Dad, don’t go looking for him yet! Let me try to find him first!”
Maggie, however, wasn’t having it. With a stormy expression, she snapped, “If I don’t go looking for him, he’ll think he can do whatever he pleases! How many days has it been since he last came home? Just what is he doing out there?”
Wendy sighed, her tone both exasperated and pleading. “Mom, have you forgotten? You and Dad already signed the papers to disown him!”
Maggie’s eyes widened in fury. “What did you just say?”
“You both signed the disownment papers,” Wendy said, trying to keep her voice calm but firm. “And it seems like Joshua has taken it seriously. And Mom, don’t forget, Joshua was an orphan before he came to this family. He grew up in an orphanage!”
“And what are you trying to say?” Maggie’s voice was ice–cold now. “That just because we signed a piece of paper, he thinks he can go against me? Let me tell you something, Wendy: even if I did sign those papers, he’s not escaping from my control!”
“Mom, why are you so determined to bring him back?” Wendy’s voice cracked slightly, frustration evident in her tone. “You don’t give him food, you don’t give him clothes, and not even a bit of pocket money. What do you want him back home for? To confine him within Fraser Residence?”
Maggie’s expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“The doctor said it clearly, didn’t he? Joshua is malnourished!” Wendy’s voice rose slightly. She was no longer able to suppress the emotions bubbling inside her. “When he’s at home, he doesn’t get enough to eat! How is he supposed to live like that? I don’t understand why you want to bring him back.”
“He’s your younger brother!” Maggie hissed, her voice trembling with anger. “Of course, he should come home! Do you want him to keep wandering outside like some stray? He’s young, reckless, and undisciplined. If we don’t keep a firm hand on him, he’ll grow up to be completely unmanageable! Let me make this clear, Wendy: he’s going nowhere. He belongs in my house, under my watch!”
She continued, her face flushed with rage. “He’s been gone from home for so long that he’s completely angered me. If he dares to step foot back in this house, I swear, I’ll skin him alive!”
Wendy felt a cold wave wash over her heart as she listened to those words.
She hadn’t expected Maggie to harbor such thoughts.
In the past, she might have shrugged it off, chalking it up to her mother’s overbearing nature. But now, it was different. It felt as though she had fallen into a glacial abyss, the suffocating chill leaving her paralyzed
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with dread.
“Mom, how could you…
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling as tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. “Why do you hate him so much? What has he done to deserve this from you? What could he possibly have done to warrant such hatred that’s so deep you’re determined to destroy him?”
Maggie’s face darkened with fury on the other end of the line. “What nonsense are you spouting? He’s your brother! Everything I’m doing is for his own good!” she snapped. “Where are you picking up these ridiculous ideas? Was it Joshua who put these thoughts in your head? Let me tell you, Wendy, those nasty habits of his, every last one of them, must be stripped away! I won’t stand for it!”
Wendy let out a bitter laugh. her tears finally spilling down her cheeks. “Mom,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “You’ve done it. He’s not coming home anymore.”
Without waiting for a response, she ended the call.
The click of the disconnect tone reverberated like a slap in Maggie’s ears, and her face flushed with rage. “David!” she bellowed, her voice cutting through the air. “Your eldest daughter has grown bold, too bold! She dared to hang up on me! She’s completely out of control!”
David just calmly asked. “Did she tell you where Joshua is?”
“No!” she huffed. pacing the room in anger. “But I’ll call Shirley and see what she knows.” Without hesitation, she picked up her phone again, her irritation overriding any semblance of patience. She scrolled to Shirley’s contact number and dialed.
At that moment, Shirley was at home, hesitating over whether to check the messages on her phone. She felt as though she didn’t have the courage to face them, overwhelmed by a sense of unease and resistance
in her heart.
When Maggie’s call came through, Shirley was flipping through a book.
“Shirley, have you seen where Joshua went?”
Shirley was startled, and she quickly responded, “I don’t know, Mom! Maybe, you should ask Wendy. She might know something!”
“Wendy? What on earth is going on with her? She had the nerve to hang up on me!” Maggie’s anger flared.
“She hung up on you?” Shirley’s surprise mirrored Maggie’s frustration. She fumbled for words, rushing to soothe her. “Mom, don’t be angry just yet. Maybe she had something urgent going on. Let’s wait until she’s back, and we can ask her directly!”
“Don’t wait. Call her immediately and tell her to come home right now!” Maggie demanded.
“Alright! I’ll contact her right away!” Shirley stammered, eager to diffuse her mother’s growing temper.
Without wasting another second, she grabbed her phone and dialed Wendy’s number. As soon as the line
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Chapter 43 He Has Completely Severed Ties
On the other end, Wendy sniffled and asked, “Shirley, did you read the messages in the group chat?”
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