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Maggie was reluctant to give Joshua a basic allowance, let alone allow him to benefit from the Frasers‘
name or resources.
The same applied to Wendy herself–in the past, there was almost no chance she would allow Joshua to rely on the Frasers‘ connections.
Now, however. Wendy felt a chilling emptiness in her heart.
With no success in finding Joshua at school and no other leads, she had no choice but to contact the police
for assistance.
Meanwhile, Maggie and David, busy with their own affairs, decided to leave.
Before departing, Maggie, perhaps out of some lingering sense of duty as Joshua’s biological mother. instructed Wendy to notify her immediately if Joshua was found.
Wendy was left feeling suffocated.
Joshua had been missing for more than ten days now. He hadn’t returned home at all. What could possibly be more important than finding him?
She strongly suspected that Maggie had gone off to join her usual group of wealthy socialites for yet another shopping spree.
It was something she often prioritized.
“Wendy, where could Joshua have gone?” Shirley asked, accompanying her on this fruitless search.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to wait for the police to check the surveillance footage,” Wendy replied, feeling utterly helpless.
Joshua was supposed to be attending school, but the school had refused to let them in, worried they might disrupt the students‘ classes.
After all, Joshua had denied any familial ties to them, telling the school he was an orphan with no family or relatives. As such, the school believed him.
His homeroom teacher, Agnes, had just spoken to them earlier.
“I don’t recall Joshua having any family. According to his records, he’s always been listed as an orphan. Why are you pretending to be his relatives?”
She added, “You are not permitted to enter the school, and under no circumstances are you allowed to disturb our students during class. I’ve already said this–Joshua is an orphan. Stop pestering us.”
Maggie looked as if she was ready to argue with Agnes, but Wendy quickly stepped in to stop her before the situation escalated further.
For now, any news of Joshua would have to wait.
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Soon enough, the police provided some updates. A stout police officer approached them with a report and surveillance footage in hand.
“Joshua, huh? This high schooler is pretty impressive, the officer remarked with a tone of admiration. “We went around asking about him and found out that he’s been renting a large warehouse near Eastview’s wholesale market. He’s been using it to stockpile bananas and longans. From what we gathered, he and a few of his friends have been busy managing their inventory there. Over the past few days, the price of longans skyrocketed, and they made a considerable profit–probably several thousands.”
“Several thousands?” Shirley exclaimed, utterly stunned.
The officer nodded. “That’s right. The local wholesalers told us he bought bananas at a cheap price. After the storm hit and prices soared, he sold them for double the profit! It seems he predicted the price spike caused by the storm and acted quickly to buy up stock. I have to say, it’s quite remarkable for someone his
age.
Shirley was left speechless.
“Do you know where he is now?” Wendy pressed.
They just finished selling off their bananas and longans and are on their way back to school. If you wait at the school gate, you should be able to meet him soon,” the officer replied.
Thank you!” Wendy said gratefully.
The officer waved off her thanks and responded politely, “You’re welcome.”
Then, he turned and walked away, leaving the sisters to process what they had just learned.
“Wendy, Joshua really has an eye for opportunities! He actually hoarded bananas for profit! Do you think what the police said is true?” Shirley asked, her tone tinged with disbelief.
“If the police are saying it, then it’s likely true,” Wendy replied firmly. “By the way, have you gone through those messages I told you about?”
“No, I–I haven’t…” Shirley stammered, her guilt evident. “There’s just too much in there. I’ll look at them in a few days.”
“You know it too, don’t you?” Wendy looked at her younger sister sharply.
Shirley froze, unable to meet her sister’s eyes.
“He used to admire you. He looked up to you, do you know that?” Wendy’s voice trembled slightly, betraying her rising emotions.
Shirley hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Deep down, she already knew the truth. Joshua had once sneaked into her music classes, sitting quietly in the back just to listen. He had proudly introduced her to his friends, his chest puffed with pride.
He had been like a loyal, eager puppy, desperate for her approval and attention. But back then, all Shirley felt was irritation and annoyance, dismissing him as a nuisance.
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She avoided looking at those chat records because she feared confronting the past–seeing words that would make her heart ache with guilt.
“No matter what. Joshua is still our little brother, bound to us by blood. Wendy caid, her tone steady but edged with a hint of reproach. “I won’t bring this up with the others for now, but you’re the second oldest sibling. You should know what you need to do.
Shirley fidgeted nervously, her composure faltering. I. I’ll go back and read them. I promise!”
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Promise to Punish My Ridiculous Family
