Chapter 15 Liar
What? Someone took advantage of our daughter?
Hearing that sentence, Connor ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife before striding to the door. At the sight of Jonathan, he froze in his tracks. “Jonathan? Aren’t you dead?”
Didn’t this loser die after going missing three years ago?
“Dad, I’m still alive…” Jonathan explained.
“If you’re alive, where have you been for the past three years?” Connor demanded with a face as black as thunder. As he had never liked this son-in-law of his, he thought Josephine could remarry into a wealthy family after Jonathan’s disappearance.
Alas, Jonathan had returned.
“Dad, I’ve been—”
Jonathan parted his lips to explain, but Margaret interjected rudely, “Connor, what are you doing? Butcher this scum! He’s the one who violated Emmeline and hurt me!”
“What? He did that?” Connor stared at his wife in disbelief, for he knew Jonathan’s character well.
He had never talked back to us or defied our orders. There’s no way he’d dare to violate Emmeline!
Despite how much he loathed Jonathan, he refused to believe that the latter was capable of defiling his daughter.
“Do you not trust me, Connor?” Margaret wailed. “How could you not stand on our side when our daughter was violated? I can’t stand this. I’ll file for divorce tomorrow!”
She acted like a shrew, yelling and shrieking insults.
Connor had no choice but to give in. As a henpecked husband, he was usually afraid of his wife, especially when she was kicking up a fuss. Carefully, he said, “Darling, listen to me—”
“I don’t want to! You’re a damn coward, Connor Smith! Why won’t you avenge your daughter? You good-for-nothing…”
Even when faced with endless rebukes, Connor said nothing until Josephine walked over from the living room. “What’s going on here?”
“Oh, Josephine!” Margaret flung herself into her daughter’s arms before wailing, “Hurry, call the police! Jonathan sexually assaulted your sister. We can’t let him leave! Call the police so that he’ll get locked up in jail forever!”
“What? Jonathan sexually assaulted Emmeline?” Josephine swiveled around to the door. Sure enough, there stood Jonathan, who she had just met that afternoon.
“Josephine, listen to me.” Jonathan began his explanation. “I saw Emmeline drinking with a bunch of hooligans at the bar. They drugged her drink, and I was the one who rescued her!”
“Nonsense!” Margaret hissed. “Emmeline has never been to a bar!”
“Emmeline, is he telling the truth?” Josephine asked sternly, her brows knitted together.
Even though her hatred for Jonathan remained, she knew he was not someone who would rape her sister.
“No, Josephine!” Emmeline shook her head profusely as though she had been framed. “Josephine, don’t listen to him. He was the one who stalked me in the dark and intended to assault me when no one was around. Luckily, I ran away before he could do so!”
She hastily showed the bruises on her arm to prove that she was telling the truth. “Look at what he did to me!”
Seeing Emmeline’s pitiful act, Jonathan sneered. Where did she learn how to lie and accuse me of something I didn’t do? Oh, her mother, of course. She’s a pretentious b*tch, lying through her teeth!
“Jonathan, explain yourself.” Josephine cast an icy glare in his direction, her disappointment evident.
I must be blind to have fallen for him! I can’t believe he tried to harm my sister!
“I have nothing to say,” Jonathan answered. Based on Josephine’s gaze, it was evident that she had chosen to believe her sister. “I’ve saved her, so it’s up to you to choose who to trust. I shall take my leave now!”
He was not about to waste more time here.
However, when Margaret heard he intended to leave, she scowled in displeasure. “You want to leave? No way! Do you think you can leave just like that after trying to violate Emmeline?”
“What do you want?” Jonathan tilted his head to look at her, a frown marring his forehead.
“Hah! You have two choices. Either we call the police now and have you serve a life sentence in prison, or you bring your household registry here tomorrow morning so that you and Josephine can file for divorce at the City Hall!” Margaret revealed with a derisive snort.
“Looks like you won’t stop until Josephine and I get a divorce.” Jonathan’s gaze turned frosty when he finally understood the Smiths’ true intention.
They are ganging up on me to force me to agree to the divorce!
“Of course! You’re a scum who tried to rape his own sister-in-law! What right do you have to stay married to Josephine?” Margaret announced haughtily.
“I won’t agree to a divorce, but you’re welcome to call the police!” Jonathan replied calmly. “Ask the police to check the surveillance cameras at the bar. Let’s find out if I was the one who tailed Emmeline or someone had drugged her in the bar!”
“No!” Emmeline blurted out anxiously at his suggestion.
“Why? Are you afraid now?” Jonathan sneered.
“Bullsh*t! Emmeline isn’t afraid of you.” Margaret stared him down. “Let’s do that then. Josephine, call the police!”
“No, don’t call the police!” A panicky look took over Emmeline’s facial features as she waved her hands hastily. “Mom, don’t kick up a fuss. If others get wind about this, I won’t be able to show myself in public. No one will ever want to marry me!”
Margaret hesitated. “Then… Are we going to let him off?” Jonathan is despicable enough not to care about his reputation, but not my daughter! If word gets out, no family will accept her as their daughter-in-law!
