In the Years That Followed, There Was No Trace of You in My Life

When Josephine returned home, she saw Roderick and Katie. They were sitting side by side on the sofa chatting in low voices to each other. 

Upon seeing Josephine, Roderick's face instantly darkened. Katie, on the other hand, her eyes were red. And she scrambled to stand up from the sofa with her arms tightly around her child.

“Josephine, don't be angry. I'll stay far away from Roderick. Please, don't ever hurt my child again. He's still so young and innocent. If you have any grievances, you can just come to me!”

Josephine snorted lightly, “Katie if you used your acting skills to frame me in a movie, you might even win a Best Actress award this year.”

Roderick finally could no longer stay seated. He stood in front of Katie to block her.

“Josephine, apologize to Katie right now! It was your fault to snatch the child. Katie is magnanimous and doesn't hold a grudge. Yet you still dare to slander her?”

Josephine's gaze landed on Roderick's face. He suddenly felt utterly absurd. He actually believed Katie's words and believed that she would harm an innocent child.

After knowing her for so many years, was she so ruthless and heartless in his eyes? Katie poked her head out behind Roderick and smiled faintly at Josephine, full of provocation and complacency.

Josephine coldly lowered her face. “I will never apologize. I won’t admit to something I didn’t do.”

Roderick pinched his eyebrows. His face filled with impatience. 

“If you didn't do it, how did the child end up in your hands? Look at his face, it's still swollen even now. Josephine, when did you become so cruel like this?”

“In order to not get divorced and do this kind of unethical thing. Aren't you afraid that retribution will come to your own child?”

“Shut up!” 

Josephine's eyes nearly blazed with anger. For the sake of Katie's child, Roderick dared to curse the child in her womb. He was not worthy of being the father of her child.

“Early tomorrow morning, see you at the City Hall.”

Josephine turned around and went upstairs. And in a short while, she walked out with her suitcase. Roderick grabbed her hand. His expression changed slightly. 

“Where are you going?”

Josephine shook off his hand. “I’m moving out so that if anything happens later, you can’t blame it on me again.”

“Josephine Marchand!” 

Roderick said angrily, “You want to threaten me with running away from home?”

“Think whatever you want, but don’t forget to go to the City Hall tomorrow.”

Roderick darkened his face. “Okay, don't you regret it?  Since you're so stubborn, don't come begging me when you want to remarry.”

“Josephine, remember this, I'm not obligated to you. The day you don't apologize to Katie, the day I won't forgive you.”

Josephine was too lazy to pay attention to him and left without looking back.

***

The next morning, Josephine waited at the entrance of the City Hall for an hour before Roderick finally arrived.

“You are late.”

He frowned as he walked in front of Josephine. “Are you so impatient?”

“What else can I do?”

Roderick walked into the City Hall with a cold expression and said nothing.  Twenty minutes later, the two successfully obtained their freshly issued divorce certificate.

“Josephine, if you realize your mistake, apologize to Katie. And by the way, help take care of the children at home. Otherwise, I will never agree to remarry.”

Before Josephine could reply, the phone rang.

“Josephine, the divorce procedures are done, right? Three days from now, you will attend a birthday banquet on behalf of your father. And then I’ll send a car to take you to the airport.”

Josephine nodded. “Yeah, everything is done. Then I'll go straight back in three days.”

Roderick snapped his head up to stare at her. “Where are you going back to? You haven't apologized to Katie yet. You're not allowed to go anywhere!”

Josephine found it funny. “We are already divorced. What does it matter to you where I go?”

“It's up to you, Josephine. In three days, I’ll be getting married to Katie. You can come or not!”

After saying that, he opened the car door straight away, ready to drive away. Meanwhile, Katie sat in the passenger seat. She smiled provocatively at Josephine.

She used her lips to speak silently, “You lost. Roderick is mine now.”

Katie didn't know that Josephine didn't want Roderick a long time ago. A man who had been tainted like him, she would never look back to pick him up again.