Chapter 168
Rachel's face soured as she shot him a frosty look. "Mr. Smith, what's this got to do with you? Who are you to tell me what to do??"
"Yeah, Michael, you're crossing a line," Joseph chimed in with a smirk, eyeing Michael.
Michael's lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes turning icy. "Joseph, you do know she's got a boyfriend, right?"
"Yep, I know." Joseph shrugged nonchalantly.
Michael's gaze hardened. "And you're still hanging out with her?"
"Who said sitting with Rachel means we're dating?" Joseph spread his hands wide, then shot a cold glance at Mandy. "Oh, right, that was you."
"Yeah, it was me, but you admitted it." Mandy clung tighter to Michael's arm.
Joseph sneered. "Sure, I admitted it, but there are lots of ways to date. Who says being with Rachel means we have to be like you two? Maybe we're just on a business meeting."
Mandy was stumped. "Then what about those flowers? Is it normal to bring flowers to a business meeting?"
"What's wrong with flowers? Were they red roses? If it was a real date, why not bring red roses?" Joseph shot back.
Mandy opened her mouth but had nothing to say. Michael frowned, second-guessing himself. Maybe Rachel and Joseph weren't on a date after all. With that thought, Michael felt a lot less stressed.
"That's enough, Joseph," Rachel said, standing up and giving Michael and Mandy a cold stare. "People with dirty minds always think the worst. Explaining is pointless."
"Ms. Williams, how can you think of us like that?" Mandy's eyes widened.
Rachel ignored her and turned to Joseph. "Remember what I just told you."
"I got it. I'll help you find out." Joseph nodded.
Rachel smiled slightly. "Thanks. Let me know as soon as you find something. Let's go."
"Sure thing." Joseph immediately stood up.
Rachel grabbed the flowers from the table and left the café with Joseph.
Watching them leave, Mandy bit her lip. "Michael, they're going too far."
"Enough," Michael cut her off with a frown. "They made a good point. Only people with dirty minds always think the worst. Mandy, don't jump to conclusions so quickly." He realized he was also at fault for jumping to conclusions and believing one side of the story.
"Michael, are you blaming me?" Mandy looked at him, hurt.
Michael's eyes softened a bit. "No. I just think we shouldn't jump to conclusions before knowing the truth. It's unfair to everyone and just causes trouble."
Mandy lowered her head, feeling wronged. "I didn't think that much. I just heard Joseph say they were on a date."
"He was messing with you." Michael rubbed his temples.
Mandy stomped her foot. "That's so annoying."
"Alright, let's drop it. Didn't you want to try the coffee here?" Michael clearly wanted to change the subject.
Mandy noticed and sighed, nodding. "Okay."
After leaving the café, Joseph offered to drive Rachel back, but she declined since her car was nearby. Joseph had to let it go.
Watching Rachel drive away, Joseph whistled lightly, feeling pretty good. They weren't really dating, but she did accept his flowers.
He decided he'd bring her a bouquet every time they met from now on. Over time, he figured she'd get used to it, and maybe, just maybe, they'd turn this whole charade into something real. A sly smile crept onto Joseph's lips.
He'd noticed a while back that Rachel's looks towards John were purely friendly. So, whether they were actually a couple still needed some digging.
Joseph leaned against his car, twirling his keychain, waiting around without a care in the world. About half an hour later, Michael and Mandy showed up.
Seeing Joseph still there, Michael looked puzzled. Mandy, standing next to him, also noticed Joseph. "Mr. Anderson, why are you still here? Where's Ms. Williams?"
"She already left," Joseph said with a forced smile. "Mr. Smith, I need a word with you alone. Can you ask Mandy to give us a moment?"
"I'm Michael's fiancée. What can't be said in front of me?" Mandy replied with a smile.
Joseph didn't mince words. "This is something you can't hear."
Mandy gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Alright, Mandy, wait for me in the car. I'll be there in a minute." Michael gestured for her to leave.
Though clearly annoyed, Mandy walked off, leaving the two men facing each other.
It was quite a sight—two tall, handsome guys standing on the street, catching the eyes of passersby. But they were used to the attention and didn't seem bothered.
Michael broke the silence. "What do you want to talk about?"
Joseph casually ran a hand through his hair. "I've fallen for Rachel."
Michael's face darkened. "What did you just say?"
"I said, I've fallen for Rachel," Joseph repeated.
Michael grabbed Joseph by the collar. At first, he thought Joseph was joking, but now he saw he was dead serious. How could this be? How could he let this happen?
Michael was furious, feeling a deep sense of betrayal, making him look grim. "Do you know what you're saying?"
"Of course." Joseph shrugged off Michael's grip, took a step back, and straightened his clothes. "My feelings for Rachel are real."
"But Rachel is my ex-wife!" Michael clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with anger.
"I know," Joseph said coolly, looking at Michael with a teasing smile. "Since she's your ex-wife, I haven't done anything wrong. So why are you mad?"
At that moment, Michael realized that he and Rachel had been divorced for years and had no ties. So even if Joseph had feelings for her, it wasn't wrong or a betrayal. But he still felt a surge of uncontrollable anger. Why did he feel this way? He was confused.
Michael took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and looked coldly at Joseph. "Even if Rachel has nothing to do with me, you can't love her. Don't forget, she's John's girlfriend."
Joseph smirked. "Rachel and John aren't really together. Their relationship is fake."
Michael was stunned. Joseph continued, "You can tell from how she acts; they're just pretending to be a couple."
Hearing this, Michael felt a rush of joy.
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