Chapter 315 Don't Blame Him for Being Ruthless
Josephine never thought that the day before their first Starlight Festival back home, she and Jeffery would end up in the hospital.
Even though Stuart had left, he made sure to order dinner for them.
Jeffery had pneumonia and had to stick to a bland diet, but Josephine's meal was pretty fancy.
Josephine's phone hadn't stopped ringing since the afternoon.
Todd called unexpectedly, inviting her home for the Starlight Festival, but Josephine calmly explained her inability to attend.
Todd didn't seem to care about Jeffery and instead said, "Since you can't come back, you should tell Stuart to back off from the Campbell family's business."
Josephine wanted to laugh, "I can't control what he does."
"What's with that attitude! You know how closely Emily is tied to the Campbell family. If something happens to them, do you think we'll come out unscathed? How can you be so self-centered?"
Josephine shot back, "Selfish? Jeffery is battling pneumonia and running a high fever. Did you even bother to ask about him? After all, he's your grandson, isn't he?"
"You don't even acknowledge your parents, why should I care about a grandson!"
Josephine couldn't take it anymore and hung up the phone.
Todd was so angry that he smashed his phone.
Emily, sobbing beside him, said, "Dad, is Josephine still not going to help?"
Todd angrily replied, "Forget about her! She's heartless and ungrateful!"
Esther anxiously said, "What should we do? Do we really have to call off the engagement?"
Emily pleaded, "I don't want to call off the engagement, Dad. You've got to think of something!"
This guy was the best match she could find. She had counted on The Campbell Family for support, with the powerful Clarence Family backing them. But now, The Campbell Family was in deep trouble. Despite the odds, Emily clung to the hope of a turnaround.
The Campbells felt the same way. However, the grim reality was that The Clarence Family wouldn't lift a finger, even if Shirley begged on her knees. So, this Starlight Festival was going to be a rough ride for The Campbell Family. Meanwhile, the online buzz didn't let up, dredging up old scandals and past misdeeds of The Campbell Family members.
In stark contrast, The Clarence Family's Starlight Festival was as serene and harmonious as ever.
On the night before the festival, an additional set of utensils was consistently laid out next to Nicole at The Clarence Family's dining table.
Everyone in the family knew it was for Lily. Even after more than twenty years, her place in the family remained unchallenged and ever-present.
Just as they were about to start eating, Gerald's phone rang. He glanced at it and stood up, "I'll take this call."
He answered it on the balcony.
Alfonso, hearing him pick up, hurriedly said, "Gerald."
"If you're bringing up that matter again, there's no need," Gerald said. "It's not that I don't value the relationship between our families, but you went too far, and there's evidence. How can I help?"
Alfonso's voice was pleading, "Gerald, everyone online is talking about this. My parents will have no dignity left."
"Why didn't you think about the consequences before doing that?"
Alfonso was silent.
Gerald pressed on, "If one of our Clarence Family kids messes up, I won't sweep it under the rug, let alone for you. You made a mistake, you have to bear the responsibility."
"Gerald, there's actually something else on my mind."
If it weren't for Nicole and Betty's relationship, Gerald wouldn't have even entertained this conversation. He inquired calmly, "Alright, spill it. What else is on your plate?"
"A few days ago, I went to your house and accidentally saw a photo of Mrs. Clarence." Alfonso was desperate. He thought, if worse came to worst, he would tell Gerald about Josephine's existence.
He knew that The Clarence Family would have to express gratitude for finding Lily, understanding their deep attachment to her.
He took a deep breath and said, "Then I realized that the girl I like looks a lot like Mrs. Clarence."
The Clarence Family had been searching for Lily for over twenty years. During these two decades, they had searched countless places and met numerous girls who resembled their family members. But every time, after the anticipation came disappointment.Everyone knew The Clarence Family was on a mission to find their daughter. Over a decade ago, a crazy guy even had his daughter undergo plastic surgery to look like Nicole, just to get in with The Clarence Family.
That guy thought that even if a DNA test proved she wasn't their kid, he could still benefit because his daughter looked like Nicole.
But the higher Nicole's hopes, the harder the fall. Each time, the emotional toll took a hit on her health. This vicious cycle made her health deteriorate over time.
Gerald increasingly resented those who attempted to establish a bond with him based solely on physical resemblance. The last person he expected to join their ranks was Alfonso.
But remembering that Nicole had Betty's companionship and Shirley's support to get through the most painful times, Gerald decided to cut Alfonso some slack one more time.
"I get it," Gerald said. "I'll have someone look into it."
From Gerald's tone, Alfonso knew he wasn't taking it seriously.
He panicked and said, "It's true! Josephine looks a lot like Mrs. Clarence! If you don't believe me, you can do a DNA test first!"
Gerald knew that Alfonso was desperate now. Stuart's ruthless tactics not only caused The Campbell Family to be vilified online but also directly devalued their assets.
If this continued, it wouldn't be long before The Campbell Family had nothing left except for their hidden artworks. And Stuart probably had plans for those famous paintings as well.
So, it was understandable that Alfonso, unable to find a solution, would resort to making things up.
"I'll have someone handle it," Gerald said sternly. "As for you, I've told you before, the only way to resolve this is to sincerely apologize to the victim and seek her forgiveness."
Alfonso was about to smash his phone. Apologize? Screw that! Now he might face criminal charges, what good would an apology do! His whole life was ruined!
Thinking about this, Alfonso sneered, "Well, thanks for the reminder, Gerald."
Alfonso thought to himself, 'since The Clarence Family is heartless, I won't be merciful! Doesn't they dream of finding Lily? I provided such an important clue, almost delivering Lily to them, yet they still acted so arrogantly. Well, they can't blame me for being ruthless!'
He was currently out on bail. Although The Clarence Family had previously supported him, it was clear now that they wouldn't help him anymore. So, despite trying to pull strings, no one would assist him.
But there were still some things he could do.
He knew that although Gerald pretended not to care, he would definitely have someone investigate. Even if it led to disappointment every time, Gerald wouldn't miss any glimmer of hope.
Alfonso couldn't do much now, but he could still interfere with their DNA test results.
He guessed correctly. After hanging up on Alfonso, Gerald immediately called his subordinates, instructing them to find a way to obtain Josephine's hair or something similar for a DNA test. His people were already very experienced in such tasks.
After giving the orders, Gerald returned to the dining room.
Nicole asked him, "What was that about? You were on the phone for so long."
Gerald didn't dare tell her, fearing it would give her hope only to lead to disappointment again.
"Work stuff," he brushed it off. "Can we start eating now?"
The family then began their lively meal.
Meanwhile, Josephine hadn't replied to Stuart's messages because her phone had been constantly ringing.
After Todd's call, she and Jeffery had dinner, and then Laura sent a video.
Laura was worried about them being in the hospital, but Josephine wouldn't let her come over. So, Laura started a video call to keep Josephine company.
Later, Claudia also sent a video, so Josephine decided to start a group call with both video and audio. This way, everyone could see each other.
Claudia's competition was nearing its end, and her work had unsurprisingly made it to the finals. Now, they were just waiting for the judges' results.
Although this competition wasn't very popular domestically, it was highly regarded in the design industry.
As they chatted, Josephine asked Claudia, "Has Jair contacted you?"
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