They'd been petty and critical their whole lives, finding fault in everything. If they weren't so good at tormenting Wendy, Joanna wouldn't even want to acknowledge them.

"Mom, you know I can't take care of them," Joanna said, exasperated. Lately, the project with Nora had run into problems. Although the deal was signed, they were facing production issues, and she was already swamped. And she was due to start filming in a few days.

Wendy's eyes glinted. "Then what should we do? You know your grandparents. If no one is there to entertain them, they'll throw a fit."

"We have maids at home, Mom. Don't worry about it. You just focus on Dad. I have to go." Joanna stood up abruptly. It was getting late, and Sebastian still hadn't called. He was paying less and less attention to her, and she knew she had to do something to win him back.

Wendy watched her leave, shaking her head slightly. How had she been so blind to Joanna's clumsy manipulations for all these years? Sometimes, you can know a person your whole life and never truly see them. She had lived with Nathan for over twenty years and had only just begun to understand the man he really was.

Wendy gently helped Nathan lie back down, and he complied without a word. A flicker of hatred crossed her eyes. "Nathan, your parents are here. They're upset because you didn't send them their allowance last month, so they've come to make a scene. You need to get better soon. Aren't you the filial son? If you stay like this, I'll have no choice but to sell your company to pay for their retirement."

"No!" Nathan shot up, his eyes darting around nervously. The company might not look profitable on paper, but only he knew that he had been funneling its assets to his other wife and son. He started to wonder if Wendy was onto him. Did she know something?

Wendy knew he was faking. It seemed Nathan was getting suspicious of her, too.

"You shameless man," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "You don't recognize your own daughter, but you certainly recognize your company. Are you really sick, ofis this all an act? Since you're fine, you can go home and wait on your parents hand and foot. I've served them for over twenty years, and I'm tired. I'm too old to be ordered around by your mother every single day."

"You're my husband," she continued, her voice rising. "If you cared about me at all, you wouldn't let your mother treat me like that. The

company is struggling, and if thi don't turn around soon, I don't know what we'll do. Your four sons are useless. I gave you a company to run, and you've driven it into the ground. I have worked my fingers to the bone for this family, but does anyone appreciate it? Your mother. still says, I'm not a good daughter-in-law, that I've cut off your family's support. If it weren't for me, would any of you be living this well? I'm exhausted. I can't serve them anymore. You can go home and do it yourself."

With that, Wendy stormed out of the room.

Nathan watched her go, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. What she said was true. She had shouldered the burden of the company for years, and it had been

hard on her. But wasn't it a child's duty to respect their parents?

He glanced down at his groin, a sharp pain piercing his heart. The doctor had told him that due to the medication, he would likely be impotent for the rest of his life. What

was he going to do? And what had todo?

happened earlier? For a moment, he genuinely hadn't recognized Joanna. Was he really sick? His memory had been failing him lately, and he was constantly seeing things that weren't there.

FindNovel.net

He slapped his own face, hard. The sting was real; he wasn't dreaming. But why

was he having these hallucinations?