After the divorce, he begged

“You knew Mom would be upset, but you still did it. So much for caring about her like you say,” Samuel said seriously, his big, round eyes glaring at Jeffrey with obvious annoyance.

Jeffrey lifted his brow with a playful smirk. He thought, ‘Didn’t expect the kid to catch that.’

“Anyway, I’m telling Mom everything,” Samuel insisted, refusing to get tricked. “She deserves to know what you’re really like.”

Jeffrey replied, “And then what?”

Samuel shot back, “Then she’ll stay away from you, and you’ll never become my dad.”

“And how’s that any different from now? All you’re doing is making her upset and not bringing any happiness at all,” Jeffrey said, squatting down to meet Samuel’s gaze, his usual mind games in full swing.

He continued, “Looks like you don’t really care about her as much as you say.”

Samuel tried to argue, only to realize he’d walked right into Jeffrey’s trap.

He thought, ‘Damn it. He’s too scheming!‘

Samuel thought fast, and after a long pause, he finally blurted out, “Keep acting like this and you’ll end up losing your son.”

“Doesn’t matter. You never even acknowledge me as your dad, anyway,” Jeffrey said, giving a thin smile with amusement flickering in his eyes.

Samuel shot back, “No one’s gonna visit your grave after you pass away.”

Jeffrey grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll make all the arrangements before I die. By then, you’ll have to wait in line just to visit me.”

Samuel didn’t know what to say.

Money might not make ghosts work for one, but it sure could hire people to visit one’s grave.

“Got anything else to say?” Jeffrey’s tone stayed smooth and gentle. “If not, just admit you’re beat and forget everything you saw, heard, and learned.”

“You really think I can’t out–talk you, huh?” Samuel shot back sincerely.

Jeffrey answered coolly, “Right now, yeah.”

debates?” Samuel snapped back, his voice ringing clear. “Mom still won’t come back to you, and

He thought, “That hurts. No wonder he’s my

7:54 Sat, Sep 27

Chapter 143

93

55 vouchers

Samuel over, the bedroom door swung open,

but equally strange way, Rebecca felt confused. She asked, “What’s going on

here? Are these two having

what?‘

ran over and clung to her.

his hair.

I were

Rebecca stared, completely baffled.

about this in the morning with our son? What’s

there’ll be a crowd lining up to visit his grave,” Samuel piped

middle of the night, and I just twisted his

snapped fully awake, her eyes filled with a whirlwind of emotions

didn’t say that,” Jeffrey quickly defended

“You said yourself that we’d have to wait in

words died on his lips. He thought,

around him,” Rebecca said, realizing they probably did talk about this. “Don’t

and Samuel were both

his dad a look that said loud

caught the look and understood what he wanted to say.

brat.

didn’t press the issue, just nodded slightly to

the bedroom to wash up, finally

two of them

Mom