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.”

if you keep winning in these debates?” Samuel snapped back, his voice ringing clear. “Mom still won’t come back to you,

speechless. He thought, “That hurts. No

7:54 Sat, Sep 27

Chapter 143

93

55 vouchers

to win Samuel over, the bedroom door

but equally

did Samuel drag a small chair here? Are these two having some deep

what?‘

clung to

his hair.

head up and said, “Dad and I were discussing

Rebecca stared, completely baffled.

at Jeffrey, suspecting nonsense. She thought, ‘Talking about

up to visit his grave,” Samuel piped up, sounding extra

in the middle of the night, and I just twisted his words a bit.

with a whirlwind of emotions as she turned to

didn’t say that,” Jeffrey

shot back, “You said yourself that we’d have to wait

his lips. He thought, ‘What a cunning

Don’t say things like that around him,” Rebecca said, realizing they probably did talk about this.

Samuel were

Samuel shot his dad a look that said loud and clear, ‘See? Even Mom’s

to say. He thought, ‘I

brat.

issue, just

anything more. Once she was sure Samuel had woken up by himself, she headed back to the bedroom to wash up, finally convinced that last night’s

was just the two

hesitate. “I’ll support Mom no