2024-09-08 19:31:08However, upon entering, Heidi Cooper noticed Maria Long, Stephen Cooper, and Fiona Cooper sitting at the dining table, staring at each other. The atmosphere felt a bit off.
"Um, what's going on? Why isn't anyone talking? Where's brother-in-law?" Heidi sat down cautiously, sensing the unusual atmosphere.
"What brother-in-law are you talking about?" Maria Long asked with a displeased expression.
"What? Joseph Wilson, my brother-in-law," Heidi was momentarily confused.
"He's not your brother-in-law anymore," Maria Long said with disdain.
"What? How is he not my brother-in-law anymore?" Heidi was completely baffled.
"I divorced him. He's already left," Fiona said coldly.
"What? Divorced?"
"Sis, are you crazy? Why did you drive him away? What did he do to offend you?" Heidi was perplexed.
"He and I are from two different worlds. I, Fiona Cooper, look down on men like him," Fiona said with indifference.
"No, I don't know how he falls short. He's always been diligent, honest, and humble."
"You don't want to marry that Charles Martin, do you? Sis, you've gone mad. Charles Martin is not a good person," Heidi said, utterly bewildered.
"I never said I wanted to marry anyone. Eat your food," Fiona said emotionlessly, poking at her rice bowl.
"Calling him brother-in-law all day long, what's so good about that loser? Eat your food. Do you need to manage your sister's affairs? Why do you care so much about that Joseph?" Maria Long said irritably.
"Enough, let's all eat. Stop discussing that outsider," Stephen Cooper finally spoke.
"You..." Heidi was momentarily speechless.
"Enough, stop talking. Just eat!" Maria Long gave Heidi a turkey leg, trying to shut her up.
Heidi had nothing to say. She instinctively took a bite, but as soon as the food entered her mouth, she spat it out with a disgusted expression.
"Pfft... Pfft! What the hell is this? Why is the food so awful today? What's going on?" Heidi looked miserable.
"Awful? How is it awful? Your mom was busy today, so your dad cooked. Just make do with it!" Maria Long glared at Heidi.
"Mom, you have no self-awareness about your culinary skills. Your cooking is even worse than Dad's. I'm not eating. This life is unbearable. I'll go eat instant noodles by myself." Heidi stood up and returned to her room in a huff.
"Hey, you..." Maria Long was helpless seeing this.
"Is it really that bad?" Maria Long couldn't quite believe it.
"It's a bit unpleasant," Fiona had already eaten some. Although it was bearable, the food couldn't compare to what Joseph cooked.
Maria Long also tasted a bite.
"Pfft, pfft..." As soon as the food entered her mouth, she spat it out.
Stephen Cooper watched this scene with an innocent expression. His cooking skills were poor, but Maria Long's were even worse. Fiona took after her mother, with a similar level of skill.
"Stephen Cooper, what are you doing? You can't even cook a few dishes properly. Is salt free?" Maria Long exploded in anger.
"You've all gotten used to that loser's cooking. Besides, as a grown man, I can't spend all day studying how to cook, right?" Stephen Cooper said, a bit exasperated.
"I'm full. I'll go back to my room first," Fiona stood up and left for her room.
Maria Long and Stephen Cooper sat at the table, both in a bad mood.
"We can't go without eating in the future. Let's hire a housekeeper," after a long while, Maria Long finally spoke.
"That's the only way," Stephen Cooper also had a sullen expression, looking at the table full of dishes, feeling quite helpless.
Heidi returned to her room, still full of resentment.
"What's the big deal? Who does she think she is? She really considers herself a goddess? You're so high and mighty, you're so great, no man in this world is worthy of you," Heidi tossed her things on the bed, grumbling incessantly.
After taking off her outer clothes, she lay directly on the bed and took out her phone. She found Joseph's phone number and called him right away.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later," the voice prompt indicating the phone was off came from the other end.
"What's going on? Why is it switched off?" Heidi tried calling several more times, but the message remained the same.
Left with no choice, she could only send messages.
"Brother-in-law, where did you go? Why is your phone switched off?"
"Brother-in-law, what's wrong? Are you okay? Reply to me when you see the message!"
"Brother-in-law, you're not thinking of doing something stupid like committing suicide, are you? Don't do anything foolish. If you need any help, just tell me..."
"Brother-in-law, can you at least reply? You're making me really worried about you..."
"Brother-in-law?"
"..."
Heidi sent many messages in a row. She lost count of how many she had sent.
Previously, Joseph's phone was always accessible 24/7, and he would reply to messages instantly. He never disappeared like this and was basically available whenever needed, always responding to everything.
After sending numerous messages, she finally stopped.
Perhaps brother-in-law was heartbroken and didn't want to see anyone from the Cooper family anymore. It made sense. All these years, this family had always treated him as an outsider.
Thinking this way, Heidi stood up, took her cup, and went out to get some water.
"Joseph Wilson? Joseph Wilson? Get me a glass of water. Also, I'm going to wash my feet. Prepare the foot bath water for me," at this moment, Fiona's voice came from her room. Hearing these words, Heidi was a bit exasperated.
"Joseph, are you deaf or dead? Can't you hear me talking?" When there was no response, Fiona stormed out of the room.
"Sis, are you crazy? What Joseph? Didn't you drive Joseph away?"
"From now on, get your own foot bath water. Or see if Charles Martin, whom you'll marry in the future, is willing to get foot bath water for you," Heidi shook her head and sighed.
Hearing these words, Fiona remembered that Joseph had left and felt awkward.
"I... forgot," Fiona opened her mouth, but in the end, only uttered this sentence.
"He's a man, after all. Don't keep ordering him around. People have dignity. Serving you all day and getting scolded. He must feel liberated now. You're on your own!" Heidi took a sip of water and slowly walked back to her room.
Hearing Heidi's words, Fiona rubbed her forehead.
"Am I going crazy? Joseph is gone. Why am I calling for him? What an exhausting day," Fiona sighed, shook her head, and also returned to her room.
Back in the room, Fiona sat down and wearily slumped over the table.
A few minutes later, she took out her phone and stared at it, lost in thought.
"Did I... go too far?" After a long while, Fiona murmured this sentence.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 9: If Only It Could Last Forever
After much inner struggle, Fiona finally dialed Joseph's number. Over the years, she had never taken the initiative to call Joseph unless there was a particularly important matter she needed him to handle.However, after dialing, the voice prompt indicated that the phone was switched off. Upon hearing this, Fiona put down the phone and continued to rest her head on the table with her eyes closed.Suddenly, her phone vibrated again. Startled, she immediately opened her phone, only to feel a sense of disappointment when she saw it was a Facebook message from her best friend, Hannah.Fiona suddenly felt a bit ridiculous. What was she expecting? For Joseph to come back and beg her not to divorce him?Thinking this way, she still opened Facebook and read the messages from Hannah."Dear Fiona, congratulations on regaining your freedom and getting rid of that loser!""So, when shall we meet up and celebrate?"Hannah sent two messages."Let's forget about celebrating. I'm busy these days. I h
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 10: I Like All Your Ways
"What does it have to do with you?" Blake Morgan was the first to reply."Grandpa is right. What does it have to do with you?" Alice also replied in the group.Seeing their responses, Mason Morgan was speechless and could only send a series of question marks in the group to express his astonishment."Dad, although you have the final say in Alice's matters, and I trust your judgment, I should at least know what kind of man my daughter is going to marry, right? I'll find time to go over and take a look after a while. There are too many things going on here in Metropolis City at the moment. @Blake Morgan," after a long time, Mason Morgan sent another lengthy message."Do as you wish. It's not like you can change anything anyway," Blake Morgan said rather domineeringly."Dad, you're overthinking. It's only just beginning now!" Alice was obviously a bit exasperated too.After replying, Alice put down her phone."Why aren't you eating yet?" At this moment, Joseph also came out from the kitc
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 11: Buying This for a Boy for the First Time
Due to the overwhelming number of messy comments, Alice couldn't read them one by one. More importantly, there was no need to do so.With her pure and beautiful appearance and good family background, naturally, many people pursued her at school. The wealthy young masters of Nova City's affluent families, without exception, were all her ardent admirers.However, in her eyes, these were all just frivolous playboys. From a young age, her heart had only been filled with her Joseph. Her entire youth was occupied by beautiful memories related to Joseph.Alice opened her phone, thinking of replying in the comment section to clarify her relationship with Joseph to avoid any misunderstandings. But after thinking about it, she stopped and deleted the entire line of text she had typed.Why should she clarify? If she deliberately clarified, would Joseph be unhappy? But if she didn't clarify, many people would be displeased, right?However, what did other people's displeasure have to do with her?
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 12: She Doesn't Cherish You, But I Do
"Hello? Brother-in-law? Is that you, brother-in-law?" Upon discovering that the call had connected, Heidi's anxious voice came from the other end."Um... Heidi, it's me, Joseph," Joseph calmly replied."Brother-in-law, what are you doing? Such a grown man, not answering calls, not replying to messages, disappearing for an entire day. Do you know how worried I was about you?""I called many neighbors and relatives, and they all said they hadn't seen you. I was so anxious that I was about to call the police.""Do you have any idea how concerned I was that you might have jumped into the river in despair?""..."Without letting Joseph say much, Heidi started scolding him.Hearing all this, Joseph could only smile helplessly.After thoroughly reprimanding Joseph, Heidi finally stopped, feeling much more at ease."Are you done?" Joseph asked with a smile."I'm done. Don't do this again next time. And I'm serious, don't think of doing anything rash," Heidi continued."I just didn't have my p
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 13: I'll Marry Him in My Sister's Place
"Brother-in-law, say what you just said again," Heidi couldn't believe her ears."Not an elementary school teacher, a teacher at Nova University," Joseph repeated his words once more."No, brother-in-law, you're not joking, are you? Nova University is the nation's top institution. The teachers and professors here must at least have a doctoral degree or something. Even the cleaning aunties have bachelor's degrees.""Brother-in-law, your friend must be messing with you, right?" Heidi found it hard to believe."It's definitely not a joke. At first, I also felt that I might not be qualified to be a teacher at Nova University, but in the past couple of days, I've remembered some things.""It seems my educational background is quite high," Joseph said with a smile, calmly."No, brother-in-law, what is your educational background?""You've even forgotten your own educational background. I give up.""However, you're only twenty-five years old this year. You got married to my sister when you w
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 14: Beat Her Up and Steal Her Man
After sending the message, Heidi stretched her arms and took off her clothes, revealing her stunning figure, and walked into the bathroom.At this moment, Joseph had just finished showering, his upper body still bare. Over the years, he had persisted in exercising every day. Although the amount of exercise was not very large, his regular lifestyle and scientific training had given him an excellent physique. With eight-pack abs and an inverted triangle-shaped body, his build was of the lean and muscular type, making it difficult to tell he had such a great figure when clothed.He wiped his hair and was about to return to his room. However, at this moment, a sudden flash of light came from the direction of Alice's room, accompanied by a "click!" sound of a camera shutter.Joseph instinctively turned his head and saw Alice shrink back into her room like a rabbit and immediately close the door. Joseph chuckled helplessly. Was this girl foolish? She even forgot to turn off the camera flash
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 15: The Cooper Family's Crisis
"Ahem, don't joke around. You're taking a bath. What video call? Don't mess around," Joseph choked badly. Although he knew Heidi was just teasing him, he still felt a bit embarrassed."What's there to be afraid of? I'm soaking in the bathtub. You won't see anything. Even if you do see something, so what? Brother-in-law is not an outsider," Heidi directly sent a voice message, sounding completely nonchalant."Ahem, that's still not okay. Men and women are different," upon hearing Heidi's bold words, Joseph instantly felt awkward. This girl's way of thinking was too bizarre.Does this matter even differentiate between insiders and outsiders? Even if she's not an outsider, he can't just look casually. Joseph is a person with very traditional values.However, just as Joseph was at a loss for words, Heidi directly made a video call. Joseph was in a dilemma. Should he hang up or not? In the end, after an inner struggle and under strong moral constraints, he chose to hang up."Don't mess aro
The Rise of the Son-in-law After Divorce Chapter 16: The Comatose Old Mr. Cooper
"I... I was just using a metaphor. I'm your second uncle. Is this how you talk to me?" Hugh Cooper was stunned for a moment, unable to respond."If you don't know anything, just shut up, okay?" Fiona was quite disdainful."Fiona, my father is your second uncle, after all. You're talking to him like this. With such disrespect for your elders, I guess you don't respect Grandma in your heart either," Ryan Cooper spoke up."I don't want to waste my breath on you. If you want to investigate my character, you can do it in private.""Grandma, I just want to ask you one thing. Did you call me here to investigate my character too?" Fiona looked at the old lady and asked."Hugh, and you too, Ryan Cooper, did I let you speak? You're so eager to talk. Do you have any good solutions to solve the family's current predicament? If so, I'll let you talk all you want," the old lady tapped her cane on the ground, her expression very serious.Hearing this, Hugh Cooper and Ryan Cooper opened their mouths
Latest Chapter
Chapter 363
Joseph listened in silence before speaking again.“Cancer remains one of the most formidable illnesses in the world. Even with my master’s abilities, curing your condition would’ve been no easy feat.”This was the reality of cancer—it wasn’t like in those fictional tales where a miracle doctor could cure it with a single acupuncture session. To Joseph, such stories were nothing more than fantasy.“You’re right. But your master was truly remarkable. He used his extraordinary methods to keep me alive for years. Still, he couldn’t completely cure me.”“Though I was alive, I lived in constant agony, hiding away in hospital rooms, unwilling to face people. Only your master and I knew the truth of my illness.”“To the outside world—to my sons and grandchildren—I was simply growing weaker by the day. They were just waiting for me to die so they could tear each other apart for power.”“But as long as I was alive, they didn’t dare act openly. If they had known I was terminal, known exactly whe
Chapter 362
"Matched? I've told you before, Alvarez and I are just putting on an act," Joseph said, feeling a little helpless. Today, Heidi was acting oddly."That's what you think. But Alvarez may not see it that way! She's not exactly young anymore—of course, she'd latch onto you," Heidi replied.Joseph gave her a look. "You're acting really strange today.""Because it’s like the saying—rain will fall, and my brother-in-law will marry," Heidi said dramatically.Joseph nearly stumbled at her words. Was that even how the proverb was supposed to be used?!"What nonsense. I'm a man—how am I supposed to get married?" Joseph said, thoroughly exasperated."Brother-in-law, you have no idea. There are so many little junior girls at school watching you now. Girls who are prettier, have better figures, and better personalities than me—plenty of them," Heidi said wistfully."I'm a freshly divorced man. It’s not as dramatic as you make it sound. Right now, I just want to focus on my work," Jose
Chapter 361
"Are you stupid? There’s no such thing as a secret that doesn't leak," Raymond Kim sneered. "We’re talking about the Morgan family here—a force that dominates both politics and business across Elysia. Their wealth alone could crush you to death.""You think the Morgans are like your pathetic Zhang family? You must be out of your mind." "No matter what, I’ll never gamble my entire family’s future. If anything happens, my father would kill me himself.""And the entire Kim family would fall with me. Tell me, is it worth the risk?" Raymond Kim ranted as he slapped Griffin Bailey across the face repeatedly, forcing him to shield his head and take the blows.After venting his anger, Raymond felt much better. Indeed, happiness often came at the expense of others' suffering."Mr. Kim, I believe we can still use the fact that he was a live-in son-in-law against him," Jonathan spoke up again."But that's just one angle; we need more dirt to make it stick," he added."Can you say anything
Chapter 360
"Even from a short distance, you can catch a whiff of a strange, foul mixture of odors. It’s obvious this man is addicted to debauchery, steeped in nightlife excess. He’s riddled with various venereal diseases—he's utterly filthy.""So, it's best to stay as far away from people like him as possible. Many diseases are contagious," Joseph said with a faint smile."My grandfather once took me to dinner with his father, and he was there too. Was I in danger back then?" Alice asked, a flicker of fear crossing her face."It's not that serious. Most diseases of that nature require intimate contact to spread. A shared meal isn't enough. You’re perfectly healthy—there’s nothing to worry about.""But keeping your distance is still wise," Joseph added reassuringly."Phew, that's a relief," Alice exhaled deeply."Joseph, by what you’re saying, Raymond Kim doesn't have long to live," Alice said, half-joking but with a trace of genuine concern."Not necessarily that he'll die soon, but he’l
Chapter 359
Even before the final bell, Joseph was already sitting in his car, waiting patiently for Alice. He sat quietly, glancing idly into the left rearview mirror—only to spot a few familiar figures reflected within.Seeing the situation, Joseph reached out and adjusted the rearview mirror, giving himself a clearer view of the people behind the car. At that moment, on the balcony of the First Teaching Building, a few students stood, their gazes cold and sharp, fixed on Joseph’s car.Joseph recognized them all. Leading the group was Raymond Kim, flanked by his ever-present sidekick—someone named Jonathan, if he recalled correctly. Another figure was Scrappy, a non-student who Joseph had once taught a painful lesson. University campuses were generally open spaces; unless someone behaved outrageously, outsiders wouldn't be barred entry.What surprised Joseph was the presence of Griffin Bailey, who had relentlessly pursued Heidi before. Yet, thinking it through, it made sense—both Griffin'
Chapter 358
"What do you mean 'looks like'? That's clearly Mr. Wilson—my former brother-in-law, mind you!" After watching for a while, Heidi spoke with absolute certainty."Are you really that sure, Heidi?" A short-haired girl glanced at her, skeptical."Of course I am! I lived under the same roof with him for three years. I can recognize his speech patterns, his every little habit and gesture without even thinking. Even if there are many things about him that I don't fully understand, I'm too familiar with who he is. I can even recognize his scent the moment he gets close.""So yeah, I'm a hundred percent sure—that's my brother-in-law. Well... ex-brother-in-law," Heidi declared, her tone firm."Geez! Honestly, it sounds like those three years, Wilson wasn't married to your sister at all, but to you," Daphne teased, a strange feeling rising in her heart. The intimacy between Heidi and Joseph, the depth of her understanding of him, seemed almost excessive—far beyond what normal relatives or ev
Chapter 357
"Hello? Uncle Mason? What’s the matter?"Joseph answered the call, taking the initiative to speak first."My dear future son-in-law, are you alone right now?"Mason Morgan’s voice came through the line, sounding a little secretive."Uh, yeah. I’m the only one in the office at the moment. Everyone else is off—some are teaching, some are in the lab, and others are running errands."Joseph glanced around before replying."Good, that’s perfect. I’ve got a rather private question for you."Mason sounded visibly relieved."Sure, Uncle Mason. Ask whatever you want."Joseph blinked in surprise, but responded casually."Remember how you said my body would recover most of its function within three days?"Mason began cautiously."I did say something to that effect, yes."Joseph nodded, recalling the conversation."You definitely said it. So I want to ask—were you being serious?"Mason pressed."Of course I was serious. If it comes out of my mouth, it’s the truth. I don’t make empty promises.""B
Chapter 356
"Mr. Wilson, about that request you made earlier—to compile my wife's medical records—I stayed up last night and got it all done."Brady Rogers cleared his throat, his tone unusually eager."Oh? That fast? Where are the documents? Let me take a look."Joseph was a bit surprised—he hadn’t expected Rogers to be so efficient."Right here.""Please have a look, Mr. Wilson."As he spoke, Brady lifted a thick stack of folders from beneath his desk."Just leave it on my table. I’ll go through it and let you know."Joseph glanced at the pile of medical records and CT scans. Even skimming it would take considerable time."Much appreciated, Mr. Wilson."Brady placed the documents in front of Joseph but didn’t make any move to leave."Professor Rogers, you don't have to wait here. Go ahead with your work—no need to tire yourself out."Joseph noticed him standing stiffly in front of his desk and tried to persuade him."It’s alright, Mr. Wilson. I’d rather wait. I’m... quite anxious, honestly."Br
Chapter 355
Under the comment posted by the user with the James profile picture, a flood of inquisitive netizens gathered, all eager to uncover the identity of the man whose piano performance had touched their hearts so deeply.After keeping everyone in suspense long enough, the user finally revealed the answer. "I’m a student at Nova University. This gentleman is our teacher—Mr. Joseph Wilson. At least, I’m fairly certain it’s him." "Whoa, no wonder! Turns out he’s a big shot from Nova University’s Music Department. That explains the brilliance. He made Butterfly Lovers sound like a divine symphony. 'Today I heard him speak through the pipa, and it felt like celestial music piercing the soul.'" "Actually, just to clarify, Mr. Joseph isn't from the Music Department. He’s the youngest faculty member in the Traditional Medicine Department—just joined less than a month ago," James replied again. "I’m also a student at Nova University. The person in the video does resemble Mr. Wilson, but not ent
