30. No Reason to Refuse

But Josh still didn't move.

His eyes did seem to follow the direction where his father pointed to a folder with his chin. But as soon as he dropped his gaze on the inanimate object, his imagination and hopes about the future of his life with Sharon died.

The sound of his father's cell phone broke the short silence between them. After checking the identity of the caller, his father's finger slid over the button and answered briefly. A “Hello” was followed by a few “Hm-hm” and finished with “Yeah, I'll be right there.”

Josh watched his father's movements from the tail of his eyes in silence. With his mouth tightly shut and head still bowed, he stared at the folder that held the record of how his life story would end.

The man who had almost the same facial lines as Josh glanced at the woman beside him for a signal. The woman, Josh's mother, nodded while flashing a faint smile.

“Don't try to make trouble, or even spoil it,” the old man stood up as he straightened his suit, "We've already provided a more than comfortable future for you. Without even asking you to shoulder the burden of anything-unless you think letting go of that girl parasite is a difficult thing."

He still stood before Josh and gave a long pause. His eyes pierced deeply into his youngest son who had been blinded for years by the cheap advances of a girl who could only bring trouble into his family. Meanwhile, Josh, who didn't realize he was being subjected to that intimidating gaze—because he was still looking down and refused to even look at his father—started fighting with speculations in his own head.

"After all the time we've left you alone, right now, I really hope that you'll prove that you still have some sense left and do something useful. That you deserve to be a part of this family that you can be proud of."

Immediately after finishing his words, his father moved away and exited the room. Without waiting for a response from Josh. Without intending to hear any approval or disapproval from his youngest son whose mind had been corrupted by the influence of his slutty girlfriend.

His mother, also without a word, got up and followed his father to see him off.

Meanwhile Josh was more busy fighting with his own mind, with cunning and absurd plans that one by one scrambled wildly inside his head. Tempting him, sabotaging him into silent rebellion and betrayal. For the sake of his own happiness together with Sharon. Also for the sake of protecting the girl he loved so much from the evil hands that had no conscience at all.

If his parents suddenly telling him to stop by after breakfast and then informing him that he would be married off in a few months to a girl he didn't know, could be described as lightning striking him without any clouds or rain, it didn't seem to hit him much. What was more devastating was the conditions that came afterward.

As if telling him to get married wasn't enough shock therapy, they wanted to push him to the edge to let go of the only girl he loved too. Complete with threats to hurt her.

But his arrogant father easily say that they didn't burden him at all?

Very funny.

Although in truth, there were times when he himself realized that his happiness with Sharon might be fragile. Either he and she would have to fight for many blessings in order to stay together, or break through a very high and thick wall of rejections. And he had no idea that the hurdles he would have to cross would take such an overly complicated form.

His hand reached out to grab the folder his parents were referring to and opened it.

His eyes twitched, reading all the words that detailed the gift of shares in the construction company managed by the Song family to him—in his own name. A sizable and lucrative number was clearly written there, along with the official time of the transfer.

"Why did it have to go that far?

The sentence came out of nowhere when his mother returned and sat across from him.

His eyes were still fixed on the approval column that already contained his signature and personal stamp, except for the part that was still blank itself.

“That far—what?”

“It's just a political marriage, Mom,” his head snapped up, his restless eyes looking straight at his mother, "Isn't the goal obvious for both parties? Business profit and political position. Then why do they want a child? If Dad succeeds in becoming mayor and they get the development projects they want, won't that benefit them more than enough? Why are they mentioning a child? What are they really thinking?"

His mother only smiled slightly at her youngest son's emotional outburst. Which he had probably been holding in and trying to suppress while his father was still there earlier.

“I don't know,” she shrugged, "maybe they just want proof of a strong bond. Parents who have daughters may be more cautious and protective because they don't want their daughter to be harmed. By having an offspring, it would also be able to prove that you can take good care of her. Although there are indeed many rumors that mention various things about their parent-daughter relationship, it seems that it is too far-fetched."

Josh paused and digested his mother's answer. However, when she looked at him, she burst out laughing.

“Do you believe what I just said?” she snorted, "Obviously they want us to think like that. But I know the biggest possibility is that, they want to control our family."

“Control?” Josh frowned, "Isn't it obvious that the benefits they'll get will be huge? Even more than what Dad will get, probably."

"Yes. Of course. They're businessmen. They've certainly calculated everything carefully. And it's obvious that they want to gain as much as possible from this bond. Although I haven't been able to guess their hidden plans, but, don't worry. I, myself have prepared a tactic so that we can also have control over the Song family."

Her mother's lips quivered into a terrifying grin.

“What are you planning, Mom?”

"We follow their game, as if we are under their control. Let them off guard, while we organize our own grand plan. Your father and your two brothers will control the government with the financial backing and public influence they will organize. And you, get the shares they promised."

“That means—”

"Have a happy marriage. And give us a son,“ Her mother sighed, ”A granddaughter is actually fine. But it would be more beneficial if we could have a grandson. He'll carry our family name after all."

“I don't—” Josh's breath caught, “I don't think I can go that far.”

His mother, who heard Josh's statement, instantly changed her expression to a cold, flat one.

"It's okay if you can't. I just need to add some difficulties for Sharon. In addition to clogging up all her fund flows, perhaps destroying her public image also sounds interesting. I heard that playing with someone mentally is a crueler torture than destroying them physically. And you know how easy it is to do that these days."

Josh was astonished to hear all those cruel words coming out of his mother's mouth.

"I've had it with both of you, I don't know how to make you realize that girl is full of deceit and trickery. I don't know how many thousands of times we've told you that she's just using your money to live lavishly. But you still don't believe us and think we're the bad ones,“ his mother said in a fit of rage, ”I think this is the last resort to pull you back to the right path. For you to regain your senses that were corrupted by that bitch."

Josh, himself, also harbored an equally large explosion in his chest.

"Stop referring to her in derogatory terms, Mom. I know you don't like her, but at least please don't badmouth her!"

His mother took a deep breath and sighed. As if she knew what her son was going to say. It was as if she knew it because they had been through similar conservative conversations many times before. And in the end, Josh still stuck to what he believed—that his family was demonizing Sharon just because they didn't like the girl.