Kate wasn't sure what to do when Jenny walked away, and Joseph was left standing in front of her. She was stunned to see him not wearing a business suit, he was dressed casually, and he still looked handsome.
Seeing Kate dazed, Joseph snapped his fingers in front of her and smiled, "What did my aunt tell you?"
"She didn't say anything," Kate mumbled and quietly followed Joseph into Cassie's room.
Joseph stood beside the bed and looked at his mother. He didn't say a word, and only even nodded when Kate moved a chair next to the bed for him. Joseph pointed at another chair and signaled for her to sit; she smiled and sat close to him.
There were no hard feelings or awkwardness in the air like there had been since their divorce; there was a hint of peace that made Kate feel relaxed. Maybe it was curiosity or concern for Joseph, but she kept looking at him, trying to read what he was feeling. But no matter what, he always had a cold appearance, which gave others a feeling of alienation.
The ticking of the clock on the wall and Cassie's monitors were the only noise in the room. Joseph and Kate did not speak, but it was a comfortable silence as they prayed Cassie would wake up.
About an hour after they arrived, Cassie woke up. She was shocked to see that Joseph and Kate were sitting next to her bed. She thought for a moment she might have been dreaming, and she was ready to yell at Joseph until she realized Kate was actually in the room.
"Mom, you are awake?" Kate took her hand, "Are you uncomfortable?"
"I am fine," Cassie smiled, thankful to be awake.
Joseph knew that his mother was angry with him, so he immediately got up and searched for a doctor to examine her.
The doctor did a thorough exam on Cassie and said that there was nothing wrong. Both Kate and Joseph let out a sigh of relief. Cassie wasn't worried because she knew she had only got overly upset about Joseph's dismissal from the company.
"Kate, when did you get here?" Cassie hoped that she and Joseph arrived together and that their relationship had improved.
Kate answered truthfully.
"I see," Cassie said softly.
Joseph stayed silent like he was an outsider.
In order to ease the discomfort between Joseph and Cassie, Kate smiled and said, "Joseph has been here watching over you the entire time."
"Don't mention him; otherwise, I will..." Cassie grabbed her stomach.
"What's wrong?" Kate asked in a hurry and had Joseph call the doctor immediately.
"I'm okay," Cassie took Kate's hands and cried, "I have always been a strong person. I always held on to the hope that he would succeed. After so many years of hard work, he finally made some achievements. But now…"
"You are a member of the Smith family, why do you want to leave it?" Cassie was furious. She tried to hold back her emotions in front of Kate, but she couldn't any longer, "I am your mother, and I rarely ask you to listen to me. This time though, I am so angry!"
Cassie was the toughest woman in the Smith family; she seldom cried, so Kate became anxious when she saw her upset.
Seeing Kate frowning and unsure what to do, Joseph said, "Don't cry in front of Kate. You are making her feel uncomfortable."
"You are telling me I make Kate feel uncomfortable? Have you ever thought about her before?" Cassie continued to interrogate her son, "In the beginning, I thought you were working hard toward developing Smith Group for our family. So, I didn't stop you when that bitch, Anna, lied and scammed you. Do you regret that you did not cherish your wonderful wife?"
Joseph didn't understand why Cassie was being so cruel. If she was trying to help them get back together, it wasn't the best approach, but he did feel bad for embarrassing Kate.
"Mom, don't be angry," Joseph persuaded, "Kate is here with you. Even if you want to explode on me, you shouldn't at this moment for Kate's sake."
Cassie could see that her son's attitude had changed; she calmed down and said, "Okay, I will put my feelings aside for the time being but only for Kate."
Kate felt relieved and asked, "Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?"
"Yes, please!" Cassie took the glass of water and drank it before looking at Kate and Joseph. She looked deep in thought and then frowned, "Kate, I am a little hungry. I would like some Hebb brand porridge. Would you mind going to pick it up for me? It is the best porridge, made from carefully selected ingredients and its healthy and so many flavors…Oh! Now, I am even hungrier!"
"Okay, I can go now," Kate immediately agreed.
"As I said, there are so many flavors, probably a few hundred. If you see any that you think I would like, please pick them up," Cassie added and then signaled to Joseph to follow her.
"I will," Kate said as she put her coat on.
Cassie knew that Kate was a caring and considerate girl. She was independent and rarely refused any requests from others. The plan to ask Kate to get the porridge was only an excuse so that Kate and Joseph would be alone.