What Separates Me and You

Josephine didn't want Lewis to hate her, so she docilely complied with him.

Phineas brought her out of the mansion, where the gate cut off their lines of sight, and into the car, where she sat silently.

He peeked at her through the rearview mirror, only to realize she was weeping miserably.

Nevertheless, she didn't make a fuss about wanting to get down. She merely wept silently.

He couldn't bear the scene, but Lewis' suggestion was the quickest solution. Quintin would never have designs on Josephine ever again, only if he willingly signed the divorce agreement. Besides, she was only staying with him for several days. She should be okay.

It wasn't that insufferable, was it?

She was a kid at heart, after all.

As these thoughts crossed Phineas' mind, he never paused once as he drove out of the mansion.

In the mansion, Lewis brows were constantly furrowed as he watched the car drive off.

Dr. Halliday reminded him softly, "Uhm, sir. Madam's condition ..."

Lewis glanced at him. "What are you trying to say?"

Dr. Halliday had mixed feelings as he said, "I read the medical certificate you brought back from Hardington. Didn't the doctor state that the cause for the madam's memory loss is still unknown? Will her condition... deteriorate if you send her to Quintin's place so abruptly?"

"It's only for a few days. How bad can it be?"

"I-I can't say for sure. It won't matter if the madam were a true ten-year-old child, but with her condition, anything may happen, you see."

"Then do you know the cause of her memory loss?"

"Uhm... No, I don't."

"Then you should shut up!" Lewis' face changed in an instant, his stern tone giving Dr. Halliday a shock.

He dared not say anything more.

Lewis phoned Phineas and instructed him to assign a few men to watch over Josephine. Then, he went into the study. Soon, Seth arrived.

He was surprised when he didn't see Josephine and asked Mrs. Larson, "Where's that mute?"

Mrs. Larson looked as though she didn't know where to start. Stuttering, she glanced upstairs and told Seth what happened.

He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "That guy... He's truly capable of anything."

Mrs. Larson smiled awkwardly. It wasn't her place to comment.

She saw with her own eyes how clingy Josephine was to Lewis these couple of days, but he sent her away just like that. Josephine must be feeling very downcast.

Seth didn't go looking for Lewis. He went to the sofa and poured himself a glass of water. Then, he stared at it instead of drinking the water. "Quintin is a hindrance, indeed. It's better to deal with him as soon as possible," he mumbled. Then, he took a sip.

Quintin wasn't the main concern-it was the Fowler family.

Things had been difficult enough with Kiran around. It would be more troublesome if they gave Kiran a chance to cooperate with the Fowler family. Therefore, it was best if Quintin voluntarily gave up on Josephine. It would solve their problem once and for all.

That was if they excluded Josephine's condition from the equation.

By then, Phineas had reached Quintin's home with Josephine. "Mr. Quintin, I've brought the madam here. According to the agreement between you and Mr. Alvarez, you have five days, after which we hope you'll keep your promise and sign the divorce agreement if the madam refuses to stay with you."

Quintin sized up Josephine. Her eyes were red; she seemed to have just finished crying.

He withdrew his gaze after he heard Phineas. "I know. Do you think I'm the same as Lewis, that man who can't keep his word?"

He would naturally let Josephine go if she refused to stay.

He wouldn't be the same as Lewis, refusing to let her go even after their divorce.

Ptooey! That scumbag.

Phineas had no clue Quintin was berating Lewis secretly. Well, he had accomplished his task and brought Josephine here. He paused, glancing at the divorce agreement on the coffee table. Then, he turned to leave.

Quintin immediately ran over and locked the door. He tried earnestly to close it, but there was still a gap as it was broken. Giving up, Quintin lodged a stool against the door. Then, he looked at Josephine. "Uhm, don't be scared, Josephine. I won't hurt you."

Standing by the door, Josephine glanced at him before lowering her eyes, not budging.

He went forward and held her hand. "Don't just stand there. Come and have a seat."

He led her to the sofa and sat beside her. It was his first time being in the same room as Josephine, only the two of them. He looked slightly uneasy and called out, "Josephine."

She turned to look at him.

Quintin said, "Don't be afraid. You'll only stay here for five days. After five days, you'll return to Lewis."

He wasn't sure why he would say that. Perhaps it was because he was unconfident about making Josephine stay. It could also be he didn't think he could rattle the relationship between Josephine and Lewis within five short days.

Or maybe, the fact that Lewis sent Josephine over with assurance proved that he didn't think Quintin could win Josephine over-that was why he suggested this without a worry.

Whichever it was, Quintin thought he had a low chance of winning.

Nevertheless, he could spend five days with Josephine.

Five days... was enough. It was way better than not staying together for even a day after they got married.

Thinking of that, Quintin heaved a long sigh. "Do you want to watch TV?"

Josephine shook her head, declining.

She sat quietly on the sofa with reddened eyes. It was clear she didn't like it here.

Seeing her in this state, Quintin hesitated several times about whether or not he should just send her home. At last, his selfishness won him over, and he held back that notion. Quintin got up to get her a beverage-flavored milk. After getting to know that Josephine was currently mentally ten years old, he purposely went out to buy some. Josephine glanced at him and accepted the milk. She drank it silently.

His heart fluttered when he saw her clasping both hands around the bottle to drink the milk. She looked more docile than she was before she lost her memory. She looked soft and fluffy, clad in a white sweater, a white wool jacket, and a white furry cap.

Quintin couldn't stop looking at her.

She finished the bottle of flavored milk and placed the empty bottle on the coffee table.

He pondered and asked, "D-Do you want to go out and play? It's not raining today."

There was no response from her.

"Oh, right. I haven't given you the New Year's gift I said I got you." As he spoke, he trotted into his room and returned in a jiffy with loads of bags.

Josephine stared at the bags and watched him take out one gift box after another. She blinked.

He pulled out the first box, which contained a necklace. "Look, do you like this?"

Josephine stayed silent. She merely stared at the necklace and didn't answer him.

He couldn't know whether or not she liked it, so he took another gift box that contained a pair of white gloves. "The weather is colder now. You might need these. And this. Someone recommended me this bracelet. Doesn't this barrette look pretty? I bought it on the recommendation of someone else too. You won't know from its size, but it's pretty pricey. It costs me five thousand dollars, you know?" Quintin rambled on, showing Josephine the gifts he bought. However, she wasn't looking at them. Her gaze never left his face.