Chapter 21: Unforgotten history

"You didn't even stay long," Jace whined as he and Grandma followed Joseph out of his room. "I already told you, Jace, work," Joseph said, ruffling Jace's hair. "Can't work wait? At least spend some time with me… with us," he said, pointing at himself and Grandma. "Next time. Don't worry, I'll be here for Christmas and New Year," Joseph replied as they reached the parlor. "There's still a long way to go," Jace pouted. "But—" Joseph was interrupted by the doorbell. "Who could that be?" Grandma asked no one in particular. "Maybe it's Dorah," Jace said as he walked to the door and opened it. "Hey, babe," Jace said, hugging Dorah, who stood at the door with her mother. "Good afternoon, Aunt," he greeted Agnes, Dorah's mum. "Oh, Jace! How are you?" Agnes asked as they stepped inside. "I'm good. And you?" "As you can see," she said, winking playfully. They chuckled. "Mum," Dorah called as she walked toward Grandma. "Aww, my daughter. You're looking good! It's been so long. How have you been?" Grandma asked, giving her a warm hug. "I'm good. I missed you," Dorah replied with a smile. "Oh, my bad. Good afternoon," Agnes greeted Joseph. "Agnes?" Joseph said, staring at her in confusion. "Joseph?!" Agnes exclaimed, her voice shaky. "Wait… What—when did you get back?" Grandma quickly excused the children and took them toward her room. "Do they know each other?" Jace asked as they entered. "As you can see, yes," Grandma replied, sitting on the bed. "Did they have a bad history?" Dorah asked, confused. "What do you mean?" Jace asked. "Didn't you see how my mum was shaking? Like she did something wrong?" Grandma sighed. "Oh, please. I don't know anything about a bad history. All I know is that they were lovers." "Lovers?!" they exclaimed. "Yeah," Grandma said with a shrug. "What happened between them?" Jace murmured. --- In the parlor… "What are you doing here?" Joseph asked, staring at her. "I… I just came to see Mum," Agnes stuttered. Those eyes—he had missed them for years. But seeing her now brought back nothing but pain. "She's not your mum," he said coldly, his expression hardening. "You shouldn't be here. What are you doing here?" "I already told you why I'm here. What else do you want me to say?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Geez," Joseph muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "Shut up. Just shut it!" he snapped. "You cut things off and told me to stay away, so what are you doing with my mum? How long has this been going on—your visits here?" "More than five years," she replied softly. "You think this is okay? You've got some nerve. You've really crossed the line this time." "I'm sorry." "Can you do me a favor?" he asked, his voice tight. "I will," she said eagerly. "Leave," he said, pointing to the door. "Huh?" she gasped, shocked. "Please leave before I do something stupid," Joseph said, avoiding her gaze. "Joseph, I'm sorry," she pleaded, trying to touch him. "Don't you ever—in your life—touch me!" he snapped, voice breaking. "Every single feeling I had for you died the moment you walked out on me, even after I begged you. I trusted you with my heart, my vulnerability, and you threw it all away like it meant nothing. "I won't pretend everything's fine when you showed such complete disregard for what we had. You turned my world upside down, Agnes. You hurt me more than I ever thought possible. You treated me like I was nothing. I deserved better than what you gave me. "I was a fool back then—and you took advantage of that, then dumped me. And look at me now—doing well, without you." He yelled, and Agnes broke into tears. The loud voice brought everyone rushing back into the room. "Mum?" Dorah called out, shocked, rushing to her mother's side. "Are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Joseph, please… I can explain. I didn't mean to hurt you. You know how much I loved you then. I—" "Shut it!" he cut her off. "I'm sick of your excuses and lies. You're a liar. You never loved me. Get out. Leave my house!" "Joseph, please calm down. Let's sort this—" Grandma tried to step in. "Don't!" Joseph raised a hand to silence her. "Mum, how could you let this two-faced woman into this house? You know what I went through because of her. You know how much you spent just to get me back on my feet, even when we had nothing!" Agnes collapsed onto the floor in tears. "Son, please… You should hear her side before judging," Grandma said. "I don't care! I don't want to hear anything. She left me and never looked back. Just tell her to leave before I do something we'll all regret," Joseph said firmly. "Da—" "Shut it!" Joseph snapped at Jace. "It's fine," Agnes said, wiping her tears. "I'll leave. But just know… I'm sorry. I had my reasons." "Dorah, let's go home," she said, and Dorah helped her up. They left without another word. "You really need to deal with your stupid temper!" Grandma yelled and walked back to her room. Joseph slumped into the nearest chair, looking absolutely miserable. Jace stood there, confused. He had never seen his father like that before.