Chapter 7 The Contract Is Signed

• "I'm not crazy!" Joshua wrapped his head before lifting his gaze to meet Maggie's. "Mrs. Jensen, Mr. David, just sign it already!"
• Maggie, who had been genuinely worried a moment before, felt her concern evaporate the instant she saw that he appeared unharmed. But the sight of the papers he held reignited her anger, causing her to snap. "You're really beyond help! Where did you even learn all this nonsense? Do you want to drive your father and me to an early grave? You—"
• "I'm just tired," he interrupted with a sigh. "You're reading too much into it."
• "Oh, so that's it, huh?" She shot back, her voice shaking with fury. "You're just doing this to provoke your father and me, aren't you? You think our discipline is unfair, don't you? I made you stand as punishment, skip a meal, and now you're holding a grudge? You feel wronged, like I've treated you unjustly, is that it?" She enunciated each word through clenched teeth.
• He remained silent, his face a mask of indifference. Not a flicker of emotion crossed his features.
• "Fine! You want us to sign? We'll sign! Let's see how far you'll get! How long you can stay defiant!" She was seething now, her anger only fueled by his lack of response. "You want to sever ties? Then don't you dare step foot in this house again!"
• In her rage, she seemed to forget that he had been an orphan. Hence, living on his own wouldn't be a challenge for him.
• "Thank you, Mrs. Jensen," he said, his voice laced with an eerie calm as he handed her the papers, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling satisfaction.
• Maggie froze for a moment, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation. A wave of unease washed over her, but as she glanced around and saw the others staring at her, her embarrassment quickly morphed into fury. With a swift, angry motion, she grabbed the pen and hissed, "Fine! If you're so determined, don't ever come back! Don't you dare show your face to me again!"
• Without hesitation, she scribbled her name across the document, her hand shaking with anger.
• Joshua's eyes lit up, and he wasted no time handing the papers to David. "Mr. David, it's your turn."
• David's face was contorted with rage. "Joshua, you really are determined to defy us! You think we've been too strict with you? You think there's something wrong with the way we've raised you?"
• "Enough!" Joshua cut him off, his tone cold and detached. "Mr. David, stop talking. I don't think you've done anything wrong. You're both wonderful, truly."
• "Then what's this all about?" David bellowed, his anger surging once more. "Severing ties? You think you're so capable now, don't you? You're just doing this to spite us!" His voice rose as he continued, unable to contain his fury. "You're rebellious, arrogant, and filled with bad habits! Who the hell taught you to write this nonsense?"
• Joshua couldn't be bothered to argue anymore. Without saying a word, he simply handed the pen to David.
• This action infuriated David even further. His whole body shook with anger, and he spat out, "Fine! Fine! You ungrateful son, you really are doing this to spite us! Let's see how far you can go without us! Want to sever ties? Then let's sever ties! Without us, you're nothing! I want to see how long you can keep up this defiance!"
• In his fury, he assumed that Joshua was bluffing and was trying to scare him. So, without hesitation, he scrawled his name on the document.
• To his surprise, Joshua's face lit up with genuine delight. He eagerly took the document, signed his own name with a flourish, and smiled coldly. "Three copies—two for you, one for me. Goodbye."
• He slipped his copy of the papers into his bag, grabbed his suitcase, and turned to leave without looking back.
• "M-Mr. Joshua, where are you going?" Katherine stammered, shocked by the sudden turn of events.
• She had always been the closest to him, often helping with chores around the house together. She could sense that he was serious this time.
• Before she could say more, David's rage exploded again. "Don't call him! That ungrateful brat! He'll be the death of me!" His face was red with fury as he waved his hand dismissively.
• Joshua paused at the doorway and glanced back at her, offering her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me, Mrs. Locker. Take care of yourself. This is goodbye."
• With that, he turned away, dragging his suitcase behind him without a hint of hesitation and stepping out of the grand Fraser Residence for the last time.
• The moment he stepped out of the Fraser Residence, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him.
• From now on, he no longer had to deal with the constant tug-of-war with the Fraser Family. He could earn his own money, pursue what he truly wanted, and live his life however he pleased.
• He realized that over the years, he had exhausted himself trying to please the Fraser Family to the point where he had almost forgotten who he was. It was as if he had been feeding a dog that never appreciated him.
• …
• Watching Joshua drag his suitcase out the door and disappear from sight, a heavy silence settled over the living room.
• Neither Frankie, Shirley, nor Maddy had expected things to turn out this way.
• However, Maddy also felt that Joshua was trying to scare them and laughed. "That Joshua, he's just trying to scare us. Does he really think we're going to beg him to come back? What a joke! He's probably hoping to get something out of us. Just wait and see. He'll come crawling back soon enough, tail between his legs."
• Shirley chuckled in agreement, her tone equally dismissive. "You're right, Maddy. Joshua's not going anywhere for long. He's trying to play us, thinking we'll give him something if he acts like he's leaving. He fought so hard to get into this family back then. There's no way he's walking away that easily. This is just his way of trying to pressure us."
• Buoyed by Shirley's agreement, Maddy turned to their parents with a confident grin. "Dad, Mom, there's no need to worry! In a few days, he'll come slinking back. He doesn't have enough money to last on his own for long!"