Chapter 2: Encounters at the Bar
2135 Words
" buddy, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer about this matter. Don't worry.” Dexter looked at Hiram with a gloomy expression before turning to Hezekiah and saying, "Boss, I believe in you." That sentence alone was enough. There was no need to say more; such things were common in high society and among wealthy families. Dexter believed that with the assurance from the head of the Finch family, his daughter would not suffer.
But there was one thing Dexter kept to himself: if the Finch family caused his daughter any harm, he would fight to the last penny to seek justice for her, no matter the cost.
Hezekiah left first, followed closely by Hiram and Silas. Josiah glanced at Beatrice and said, "Auntie, let's go too."
"Dad, let's go back first. Don't worry, and don’t tell Mom about this for now," Beatrice said. Though still a little stunned, she had already recovered from the shock.
"Beatrice?" Dexter looked at his daughter, who seemed calm, and grew even more worried. He knew she was holding back her emotions to avoid causing him concern.
Beatrice raised her head and said, "Dad, don't worry, I'm your daughter, the granddaughter of the M Group. Even the Finch family won't let me suffer." Josiah had always known that his aunt was not an ordinary woman. When he saw the firm expression on her face and the strength in her words, he knew that things had been far from simple back then. How could such a strong woman easily become depressed and commit suicide? There must have been hidden secrets he didn’t know about.
Dexter glanced at his daughter and then at Josiah, saying, "Josiah, help your grandpa take care of your aunt."
"Grandpa, don’t worry. No one will dare to bully Auntie with me around."
When Beatrice went downstairs, she saw Hiram and Hezekiah waiting for her. "Dad, I'll just take Josiah's car," Beatrice said.
Hezekiah glanced at Hiram and didn’t say much before getting into the car. Beatrice didn't even look at Hiram as she got into Josiah's car. As for where Silas went, none of them mentioned it.
They arrived home soon, and Grandma Yan noticed that something was off with the expressions on their faces. "What's going on?" Grandma looked at Hezekiah, but Josiah quickly helped her sit on the sofa. "Grandma, please sit down first," he said, unsure how to explain things to her.
"Josiah, this..." Grandma started to speak, but Hezekiah interrupted her. "Tell me, what do you want to do about this?" he asked Hiram.
"Dad... I want to bring Silas home."
"What if I don't agree?"
"Dad, I just want to bring Silas back, without any other intention. Silas is your eldest grandson. Do you want to see him called an illegitimate child for the rest of his life? Do you really want to abandon him?" Hiram knew his father’s weaknesses well. Although the Finch family had Josiah, which old man wouldn't want to have many children and grandchildren?
"And then what?" Hezekiah asked, having already calmed down. He couldn’t let his grandson remain an outsider, but the M Group needed an explanation as well.
"Dad, when I found out that Beatrice was infertile and wanted a divorce, I was feeling very down. One time... I drank too much and accidentally had Silas," Hiram explained. He never truly intended to divorce Beatrice. What he said was true—he had drunk too much, but he was clear-headed at the time. He was even more aware of that woman’s voluntary sacrifice. He just wanted a child of his own.
Hezekiah nodded and agreed to bring his grandson back. As for Silas's mother, he turned to Beatrice and asked, "Beatrice, what do you think?"
Beatrice listened to Hiram's words and then considered that Silas was only about half a year older than Josiah. Back when she was considering breaking off her engagement, she had already believed Hiram’s words to some extent. However, cheating was still cheating, and she clearly remembered Josiah saying that the Time Coffee Shop was Hiram’s investment. Whether it was for that child or for that woman, at least they must have remained in contact all along.
"Dad, I married Hiram not only because I liked him but also because of the promise you made," Beatrice said lightly, closing her eyes. "My Finch family and the M Group will never disappoint Beatrice."
Hezekiah nodded and said, "I made that promise back then, and I'll make it again today. My Finch family and the M Group will never disappoint Beatrice."
Josiah was surprised to hear this. He hadn’t expected his grandfather to make such a heavy promise to his aunt back then, but this further confirmed his suspicion that there was more to her depression and suicide than met the eye.
"Dad, I need time to think this over. I don't have the mental resilience to handle this right now, and I need time to convince myself," Beatrice said, glancing at Hiram. "I also need to think about how Hiram and I can continue in the future."
"Beatrice!" Hiram exclaimed in surprise. He knew she would be angry and upset, but he also knew how much she loved him. He never imagined she might consider divorcing him.
Beatrice didn’t look at Hiram but continued, "Mom, Dad, I'll go back to my parents' home and stay there for a few days."
"Okay, go ahead," Hezekiah said. Hiram naturally didn’t object, knowing now wasn’t the right time to have a proper conversation with her.
Mrs. Yan didn’t need to ask to understand what was going on. Her youngest son, confused for a moment, now had a son who was even older than Josiah by half a year. It was unbelievable.
Later that evening, Josiah’s friend had arranged for them to go to a bar. Josiah didn’t want to see his second uncle at home, so he agreed. When his bodyguard, Joy, offered to accompany him, he refused. Joy had been chosen by Hezekiah and had been by Josiah’s side since junior high school, but Josiah didn’t want to get close to this bodyguard who had betrayed him in the past.
The people who invited him that night were his good friends Paxton and Jasper. Paxton was the heir of the Gatsby family, while Jasper had ties to the Pierce family and was also its heir. Jasper's grandfather, Knox, and Beatrice’s mother were siblings, making them part of the Pierce family.
Normally, with the support of the Pierce family, Josiah shouldn’t have had such a hard time. But because of misunderstandings and distrust—largely orchestrated by Silas—his relationship with Jasper had soured. Now, looking back, Josiah realized how naive and ignorant he had been, refusing to listen to his friends’ advice and falling into Silas’s trap.
When Josiah arrived at the bar, Paxton and Jasper were already there. Seeing Josiah arrive alone, Paxton looked behind him and then remarked with a smirk, "Oh, how could you go out without your girlfriend?"
"Stop it. Haven’t you always been annoyed when I bring her along?" Josiah responded nonchalantly as he sat down next to Paxton.
"Jasper, pinch me, quick. Be tough."
Jasper didn’t hesitate, giving Paxton a hard pinch. "Ah... it hurts! Why so rough?" Paxton yelped, rubbing his arm.
"Didn’t you ask me to be tough?" Jasper replied.
Paxton rubbed his arm and said with mock tears, "Damn, is this really Josiah? I thought he was impersonating someone else! You didn’t bring Matilda out with you. The sun must have risen in the west today!"
Josiah smiled without saying a word. On the way there, Matilda had called to invite him to dinner, but he had declined. He had a plan to break up with Matilda, but he didn’t want his friends to know about it yet.
He couldn’t understand why Paxton had always been indifferent to Matilda, and although Jasper hadn’t explicitly said anything, it was clear he didn’t have a good impression of her either.
"Josiah, what's wrong? Did you two argue?" Paxton asked.
"No, I just occasionally want to spend time alone with my brothers," Josiah replied.
Not only Paxton but even Jasper felt that something was off with Josiah today. Since high school, when Josiah and Matilda had started dating, they had always been inseparable. Whenever Josiah appeared at any event, Matilda was always by his side. If his friends’ birthdays didn’t allow him to bring her, he wouldn’t come at all. He treated Matilda like a treasure, always by her side. It was unprecedented for Josiah to be out without her.
Paxton patted Josiah’s shoulder and said, "Josiah, the world is full of options. We can help you find someone better than Matilda."
"Alright, let's not talk about her anymore. I need to ask you two something. How much cooperation is there between the Gatsby family, the Pierce family, and our Finch family? Who handles all the work in this area?"
"Josiah, are you okay?!" Jasper asked, genuinely surprised.
Josiah had never shown any interest in the family business before. He was the typical playboy, living for the pleasures of eating, drinking, and having fun. This was the first
time he had ever taken an interest in family matters, even asking about business. It was a bit scary, and Jasper couldn’t believe his ears.
"Josiah, do you have a fever?" Paxton put his hand on Josiah’s forehead to check his temperature. Jasper, on the other hand, was stunned. Was this really the Josiah Finch they knew?
Josiah slapped Paxton’s hand away, saying, "I’m being serious."
Jasper was the first to snap out of his shock. "I handle most of the cooperation with your Finch family. Paxton takes care of the Gatsbys’ side of things. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"I want to ask you two for a favor," Josiah said, not hesitating to admit his shortcomings. These were his best friends, and if he didn’t seek their help, who else could he turn to?
The two of them grew serious as they asked in unison, "What favor?"
"Can I intern at your company? I want to learn about company operations and project management."
"What?! Are you serious? You want to intern?" Paxton exclaimed in surprise.
Internships were never an option for them because they were already being trained for their future roles. From a young age, they had been involved in projects and had accompanied their elders to meetings. Though Josiah was older than them, they knew he hadn’t had the same experience. It was surprising to hear him express interest in an internship now.
"I'm serious. I've decided to join the family business and learn how to manage it."
"Josiah, did something happen to the Finch family?" Jasper asked cautiously.
Jasper was keenly aware of the current power struggles within the Finch family. Although Josiah was Hezekiah’s favorite grandson, Silas and Hiram had conspired against him, causing him to distance himself from the family business. But now that Josiah had suddenly decided to re-engage, there had to be a reason.
"There’s nothing wrong with the Finch family. I just suddenly woke up. I don't want to be a fool who knows nothing and lets others take advantage of me." When Josiah finished speaking, both Paxton and Jasper had nothing to say. The three of them were the same age, but Josiah was considered an older brother because of his early birth. Now that Josiah had decided to grow up, they were very happy for him.
"Alright, leave it to us. If anyone dares to bully you, your brothers will help you get revenge." Paxton raised his glass.
"I don't want to take revenge. I'm the most gentle and easy-going person in the world." Josiah chuckled and clinked glasses with them.
After the gathering, Paxton and Jasper were ready to go their separate ways. Josiah also decided to go home by himself. As Paxton was about to get into his car, he noticed Matilda not far away.
"Hey, isn't that your girlfriend?" Paxton pointed her out to Josiah.
Josiah followed Paxton's finger and saw Matilda not far away. She was getting into someone else’s car. He didn't recognize the person, and it was impossible to see clearly in the dark.
"Let’s go," Josiah said casually, waving it off as unimportant.
Paxton glanced at Josiah and didn’t say anything more. Josiah didn't want to talk about it, so Paxton just said, "Alright, let's talk again later. If something's up, give me a call."
"Sure."
Josiah drove off, ignoring what he had just seen. Perhaps he had misunderstood, or perhaps it was something else entirely. He didn't care anymore. After today, he planned to have a good conversation with Matilda and formally end things.
- Writer
