Chapter 13

Joshua was standing very close to Queenie. Noticing her trembling body and the cold sweat on her forehead, he knew she was distressed by Stacy's words. Despite that, she still stubbornly stood before him. Joshua couldn't let her face such a difficult woman alone. He then gathered the speechless Queenie into his arms, his coat a silent offering of warmth against the cool night air. Queenie felt the warmth emanating from Joshua. It must be because the night had gotten colder, and she wasn't dressed warmly enough. Otherwise, why would she feel so secure in his embrace? She thought she must be getting muddle-headed from low blood sugar. Just then, Joshua's voice sounded above her. "I don't know what happened, but Queenie's leniency is why you're not in jail tonight. I hope you won't take advantage of her kindness." Joshua looked down at Queenie, who appeared out of breath and sternly warned Stacy, "I've said all I needed to say. You'd better heed my advice or else..." Joshua had retaliated because Stacy had threatened Queenie earlier. He wanted Stacy to get a taste of her own medicine. On the way back, Queenie leaned against the seat, feeling unwell. Stacy's mention of her college days reminded her of when people stared at her with judgmental eyes. This discomfort might haunt her forever, and she felt utterly uneasy. Suddenly, Joshua pulled over. Queenie saw him get out of the car but didn't have the strength to ask why. After a while, he returned and placed a cup of warm milkshake in Queenie's hands. "You've got low blood sugar. I bought this with extra sugar. Drink it. You'll feel better." Pale and exhausted, Queenie didn't even have the energy to thank him. She could only hold and stare at the cup. Joshua seemed to have sensed her struggle. He took the cup from her and guided the straw to her lips. Queenie's survival instincts kicked in. As the straw reached her mouth, she took a few sips and felt warmth spreading through her body. The dizziness and light-headedness gradually faded. After gaining some strength, Queenie took the cup from Joshua's hand. She didn't want him to think she was being overly dramatic. Watching her trying to tough it out, Joshua decided to hold off on what he had initially planned to say. "Feeling better?" Joshua asked while staring at Queenie. "Much better," Queenie replied weakly. Then, she looked at Joshua and asked, "Aren't you curious about why I ended up at the police station tonight?" Joshua could find out whatever he wanted with a simple investigation. But understanding Queenie's desire to keep her dignity, he decided not to pry. Noticing Joshua keeping silent and staring at her, Queenie recalled their encounter with Stacy earlier. She thought it was necessary to give Joshua a heads-up. "She's my stepmother, Stacy Stone. She made a big scene at my sister's house tonight. So, my friend, Joanne, the one you saw earlier, called the police." Queenie gave Joshua a brief rundown of the night's event, and Joshua finally understood. Stacy had been trying to bring Queenie back home to marry Liam Gill, the son of the head of Cragtown. However, Joey had moved out of her rented apartment and moved in with him. Unable to find Queenie, Stacy caused trouble at Joey's house. "So, your sister got caught up in this because she was protecting you. And you couldn't stand seeing her bullied, so you called the police," Joshua summarized. "Yes." Queenie nodded. Though calling the police on a family member might be harsh, she had no regrets. Stacy's outburst at Joey's house was enough to show she didn't consider them family, so why should Queenie care? "Do you think I was wrong? After all, I owe her for raising me. Was it a mistake to call the police on her?" Queenie often saw similar stories in the news, where the online community morally judged victims. Joshua realized that Queenie was always trying to please everyone, likely because she hadn't received much protection or love from her original family. It seemed like Queenie's life had been filled with hardship from the moment she lost her mother.