CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: NEW DAD IS AWESOME

Josephine Thompson stood there in a daze.

Henry Gallagher looked at her with deep resentment, glaring angrily, "Bad Mommy, it’s all your fault. It’s your fault for driving Auntie Vivian away, so I couldn’t see her anymore."

"Why aren’t you taking me home already? Why are you just standing there?"

Even though he was very scared of those bad uncles just now.

But he wasn’t scared of Mommy at all.

No matter what he did, Mommy would always indulge him, always accommodate him.

Josephine watched him with a heart of ash, her feelings caught in her throat.

She wanted to teach him manners, wanted to correct his attitude.

But then again.

He’s not her own son, what right does she have to teach him?

"Didn’t you hear me talking to you? Hurry up and take me home. I don’t want to stay in this hellhole anymore. I want to go home, I want to see Grandma, I want to find Daddy, I want to see Auntie Vivian!"

Henry cried and shouted as he stepped forward to pound on Josephine, his small fists hitting her over and over.

This was something Grandma Dixon taught him too.

Grandma Dixon also taught him to practice spitting at Mommy.

Whenever he spat at Mommy, Grandma Dixon would reward him with a toy.

Over time, he got used to doing it.

Josephine stood there frozen, cold both inside and out.

Forget it.

She couldn’t be bothered to fret anymore.

Once she divorced Nathaniel Gallagher, she would have nothing more to do with Henry Gallagher. Now, why should she bother getting worked up with a child?

Josephine didn’t argue.

But Julian Grant couldn’t stand it anymore. He reached out and grabbed Henry Gallagher by the ear, pulling him to the side, "Hey~ you little brat, how dare you raise your hand against your mommy at such a young age?"

"I think you’re tired of living! You’ve got no rules, get lost!"

With that, he unceremoniously flicked his finger against Henry Gallagher’s forehead.

"Ouch--"

Henry cried out, clutching his forehead in pain.

"You bad person, how dare you hit me? I’m going to tell my dad."

"Go ahead, see if I don’t take on your dad too." Julian Grant didn’t spoil him, and reached out pretending to flick his forehead again.

"Ah--"

"You bad person, I’m going to fight you." Henry, flushed with anger, charged at Julian like a little bull calf.

Julian watched, amused.

Just as Henry was about to crash into him, Julian pressed down on his head and gracefully leapt over him like a goat.

"Thump!" Henry lost his footing and fell heavily to the ground.

"Ouch!" Henry’s nose got scraped and began to bleed instantly.

"It hurts, it hurts so much."

A 3-year-old brat couldn’t possibly deal with a 27-year-old one.

Josephine looked on helplessly and gave Julian a disapproving glance, "Stop messing with the kid, it’s already pitch dark. Let’s hurry down the mountain!"

"I’m not messing with him, this little rascal has no manners. I’m teaching him, so he won’t stray when he grows up."

Josephine was even more at a loss for words.

If anyone else were to say this, it would be different.

But someone like him teaching others manners? The more he teaches, the more crooked it’ll be.

"Alright, stop crying." Josephine frowned, crouched, and helped Henry up.

Henry, feeling wronged, immediately channeled his fury back at her, pushing her down with force, "Go away, bad mommy, don’t touch me, I don’t like you."

"Henry Gallagher, if you keep this up, I’m going to get angry. I’ve told you before, stop calling me Mommy, I’m not your mommy."

"Wah wah... I want Daddy, I want to go home." Henry cried out loud, heedless of anything else.

"Stop crying."

"I will cry, I will cry..."

Josephine looked at him helplessly, not knowing what to do.

She couldn’t yell, and she couldn’t hit him either.

Julian’s temper flared up seeing this, "Hey~ you little brat, I don’t believe it."

He grabbed Henry by the collar, lifting him up, and then held him by the ankle, hanging him upside down, "Kid, acknowledge your mistake now?"

"Ahh, put me down, put me down..." Henry, hanging head down, was both terrified and scared.

"Hurry up and say it, do you know you were wrong?"

"You, bad person, I’m going to tell my dad you bullied me."

"Still not listening, are you?" Julian swung him around by the ankle in three big circles.

"Off you go--"

Then, like tossing a sandbag, he threw him up two or three meters high.

"Ah--" Henry was thoroughly terrified now, screaming nonstop.

Josephine jumped up in fright, ready to catch Henry.

"Julian, what are you doing?"

From a height of two or three meters, a fall could be crippling if not fatal.

Just before Henry hit the ground, Julian’s quick reflexes caught him.

Then, he tossed him again, roughly.

"Oof!" Henry was scared out of his wits, finally calming down.

Julian caught him with his hands, "Kid, admit defeat? Dare again?"

Henry, tears and snot streaming down, shivered as he cried, "Wah wah wah, I won’t dare anymore, I really won’t dare anymore."

At home, he was the little tyrant. Everyone had to indulge him, go along with him.

When had he ever suffered like this?

"What should you say now?"

"I’m sorry, I won’t dare to do it again, I really won’t."

Julian chuckled, "Apologize to who?"

"To Mommy."

"Go on!" Julian said, setting him on the ground with a single motion!

Henry, unsteady on his feet, stumbled over to Josephine, tears brimming, "Mommy, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, wah wah wah, please forgive me."

"..." Josephine Thompson was dumbfounded.

Julian Grant gave her a smug smile and started boasting about ’parenting skills’, "Spare the rod and spoil the child."

"If kids don’t behave, just give them a good beating. That’ll make them listen better than anyone else."

"Julian Grant, you... you’re a bit too much, aren’t you?" Josephine Thompson was wide-eyed and speechless.

Julian Grant shrugged it off carelessly, saying with a cheeky grin, "Hah, what’s wrong with that? When I was a kid, my dad would hang me upside down from the ceiling beams, strip me naked, and whip me with a belt."

Josephine Thompson couldn’t believe her ears, "Huh??"

"Why on earth would your dad beat you like that?"

Julian Grant mentioned it as if it was a painful memory, and said resentfully, "He was mentally ill, not right in the head."

"..." Josephine Thompson was even more stunned.

"Wasn’t your dad a very successful person? How could he be mentally unstable?"

Julian Grant chuckled awkwardly, "Well, yeah, the mental illness diagnosis is my own doing."

Pfft!

Josephine Thompson almost spat blood hearing that, "... You’re such a ’devoted son’, huh."

"Alright, let’s stop talking and hurry down the mountain. Otherwise, we’ll really have to spend the night in the mountains."

The sky had now completely darkened.

Josephine Thompson checked her watch, and it was already eight in the evening.

She took out a flashlight and lit up the path, "Let’s go."

"I can’t walk anymore, Mommy, boo hoo." Henny Gallagher was still trembling in fear, almost had an accident in his pants, and at three years old, he couldn’t handle the mountain trek.

"Julian Grant, why don’t you carry him?"

Julian Grant shrugged his shoulders and looked mischievously at Henry Gallagher, "I can carry you, but you have to call me Daddy."

"Pfft, are you crazy?"

"How’s that crazy? Once you get divorced and marry me, I’ll be his new daddy, right?"

After saying that, he put on a different expression and said, "Come on, sweet son, call me Daddy. From now on, I’m your new daddy."

"..." Henry Gallagher stared blankly at him.

"Hurry up and call me."

Henry Gallagher hesitated for a few seconds and timidly called out, "New Daddy."

"Ah, good son." Julian Grant beamed with joy and easily hoisted Henry Gallagher onto his back.

"Didn’t you want a new mommy? Now you have a new daddy too, isn’t that great?"

"..." Josephine Thompson felt a mix of complicated emotions.

She wanted to warn Julian Grant to stop talking nonsense.

But she was too exhausted now, so it was better to save her energy for the journey.

...

The Gallagher Family.

Nathaniel Gallagher was in the midst of ordering people to prepare cash urgently.

"Doo doo doo..."

The phone rang.

Nathaniel Gallagher held his breath and quickly picked up the call, "Hello."

On the other end, a deep voice resonated, "Is this Mr. Gallagher? We are the Audenburg police."

"Your child Henry Gallagher was kidnapped, is that right?"

Boom!

Nathaniel Gallagher’s mind went blank, and his hand holding the phone started to tremble uncontrollably, instinctively replying, "N-No..."

He didn’t want to risk calling the police.

To him, if spending some money could bring his son back safely, it was worth it, just chalk it up to a financial loss preventing disaster!

But once the police got involved, the kidnappers might become desperate and who knows, they might do something rash.

So, he hadn’t even thought about calling the police.

"Here’s the situation, your son has already been rescued. Could you please come to the Serpent’s Head Island Scenic Area to retrieve your child?"

"... Wh-What?" Nathaniel Gallagher asked in disbelief, thinking it was a prank.

The police replied with righteous firmness, "Currently, five kidnappers have been arrested, and two main criminals are still being pursued. Your child is safe now."

"Please come over as soon as possible."

After confirming that it was indeed the police.

Nathaniel Gallagher’s head was buzzing, feeling like he was in a fog, "Oh, okay, I’ll head over right away."

After hanging up the phone.

He hurriedly instructed the butler to prepare the helicopter.

He wanted to get there as fast as he could.

He also wanted to see for himself, who was the brave, formidable good Samaritan who had rescued his son.

Mrs. Gallagher was anxiously worried, "Was that another call from the kidnappers?"

"No, it was the police. The police said Henny has been rescued, and I’m to go retrieve him."

Mrs. Gallagher: "Huh? Really? Could it be a trap?"

"I’ll go and check it out first." Nathaniel Gallagher couldn’t explain more, and he immediately left.

...

Half an hour later.

He flew to the entrance of the Serpent’s Head Island Scenic Area by helicopter.

At the gate of the scenic area, there were several parked police cars and ambulances.

A large group of police officers were carrying several kidnappers onto the ambulances.

Meanwhile.

Two other officers were taking statements from Josephine Thompson and Julian Grant.

Within just two or three hours.

Julian Grant and Henry Gallagher had become quite familiar with each other.

Henry Gallagher both feared and admired him, continuously praising him, "New Daddy, you’re so brave, I really admire you."

"Good son, when you grow up, Daddy will teach you martial arts." Julian Grant, being naturally sociable, could play along with both adults and children alike.

"Wow, thank you, New Daddy. New Daddy is amazing."

Pfft!

Nathaniel Gallagher, witnessing this scene, thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

His son, actually calling another man Daddy?