"Chris, I've lost a lot of blood. Am I going to die? Though I'm not afraid of death, I'm really upset that I can't see you before I die…"
"Be strong, I'll be there soon. Stay in the car and don't move. I'll be there in no more than ten minutes."
"But aren't you getting your marriage certificate with Joy right now? Won't she be upset? I don't want you guys to be unhappy because of me. I don't want to put you in a difficult position."
"You are my priority, she's nothing. I'll make up an excuse and she'll believe it. She's easy to fool."
Seeing that they probably finished their conversation, Joy walked up, looking worried, and asked, "Chris, you look pale. What happened? Who was on the phone?"
Christopher anxiously said, "Joy, something happened to my mom, I must rush over there right now…"
Joy looked disappointed and said, "Chris, this is a big deal for us. Can we get our certificate first and then go? It will only take a few minutes."
Christopher looked upset, "Joy, she's my mom! I must rush over there right now. The paperwork is done and we only have to wait for the certificate. Just wait here, there's no need for me to stay."
After saying that, Christopher started running.
Joy saw him rushing out of the door, and her eyes dimmed, "Since when did Amanda become your mom?"
Joy returned to her seat across from the clerk, looking disappointed.
The clerk asked puzzledly, "Miss, where did your husband go?"
"He said there was an emergency and ran off. It sounded like a woman called him." Joy stood up, biting her lip, "Don't process the certificate for now. Please give me the documents."
The clerk muttered in annoyance, "What the heck, who does this during a marriage certificate process? Maybe you should reconsider."
Joy retrieved her documents and left the City Hall.
BIG SIS sent a pickup code to her phone. The item was delivered to her home.
Joy returned home and picked up the freshly minted marriage certificate. Her picture on it was heavily photoshopped, she looked like herself, but also not quite like herself, even a bit like another Joy.
The ID number was not hers, but the other Joy's.
Joy was satisfied and took the marriage certificate. She called Christopher, and after a long ring, he picked up. Joy exclaimed excitedly, "Chris, I got the marriage certificate. Do you want to take a look?"
"You keep it, I'm busy here, I can't talk now."
Christopher hung up the phone.
Joy let out a light laugh. Even though she knew this would be the result, she still felt a bit upset and angry facing reality.
It must be the residual emotions from the original Joy.
Joy took a deep breath to compose herself, then called a moving company and went to the Johnson family's mansion.
Just as she walked into the hall, Lucy saw her and started to curse, "You have the nerve to come back? Did you bring your lover with you? If you don't bring him back to apologize, get out!"
Joy calmly said, "I know you don't like me now. I'm here to move my things."
Lucy ran up to her and blocked her way, "What a joke, everything in this house is mine. I'd like to see who dares to move my things!"
Joy looked at Lucy and chuckled, "Auntie, you're so funny. Which item in this house didn't I buy with my own money? How did they become your things?"
"Anything in my house is mine. Try to move any of my things. I'll have Chris dump you immediately." Lucy was fearless, thinking that without her son, this woman, who was involved with another man, would have no other way out.
Joy smiled gently, "Oh, I forgot to inform you. Chris and I just came from City Hall. We've already got married. So, you can stop threatening me with this."
Lucy's eyes widened, "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you so desperate to marry my son that you've gone mad? Without my permission, he dares to marry you?! You can't even lie convincingly!"
Joy took out the marriage certificate and held it before her, "It's all here. If you don't believe me, you can ask Chris. Oh, right, this time I'm moving out, I'm taking Chris's things too. We're going to live together."
"It's impossible! What nonsense are you talking about, get out of my house! Get her out!" As Lucy pushed Joy, she snatched the marriage certificate from her hands.
Joy let her take the marriage certificate, knowing that Lucy would never notice that the ID number on it was incorrect.
Looking at the names on the two marriage certificates, Lucy couldn't believe it. She staggered back two steps and collapsed onto the sofa, muttering, "Impossible, impossible. Chris couldn't have married you behind my back…"
Joy was satisfied seeing Lucy's shocked expression. She led the movers upstairs and pointed at her room, "Just move everything out of here, please. Please hurry up, my husband's mom doesn't like me very much, I don't want to disturb her for too long."
After saying that, she went downstairs. Lucy was no longer in the hall. Joy saw from the mirror in the hall that Lucy was making a phone call under the sun umbrella in the garden.
She must be calling Christopher to vent her anger.
Joy smirked and walked out the door, hearing Lucy scolding Christopher loudly, "I raised you and this is how you treat me! Secretly getting married behind your parents' backs! How have I educated you over the years!"
Joy quickly rushed over, "Auntie, don't blame Chris. It was all my idea, it's not Chris's fault. It's all my fault."
Christopher heard Joy's voice on the other end and said to Lucy, "Mom, you were too dramatic, you scared Joy and forced me to marry her ahead of schedule. What could I do? Not marry her? We were going to get married sooner or later anyway. I have to go now, you can talk to her if you have anything else."
Christopher was annoyed. He had just promised Amanda to take her out on a yacht, and now Joy had let his mother find out about their marriage. He doubted his mother would allow him to buy the yacht now.
What a useless woman Joy was, promising to keep it a secret from his mother.
She couldn't even handle such a small matter, he didn't know why she was still clinging to him.
Hearing the beeping sound from the phone, Lucy's anger escalated. She furiously grabbed Joy's arm, "You shameless woman, sleeping around and forcing my son to marry you. I'll make him divorce you even if you're married!"
Joy chuckled coldly and swiftly twisted Lucy's arm. Lucy cried out in pain, "Joy, you've gone too far, how dare you lay hands on me! Let go of me now!"
Joy had practiced martial arts since she was young, she was both physically and intellectually strong. She wasn't afraid of two or three burly men, let alone a shrew-like Lucy.
She applied a bit more force, and Lucy's face turned pale from the pain.
Joy mocked, "You need to face reality, Auntie. Do you think Chris likes you as his mother? You control him every day, make him listen to you, meddle in his affairs, and won't even give him money to buy a yacht. He's long been sick of you. Do you think he will listen to you and divorce me? You're mistaken. Now, whoever has the money is his mother!"