Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Do As I Say, Not As I Do

“Joseph! Wait, please don’t be hasty!” Lydia cries after him.

After they leave, we all stand around in a tense silence, with none of us sure what to say.

“Thank you for defending me,” I say to my father.

“You’re welcome,” he replies warmly.

“You are going to have quite the situation on your hands now,” Rick remarks. My father sighs in response and shakes his head.

“I’ve known for a while that Joseph is a bad apple, but I really care about Lydia. I tried to steer him in the right direction, but nothing ever seemed to stick. I may lose her over this, but if that happens then maybe it’s for the best. We have grown apart in recent years but I never wanted to kick her out of her home. She has nowhere else to go,” he explains.