Ice and Fire novel Chapter 331

"Joe, stop this! You are a member in the Chu Family, and it would be wrong for us to leave." Cherry's voice was low and weak sounding. She wasn't in the mood to entertain her son's ideas of leaving the Chu Family home.

"Do you think they are treating us like we are part of the Chu Family? Why didn't Great-Grandpa stop Daddy from hitting you? Did he just stand there watching Daddy hurt you?" Joe wanted to know.

"Joe! Stop talking like that! It's complete nonsense! You..." snapped Cherry before Joe interrupted.

Joe's tone was childish but firm as he told her, "Mommy! We need to leave, right now! I won't live here anymore! There's nothing good about this family and no place for us! As long as I am with you, I will be happy. I wanna live the life we used to live before we came back. I don't wanna see you being bullied! I wanna be with you forever!"

"Joe..." Cherry trailed off, sighing. At the moment, she didn't know what tell him, or how to say it. She was touched by her son's sentiments. She had never known anyone so considerate about her and tried so hard for her. In fact, not even Jackson had ever given this much of himself to her. Yet, here was her son, so young, offering to do everything for his mother in his innocent way.

"Mommy, let's go! We're leaving now!" insisted Joe as he clutched her hand and headed for the door.

But, just as they reached the hallway, they were stopped.

Jackson blocked their way; Andrew and the butler were not far behind him.

When Joe saw his Daddy standing there glowering, he didn't feel any fear. He looked at his Daddy and said firmly, "I'm taking Mommy away from this place."

"Do you think you can just leave because you want to?" shouted Jackson angrily.

The coldness in Jackson's voice scared Cherry. She knew Jackson's anger well enough and was aware that he might lose his temper at any moment.

Joe disregarded his Daddy's anger. He looked up at his father and said in a serious tone, "Since there is no place for my Mommy and me, I am taking Mommy away from this family."

Jackson looked down at his son in silence.

Andrew was standing next to Jackson and said to Joe in an amiable tone, "Joe, you can't take your Mommy from here. You are members of the Chu Family, and families stick together."

"Are we really family? How could you treat my Mommy like this if we are family?" When Joe finished saying his piece to his Great-Grandpa, he turned to his Daddy, because his questions had been for his Daddy. He knew his Daddy was the head of the Chu Family not his Great-Grandpa, and every word said or choice made by his father was the final law in the family.

Andrew didn't know what to say at that moment, he understood his Great-Grandson's words. He knew what had just happened when he saw Cherry's appearance, his Grandson had hurt her, and he could see the marks on Cherry's neck from where he was.

Nobody responded to him, so Joe said to his Mommy, "Mommy, we're going!"

Joe grabbed hold of his Mommy's hand again and tried to walk to the staircase.

Jackson reached out grasping hold of Cherry's arm as she and Joe walked past him. He gripped her arm so tightly that they weren't able to take another step.

Joe and Cherry stopped in front of him.

"You can not go!" Jackson ground out his words between clenched teeth, not looking at Cherry.

Seeing his Daddy gripping his Mommy's arm, Joe impulsively stepped between them and tore his Daddy's hand from her arm, ferociously saying to his Daddy, "Let go of my Mommy! I'm taking her out of here!"

That's when Jackson lost his temper and backhanded his son, sending him flying back as he shouted, "Where are you going to take her? She is my wife! She will be my wife, forever!"

Joe's little body fell to the ground and his head slammed hard on the floor.

When Cherry saw her son being harmed, she instinctively reacted, shoving Jackson away and rushed to her son's side. She squatted down and scooped her son up, asking in a dismayed tone, "Joe, Joe, What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Joe touched the back of his head, feeling pain. His Daddy must have used his full force, and he was really hurt.

When she looked down at Joe's pained expression; Cherry shouted at Jackson angrily, "What do you think you are you doing? He's just a child!"

Andrew felt the pain Joe was in too when he looked at his Great-Grandson's face. Joe was his flesh and blood, and the next generation of the Chu Family. He loved Joe very much, but how could he blame his Grandson?

Joe saw worry in his Mommy's expression and reassured her, "Mommy, I'm ok, it doesn't hurt."

"Joe. Oh, Joe, " Cherry said as tears streamed down her face. Her son meant everything to her, she didn't know what life was without her son.

Looking at the two of them crying, Jackson and Andrew felt an ache in their hearts, but said nothing.

Bill and Lily walked upstairs just then. Lily hurried to Cherry, and knelt down asking, "Mrs. Cherry, what happened? What's wrong with Mr. Joe?"

Cherry didn't say anything, she just sat there gazing at her son.

"Should we take him to the hospital?" Bill asked worriedly.

When Joe saw how worried his mother was, he firmly told her, "Mommy, I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm okay."

"Joe, " Cherry began, she didn't know what to say though. Her son was a sensible and considerate young man.