Whenever they made a mistake, they feared their mom finding out.

If she did, a scolding would be the least of their worries as they might even get a beating.

She used a thin bamboo stick that stung like hell but would not cause real harm.

Of course, as long as they did not cause major trouble, she was usually gentle and would just give them a lecture at most.

Just as Josh was thinking about his wife and son, his phone buzzed. Seeing Jasmine’s name flash on the screen, he answered immediately.

Not even waiting for her to speak, he said, “Honey, I won’t be home for lunch today.

“Don’t wait for me and Xavier. I’ll be back by evening. I don’t have any networking events tonight, so I’ll take you out shopping, maybe catch a movie. Just us, no Xavier.

“Oh, and I talked to Zachary about taking a week off soon to take you and Xavier on a trip. Where do you want to go? I’ll book the hotels in advance.”

“Dad.”

However, the voice that came from the phone was his son’s.

“Dad, are you ditc