“What’s going on here?” Joe asked as he walked into the room and faced the three of them. When they made no move or answer, his gaze landed on Charmaine as he repeated, “What’s going on here?”

Charmaine took a step towards him, “I want to ask you a question and I hope you’ll be completely honest with me.”

Joe smiled encouragingly at her and said, “I’m always honest with you, you know that. Ask whatever you like.”

A flicker of doubt crossed her face as she surveyed Joe’s grave features. Raymond took note of her doubt and opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Charmaine spoke out, “Do you really have cancer or have you been lying to me?”

Joe was shocked by her question as he looked intently at her, “Why are you even asking me? You think I would actually lie to you about it?”

Raymond broke in, “You would!”

Joe gave Raymond an annoyed glare before turning his attention back to Charmaine. His features soften as he implored, “You were with me at the hospital when the doctor gave me my diagnosis. You think the doctor is lying too?”

Raymond chuckled and said, “That doctor is on your payroll. He’ll do whatever you tell him to do.”

Joe ignored Raymond’s comment and walked to stand in front of Charmaine, “I don’t know what happened to make you feel this way. All I can think of is that you don’t want to marry me. If that is the case you can just come out and say so. Don’t make these false accusations against me!” Joe suddenly staggered backwards as he took long shallow breaths. His hand stretched out to steady himself with a chair as he continued to make wheezing noises.

Charmaine saw the pain in Joe’s eyes and the way his body shuddered with each breath he took. He was having another one of his attacks and she hated herself for causing it, “No, I do believe you!” she exclaimed and grabbed his arm.

Raymond turned to look at Charmaine with disbelief, “Don’t believe him! It’s all an act!”

Joe made a show of lifting his head with great effort and looked coldly at Raymond. In between gasps he said, “You’re the one who is lying!” He turned to Charmaine and said softly, “You don’t have to marry me.”

Charmaine shook her head as she clung onto his arm, “No! I want to marry you! I want to take care of you.”

Joe flung her hands away and weakly said, “I don’t need you. Leave me alone.” He turned away from her and slowly walked towards the door. With his back to the three of them, they were unable to see the smirk on his face.

Charmaine ran up behind him and tugged his arm, “I’m sorry Joe. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

From Joe’s side, Raymond lifted a chair high in the air and was about to crash it onto Joe’s head when Joe’s arm shot out and grabbed one of the chair’s legs. He twisted the chair from Raymond’s hands and flung it with force across the room. He turned to look at Raymond with hatred and sneered in his normal voice, “Better luck next time.” Incensed by Raymond's near assault, Joe dropped all pretenses as he proceeded towards Raymond and growled, “But you won’t have a next time.” He stopped dead in his tracks by Charmaine’s voice.

“Joe?” Charmaine was stunned to see the transformation. One second Joe seemed to have difficulty breathing and now he was standing erect and there was a dangerous glaze over his eyes. “Joe?” she called out again in confusion. Then the reality of what she witnessed sunk in. Raymond hasn’t been lying after all and neither did he act out of jealousy. Joe was the one who had been lying to her.

Joe turned to look at Charmaine and quickly hovered over, pretending to be fragile, but it was too late. He knew the game was over by the unconcealed scorn in her eyes. He straightened up and stared at her, “Raymond is right. I don’t have cancer. I did all this so that you would marry me.”

Charmaine looked at him with anger as she bit out, “I’ve been so worried about you and all for nothing!”

Joe laughed and sarcastically said, “Worried about me? When? When you weren’t thinking about him?” he cast a killer look at Raymond. “You think I don’t see the looks you two share with each other?” When Charmaine didn’t answer but looked at him with a mixture of guilt and defiance, he Raymond and jabbed a finger in his chest, “And you! I don’t know what she sees in you.”

Raymond stood his ground and slapped Joe’s hand away, “Don’t ever lay a hand on me again.”

Furious at the two, Joe drew his arm back and punched Raymond on the face with such speed and force that it had Raymond falling onto his back. “Raymond!” Charmaine cried as she rushed to his side.

Joe advanced towards Raymond again but Ron came to his defense. He shoved at Joe and threatened, “Back off!”

Michael, Jessica and Tavia walked in at that moment. Michael did a quick glance around the chaotic room and asked, “What the hell is going on?”