Chapter 265

There was something off in her eyes.

Kathy burst out, "Come on, spill it! You and Ronnie are still going strong, right? Give us single folks some hope!"

I jumped in with a grin, "And me, the one who's already been married and divorced, I need some hope even more."

Joanna looked at us for a long moment before she finally smiled and set down her fork.

She spoke slowly, "There's really not much to say about marriage. Whether it's good or not, only you know."

"If you're looking for some confidence from me, I'm afraid I can't provide it."

Hearing Joanna's words, Kathy and I exchanged a glance.

Was she finally going to open up?

Joanna sighed, "It's not that Ronnie and I don't get along... We don't really have any issues in our daily interactions."

Kathy poked at her food, "Then what's the reason? Is it just the daily grind of married life that's wearing you down?"

Joanna nodded, then shook her head.

"Honestly, I don't know how to describe it. Even today, when I came to see you, I wanted to talk about it, but when it comes to actually saying it, I don't know how."

Seeing her hesitation, I thought we might finally get some useful information.

If we could find out Ronnie's recent state, their relationship, and Joanna's perspective, we could inform Royce.

Once Royce knew, he could set up a reasonable plan to investigate further.

Otherwise, we'd be stuck, not knowing whether to proceed.

Kathy took a sip of her milk tea, "You two don't seem to have any major issues. If it's just the daily grind, I get it. Marriage is different from dating."

I agreed, "Marriage and dating are really two different things."

"So you guys envy my relationship with Royce, but we haven't even officially started dating. I don't want to rush into a relationship... I'm afraid it will change! I'm more worried that once we make it official, he'll start thinking about marriage."

I couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Look at me now. I might not look old, but I've been through a lot, and I have four kids. Even if Royce and I got married, I couldn't have more kids."

Thinking about what Kelly and others had said, I was always pessimistic about my future with Royce.

At a certain age, people seem to want their own children due to hormonal changes.

By then, I might not be able to have kids, and even if I could, I wouldn't have the energy.

With four kids now, I already feel very happy. I want to focus on raising them well.

That's my plan for now.

Joanna spoke softly, "If you put it that way... Ronnie and I don't have kids yet."

"Yeah, you've been married for a while. How come you don't have kids? Who doesn't want them?" Kathy asked.

Joanna shook her head, "At first, it was me."

"When we got married, his career was really taking off. I didn't want kids to mess with that, and I didn't want to be a stay-at-home mom... I didn't want to raise kids alone."

So, we didn't have any.

"A couple of years ago, I started thinking about it. His career had stabilized, and I thought maybe we should have a kid. But surprisingly, he didn't agree."

Hearing the turn in Joanna's story, my heart tightened.

Maeve had appeared around that time. Could it be related?

Joanna continued, "We've talked about it several times. He never really expressed his opinion. He just said he was too busy with work and didn't have the energy."

She looked at us, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"To be honest, we haven't had a physical relationship in a long time."

Kathy was shocked, "So this lack of energy includes that too?"

Joanna nodded, "Pretty much."

"And at my age, you can't keep asking if he wants to have sex or kids."

I sighed, "It's true that being busy with work can cause that."

"I thought so too, but in the past two years, he's been acting more and more off..."

Joanna hesitated, looking at us.

"Especially in the past few months, he hasn't touched me at all. I even thought maybe our feelings had faded, and I should be more proactive, but he always rejected me."

Hearing this, Kathy and I both sighed in relief.

We had been worried that Maeve's illness might have infected Ronnie.

Or rather, we were almost certain.

Given their affair, Ronnie was likely already a carrier.

Our only concern now was Joanna.

Joanna, unaware of our thoughts, was lost in her own, "We barely communicate anymore. In the past six months, he's been talking less and less. After work, he goes straight to his study."

"And since we don't have kids, sometimes I feel trapped. I could get a divorce, but people say I'm lucky to have Ronnie."

This situation left Joanna indecisive.

I couldn't help but sigh, "People don't understand the pain until it happens to them."

"When I was drugged and barely escaped, my neighbors knew and said Brandon must have made a mistake in a moment of weakness. They even hoped I wouldn't get divorced."

If it weren't for my friends' unwavering support, I wouldn't have been able to get out.

"Brandon was good at pretending to be a good husband. Who would have thought he had such a sinister plan..."

Thinking about my past with Brandon, the three of us shuddered.

Joanna sighed deeply, took a napkin to wipe her mouth, and leaned back in her chair.

"Honestly, when I went to the hospital that day, I was envious of Isadora. Her husband dotes on her, and now she has a baby and has recovered so well."

"Isadora's life will be all about enjoying herself. As her child grows, she'll have something to rely on..."