Chapter 282

The waiter kept giving us massages while I stared up at the skylight, watching the night slowly take over.

After a while, Kathy suddenly remembered something and started chatting with Joanna.

"Joanna, you never told us how you and Ronnie met. Was he as persistent as Royce was with Caroline?"

I was about to say something when Kathy glanced at me with a knowing look.

It was clear she wasn't just gossiping. She wanted to understand the current state of Joanna and Ronnie's relationship. If they had a strong, loving relationship, we needed to think carefully about how to advise Joanna on her divorce.

Joanna didn't respond immediately. After a moment, her phone rang.

Kathy and I watched as Joanna waved her phone at us. "I need to take this call. It's Ronnie."

Ronnie?

As Joanna stepped away to take the call, Kathy and I huddled together, whispering.

Joanna didn't go far, and we could hear snippets of her conversation.

"I understand. I'll handle it..."

"But you need to take care of yourself. Don't overwork."

"I'll talk to Dad. Just make sure you know what you're doing."

Kathy and I were confused but managed to piece together that Ronnie wanted Joanna to talk to Oscar about something.

Kathy pulled out her phone to message Simon. "I'll ask him about the details of the results."

I nodded. "Make sure there's no misunderstanding. If we get this wrong, all our plans are wasted."

After a while, Joanna returned and took a sip of water before speaking. "If you want to know, I need to gather my thoughts..."

We had all had a bit to drink, and our voices were starting to slur.

Joanna had drunk the most and still had a bandage on her finger from when Kathy had patched her up earlier.

"Our story isn't exactly a fairytale... It's a bit embarrassing, actually."

Kathy and I sat cross-legged, listening intently.

The waiter had left, and it was just the three of us in the large room.

Kathy and I flanked Joanna, eager to hear her story.

"Well, it all started..."

Joanna paused and looked at us.

"What's wrong? Keep going," Kathy and I urged her.

Joanna laughed. "You two are making me feel like I'm at a storytelling event. It's a bit nerve-wracking."

I waved my hand dismissively. "We've been curious about your story for ages. You've been married for so long and seem so stable. We're just envious."

I studied Joanna. She was about my age, maybe a year older. Slim and elegant, she had a refined air about her, clearly from a well-off family.

When I first met her, she had short hair. Now it was mid-length, naturally draped over her shoulders. She had never dyed it, keeping a low profile due to her family's profession.

As she answered our questions, she frowned slightly but smiled. She was beautiful.

I couldn't help but think that if I compared Joanna to Maeve, Joanna was definitely more beautiful. But Maeve had a certain allure that men found irresistible-seductive and charming.

Joanna was too normal, always principled. I couldn't imagine how she and Ronnie interacted privately, but any man would be tempted by someone like Maeve.

Brandon had proven that.

And if Royce was right, Maeve was being used as a pawn in some larger scheme, trained to seduce men.

Her Facebook profile said it all.

As I pondered Maeve, Joanna spoke up. "We didn't fall in love and then get married."

"Our story is more like Caroline and Brandon's. He was just a poor college student when we met."

Kathy rolled her eyes. "Don't compare everything to Brandon! He's a jerk. Anyone is better than him."

"Exactly..." I agreed outwardly, but knowing Ronnie had cheated made me feel bitter.

We could comfort Joanna, but knowing the truth would devastate her.

Joanna continued, "I met him just before I graduated. He was a year ahead, in grad school. I remember running into him in the office while handling graduation paperwork. He was talking to a professor about not being able to pay his tuition..."

Over time, Joanna and Ronnie grew closer. She learned he worked multiple jobs to support himself and came from a poor family.

But Joanna didn't mind. She was drawn to him, not out of love, but because she wanted to help him.

"I introduced Ronnie to my father as someone I was sponsoring. But later, he talked to my dad alone."

"That's when I found out he wanted to marry me."

Kathy and I exchanged glances, thinking this was another story of a poor student taking advantage of a benefactor.

Ronnie had betrayed his benefactor!

But his comeuppance would come later...

Joanna had no idea how much pain awaited her.