Chapter 283

"So, you two just ended up together like that?"

Joanna nodded. "Pretty much. My parents were thrilled with him back then. They said he seemed decent and hardworking."

"Even though you two weren't exactly a perfect match, at least they knew him well."

Knew him well.

I almost wanted to scoff at the thought of using that phrase to describe Ronnie.

You can know someone's face but not their heart.

Kathy seemed to be thinking the same thing and let out a sigh.

"What's wrong? Why did you both go silent? Do you think my marriage started off too haphazardly?"

Joanna sighed and lay back on the bed.

"I never really dated much growing up. My family was super strict. So when he said he wanted to marry me, I was a bit stunned. I thought I had found someone who genuinely liked me. Plus, despite his humble background, he overcame his insecurities and told my dad he wanted to marry me. I thought he was the one."

As she spoke, Joanna closed her eyes.

It seemed like she had more to say but didn't.

But Kathy and I could probably guess.

Maybe after getting married, Joanna realized Ronnie was more interested in her family's wealth and Oscar's influence.

We all fell silent and lay back on the beds.

It had been a long time since I had talked so much with friends, feeling like we were back in high school, chatting in our dorms.

But soon, my phone rang.

I reached for it to check the message.

Kathy heard it and immediately teased, "Is it him again? You two are so clingy, anyone would think you just got married."

I glared at Kathy. "Can you stop joking about us? We're not even officially together yet. If it doesn't work out, you'll be teasing me about it forever."

Joanna laughed. "So when are you going to say yes? He seems really into you. Don't let a guy like that slip away."

I said, "I haven't decided yet. I need more time to think..."

"He's been sending me flowers every day, but I've been so busy, I'm hardly ever at the office. At least wait until I can see the flowers every day at work... maybe in a month."

Joanna clapped her hands. "That's so sweet. You two sound so happy."

I smiled and glanced at my phone, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw Maeve's name on the screen.

I quickly looked around.

Joanna was talking to Kathy and didn't notice me.

I sighed in relief and turned my phone slightly to see what Maeve had sent.

This time, Maeve didn't send a voice message but two texts.

[Caroline, when are you free? I have something to discuss with you.]

[Let me know when you're available. I'll arrange a place for us to meet.]

Maeve's tone was almost commanding.

I frowned, wanting to tell Maeve I was busy and wouldn't be free for the next few days.

After all, Joanna's situation had just been resolved, and Kathy and I were still figuring out how to convince her to get a divorce!

Now Maeve's message had come through, and for some reason, I felt very annoyed.

I remembered the last time I saw her talking to Royce in the café.

Maeve had too many secrets.

She might even be dangerous.

Initially, I met with her to get some clues.

But now, I didn't want to get close to her at all.

The last conversation didn't benefit me at all. Maeve didn't share any information and only made demands.

I angrily replied.

[You said the same thing last time, but you didn't tell me anything. You just made demands. Our deal is unfair.]

Maeve quickly replied.

[This time is different. There's something I must tell you.]

[If this changes your mind, Brandon has been released.]

Brandon?

I almost shouted when I saw the name.

I sat up, staring at my phone in disbelief.

Joanna and Kathy, who were talking, saw me and quickly asked what was wrong.

I couldn't care less that Maeve had told me this. With a trembling voice, I said, "Brandon has been released!"

I wasn't sure what was going on, but they needed to know.

Joanna and Kathy were shocked. "How is that possible? Wasn't he sent to the police station last time?"

I nodded. "Yes, he was at our house, and we reported him for theft. The evidence was clear, and he should have been locked up for a while..."

I calculated the time. He had been in custody for about two weeks.

Maybe because so much had happened, time flew by, and I hadn't realized it had been that long...

Thinking about it made me feel down. "So much has happened, I forgot about this. I should have provided more evidence to keep him locked up for years."

"It's not your fault. The police have procedures to follow. If you report it again after the divorce, they'll have to reopen the case."

Kathy patted my shoulder.

But this news had already ruined my mood.

The only good news today was that Joanna was okay.

We spent the night at Joanna's spa, and I felt a bit better the next morning.

When I got home, I quickly told Simon about it and asked him to find out why Brandon was released.

Logically, with a pending lawsuit, this shouldn't happen.

Unless someone was helping him!

And the fact that Maeve told me this made me suspicious. Were they all part of a plan?

Or was there a bigger scheme that I had never truly escaped from?

Thinking about this, I stared blankly at the crib.

Our cat, Nala, jumped up and cuddled next to me.

"Nala, I wish you could talk."

As a cat, she could be a witness.

But that was just a fleeting thought. I smiled bitterly and petted Nala.