In contrast to Caspian, Nancy was different. She was about Joan’s age and had sincerely wished them happiness during the wedding. With that thought in mind, Joan gave Nancy a call.
“Hello, Joan?”
Before she could say a word, Nancy’s voice rang out over the line. As if she was grasping desperately for a lifeline, Joan responded in anticipation, “Yes, it’s me!”
“Joan, I know why you’re calling me. But I don’t know how to explain this to you. I can only tell you that when you and Mr. Silverman were dining at the restaurant, Caspian and I happened to be there. However, he didn’t tell Larry about it.”
“But yesterday, when Larry came to see Caspian, asking him to investigate the matter, I noticed how conflicted Caspian looked. Hence, he would likely have told Larry about it.”
After Nancy finished her long explanation, both of them fell silent.
While Joan was trying her best to dissect Nancy’s words, the occasional honk from the busy traffic disrupted her thoughts.
“Joan, who is… Dustin?” Nancy asked bluntly as she wasn’t a sensitive person.
Despite her best efforts at trying to sound calm, Joan replied with a trembling voice, “Nancy, wh-what do you mean?”
When Nancy heard the anxiety in Joan’s voice, she began to panic and desperately explain herself, “No… It’s not that, Joan, I don’t mean it that way. I… I was just asking. I have faith in you, but…”
“He is just a friend. When you saw me that day, I was on the phone with Larry. I wanted to tell him who I was dining with. However, he was just too busy and assumed I was meeting another female friend. Before I had the opportunity to explain, he ended the call. I didn’t lie to him!”
The moment she finished, Joan ended the call, worried that Nancy would raise another question which showed her suspicions. She rather leave things that way.
Meanwhile, when she heard the sound of a key unlocking the door, Joan knew that it was none other than Larry given the time.
As Larry sprinted up the stairs, he banged on her room door the moment he arrived. He roared, “Open up! Joan! I know you’re in there!”
Joan was cognizant that running away wouldn’t solve anything. Given how Larry was almost going to tear down the door with his bloodshot eyes, Joan finally opened it before he resorted to further violence.
“It was Dustin who dined with you that day,” Larry asserted. It wasn’t even a question where he would give her a chance to explain. Has he concluded that I lied to him over something as trivial as dinner?
His words only served to intensify the dejection Joan felt. The only reason both of them ended up in such circumstances was that they were too young.
“Are you going to be with him now?” Larry’s voice was hoarse while his eyes filled with despair.
Joan’s expression had lost her usual vibrance.
“How can you even think that…”
Suddenly, her voice turned raspy and her eyes widened in rage, “Larry, after being together for so many years and even having a son together, how could you think of me that way? You don’t trust me at all!”
It takes more information to make you believe something you don’t want to believe than something you do. Joan was someone stubborn to the marrow. She would never explain herself to someone that didn’t believe in her. As for Larry, his mind was bombarded by all the information he received over the past few days.
Ever since he knew Joan, he could never think rationally about any matter that involved her. Because of that, Caspian’s final sentence “I saw it with my own eyes” kept repeating in his head.
As if he was possessed by a demon, he reached out his hand and pushed Joan forcefully toward the ground. Staggering backward, she finally lost her balance and collapsed onto the floor.
