“How am I supposed to trust you? Caspian saw you going out with him in secret with his own eyes! Just to avoid things going awkward between us, he chose not to tell me the truth.”
Larry added, “I now know why you wanted to go back to Nirhaven College. That’s where you can spend time with him. Why didn’t you tell me you were dining with him that day? Why didn’t you tell me that he was at Nirhaven College too? If there’s really nothing going on, why are so many people talking behind your back? Joan, tell me! Explain yourself to me!”
Just when she thought she had the world, the pain in her knees reminded her otherwise. It seemed to be mocking her choice of the man that she sacrificed everything to love. It also served as a warning, that everything that had happened wasn’t a nightmare, and was real.
Clenching her own sleeve, Joan sought solace within her own heart. With an expressionless face, she replied, “Since you already have an answer, why do you bother asking me.”
Larry let out a gut-wrenching laugh. It was so sharp that it seemed to pierce both their hearts. With his bloodshot eyes, he declared, “You admitted it, Joan! You admitted it!”
“Larry, ever since we got back together, I never expected both of us to fall apart like that. In my mind, I thought that we had been through everything. But I was wrong. We don’t seem to be on the same ground. You trust yourself more than you trust me.”
Gritting her teeth, Joan pulled herself up with the support of a chair. As tears rolled down her cheeks despite her best efforts to stop them, she pursed her lips. “Let us calm down. We should… take a break.”
In the end, she didn’t even remember how she left the house that day.
Her pain slowly emanated from her heart and quickly tore through every fiber of her body, to the extent she was numb.
Before the matter reached the ears of Finnick and Vivian, she decided to drop by first. Coincidentally, both of them were not at home. Only the nanny was there, watching over Leslie.
When the nanny saw her, she warmly greeted Joan and invited her to see Leslie. Hence, Joan approached carefully.
Leslie who was quietly laying in the nanny’s arms, suddenly cried non-stop the moment Joan took over. Panicking in response, Joan realized that she had not seen Leslie in a long while.
Despite being his mother, her presence caused Leslie to feel fearful and unsettled. Joan was heartbroken upon realizing the fact.
Under the nanny’s guidance, Joan carried Leslie the same way the nanny did. After crying for a while, Leslie finally calmed down. It may have been due to a special connection between mother and son. After all, Leslie did spend ten months inside Joan’s body.
Leslie had grown really fast. The last time she carried him, he was a lot lighter than he was now. Looking at his chubby face, she saw him smiling without a care in the world.
It was this smile that triggered Joan’s resolve to raise Leslie herself. Therefore, she had to take him away.
If Larry continued to misunderstand her, their marriage would likely end prematurely. Hence, she also would also try her best to get custody of him.
“I’m taking Leslie out to get some sun,” Joan remarked.
The nanny didn’t dare protest. After all, Joan was his mother and had every right to take her son wherever she wanted. Therefore, she could only remind Joan, “In that case Mrs. Norton, please remember to come back early. Or else, old Mrs. Norton would be worried.”
After bundling up Leslie’s blanket, Joan carefully put her arm around his neck and lay him gently on her arms.
She didn’t understand why she was feeling that way. Also, she was relieved that Larry’s parents were not at home, providing her the opportunity to take Leslie away. As if she hadn’t come here today, she would never be able to see Leslie ever again.
Meanwhile, Larry and Caspian were oblivious to the fact that while they were arguing in the office, someone was eavesdropping by the door, and had heard the whole exchange. This person was currently sitting on a leather sofa, leisurely lighting up a cigarette.
