Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Five years later, Joanna found herself on the 19th floor of Velvet Vista Hotel, standing in front of mom 1314. It felt arrived. Just a door away, her husband was with another woman.
eternity had passed since she’d
With a deep breath, she pulled out the syringe containing the ovulation stimulating medication. Slowly, the administered it to herself
At that quiet moment, her father Edmund Mayfield’s stern words resonated in her head. “Tonna, Norbert’s situation has changed. You can’t control his affairs, and if you don’t have a child, you’ll be left with nothing. Think about Mayfield Group and Luna. To safeguard everything you need to give Norbert an heir
Joanna clutched her heart, feeling the weight of her mother’s legacy–Mayfield Group
ad the responsibility for her daughter, Luna Wesley
Hiding the ache in her eyes, Jeanisa steeled herself. With a shaky hand, she reached out and rapped lightly on the door.
The door creaked open, revealing a young woman draped in a revealing bathrobe. She met Joanna’s gaze with a surprised expression. “Mrs. Wesley, you’re early,” she said. “Mr. Wesley and I aren’t done yet
“Out of my way” Joanna brushed past the woman without a second glance.
The scene that greeted Joanna was a mess of discarded clothes–the woman’s, his, a jumbled mix on the floor.
Five years back, Joanna and Norbert had said their “I do’s.” Lately, though, Norbert was more of a headline than a husband, his name always tangled up with some scandal or another, always with a different woman in tow.
He booked rooms for his trysts, and she was left with the hollow title of Mrs. Wesley, feeling more like a punchline than a partner.
Things had hit a new low lately, when he started having his secretary call her to bring him fresh clothes for his hotel rendezvous. It was like he was rubbing her nose in it, and Joanna knew it.
She was well aware that Susan, her cousin and now Mrs. Anderson, was back in the picture. After five years, Joanna had lost her innocence. She saw things for what they were.
Norbert walked out of the bathroom, his face a mask of indifference, his robe tied loosely around him. “How’d you get in here? Wait outside,” he barked.
The young woman sidled up to Norbert, her eyes flicking to Joanna with a smirk, “Mr. Wesley, let’s not waste time with Mrs. Wesley. We’ve got better things to do,” she purred.
In their social circle, it was no secret that Norbert looked down on his wife.
“Norbert, we need to talk,” Joanna said. There was a subtle bite to her words, a reflection of the Etter truth that she had no power to stop his infidelity.
only to endure it.
Norbert brushed past Joanna, his focus on the young woman as he casually draped his arm around her waist. “If you have something to say, save it for home. This isn’t the time or place.” With that, he steered the woman toward the bed.
Joanna’s composure cracked. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched his retreating figure. “Norbert,” she choked out. “Isn’t five years of this hell enough for you?”
Norbert’s stop faltered, a brief look of confusion passing over his face as he silently questioned, “is she actually crying?
During their five year marriage, Joanna had always insisted that she was his savior. However, after their initial conflicts, she had become a subdued presence, like water that had ceased to flow. She was calm, detached, and silent.
Sensing a shift in his mood, the young woman urged, “Come on, Mr. Wesley” But Norbert just let go of her “Go out.”
Reluctant to part, she lingered, her finger fracing slow circles on his chest as she spoke softly. “Mr. Wesley.”
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Chapter 2
Norbert’s expression hardened, and he snapped, “Get out,”
The woman hesitated, but she knew better than to defy him. She was under contract with Wesley Group
with a final venomous look af Jaantia, she thought, ‘Mrs, Wesley never bats an eye at her husband’s flings. But the moment it’s me, the has to stick her neve in. Just my luck,”
As soon as the door clicked shut, Norbert let out a smirk. “So, what’s this about? Can’t handle the solitude and figured I’d be your entertainment for the night?”
To his surprise, Joanna nodded, stepping into his personal space and looping her arms around his waist. She learied in, her head coming to rest against his chest. “Yes,” she whispered. “Just for tonight, Norbert.”
He stiffened, taken aback, and pushed her away with a coldness that matched his tone. “Joanna, what game are you playing?”
“Please,” she said, “sleep with me, like you do with the others. Just this once! Joanna nibbled on her lip, her plea humble,
She had taken the ovulation shot, so tonight was crucial for her to conceive–she couldn’t afford to miss it. It was her first time taking the shot, and she was already feeling its effects, a warmth spreading through her body that made her uneasy.
“You’re begging me?” Norbert’s gaze turned intense as he casually lifted Joanna’s chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
“Yes, I’m begging you,” Joanna whispered, her demeanor submissive.
Joanna was undeniably beautiful–her features delicately balanced, her hair cascading Eke seaweed, and her skin as smooth as silk. But her eyes, once brimming with a lively sparkle, were now dull and lifeless
Norbert had spent five years tormenting her, shattering her pride with his own hands. This was the culmination of his revenge, yet instead of satisfaction, he felt only a restless, growing emptiness.
“Too bad, you make me sick,” Norbert said, releasing her and averting his gaze. “Get out and tell her to come back. I’ll sleep with her.”
Norbert had always been adept at knowing just what would send Joanna spiraling into despair. This time, however, she didn’t retreat; instead, she stood her ground, her teeth clenched with a fierce resolve. “Norbert, we’re married. It’s your duty to satisfy me as a husband.”
Her words hung in the air, and Norbert’s gaze snapped back to her, his eyes swirling with a tempest of dark emotions. Then, with a sudden, mocking twist of his lips, he said, “Fine. I’ll give you what you’re asking for.”
In the blink of an eye, he pulled Joanna roughly and pushed her down onto the floor, intent on degrading her as much as possible.
There was no kiss, no caress, no tenderness–just a cold, harsh gesture as he grabbed some clothes from the floor and tossed them over her face. “Joanna, don’t let me see your face,” he said, his voice laced with disdain. “It spoils my mood.”
The scent of that young woman’s perfume on the clothes was overwhelming, and Joanna couldn’t suppress a gag reflex.
Her reaction only fueled Norbert’s anger. “What’s the matter? Too disgusted for you?” He lifted her shirt to reveal a scar on her flat stomach. “The thought of you having a child with another man makes me sick.”
“Luna’s innocent,” Joanna said, tugging the shirt back down to shield herself
At the mention of Luna, the girl who called him dad, Norbert’s jaw set firm. “You in or out?” he bit out.
Joanna, sterling herself for whatever was coming, grabbed the clothes and shielded her face again. She could feel the heat rising, a sheen of sweat on
She had a sinking feeling that someone had messed with her ovulation shot.
her skin.
Just then, Norbert’s phone buzzed. He answered, and Joanna could make out a frightened, soft voice on the other end. “Norbert, please help. He’s drunk again, threatening to hit me. I’m scared he’ll hurt the baby”
It was Susan. The moment Joanna recognized the voice, Norbert was on his feat, heading for the door. Joanna sprang up, cutting him off at the door.
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Chapter 2
“Norbert, you’re my husband. She’s married to someone else. You can’t go running to her
“Move,” Norbert growled, his face a thundercloud of anger, “She’s in danger. She needs me?
“But she can call the cops for that,” Joanna shot back. “Why does she keep coming to you! She’s been back a month and this is the third time
“Joanna, have you forgotten why she married that guy in the first place?” Norbert interrupted, his gaze sharp. He’d never believed Joanna’s side of what happened for years apo
Now, with the heat coursing through her veins, making her feel increasingly uneasy, Joanna knew she’d been set up. “Norbert, I’ve been drugged. Ineed your help too,” she said.
“Joanna, I’m done with your lies,” Norbert spat, shoving past her and storming out the door.
Weakness seeping into her limbs, Joanna stumbled after him into the stairwell. “Norbert, I swear, I’m telling the truth. I’ve been set up, 1-
“Set up? Need a man? There’s a whole hotel full of options. Just pick one. And don’t act like this is out of character for you,” Norbert shot back, not breaking his stride.
His words were barbs, hurled without a glance back, “And remember, Joanna, keep my name out of it.”
“Norbert!” Joanna couldn’t hold back any longer, her voice echoing with a desperate plea as she called out to him with all her strength.
He was halfway down the stairs when he finally halted, pivoting to look up at her from a lower step, their eyes meeting across the distance.
any idea what i I gave up to save you back then?” she asked, her voice quivering with the weight of the truth she was trying to reveal
“Do you have any
“I don’t want to know, and don’t ever tell me,” Narbert replied coldly. He noticed the flush on Joanna’s face, the sign that something was indeed amiss,
but he chose to dismiss it.
The hotel was just a stone’s throw from the hospital, and if she had really been drugged, he figured she was smart enough to get herself there. As Norbert disappeared from sight, Joanna sank to the floor, her back against the wall, her hands covering her face as sobs wracked her quietly.
“Miss, are you okay?” A male voice interrupted her solitude; it was a waiter.
“I’m fine,” Joanna said, forcing herself to stand, her mind set on g it would be disastrous.
getting to the hospital. She knew she could faint at any moment. If anything happened.
“Fine? You don’t look it. You clearly need a man, and someone asked me to assist you,” the waiter said with a sneer, closing the distance. “Ms. Mayfield, let me take you to a room and help you out. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Ө
AD
