Chapter 6
“Mom, this pry’s avesome,” Luna whisperil to Joanna
Joanna shook off her dage and quickly turned to Kenneth. “Thank you so much. You wait, it’s you? What are you doing here?” As she really took in Kenneth’s face, her features tightened with caution.
At that moment, Kenneth’s gaze fell on the red, pully marks marring Joanna’s face. His tone turned grave. “Who did this to you?” he asked, his hand reaching out instinctively to touch her cheek.
But Joanna jerked her head away. “Don’t touch me. It’s none of your business” She had been struck by her husband, and now here was someone she’d spent a night with, showing concern. Joanna couldn’t help but find the situation bitterly ironic.
Taking a deep breath, Joanna composed herself. “Didn’t I make it clear I never wanted to see you again?”
Seeing Joanna’s defenses sise, Kenneth retracted his hand and got straight to the point. “Joannia, are we are we married?” he asked.
this
man.
The question caught Joanna off guard. She responded without hesitation. “What are you talking about? That’s ridiculous. We’re not married.
She owed him gratitude for saving her and Luna, but the memory of last night clung to her like a bad dream.
The thought that he was just a lowly gigolo who’d been with many women made her stomach churn. She wanted nothing more than to get away with
Luna
Kenneth and Luna shared a glance. “So, she’s not my daughter?” he asked, his voice tinged with disappointment
rey soured any
“Of course not,” Joanna snapped, hugging Luna closer to her side. The suspicion that he might be trying to cling to her for more money gratitude she might have felt. “Are you following me because you think Low you more money?”
Kenneth’st
s face darkened as the memory of Joanna tossing money at him flashed through his mind–a slap to his pride. He stepped closer, his voice icy “You’re not my wife, so why did you sleep with me?”
Joanna was left momentarily speechless. She instinctively reached to cover Luna’s ears. “You’re the gigolo, and I’m the client. Isn’t that enough?”
“What did you call me?” Kenneth’s body went rigid, his eyes narrowing at her accusation. “Who’s an escort?”
Joanna let out a derisive snort, not backing down. “You are. You’re young, you’re attractive, but why sell your body? Aren’t you scared of what you might catch from being with so many women?”
Joanna’s words hit Kenneth like a punch to the gut, igniting a fury within him that was hard to contain
Joanna was done with the conversation. “Look, because you saved my daughter, I’ll just write off last night a dog what’s good for you, you’ll disappear. Otherwise, I can have you arrested for what went down last night.”
bite and move on. If you know
With that, Joanna didn’t linger. She scooped up Luna and walked away, leaving Kenneth standing there, a chill running through him. ‘Dog bite? She just called me a dog” he thought, the words echoing in his mind.
As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Luna spoke up. “Mom, you were mean to him.”
Joanna looked down at her, her expression serious “Sweetie, that man wasn’t a good person, you know?”
Luna pondered for a moment, recalling the events upstairs. “He’s better than Dad,” she stated. Norbert had never been there for Luna, never picked her up, and never told her how beautiful her name was
“Sweetie, when we
ve judge people, we shouldn’t just look at what they
y show us on the surface,” she said, reflecting on Norbert’s distant behavior towards
Luna and the painful memories of how Lund came into the world, swallowing the bitterness.
Luna nodded quietly, though it was clear she only grasped a part of what her mother was trying to convey.
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Exiting the hospital lobby, Joanna and Luna passed by a group of imposing bodyguards clad in matching black suits. They moved with an air of authority, clearly not to be tuled with
Murmurs rippled through the crowd as onlookers speculated about a high profile visitor to the hospital, Joanna paid the scene no mind, her focus on Luna as she guided her towards the kindergarten.
Unbeknownst to Joanna, the bodyguards halted in front of Kenneth, their
voices respectful as they addressed him. “Mr. Wesley
Shawn Gordon, the man at the helm of the bodyguards, peeled off his sunglasses with a mischievous prin. “Kenneth, you finally came out of that coma,“ he said, spreading his arms wide for an embrace.
Kenneth’s face remained a mask of indifference as he sidestepped Shawn’s advance. Shawn butted, shaking his head. “Kenneth, even after five years in a coma, you’re still such a neat freak.”
With a swith, appraising glance at Shawn, ensuring no ill intent, Kenneth ordered, “Pull together a detailed profile on me, as comprehensive as it gets” needed to confirm for himself if he was indeed an escort Joanna claimed him to be.
raight to the pharmacy. She picked up a box of birth control
Joanna waved goodbye to Luna as she disappeared into the kindergarten, then headed straight to pills, swallowing the bitter pill with a grimace before making her way to the office.
Back when Norbert had gotten out of prison, they’d tied the knot soon after. Joanna had managed to convince her father to give Norbert a chance at Mayfield Group.
Norbert’s leadership had steered the company to new heights in Tarrendale. In the past couple of years, he’d taken things a step further, founding Wesley Group, a subsidiary that was now almost as big as Mayfield itself.
Joanna had dabbed on makeup before heading to work, trying to cover the mark left by the slap. Her day was a haze, her eyes constantly drawn to her phone, but it remained stubbornly silent–no calls, no texts.
“Does Norbert even care what happened last night?” she thought to herself. She recalled the five years of pain, and her eyes brimmed with tears. “Does he even see me as his wife, or just someone to fight against?”
To avoid a public meltdown, Joanna headed to the women’s locker room. The room was a sanctuary, the sound of the shower providing a backdrop for her thoughts. She let the water cascade over her skin as she examined the bruises, a stark reminder of last night.
She scrubbed at her skin, as if she could wash away the memories along with the physical marks. But the harder she scrubbed, the more the flashbacks from last night assaulted her.
She had lain on top of Kenneth, his hands gently holding her waist. He was considerate, mindful of her feelings, a stark contrast to the night that had stolen her innocence five years ago.
That nightmansh encounter with the now–pane “Mr. Ken” had left an indelible mark on her soul, a scar that no amount of soap and water could ever hope to cleanse.
Dressed, Joanna stepped out, her footsteps faltering as she caught snippets of a hushed conversation.
“Mr. Wesley is not just easy on the eyes; he’s loaded too. One night with him would be a dream come true,” a voice gushed
pit down,” another voice hissed. “Mr. Wesley married, remember? You really wanna be the other woman?”
“Keep
“I heard he’s not even into his wife. Never seen them out together, and he’d rather chase skirts than go home. Word is, Mrs, Wesley only got him to the altar by playing the pregnancy card,” a third voice explained,
The buzz of female employees‘ gossip filled the room. When they finally noticed Joanna standing there, their chatter came to an abrupt halt. “Ms. Mayfield, what brings you here?” one of them asked.
Joanna’s face drained of color. “This is a workplace,” she replied, her voice icy. “Not a place for idle chatter
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When Joanna was expecting Luna, she had to put her studies on hold. Doce Luna came into the world, Joanna decided to step into the corporate world, aligning her path with Norbert’s. She made the tough call to leave her academic dreams behind.
Keeping a low profile at work, Joanna concealed her ties to Norbert and Edmund, climbing the fadder hased purely on her own hard work and talent. She finally managed to cam her place as a director.
The female employers exchanged glances, their faces a mix of annoyance and compliance. “Alright, Ms. Mayfield, we got it,” they ch
it was no secret that Joanna’s gaze often softened when it landed on Norbert. The women couldn’t help but wonder, ‘We so what makes her think she’s so high and mighty?
they chorused,
e all have a crush on Mr. Wesley,
“My Mayfield, there you are, Diana Levine, the PS department manager, said as she hurried over to Joanna. “Me Wesley needs you to get dressed up and handle the chent tonight.”
Diana had been taken aback by the request. Normally, it was the PR team’s job to entertain clients. This client, in particular, was known for being a bit of aslearebag, always pushing drinks and taking liberties with the women he met.
Joanna, as a director, should be dealing with more prestigious clients. Sending her to handle this guy was a clea dig
Diana, who had a good relationship with Joanna, leaned in and whispered, “Ms. Mayfield, did something happen between you and Mr. Wesley?”
Joanna’s face lost its color. She was too stunned to respond and hurriedly left the room.
The other women exchanged smirks, their expressions sharp with schadenfreude. “She had it coming,” one of them muttered under her breath. “She probably thought Mr. Wesley was actually into her.”
“if Mr. Wesley had any real interest in her,” another chimed in, “he wouldn’t be sending her to entertain clients like this.”
Joanna stepped off the elevator onto Norbert’s floor. At the office entrance, Emma Lewis, Norbert’s secretary, blocked her path. “Ms. Mayfield, Mr. Wesley is tied up. He can’t be disturbed,” Emma said firmly.
Joanna’s voice was rough with emotion, but her resolve was clear, “Tell him I need to see him.”
Emma, well aware of Joanna’s connection to Norbert, shook her head. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Wesley won’t see you, whether you’re Ms. Mayfield or Mrs.
Wesley.”
Undeterred, Joanna planted herself outside his door, until the office lights flickered off one by one, signaling the end of the workday.
As Norbert strode out of the office, he brushed past Joanna without a word, heading straight for the elevator.
Joanna, her legs heavy from standing all day, limped after him and stepped into the elevator. “Norbert, why am I being made to entertain clients?” she
asked
Norbert glanced at her. “Did you take a day off just to hassle me with this?”
His detached demeanor cut Joanna to the core. “It’s not my job to entertain clients, and I won’t do it,” she insisted.
Norbert’s response was cold. “Joanna, I’m the boss, and you’re the employee. You don’t have the luxury of refusal.” He lifted her chin with a casual flick of his finger. “Besides, isn’t entertaining men whatyou do best?”
Joanna’s composure cracked under the weight of Norbert’s blatant humiliation, her voice trembling with the threat of tears. “Norbert, you can’t treat me this way,” she choked out.
Her tears splashed onto the back of Norbert’s hand, the warmth of them seemingly grating on his nerves. “Joanna, don’t you always need a man? I’m offering you one. Aren’t you happy with that?” His tone was laced with sarcasm.
At that moment, a realization dawned on Joanna, and through her tears, a smile broke through. “Norbert, you did this on purpose,” she accused. “You’re
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Chapter 6
trying to get back at me for Susan
At the mention of Susan, Reschert yanked his hand back. He pulled out a tissue, meticuloudy wiped
her feet
nd clean of her tears, and then discarded it at
“Glad you’re catching on,” he said coldly. “If you ever bother Susan again, it won’t be just about entertaining clas
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. Nochest stepped out briskly, bes
leaving Joanna behind
As coworkers passed by, Joanna remained by the elevator, her lip clenched between her teeth, determined not to let her emotions show
AD
