Chapter 42: Chapter 42



Joelle packed some food and headed over to Katherine’s place. Katherine, a small business owner, was engrossed in a phone call when Joelle arrived. With nothing much to do, Joelle began tidying up Katherine’s cluttered house. When Katherine finally ended her call, she threw her arms around Joelle and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “OMG! Is this even my house? My dear Joelle, whoever marries you is incredibly lucky!”

Joelle chuckled wryly. “Then I must be unlucky to end up marrying Adrian.” Katherine settled cross-legged on the floor. They cracked open cans of beer and lounged on the carpet while a mindless TV show played in the background. Joelle lay on Katherine’s lap, absentmindedly watching TV when her phone suddenly chimed.

Rebecca had posted an update on her Twitter again. Joelle was hesitant to open it. But Katherine, already tipsy, urged her, “Open it. What’s there to be afraid of?” After a moment’s thought, Joelle relented. She hadn’t done anything wrong, so why should she be afraid?

“Hi, everyone! Today, I’m preparing a special dinner for him. You might have noticed, we’ve recently moved due to a minor issue at our old place. But now he’s gotten us an even bigger house! Today, I’ll be making garlic crayfish…” The video shifted into a cooking tutorial. Joelle yawned, uninterested.

Minutes later, the video cut to Rebecca lying on a man’s lap. The camera avoided his face but zoomed in on Rebecca’s sharp collarbones and a man’s hand, adorned with a wedding ring. “Jesus! I hope we can always be this happy together.” The ring was unmistakably part of a matching set with Joelle’s, so she immediately recognized the hand as Adrian’s. Joelle let out a bitter laugh, threw her phone aside, and finished off her beer.

“Joelle, don’t be upset. At least now you see him for who he really is,” Katherine coaxed her. “Yeah,” Joelle replied, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. The light from the chandelier was so bright it hurt her eyes. “It took me eight years to see it, though.”

Katherine gently stroked her hair, trying to offer some comfort. “I’m going overseas for work soon. Come with me?” “Where to?” “Italy. I’ll be working, but you can just relax and explore.” Joelle thought for a moment. “Sounds good. I can visit my teacher while I’m there.” “Great! It’s a deal, then!” “Yes, it’s a deal.”

The trip was scheduled for the following week. Joelle informed the Walters family well in advance. As for Miley, since her lessons were only weekly, her absence wouldn’t disrupt their schedule. Before leaving, Joelle had one last lesson with Miley. As usual, only Miley and her stepmother, Kiera Barron, were at home. After several interactions, Joelle had learned that Kiera, aged 27, had joined the family six months after Miley’s mother passed away.

Miley was neither close to nor distant from Kiera. And when Joelle was there, they seldom spoke more than a few words to each other. “Miley, you’ve made great progress!” Joelle remarked. “But remember, health comes first. I’ve heard you’re practicing the violin for 18 hours a day. While hard work is important, don’t you think there are other things more important at your age?”

Miley looked at Joelle with wide, puzzled eyes. “I don’t understand. I just want to get into the best music school.” In wealthy families, children’s paths were often meticulously planned from an early age. Miley’s response left Joelle at a loss for words. She could hear Miley’s longing for her mother in her playing. But beyond that, there was a numbness to life itself. Joelle could see that playing the violin no longer brought Miley joy, yet Miley continued to push herself relentlessly.

After the lesson, Kiera walked Joelle to the door. As Joelle rarely saw Miley’s father, she could no longer hold back and decided to voice her concerns to Kiera. “Is it Mr. Barron’s request for Miley to aim for the top music school?” Kiera yawned. “What? I’m not sure.” Joelle could see Kiera had little interest in her stepdaughter’s pursuits.

“Mrs. Barron, I hope you’ll discuss this with your husband. Miley is an exceptional child, but she’s under a lot of pressure. Children often feel this way due to their parents’ expectations. Please, consider easing your husband’s demands.” “Alright, I’ll talk to him,” Kiera responded half-heartedly. “I have a facial appointment now. Bye.” With that, the door closed abruptly. Joelle was left with no other option but to drop the matter.

The day she was set to leave with Katherine arrived. While packing in her rented apartment, Joelle realized her passport was missing. After searching thoroughly, she remembered that all her important documents were still at her shared home with Adrian. She called Leah, who said apologetically, “Ma’am, your important documents should be in the study, but Mr. Miller has ordered that no one is allowed to touch his things. The study is also locked. I can’t get in.”

Joelle sighed. “I’ll go get them myself, then.” She chose a time she knew Adrian would be away and headed to the house. As she approached the staircase to head upstairs, she saw Rebecca standing on the second floor. “Hey, Joelle. Why didn’t you let us know you were coming?”

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