Chapter 8: Chapter 8



Joelle’s right wrist, her dominant hand and previously injured, still throbbed. The slap she delivered had carried the full force of her strength, loaded with the sting of eight years of love and heartache. She returned it all to Adrian.

“Adrian, this is what you owe me,” she declared through gritted teeth. With that, she bid farewell to Irene before limping out of the Miller Mansion, leaving it behind for good.

Adrian stood frozen, stunned by her action. The once obedient and docile woman had slapped him.

“Adrian, don’t forget what I told you,” Irene reminded him, then waved her hand to dismiss everyone.

At her place, Amara applied ointment to Adrian’s cheek.

“Mom, I’m fine,” Adrian reassured her, trying to downplay the situation.

Amara furrowed her brows. “Have you been spoiling that woman lately? She even dared to lay hands on you.”

Adrian remained silent. He knew part of the blame rested with him for misjudging Joelle. With Shawn still in the hospital, it was understandable that Joelle was highly emotional.

“Mom, she’s still my wife. When Lyla and Katie humiliated her, they humiliated me as well.”

“I know, but I can’t just shrug this off.”

Seeing that Adrian wasn’t angry about being slapped, Amara decided not to mention what had happened three years ago.

“By the way, what did Irene tell you?”

Adrian pursed his lips and thought about the ultimatum Irene had given him—have a child with Joelle within the year.

“Nothing, really,” he lied.

Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from work. An urgent matter had come up. Therefore, Adrian headed to the office, where he ended up working late into the night.

That evening, he received a call from Leah.

“Sir, something happened! All of Mrs. Miller’s belongings are gone!”

At the same time, Adrian’s assistant entered his office carrying a package. “Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller sent this over earlier today.” Adrian unwrapped the package to find another divorce agreement.

With a metallic clink, a wedding ring tumbled out of the envelope. Adrian stared at the ring for a long moment.

“Find out where she is right now,” he commanded.

After leaving the Miller Mansion, Joelle returned to the home she had once shared with Adrian. To her, it felt more like a gilded cage where she had imprisoned her once proud and confident self. Without hesitation, she packed up all her belongings and left.

She had already secured a new apartment near the job Katherine had helped her find. However, the landlord was still cleaning the place, so she couldn’t move in immediately. With nowhere else to go, she went to stay with Katherine in the meantime.

“That son of a bitch! How dare he wrongfully accuse you without knowing the truth. I hope he goes bald today and grows a double chin tomorrow!” Katherine fumed, while Joelle listened in silence.

Just then, Joelle’s phone buzzed with a notification. The Twitter handle Countdown To Death updated again. Unable to resist, Joelle clicked on the notification, and Rebecca’s saccharine voice filled the room.

“I’ve been feeling down lately because my brother’s in the hospital. When he found out, he bought me front-row tickets to a concert. What should I wear?”

“Oh, and here’s a cake he delivered to me while he was at work. This place’s cakes are really hard to get. I just mentioned wanting to try it, and he got one for me.”

“Some fans have been asking why we haven’t gotten married yet. Actually, it was planned three years ago, but something unexpected came up.”

“But it’s okay because we’ve always been in love. Married or not, it doesn’t really make a difference, right?”

Rebecca’s voice echoed through Katherine’s villa for a while. When the video finally ended, Joelle’s hands trembled so much she could barely hold her phone. She buried her face in Katherine’s arms and cried out all the pain she had been holding back.

Eight years. From eighteen to twenty-six. Joelle had once been so excited about marrying Adrian, but now she deeply regretted it. If she had never married him, she wouldn’t have clung to impossible hopes, nor would she have had to watch him in love with another woman right before her eyes.

How pathetic!

The happiness Rebecca expressed made Joelle, Adrian’s legal wife, feel a deep sense of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

“Joelle, stop crying. You’re making me sad too.” Katherine wiped her own tears while gently patting Joelle’s back. “A man like that isn’t worth your tears. Let’s go out and have some drinks! It’ll help wash away your worries!”

Soon, the two of them were on the way to the largest nightclub. Katherine, a wealthy heiress who had started her own business while still in college, now owned three companies. She didn’t hold back and booked ten toy boys for a wine bath to ensure they had a night of pure indulgence.

At first, Joelle felt out of place. But after a few drinks, she began to relax. She had always had a low tolerance for alcohol. The last time she got drunk was three years ago, and it had unexpectedly led to her marriage to Adrian. Since that incident, she had been cautious about drinking too much.

But now, with Katherine by her side, Joelle felt safe enough to let loose.

At some point during the evening, the door to their private room swung open. A bit tipsy, Joelle’s gaze fixed on the newcomer’s sculpted abs visible beneath his tight black shirt, accentuating his narrow waist and the firm muscles underneath.

The man was tall and radiated a natural allure. Even though fully clothed, he looked hot and irresistible. What would he look like without the shirt?

Joelle swallowed hard and commented cheekily, “Why aren’t you taking off your clothes? Didn’t Katherine pay you?”

“Joelle,” Adrian said, his voice low and commanding, “take a good look at who I am.”

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