Chapter 26
Howell frowned in confusion. He thought. Just a faint whiff of perfume–is that really enough to make her this nauseous?
Then another possibility struck him. His brows knit together. “Are you feeling unwell Come on, I’ll take you to see a doctor.”
He thought, Is she sick but trying to hide it from me?
Joanna stiffened for a moment before forcing herself upright. She wiped the corner of her mouth and said lightly, “It’s nothing. Probably just caught a chill‘
Howell thought. A convenient excuse! Howell’s gaze darkened, and his lips curled into a cold smirk. Joanna, are you deliberately ignoring everything I’ve told you! I warned you to keep your distance from Philip
name. Soo we won’t have
Joanna’s voice was flat, emotionless. “Mr. Buckley, don’t you think you’re overstepping? Our marriage is already dead in name. anything to do with each other at all.”
Howell looked down at her, his eyes shadowed with something unreadable. That’s not up to you. In fact, I’ve suddenly realized that staying married isn’t such a bad idea. It’s not like I have anything to lose.”
Joanna’s eyes burned with fury. “Shameless! You promised me–we were supposed to finalize the divorce after celebrating your grandfather’s birthday.”
She thought, I should’ve known better than to trust him. This despicable man has no intention of keeping his word.
Howell’s voice was tight with barely restrained anger. “Joanna, why? Is it because of Philip
She hesitated for a moment before replying coolly. “No. It’s because our marriage is over
Three years of walking on eggshells. Now that she had finally made up her mind, she refused to drag things out any longer. She was done. Then, from the corner of her eye, Joanna saw Margot heading their way. Annoyance flickered across her face. Without another word, she yanked her hand free from Howell’s grasp and strode off in the opposite direction
Margot pretended not to notice Joanna and greeted Howell with a smile, “Oh, there you are, Howell. Come on, the party’s about to start.”
Howell gave a curt “Okay,” then turned and walked away with her.
At the party, Joanna was still unsettled by the earlier confrontation.
habella
soon approached. “Joanna, where’d you run off to just now?”
Joanna gave a f
a faint smile. “Bathroom”
Isabella huffed. “Guess who else is here? That scheming snake, Margot. And if she’s here, you know that scumbag Howell isn’t fa two make me sick.”
far behind. Ugh, those
Joanna
a remained indifferent. “It’s a public event. It’s
It’s not surprising they showed up
“Ugh! They’re like a bad rashi–no matter where you go, you just can’t get rid of them”
Joanna couldn’t argue with that, Osland City y wasn’t that big, and in high society, it was impossible to avoid running into them
Isabella nudged her. “Don’t let them ruin your mood. Co soak in the hot springs. The natural spring water here is amazing for your skin. Joanna, however, was pregnant, so she had no plans to go.
Isabella sighed. “Fine, fine. But take care of yourself, okay? If anything happens, call me Since she was here, she was determined to enjoy herself.
Joanna nodded. “I will
The moment Margot saw Howell arrive at the party, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Slipping over to a quiet comer, she picked up a glass of wine. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, the discreetly poured something
into it
The substance dissolved instantly. She swirled I the wine gently, then composed herself and walked toward Howell
“Howell, h
here, let me roast you” she landed him the glass with a soft smile.
1/2
Chapter 27
Chapter 27
The moment Margot finished speaking, she covered her face and started sobbing, as if she had suffered some deep injustice.
Howell hesitated, then furrowed his brows slightly, “Margot, stop crying. I’m not blaming you, But I’m still married, and we need to keep our distance. It’s better for you, too”
His voice was calm, almost detached, making it impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
Margot lifted her head, her eyes red and watery. She looked at him with a mix of grievance and frustration. “I don’t care. It doesn’t bother me at all. Besides, Joanna already said she signed the papers. Now it’s just waiting on you.”
There was an unmistakable hint of resentment in her voice, as if accusing him of dragging things out
Howells expression turned cold in an instant. “But I care, Margot. This is between me and my wife. The message was clear–utsiders had no place in this.
lip, unwilling to accept his rejection. Her eyes darkened with disappointment, but she said nothing.
Margot bit her li
A heavy silence settled over the room. Neither of them spoke.
Then suddenly, Margot caught the faint sound of footsteps outside. Her heart skipped a beat. She thought, “She’s here‘
Just as the doorknob started to turn, she abruptly stood up. But in her rush, she twisted her ankle. “Ah she yelped, stumbling forward.
Instincvely, Howell reached out and caught her.
Margot seized the moment, letting herself fall right into his arms. Her hands slid around his neck, pulling them even closer–so close she could hear his heartbeat
Just as Howell was about to push her away, the door swung open-
Joanna hadn’t expected to walk in on such a scene–Margot nestled in Howell’s arms, their faces inches apart, on the verge of a kiss.
She froze for a moment before quickly regaining her composure. Her voice was cold, indifferent. “Sorry to interrupt. Her tone was distant, as if she were speaking to a stranger.
But deep down, she felt a sharp pang in her chest. Her stomach twisted violently, making her feel sick to her core.
Howell stiffened. The moment he saw Joanna standing at the door, his mind went blank. The alcohol in his system seemed to burn off in an instant. He shoved Margot away and got to his feet, looking almost like a guilty child caught red–handed.
Joanna watched the scene unfold with icy detachment. Now that the initial shock had passed, she felt nothing at all–just an eerie, unsettling calm. Margot tumbled onto the sofa but showed no sign of embarrassment. Instead, she turned around and smiled innocently. “Joanna, you’re here?” She played it off so naturally, as if she hadn’t just been caught in a compromising position.
Joanna let out a soft, mocking laugh. “Oh! Did you call me here for a show! Too bad I’m not interested. Go ahead, carry on
y disgusting‘ She had no doubt this was all Margot’s
With that, she turned and walked out without hesitation. She thought, Disgusting. Absolutely doing
The hotel staff had told her Howell wanted to talk to her about something important–something she cared about most.
And what did she care about most? The divorce, of course. So she had come without a second thought. But she hadn’t expected to walk into this.
She thought, “Who exactly are they trying to provoke
Her footsteps quickened as she left, eager to put as much distance between herself and that room as possible.
The moment Joanna walked out, Howell instinctively wanted to go after her. But before he could move, Margot grabbed his arm.
“Howell, you drank too much. Don’t go out, she said softly, trying to hold him back.
Howell’s expression darkened. He shook off her hand forcefully and narrowed his eyes. “Margot.. did you plan this?”
He thought. How else could it be such perfect timing? And how has Joanna known exactly where to find me?
