Chapter 5

Rowan stared at Joanna in disbelief. "Handle it? How do you plan to handle it?" His anger flared up. "If you could handle it, how did you end up like this? Joanna, can you stop being so stubborn? I'm your husband. Why don't you tell me before you do anything? Do you want me to just watch you get hurt?" He was so angry that he was breathing hard, taking long strides until he stood right in front of her. Then, suddenly, his tone softened. Frowning, he asked, "Does it hurt?" Joanna lowered her eyes. No wound could compare to the pain in her heart. Joanna murmured to herself, "My husband? Rowan could never be my husband." During her hospital stay, Rowan had practically moved in. He busied himself attending to her every need, revolving solely around Joanna. Until one night, a woman dressed like a nurse, wearing a mask, gently pushed open the door and sat on Rowan's lap. He snapped awake, his expression darkening when he saw Hattie resting on his knee. He yanked her into the adjoining suite. Before closing the door, he deliberately glanced back at Joanna, making sure she was still asleep. "Who told you to come here?" he asked angrily. But Hattie wasn't scared at all. She reached up under him and purred, "Darling, the baby misses you. He wants you to touch him… and me." Her voice was soft, laced with tempting charm. Rowan's eyes darkened, his throat tightening as he swallowed hard. Blood rushed to his head. He lost control and spat out, "Hattie, you're such a slut." From the other side came Rowan's low growl and Hattie's deliberately provocative, sultry cries. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he clamped his hand tightly over her mouth. "Shut up!" But she struggled to make noise anyway, desperate for Joanna in the next room to hear. Joanna had been awake the whole time. From the moment Hattie stepped through the hospital room door, Joanna was already alert. Her whole body trembled, her heart squeezed painfully, and even her fingertips shook uncontrollably. Rowan had crossed a line she never imagined he would. The way he humiliated her was beyond cruel. It was cold, deliberate, and unforgivable. After Rowan finally sent Hattie away, barely satisfied, he crept back to Joanna's side. Carefully, he covered her with the blanket. He tried to touch her cheek with the same hand that had been on Hattie's body. The next moment, Joanna pretended to turn away, avoiding him. Rowan pulled his hand back, frustration flickering across his face. Joanna didn't open her eyes again until she heard the sound of his footsteps fading down the hallway. Her phone buzzed with a new message. "The wedding gown has been shipped. One week from now, be ready to leave." Joanna didn't reply. Instead, she locked the screen and shut her eyes tightly. Two silent tears slipped down her cheeks. She just had to wait one more week. Then she would be able to leave these 12 years behind for good. She swore she would never see Rowan again—not even once in this lifetime. … The next morning, her favorite breakfast was set neatly on the table. But Rowan was gone. He seemed to know exactly what time she would wake up. A new message appeared on her screen. "Darling, something urgent came up at the syndicate. I'll be back later. Love you!" She let out a cold laugh and deleted their entire chat. Rowan must have forgotten she was part of the syndicate too. He used to report every move to her. But that changed two years ago, when Rowan started learning how to lie and cover things up. Joanna checked herself out of the hospital and took a cab home. She packed up all her belongings, leaving behind everything Rowan had ever given her. Her movements were stiff and impassive as she sorted through each item and placed it neatly into boxes. Then her phone rang. It was Sabrina, Hattie's mentally unstable mother. Hattie had abandoned her in Eldorra while she sat comfortably back home, living the good life. Sabrina's condition had always been erratic, swinging between lucidity and madness. For the past two years, Joanna had been the one dealing with her torment. But every time she remembered that Hattie ended up in a coma because of Rowan, she bit her tongue and endured. Not once had she complained to Rowan. But while she had been quietly enduring everything, the other two had been happily building a new life together. Joanna answered the call, her face expressionless. The shrill voice on the other end exploded through the speaker. Sabrina snapped, "Joanna! You shameless, filthy bitch! Did you forget I have a follow-up appointment today? "Or are you just waiting for me to die so you can finally wash your hands of me? You think you can walk away from your sins that easily? "Let me tell you, there is no chance of that ever happening!" The phone speaker kept spitting out cruel and insulting words. Joanna remained unnervingly calm. She didn't hang up. Instead, she agreed to take Sabrina to her follow-up appointment.