Chapter 82: Seeking to Marry Cynthia
"I told you, our divorce is just for show. After Cynthia gives birth, we'll give you the child to raise." Chris avoided Joanna's gaze.
Before coming to Valeria, that had been his original plan.
Now, saying it again to Joanna's face, he inexplicably felt a bit guilty.
"You hesitated." Joanna laughed. "So Chris, you want to keep both of us women under your control, don't you? Cynthia can help you deal with your family, keep your parents and grandfather happy, and make you look good in public. Meanwhile, you still get to enjoy my care, and now you're even more pleased with my Dr. J identity. But Chris, you're forgetting that neither Cynthia nor I are the type who can tolerate the other's existence."
In wealthy families, arranged marriages often turned a blind eye to affairs on the side.
Joanna knew clearly that neither she nor Cynthia could do that, so Chris's scheme was doomed to fail.
He could only choose one, not have both.
Chris, exposed for his shameful thoughts, became angry from embarrassment. "What nonsense are you talking! Joanna, don't you know how I feel about you? We've been married for three years. I just can't let go of what we had! As for Cynthia, if you hadn't insisted on divorcing me, I wouldn't have gotten drunk and heartbroken, we never would have slept together, and there wouldn't be this child!"
Joanna glanced coldly at the shower in the bathroom and asked, "Would you really sleep with someone just because you were drunk? What if Cynthia had splashed water on you to wake you up like I did? Or were you just not planning to sober up at all, and just went along with the mistake, using Cynthia as comfort!"
Chris's face turned red and he couldn't speak.
Joanna lost her patience, yawning from exhaustion. "We have nothing more to discuss. When we get back, we'll go to the marriage registry and file for divorce."
After she said this, Angelo naturally wouldn't allow this eyesore to stay in Joanna's room any longer and immediately pushed him out.
The security guards waiting outside grabbed his arms and escorted him away.
Chris felt humiliated and kept shouting, "I'm not leaving! I'm entering my wife's room, no one has the right to kick me out! I'll book another room, can't I do that? What kind of hotel is this, throwing out customers!"
Listening to the gradually fading voice, Joanna raised her eyebrows, somewhat curious.
Angelo smiled and said, "Before coming to Valeria, I was worried about uncomfortable accommodations, so I bought this hotel and had our rooms renovated."
Joanna's mouth dropped open in surprise. All she could say was, "It's really nice to be rich."
Angelo smiled helplessly. After laughing, he remembered something serious and his face became stern. "Chris will probably keep bothering you. He can't let go of Dr. J. Now that he knows your identity, if pushed too far, he might do something harmful to you."
Joanna shrugged. "Let him be. After we go back, I'll find a chance to file for divorce. Once I have the divorce certificate, whatever happens to these people has nothing to do with me."
Before, when divorce was mentioned, she would have felt reluctant about the three years she'd invested.
But after Chris and Cynthia came to trouble her again and again, Joanna just wanted to be free as soon as possible.
She was sick of this family.
Angelo was happy that Joanna hadn't wavered. Thinking about how Cynthia was already pregnant, his smile deepened.
Since Chris had completely betrayed Joanna, there should be no chance between them anymore.
Perhaps he could start pursuing Joanna.
At least he couldn't continue staying by her side just as Angelo.
It was too late, so the two didn't talk much more and went back to their rooms to rest.
The next day, Angelo went to the research institute to discuss cooperation on new drugs, giving Joanna the day off. She bought some gifts and supplements to visit her teacher.
Linda didn't live in this city, so Joanna first bought a plane ticket. During the flight, hearing clingy voices from the business class seats in front of her, she couldn't help but look up.
Two somewhat familiar heads were huddled together, and she could occasionally hear some cooing and caring words.
"Cynthia, will your parents really let you marry me? They won't kick me out because I got you pregnant, will they?"
Chris looked somewhat tired, having not rested well last night, and was even more annoyed by Joanna's heartlessness.
He had no choice but to focus all his attention on Cynthia, also feeling spiteful: if Joanna didn't want to be his wife, plenty of others would be willing to marry him. The care she used to provide, others could do too! He wouldn't regret Joanna leaving—the one who should regret it was that woman Joanna!
Cynthia seemed to have already forgotten yesterday's unpleasantness, her cooing voice very sweet. "Of course! My parents have always seen you as their son-in-law. They've been hoping we'd get married soon. Chris, as long as you show them you're good enough to me, they'll bless us."
"Okay, I definitely won't let them down."
Joanna could occasionally hear snippets of their conversation. She hadn't expected to run into these two on the plane and felt rather disgusted.
She wanted to throw up the breakfast she'd just eaten.
Joanna waved to the flight attendant and asked for earplugs. After putting them in, she simply closed her eyes and slept.
When the plane landed, she deliberately waited for Cynthia and Chris to leave before getting up, taking her time and not rushing.
Who knew she'd run into them again at the arrival gate, and Cynthia spotted her first. "It's Miss Jones! Did she follow us here too?"
Chris felt a bit panicked, but after seeing Joanna, he suddenly felt pleased.
"Joanna, you're afraid I'll marry Cynthia, aren't you? You followed us here, and yesterday you acted all disgusted, but now unless you apologize and beg me to forgive you, I'm definitely getting divorced."
Joanna pulled out sunglasses from her bag and put them on. "Yes, so you must divorce me. Let's go to the marriage registry as soon as we get back."
Chris immediately stopped talking, glaring at Joanna with an ugly expression.
Cynthia, sensing the strange atmosphere between them, smiled and said, "Miss Jones, I'm really sorry about yesterday. After leaving the symposium, I did scold Chris. As your husband, he didn't even have the ability to care about you—he didn't even know you were Dr. J. Chris promised me that after we get married, it definitely won't be like that. He'll care about me more than himself. And whatever issues we have, we'll talk them out and never let each other misunderstand. Thank you, Miss Jones—this is a lesson learned from your experience."
Joanna felt somewhat bitter, but more than that, indifferent.
Cynthia's purpose in saying these things was just to make her angry. She didn't need to bother with someone like that.
After the divorce, they wouldn't see each other often anyway. Whatever!
"You're welcome. I hope you enjoy the trash I threw away. I'm already very happy you don't mind that it's dirty."