Chapter 4
No, absolutely impossible.
Chris immediately dismissed his thought. Joanna was just a housewife who happened to be wearing the same clothes as Dr. J. How could a full-time housewife possibly be the amazing Dr. J?
After figuring this out, Chris's eyes became much more contemptuous. "Joanna, you're all about divorce, but as soon as you caught wind my grandpa's got surgery, you came scurrying over to butter us up?"
Joanna hadn't expected to run into him and Cynthia here.
She was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm not here to see your grandfather. He probably doesn't want me here anyway."
Joanna knew something about David's leg condition.
But the Coopers had always been unhappy with Joanna's family because her father had schemed to force Chris to marry Joanna, and David would scold Joanna every time he saw her.
Joanna didn't consider herself a saint, so yeah, she wouldn't treat David's illness without getting anything in return.
"What's that supposed to mean? David's sick, and you, as my wife, won't even stop by to see him? Cynthia is just a company employee, yet she knows to contact her mentor and ask about Dr. J for him. How dare you say such things—you're truly heartless!"
Heartless?
Did Chris think she hadn't tried?
When she first married Chris, she had been trying to please Chris's family, but nobody cared.
If she tried to please them now, the Coopers would think just like Chris did—that she was deliberately trying to win favor!
Since whatever she did was wrong, why should she make herself miserable?
Joanna glanced at Cynthia. "David likes her anyway. Now that she's putting in some effort, she'll become Mrs. Cooper soon enough. Of course she's eager."
"So that's what you think of me." Cynthia looked somewhat hurt. "Joanna, I just want to share some of Chris's burden. I don't mean anything else. If you're upset about this, I can apologize."
Chris felt very uncomfortable. He stepped in front of Cynthia. "This has nothing to do with you. She's the one who should apologize!"
Joanna gave a self-mocking smile at this protective stance.
Chris really didn't want Cynthia to suffer even the slightest grievance.
"Truth is, I don't care if Joanna gets me wrong, but what bums me out is that she knows David's in a real bind, and yet right now, she chose to wear the same outfit as Dr. J to mess with us." Cynthia's tone was very disappointed.
Anyone could see that Cynthia was deliberately stirring up trouble, but Chris was too blind to notice.
"Joanna! Do you think that by reading some medical books and putting on Dr. J's clothes, you can pretend to be her? Let me tell you, you both studied medicine, but she's top-notch. And you? You can't even save a hundred grand in a month, and you can't even have a kid! You really ought to take a long look at yourself!"
Joanna almost laughed in anger. Why had she given up her beloved career back then? 'Cause Chris had made her. And now he was saying this to her!
Joanna's heart ached. Her three years of dedication were worthless in this man's eyes.
But she understood now. Chris wanted to find Dr. J to perform surgery on David. She didn't know how they found out Dr. J was coming. But she wouldn't perform this surgery for David.
However, she didn't mind letting them know who she really was.
"I'm not pretending to be Dr. J. I am..."
"Miss Jones, the doctor for your mother's surgery has some things to tell you. Please go over there quickly."
Joanna's explanation was interrupted by a nurse from her mother's department. She gave up explaining—there was no point in meaningless arguments with Chris.
But Chris blocked her way, his eyes full of mockery. "So your mom really is sick. How about this—apologize to Cynthia, and I'll pay for the surgery."
Chris was confident Joanna wouldn't refuse, because the Joness were really down on their luck now. Joanna couldn't come up with that much money.
"I won't apologize! My mother's surgery fees are already taken care of." Joanna was grateful that she had returned as Dr. J yesterday; otherwise, at this moment, she would be a pitiful creature who had to apologize to Cynthia for her mother's medical expenses.
"You got a hundred thousand in one night?" Cynthia was very surprised. "I'm sorry, Joanna, I don't mean anything bad, but for a second, besides hooking, I can't think of any other way you could've gotten that cash..."
After Cynthia finished speaking, she looked at Joanna with an indescribable expression. She covered her nose, clearly implying that Joanna had become a prostitute to earn money.
Joanna hadn't expected Cynthia to slander her like this. She slapped Cynthia across the face. "You think I'm as shameless as you, seducing someone else's husband?"
Before Joanna could finish her sentence, Chris slapped her across the face. Chris hit her hard, and Joanna fell to the ground.
Her knee was scraped, and the pain made her frown.
But her husband, Chris, only had eyes for Cynthia, who nestled in his arms, sobbing. "Chris, I just wanted to tell Joanna not to do bad stuff. I didn't expect her to attack me."
"Joanna! Apologize to Cynthia right now! Or I'll make sure the hospital doesn't do your mother's surgery!"
Apologize to Cynthia again! Chris only had Cynthia in his heart! He couldn't see at all how Cynthia was humiliating and slandering her!
"And you actually went out and sold yourself! You shameless woman!" Chris was so angry his vision went dark.
He remembered how Joanna had married him—drugging him and climbing into his bed!
Three years had passed, and Joanna was still so cheap!
No wonder Joanna wanted a divorce so badly—she'd found her next target!
He wouldn't let Joanna get her way! Joanna could only be his!
"If you don't apologize to Cynthia, we'll get divorced when our time's up! It won't help even if you cry and beg me then!"
Hearing Chris insult her like this, Joanna's heart shattered completely!
She got up, walked over to grab a nearby foam fire extinguisher, opened it, and sprayed it at Chris and Cynthia.
"Divorce! Let's do it now! Whoever doesn't divorce has no balls!"
Chris and Cynthia were covered in foam, unable to open their eyes.
"Joanna! Are you crazy?!" Chris cursed angrily.
But as soon as he spoke, his mouth was filled with foam again, and Chris gagged several times.
The fact that he couldn't do a thing about Joanna enraged him. He yearned to charge up and hold Joanna back, but the spray force of the foam extinguisher made it out of the question for him to get near her.
"Chris, let's go! Joanna's lost it!" Cynthia pulled Chris from the side.
Seeing the usually elegant Cynthia now covered in foam, even though Chris wanted to tear Joanna apart, he finally left while protecting Cynthia.
After they were gone, Joanna collapsed as if she'd lost all her strength.
So tired! This was how she'd felt throughout her three-year marriage!