Chapter 3
I followed closely behind, not leaving her side for even a step.
Now and then, people in the crowd watching from a distance muttered in outrage.
“What kind of monster could do something like this? Nailing such a young girl inside a garage… If her father found out, he would tear the culprit apart!”
My heart felt like it was being crushed and squeezed in every direction, the pain stealing my voice.
No one knew that the man who nailed Joyce inside was my husband-her own father.
The truth was, the first few years of our marriage weren’t bad at all.
No matter how late he got off work, he would stop by the flower shop to bring me a bouquet of white
roses.
If he passed the mousse cake shop, he would pick up a chocolate cake with a molten center for Joyce.
Ours wasn’t the kind of cold, polite marriage one often saw in arranged unions—we actually had the warmth of an ordinary couple.
And maybe that was why, when he started cheating, I couldn’t bear it.
At first, it was just business dinners, then secretaries and flings on the side.
Whenever I confronted him, he would laugh and say, “After over a decade of seeing you every day, of course, I get bored. You have to let me have some fun once in a while.”
When I complained to my mother, she dismissed me with impatience. “In families like ours, which man doesn’t have a few women on the side? The real problem is you! You’re useless! You can’t even give him another daughter to tie his heart to. If he has one mistress, you tolerate it. If he has two, you tolerate both. That’s how you show generosity!”
So I forced myself to accept it, turning a blind eye.
His lovers came and went like revolving doors, and for a while, we stayed in uneasy peace.
That was until Katherine showed
She had the nerve to harass Joyce directly, even blocking her from entering the exam hall on her SAT
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Chapter S
day.
I’d had enough-I slapped her across the face.
But Joseph refused to hear any explanation. He took Joyce and locked her in the garage without anyone noticing it.
The blare of a car horn jolted me out of my thoughts.
The car sped through the streets until we reached the hospital, only to be stopped at the entrance.
The driver kept leaning on the horn, but the bodyguards blocking the way didn’t move an inch.
“Everyone else will have to wait,” one of them announced. “Mr. Barnes is inside with his girlfriend for her prenatal checkup. Once they’re done, I’ll let you through.”
I jumped out of the car and strode toward Reuben Baker. “Let us in!”
He froze when he saw me, panic flashing in his eyes, but still tried to hold his ground. “Mrs. Barnes, this is Mr. Barnes’s order. There’s nothing I can do. Why don’t you give him a call?”
My nails dug so deeply into my palms that they nearly broke skin, but looking at Joyce’s ashen face, I had no choice.
I dialed his number.
This time, he didn’t even let me speak before lashing out. “Samantha, do you ever stop? Don’t tell me you’re about to say Joyce’s dying again! You probably found out I’m with Kat for her checkup, so you’re pulling this stunt to ruin it, right? Let me tell you-if she’s dead, all the better! Kat’s carrying my heir anyway!”
Hearing that, I had no idea what else I could say.
My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone. I tried to soften my voice, pleading, “Can you just let me in for a moment? I won’t get in your way.”
He hesitated.
Then, I heard Katherine’s saccharine voice in the background. “Joe, let her in. I know she didn’t mean to slap me last time…”
Something in him must have clicked, because his tone dropped several degrees colder. “Oh, so you want to come in here and make a scene? Not happening! You’d better die out there and save Kat the trouble!”
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་བ་ས་་་་
ZUR WOUSBOYS.
The call was on speakerphone, so every doctor and nurse nearby heard every word.
They erupted in anger, surrounding the phone and scolding, “I’ve never seen a man like you-you lock your daughter out to die while you’re with your mistress for a prenatal checkup? Calling you an animal is an insult to animals!”
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