Chapter 5 Meeting Darren Again

"What else do you have to say for yourself, Joan?"

Hearing Scott's cold and cruel words, Joan calmed herself down and replied coldly, "You don't have the right to reprimand me. Besides, nothing happened between Darren Lu and me."

Scott then grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to him. "How are you going to explain this then? Tell me about the photo, the men's shirt you were wearing when you came back, and the reason you didn't come home all night. You came back the next day after you were released from prison because you spent the night with him, is that right?"

But if her husband had not been flirting with another woman at the time of her release, Joan wondered if she would have even met Darren. Since he himself was not innocent, what right did he have to accuse her of infidelity?

Joan thought it was ridiculous. Scott treated her with respect when they first got together. But soon enough, he grew more and more indifferent towards her. Although she was his legal wife, he felt colder than a stranger. And now she finally had his attention, but it was only because he thought she was cheating on him. She began to see things more clearly. Most likely, Scott only married her to get a share of Gu Company's money and assets. He revealed his true colors only after securing her hand in marriage. And now that her family's company had gone bankrupt, he didn't care about her anymore.

The cold expression on his face sent shivers down her spine. As it turned out, she had married a ruthless man who never gave her an ounce of affection.

"I want a divorce, Scott," Joan announced.

The man was stunned for a moment, as if he could not believe his ears.

"Let's file for divorce," she repeated.

Just then, she felt terribly tired. She didn't want to be involved with him anymore.

"Divorce? So you and Mr. Lu can be together?" he asked.

"Think whatever you want to think." As soon as she said this, she brushed off his hand and rushed out of the house without looking back.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly in the sky. Joan felt a sting in her eyes as she struggled to keep her tears from falling.

She then hailed a taxi and went straight to Linda's house. As soon as she reached the front door, Linda came rushing towards her. "Joan!" she shouted excitedly.

They had known each other for more than ten years and were the best of friends. As soon as Linda hugged her, Joan felt something cool drop on her neck. "Linda, don't cry. I'm fine. It's all right."

But hearing her words only made Linda burst into more tears. "Look at you! You've lost so much weight. It's like you're made out of bones. How can I not worry about you? By the way, how did you get back yesterday? I wanted to pick you up but the director suddenly asked me to do an important interview. The interviewee was a very difficult person and I couldn't say no to him..."

"It's okay. I came back by myself." Joan knew that if it weren't for something urgent, her friend would have picked her up.

Hearing her response, Linda narrowed her eyes and fumed, "That bastard, Scott! He must have been with that bitch! What a jerk!"

Linda had only curses to say about Scott. When she first saw him and Joan together, she had tried to talk her friend out of the arranged marriage. But since she did not have the final say in it, she could only support Joan despite her personal worries.

"Let me give you the business card of a friend who handles divorce cases. Take it. You have to get your fair share of the property. Don't let him take advantage of you!"

Linda pulled out a business card from her wallet and placed it into Joan's hands. This gesture warmed her heart.

"Well, enough about me. I heard that you're now one of the best reporters on TV!" Not wishing to hear more about Scott, Joan shifted the subject to Linda's career.

The mention of her work made Linda's expression turn gloomy and anxious. "I'm actually up for a promotion! But nothing's settled yet. It all depends on the interview with this mysterious big boss."

"Don't worry about it, Linda. He might be powerful, but it's not like he's going to eat you alive," Joan teased.

Hearing this, Linda rolled her eyes at her friend. They then chatted and laughed for a while until Joan's dark mood began to lighten up.

They were discussing dinner plans to celebrate Joan's freedom when Linda's phone rang.

"Your father's in the hospital, Linda! Hurry! Something happened to him!"

The voice from the other end of the line came so loud that even Joan heard everything clearly. Startled, she wondered what could've happened to Linda's father.

Meanwhile, Linda's face had completely lost all color. After hanging up the phone, she immediately grabbed her bag and rushed towards the door of the house. She was about to run out when she remembered something important.

"What should I do? The interview I mentioned will start in an hour. It's very important, really important. The interviewee is available only then, but my father, my father..."

Joan could only comfort her friend. Linda was raised by a single parent and her father was her only family. If she missed seeing him in the hospital right now, she might never see him again.

Joan hated herself for not being there for her father when he suffered the heart attack. She couldn't let the same thing happen to Linda.

"Go to the hospital now. I will handle the interview. I just need to write down all of the answers and then hand it to you. They won't know that another person conducted the interview. I'll use your name. Don't worry!"

After seeing her friend out, Joan sighed and picked up Linda's notebook to prepare for the interview. When she read the guest profile, her eyes were transfixed on the man's name.

The special guest was Darren Lu! She couldn't believe it!

She immediately felt upset, but she knew that she couldn't go back on her word. Time was of the essence, so she could not let herself hesitate.

She then picked out a white shirt and a black business suit from her clothes. After dressing up and checking her reflection in the mirror, she stood up to go to Linda's appointment.

It was Joan's first time to visit the Lu Company building. The corporation had only been established in S City three years ago, and yet in such a short time, it had grown to become one of the biggest companies in the city. It even branched out into other businesses. Its CEO, Darren Lu, was known for his mysterious and dignified reputation. He seldom appeared in front of the camera and was reputedly cold and arrogant. Despite this, he was also famous for being handsome, wildly attractive, and a most eligible bachelor.

On the way, Joan read up on Darren via her phone. Apparently, a lot of women chased after him, including famous celebrities and socialites.

Her face blushed when she recalled the naked skin of the man she saw that morning. But the impression he left on her was not exactly favorable. Judging by the way he spoke, she thought him an arrogant scumbag.

'What good can possibly come out of a person who thinks with his genitals?' she thought.

The interview was scheduled for three in the afternoon, but Joan had arrived early. After confirming her appointment with the secretary, she was informed that Mr. Lu was still in a meeting. Without anything else to do, she sat by the window and looked out. The building was situated in a good location, which offered a great view of the S City skyline. This made Joan, who took up architectural design back in college, extremely happy. When she was in prison, there was nothing to look at but gray walls and skies. But just then, after she took in the view, the creativity that she thought she had lost seemed to be returning.

Taking out a pen and a piece of paper, she began to sketch.

After walking into the meeting room, it took Darren a few minutes before noticing the woman by the window.

She was wrapped in a well-tailored business suit which perfectly flattered her trim figure. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders, while some strands delicately fell over her tempting earlobes.

Her face was small, and her long lashes cast shadows over her cheeks. Her crystal-like eyes were lit with satisfaction as she glanced over her work. When she tried to draw an arc, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted into a smile.

Confused, Darren blurted out a name.

"Lola?"

His voice snapped Joan back into her senses. She was so focused on drawing that she didn't even realize he had been watching her for a while.