Ch. 2661..2670
Chapter 2661
Is He Handsome
Joan looked at the little girl and said, “I’ll teach you, okay?”
The girl nodded excitedly as a smile plastered over her face.
“Come. Follow me.” She beckoned them to the field and started playing with them. “Safety first,
alright?”
The kids had a whale of a time, and Joan felt exhilarated as well. Her excitement was stemmed from
the fact that she was now far away from the troubles and sorrows back in Chanaea.
“All of you are playing great! Nice soccer skills!” Joan praised as she passed the ball towards the goal.
All of them grinned jollily, and one of the boys exclaimed, “Of course! Our teacher teaches us well!”
He’s quite quick-witted, isn’t he? Joan chuckled and nodded in response.
“Mr. Silverman is here!” a little girl exclaimed all of a sudden and pointed to her left.
Hearing her, everyone stopped at once and turned to the direction in unison.
“Mr. Silverman!”
“Mr. Silverman! We’ve missed you so much!”
A dozen students ran to a man standing a distance away, vying to hug him.
Mr. Silverman? Joan squinted her eyes, trying to see his face.
However, the sunlight was so bright that she could not make out his appearance, but she knew that the
man was walking towards her.
“Joan,” he said as he reached her.
It took her a while to realize who the man was.
She gaped in surprise. “Dustin, why are you here?”
“I should be the one asking you this,” he retorted and laughed. “These are all my students.”
Looking at them, it finally dawned on Joan that the “Mr. Silverman” they were talking about was actually
Dustin.
A boy grinned proudly and introduced, “Miss, this is Mr. Silverman, our teacher.”
“Yeah. He is handsome, isn’t he?” one of the girls asked.
“Y-Yeah. Haha.” Joan laughed awkwardly.
“Alright, all of you should go and rest,” he said, motioning the kids to go back.
Shortly after that, the children dispersed, leaving only Joan and him on the vast field.
“Are you here to travel?” Dustin broke the silence.
“Yup, I’m here for a break,” she replied, gazing out on the sea nearby.
“Why? Did something happen again?”
Hearing his question, she broke into a smile.
Even though he might have hurt me before, I can’t deny the fact that he really knows me well.
She shook her head. “It’s not a big deal.”
Knowing that she was uncomfortable talking about it, he did not probe for more information and
proceeded to stretch himself nonchalantly. “Since you’re already here, remember to have fun.”
Then, he screamed at the sea to release his stress.
Joan was taken aback by his abrupt shout and opted to remain silent.
Soon, it got dark, and they went to a restaurant nearby to satiate their hunger.
After their food arrived, Joan helped herself to the food and asked, “What makes you want to be a
teacher here?”
“Hmm, I’m actually not a formal teacher. When I first came here, I bumped into that group of kids, and
they said they wanted to learn how to play soccer, so I offered myself.” Dustin chuckled at the memory.
I see. She nodded in understanding and continued eating.
“Why is Larry not here with you?” Dustin asked, curious.
“He’s gone on a business trip.”
As they savored their dinner, they resumed chatting away happily as if the gap and tension between
them were never there.
Perhaps it was because they were in a foreign country now, so their interaction was more cordial than
before.
“When are you going back?” Dustin questioned.
“I don’t know. I guess I would only be back once I’m done exploring here.” She shrugged nonchalantly,
laughing.
Out of a sudden, there was a familiar voice coming from behind. “Dustin.”
The owner of this voice had once brought troubles to Joan.
“Fancy seeing you here, Joan.” Abelyn’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she walked towards them.
I guess both of them have gotten together. Joan smiled at her and said hello.
Chapter 2662
Third Wheel
Joan didn’t know whether she should feel happy or sorry for Dustin.
However, she didn’t know that there was actually nothing between Dustin and Abelyn. Instead, they
were just buddies.
“Abelyn, watch your language!” Dustin whispered as he nudged her.
“What are you talking about? Dustin, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. Joan is not an outsider.
Why are you being so inhibited?” Abelyn patted Dustin’s shoulder forcefully and replied.
“It’s fine. The more the merrier.” Joan answered awkwardly.
“See? She’s so kind and generous. And look at you! Don’t be such a petty man. You’re acting like I’m
not welcomed here.” Abelyn pouted as she said.
“Excuse me, waiter!” Abelyn raised her right hand and shouted.
The atmosphere throughout the whole meal was really awkward. No one was enjoying the dinner.
Abelyn was blabbering on and on throughout the dinner session. There was no chance for Joan and
Dustin to chip in at all.
They couldn’t tell if Abelyn was really drunk or she was just pretending to be drunk. She kept on
insulting Joan indirectly. Dustin couldn’t even stop her no matter how hard he tried. Apart from that,
Joan had been finding excuses to escape several times, but in the end, Abelyn managed to drag her
back to her seat.
“Abelyn, you’ve gone too far!” Dustin yelled at her.
Bang!
All of a sudden, Abelyn threw her wine glass onto the floor.
The glass shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Dustin, why are you shouting? You’ve never yelled at me before! I can’t believe you shout at me
because of this woman!” Abelyn cried and said it out loud.
The other customers shook their heads sympathetically when they witnessed that scene.
“Is it love triangle?”
“It does look like that…”
“That guy is such a ladies’ man…”
Some people started gossiping about it.
“Come on. Let’s go back!” As Dustin said, he dragged Abelyn and walked out immediately.
“Joan, go back to the hotel first!” Dustin turned around and told her.
A flicker of sorrow gleamed in Joan’s eyes as she watched them walk away.
Why is Abelyn picking on me? Why does she keep giving me a hard time? Joan let out a sigh and left.
“Hey, you guys haven’t settled the bill!” The lady boss shouted from behind.
“I’ll be right there!” Joan immediately turned around and rushed over to pay the bill.
“Miss, I think you better quit.” The lady boss looked at her and said suddenly.
Quit? Joan lifted her head and gave her an indifferent look.
“You’re so pretty, and you have a nice figure too. Why do you have to be a homewrecker?” The lady
boss was busying with her work while saying that.
What? Her words struck Joan like a bolt from the blue. She was confused.
“What are you talking about?” Feeling speechless, Joan asked.
“Come on, I saw that just now. You don’t have to hide it. That guy is indeed good-looking, but there are
still so many other handsome guys out there in the world. There’s no need for you to be the third wheel
in a relationship.”
Joan immediately grew angry upon hearing her words.
“First of all, I’m not being a third wheel. Next, I have a boyfriend. But it’s not the guy that you saw
previously. Thirdly, lady boss, I don’t think you are in a position to judge people, especially on their
private matters.” Joan left immediately after saying that.
Who does she think she is to judge other people when she doesn’t even know the truth?
Joan directly returned to the hotel after leaving the restaurant.
“Joan, are you back at the hotel?” Dustin hurriedly asked over the phone.
“Yeah, I’m at the hotel already.” Joan answered.
“I’m sorry about tonight. Abelyn was drunk. That’s why she is being rude to you. Please don’t take it to
the heart…” Dustin explained in a low voice.
“It’s fine.” Joan replied calmly.
Hearing her words, Dustin became speechless.
Deep down, he knew that Joan was actually bothered by Abelyn’s words. She must have taken it to her
heart.
Chapter 2663
Larry Hosted A Banquet
At that moment, Dustin couldn’t stop himself from feeling guilty.
The following morning, warm sunlight poured into the room through the small gaps between the
curtains and shone upon Joan’s face. On the bed, she let out a big yawn and got up slowly to pull the
curtains.
Everything looked so beautiful. Feeling relaxed, Joan put on a smile on her face.
Some distance away, seagulls were playing happily as the sun broke the horizon. Suddenly, a sea
breeze blew from the ocean, putting her mind at ease. The beach was quiet and untouched by tourists.
A few women were wearing a bamboo hat and collecting seashells, with a smile on their faces.
At the same time, Larry was busying with his work in another country.
“Larry, have you thought it through?” Della whispered beside him.
“Yes, I’ve made up my mind. I must win this project.” Larry answered determinedly.
For some reason, Della was feeling a little uneasy while looking at the project agreement.
In fact, Larry had been coveting that project for a long time. Previously, Norton Corporation was not
well-known enough outside the country, which was why he couldn’t manage to get the project.
However, Larry had expanded Norton Corporation internationally. Hence, with the cooperation with
Della, he was fully capable of taking on the project and eventually taking the Norton Corporation’s
growth to the next level.
“Are you sure?” Della continued asking.
“Yes, I’m sure.” Larry answered.
He was well-prepared regardless of what might have happened in the future.
Soon, Larry finally got the project.
“Congratulations, Mr. Norton for finally taking down the project…”
A round of applause filled the air.
Everything was going according to Larry’s plans. The corners of his lips curved into a smile of
satisfaction.
“Mr. Norton, dinner is definitely on you tonight!”
“That’s right. You should be the host tonight to celebrate such great achievement.”
The rest of the presidents were expressing their compliments and congratulations.
Of course, Larry would follow the unspoken rules.
“Sure, no problem! Please do me the honor of attending the dinner.” Larry responded.
They were all big shots who enjoyed good reputation internationally. So naturally, he couldn’t afford to
offend them.
Indeed, Larry hosted a banquet in a luxury hotel that night.
It wasn’t being held in his own country, but apparently, everyone was willing to help Larry with the
banquet.
Perhaps, he had really become famous internationally.
However, many of them were actually be there for Della.
“Ms. Duff, it’s been a long time since we last met.” A young man said as he walked towards Della with
two glasses of wine in his hand.
“Yeah. It’s been too long.” Della replied.
“Oh, Ms. Duff. You’re getting so much prettier!” Suddenly, a lecherous man approached her. Then, he
directly placed his right hand on her shoulder.
“Is that so? Thank you.” Della shrugged him off while sipping her wine.
Everyone around her could probably notice the malicious intention of that man. Thus, they walked
away. No one wanted to be involved in it.
“What do you want?” Della asked in a low voice.
“Actually, I just wanted to have a drink with you, Ms. Duff.” The man answered.
“Fine. Here’s a toast to you!” As she spoke, Della grabbed a glass of wine from the table and finished it
up. Then, she turned around and left.
“Hey, don’t go!” He grabbed her arm abruptly and said.
“I’ve finished drinking.” Della pointed at the empty wine glass and replied.
“That’s not nice of you. We should drink a few more glasses together.”
What a lunatic! Della tried to get rid of him with all her strength, but she realized that the man had
increased his force…
“Let go of me! I’m telling you, this is a public space. Behave yourself!” Della looked at the nasty man
and said coldly.
Chapter 2664
The Lecherous Man
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely show my respect to you!” Upon saying that, he pulled her into his arms and
wanted to leave.
“Help!” Della yelled as she struggled to break free.
Meanwhile, Larry at that moment was busy mingling with his guests. He didn’t manage to take care of
Della or understand her situation at all.
“Mr. Norton, you’re such a young and successful man!”
“That’s right. Ms. Duff and you are such a perfect pair. By the way, where is Ms. Duff?” One of the
large-scale enterprise owners asked.
Larry turned and looked around but there was no sign of Della.
This is weird. Where did she go? Hence, Larry put down the wine glass and excused himself.
“Della?” He shouted softly while looking for her.
On the other hand, Della had already been taken away from the banquet.
“Hello, have you seen Ms. Duff?”
“Ms. Duff? Didn’t she just leave? With a man…”
Larry was stunned instantly.
Crap! Is she in danger? In no time, Larry rushed out.
On the roadside, Della had been struggling hard to free herself from the lecherous man but to no avail.
“Stop it!” Della suddenly shouted.
“Stop what? Quickly get in the car!” The man said it while trying to push Della into the car at the same
time.
“Hold on! Tell me first. Who are you?” Della got straight to the point.
The man gave her a wicked smile when he saw her like that.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” As he said, he continued pushing her.
“You should at least let me know your name!” Della began to panic and yelled.
“Everyone calls me Young Master. You can just call me that also.”
What kind of stupid nickname is that? Della was a little terrified looking at the man in front of her.
“I see. Let me make a call first, then…”
“Pfft! Della, stop pushing your luck! It’s your honor that I‘m f***ing interested in you!” The nasty man
said loudly.
No. I have to buy more time! Della was firm with her thoughts. Her mind was working rapidly, trying to
find some topic to talk to the man in front of her…
“Do you know that your behavior right now is immoral?”
“Why do you have so many questions? Immoral? I have no idea what you’re talking about!” The nasty
man replied.
“You have no idea? Let me teach you a lesson!” Larry said and walked over.
The man immediately turned around and straightened his back as he saw Larry slowly approaching
them.
“Who the hell are you?” He asked.
Della took a look at him. Her face was full of disdain and contempt. He didn’t even know who hosted
the banquet? He’s such an ignorant fool!
“Larry, help me!” Della looked at Larry from some distance away and said.
“No way! Let me tell you, you are mine tonight!” The man lifted Della’s chin up and said furiously.
Where did that hooligan come from? How dare he mess with Della? Larry’s eyes blazed with fury as he
stared at him.
“You better get lost now or your life would be over!” Larry said it out loud.
“You brat! How dare you talk to me like that?” As he said, the man lunged towards Larry.
Soon, there were more than ten bodyguards appeared behind Larry.
In a few seconds, the man back off and immediately fled from the place.
“Are you alright?” Larry quickly rushed towards Della and asked softly.
“I’m fine.” Della shook her head and responded.
“Ms. Duff!”
“Ms. Duff!”
All of a sudden, several men ran out of the lobby with worry written all over their faces. Of course, Della
knew they were being hypocritical. Hence, she remained silent and didn’t say anything.
“Do you want to go to the hospital for a checkup?” Larry asked as he helped her up.
“It’s okay. I just need to get some rest.” Della turned him down.
Della was the only person Larry could trust in business. Certainly, he didn’t want anything bad to
happen to her.
Chapter 2665
Left The Country
Hence, Larry decided to end the banquet earlier. Then, he sent Della back to the hotel personally.
In the hotel room, Della was lying on the bed, looking haggard and exhausted.
“Have some water.” Larry handed her a glass of water after saying that.
“Thank you.” Della replied.
They were probably already used to being with each other. Therefore, they didn’t feel awkward at all at
that moment.
One week later, they went back to the country after everything had been settled.
“I’ll head to the office. Have a good rest when you get back home.” Larry patted her shoulder and said.
“Alright.”
The two of them split up after that.
Everyone in Norton Corporation was busy as always. It looked like they didn’t have any free time at all.
“Mr. Norton is back.”
“Hi, Mr. Norton.”
The employees of Norton Corporation greeted him.
“Larry, how was it?” Caspian barged into his office and asked excitedly.
“Don’t worry. Everything is going very smoothly.” Larry replied, tidying up his briefcase.
“Amazing!” Caspian almost jumped up in excitement.
“How is Joan doing lately?” Larry continued asking.
Caspian lowered his head and fell silent instantly.
After noticing Caspian’s unusual reaction, Larry raised his head immediately and stared at Caspian
doubtfully.
“What’s wrong?” Larry was a little anxious.
“Actually, nothing happened. It’s just…” Caspian replied with a stutter.
“Say it!” Larry shouted.
“Joan has gone abroad.” Caspian answered immediately.
Why is she leaving the country? In a split second, Larry knitted his brows.
Business trip? Or getaway trip?
“What exactly happened?” Larry carried on asking.
“Joan said she wanted to take a break and left right away,” Caspian replied.
But why isn’t she telling me anything? Larry tilted his head. He couldn’t figure out why Joan left so
suddenly.
“Larry, don’t think about it too much. Joan has been working overtime recently. There’s nothing wrong
for her to take a short break overseas.”
Yes. What he just said makes a lot of sense. But for some reason, he felt strange.
“Alright. I got it. I’ll leave you to your work.” Larry waved at Caspian as he said.
After that, he grabbed his phone and dialed Joan’s number.
The call was answered quickly.
“Where are you?” Larry immediately asked.
“She is still in the middle of something. I’ll have her call you back later.” After saying that, the person on
the other side of the phone hung up the call immediately.
This voice… It’s Dustin!
A raging fire immediately lit within Larry, and it was growing stronger.
The two of them are travelling abroad behind me?
Bang!
Larry flung his phone into the trash can.
“Larry gave you a call just now.” Dustin said with displeasure.
Joan was stunned for a second. But she just nodded her head in acknowledgment. Forget it. Anyway, I
still owe him an explanation. There is no hurry to say it now.
“When are you going back?” Dustin asked.
“I have no idea.” Joan replied indifferently.
Dustin thought her answer last time was just a joke. However, now it seemed like she wasn’t joking
about it. Fine. I’ll just let her be. As long as she is happy.
“How’s Abelyn now? Is she feeling better?” Joan asked.
“You still have time and energy to care for her?” Dustin smiled, “She’s doing fine.” He answered.
Abelyn put on a show of being a drama queen last night, which was way too far over the line. But that
was who she really was.
Dustin knew that Abelyn hated Joan to the core. The hatred she had for Joan was not something that
anybody could imagine. At the same time, he didn’t understand why Abelyn hated Joan so much.
“Joan, do you guys know each other?” Dustin asked in concern.
“Nope.” Joan was confused.
Chapter 2667
Still In Love with Him
A couple couldn’t be friends again after breaking up. Although Joan and Dustin had never been in a
loving relationship, the atmosphere between them would definitely be awkward when they met each
other in the future. Unless one of them played dumb, and the other one chose to forget.
In the living room, Abelyn was watching TV while eating fruits. She seemed extremely relaxed.
“What did you just say? We are heading back tomorrow? Dustin, are you out of your mind? We’ve just
reached here!” Abelyn was shocked.
In fact, they decided to take a break and went on a trip. But coincidentally, they bumped into Joan.
“Is it because of Joan?” Abelyn suddenly asked.
“Nope.” Dustin answered without any hesitation.
“I’m tired. I want take some rest back home.” He carried on.
Abelyn was speechless after hearing his answer.
“Fine. Since you’re tired, you can go back.”
“Then what about you?” Dustin questioned back at her.
“I’m not going back. I’m going to wander around this city.” Abelyn said it out loud.
“No way!” Dustin yelled suddenly. Everyone around him was shocked.
“Why not? I can go wherever I want. It’s none of your business!” Abelyn continued shouting.
Lately, Abelyn was in a bad mood. Previously, when she was overseas, she broke up with her ex-
boyfriend. It hurt her like hell. Without a second thought, she went straight back to her home country.
Meanwhile, two days ago, her ex-boyfriend called her and asked if they could get back together.
“Abelyn, stop acting like a willful child. That’s enough.” Dustin said.
Willful? Is he in the right mind today? Am I willful for traveling abroad?
“Leave me alone!” Abelyn pointed at Dustin and said loudly.
“So what are you going to do? Getting back together with your ex-boyfriend? Or…”
“Shut up!”
Abelyn didn’t know what to do either. She loved her ex-boyfriend, but she couldn’t forgive him for what
he had done to her.
“Are you still in love with him?” Dustin leaned by her ears and asked.
Of course she was still in love with him!
Finally, Dustin couldn’t win against her persistence. He gave up.
“Aren’t you going back?” Abelyn asked.
“I’m not going back if you aren’t following. What’s the point for me to go back alone?” Dustin
complained displeasingly on the sofa.
Why is he acting so weird? He was the one who wanted to leave yesterday. And now he doesn’t want
to go back. What the hell is he up to?
“Forget it!” Abelyn sat down on the sofa, smacking her lips while eating fruits.
“Get me an apple.” Dustin said casually.
“Get it yourself.” Abelyn answered loudly.
“Hey! Will you die if you pass me the apple?”
“Yes! I would die!” Abelyn continued shouted at him.
Is she going through her midlife crisis at this age? Why does she become so bad-tempered suddenly?
Dustin shook his head without saying anything.
Suddenly, Abelyn’s phone rang. She took a glance at the screen but didn’t pick up that call.
Her phone kept ringing and showed no signs of stopping unless she picked it up.
“Hey, pick up the phone!” Dustin reminded her. He was annoyed.
“I’m not answering.”
“Or else, answer the call on behalf of me!” As she said, Abelyn tossed her phone over to Dustin.
As he glanced at the phone number on the screen, he became frustrated.
“Are you done? Why are you keep calling to promote your product? That’s not cool…”
Dustin wouldn’t give the person on the other side of the line any chance to explain. Meanwhile, Abelyn
was lost in her thoughts and stared at him blankly.
When did he become so manly?
“Who are you?” A man on the other end asked.
“It’s none of your business. Stop calling anymore!” After saying that, Dustin was about to hang up the
phone.
“Where is Abelyn?” The guy suddenly asked.
In a split second, Dustin was stunned.
Does he know Abelyn? So… He is a friend of hers? Oh crap! He sounded too harsh just now. That guy
must be offended.
“Hey, it’s for you.” As he said, Dustin hurriedly handed Abelyn her phone. Then, he immediately hid in
his room.
Chapter 2668
Heartbroken
“What is it?” asked Abelyn after she hung up the phone.
“Who’s the man who answered the call?”
“It’s my boyfriend.” Abelyn replied, nonchalantly.
“You’re dating someone?”
Abelyn tutted. “What? You’re allowed to mess around, but I can’t date someone?”
“Abelyn, listen to me. It was just a misunderstanding! You’re the only one I have eyes for. I love only
you. Please give me another chance?”
“Hmm. No!” Abelyn then hung up and blocked her ex-boyfriend’s number right away.
Just then, Dustin lay on the bed, feeling guilty.
Was Abelyn that hell-bent on twisting the knife in his gut? He suddenly became quite agitated as he
thought of it.
“Okay, you can come out now!” shouted Abelyn from the living room.
Dustin then shuffled out awkwardly and looked at Abelyn. “Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was your
boyfriend.”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Abelyn added.
This caused Dustin to perk up immediately.
“Ex-boyfriend? Well, why didn’t you say so earlier? If I’d known that he was your ex, I’d have told him
off as well,” quipped Dustin.
However, Abelyn merely sat on the sofa. There was a lingering sadness in her eyes as she gazed into
blank space. It was evident that she still loved that man, but a reunion was impossible.
One would always want what they cannot have. But they would never cherish what they had at the
moment. This was human nature—complex and fickle. Abelyn raised her head and looked at the ceiling
above, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes.
Sensing that something was wrong with Abelyn, Dustin’s demeanor shifted. He became more serious
and sat next to her to comfort her.
“Well, it’s your life,” said Dustin, his voice hushed. “You have the freedom to do whatever you want, and
I’ll always support you.”
Abelyn was so moved by his words that she broke down in tears, and lay her head on his shoulder.
“Tell me how I ended up this way! The man I finally fell in love with was such a messed-up person! He
f*cked up, and he still wants me to take him back?”
Damn it, where does her strength come from? Abelyn had decided to start hitting Dustin square in the
chest, but all he could do was endure it. He sat there in silence, occasionally just patting her back and
waiting for her to cry her feelings out.
At this time, Joan was basking in the sun on her balcony.
The weather was pleasantly comfortable. Joan stretched out on the recliner and gazed at the sea in the
distance. She was in a very cheerful mood. If she could spend the rest of her days lazing around like
this, she would be content.
Suddenly, the tranquility of the moment was broken by the sound of the phone ringing.
A cursory glance at the caller ID revealed the caller to be Delilah. Joan promptly answered the phone.
“Joan, how are you doing? Is everything alright on your end?” asked Ms. Young worriedly.
“I’m doing alright, Ms. Young. Don’t worry about me.”
“Larry has been trying to reach you for some time now,” replied Ms. Young. “Won’t you respond to his
calls?”
Joan hesitated. If she was being honest, she was unsure of how to explain this sudden trip to Larry.
Larry knew her too well, and naturally, he would have been able to figure some things out.
“I understand.”
The two stayed on the phone and chatted briefly before ending the call.
“Joan!” Out of nowhere, she suddenly heard Dustin call out to her.
Oh? Haven’t he leave yet? Joan rubbed her eyes and squinted hard, trying to see the person in front.
“For heaven’s sake, it’s me. I haven’t left, and I need to talk to you!” Dustin shouted from below and
waved his arms frantically.
After confirming that it was indeed Dustin, Joan went downstairs immediately.
“Alright, I’m coming. What is it?”
“Hurry. Abelyn wants to go drinking, and I think you should go with her.” Dustin had grabbed her by the
wrist and was pulling her towards the door.
What’s up with this strange request? Abelyn did not have a particularly good impression of Joan. Why
would she even hang out with Joan, let alone go drinking with her?
“Dustin, stop it.” Joan was not too happy about this request at all.
“No, I won’t. She’s had her heart broken, and I need your help comforting her. Since you’re both
women, I’m sure you’d have a lot in common,” explained Dustin hurriedly.
Chapter 2669
Drunken Shenanigans
Have I misheard this? Did Dustin actually dump Abelyn? Joan looked at the man standing before her,
the shock evident on her face.
“What the hell? Why are you staring at me like that?” Dustin crossed his arms and stared at her in mild
annoyance.
“You…dumped her?” asked Joan, cautiously.
“What are you talking about? How can I dump her? It’s not what you think!” Dustin tried to explain the
situation but Joan did not allow him a chance to explain.
“Stop giving me excuses!”
A while later, Dustin forcefully nudged Joan into the bar they arrived at.
“I’ll have a bottle of wine!” shouted Abelyn from a corner.
Joan took note of how dazed Abelyn looked. She probably had quite a lot to drink. Joan walked over
slowly, a little scared.
“Abelyn, are you okay?” Despite her reservations, Joan took the initiative to approach her first.
“Who are you?” asked Abelyn, squinting her eyes.
“It’s me, Joan.”
“Joan? Come on, let’s drink!”
Abelyn seemed to not have any hard feelings, or even any recollection of their animosity. Relief
washed over Joan.
“Joan, what are men?” asked Abelyn.
But before Joan could answer, Abelyn interrupted her. “Men are trash, that’s what!”
I guess she really did have her heart broken. Joan looked at Dustin, who was seated next to her, and
again at Abigail, who sat across the table from them. She shifted in her seat, uneasily.
“So Abelyn, what’s up?”
I guess Abelyn isn’t that bad. She’s impulsive, does stupid things at times…
Isn’t that all women though? They could be both silly and cute, yet men didn’t seem to mind that.
Suddenly, Abelyn burst into tears. “Oh Joan, you have no idea how I’ve suffered!”
Joan was at a loss. She had the urge to give Abelyn a hug but did not dare to move from her seat.
“Do you know why I was so awful to you in the past?” Abelyn slurred and pointed at Joan as she
hiccupped.
“No, do tell.”
“Because you took Dustin away from me!” ”And you know what pisses me off?” ”When you were sick,
Dustin loved spending time with you. It was like I never existed!”
“Before you showed up, we spent so much time together every day. But everything changed! He’d
constantly bring you up, and that really hurt me!” ”We’re not lovers, sure, but who can tolerate a man
who constantly talks about another woman?” ”Moreover, he came back because of you!”
“He’s literally the only friend I have. What will I do if he’s gone?” ”I’ll be all alone!”
That last sentence hung awkwardly in the air. With a loud sigh, Abelyn chugged on her drink. The more
she talked, the more upset she became.
Having just heard Abelyn’s confession, Dustin did not know if he wanted to laugh or cry.
“What a b*stard Dustin is. Now that he has someone he’s in love with, he cast me aside!”
Joan did not say much but sat there in silence.
She saw how hurt Abelyn looked and realized how wronged she must have felt as well. Joan sighed.
However, if Abelyn had confessed to Dustin much earlier, much of this could’ve been avoided. Dustin
wouldn’t have left either.
“But what’s bothering you now?” prompted Joan.
There was a moment of silence before Abelyn replied. “My ex wants to get back together with me.”
Joan frowned, confused at the revelation. Isn’t that a good thing? Her puzzled gaze then turned
towards Dustin.
“Listen to her first,” whispered Dustin urgently.
Without warning, Abelyn slammed a fist onto the table.
“What are you whispering about there? Don’t think I can’t hear you!” Abelyn shouted and gestured
wildly at the pair.
Wow, she’s so touchy. Joan smiled faintly and shrugged.
“When I was still together with my ex, he decided to mess around. I later found out, and then he
suggested that we break up. Basically, he dumped me first!” Abelyn then sighed deeply before she
continued. “Later on, I agreed and left, but then he called me a few days ago. Apparently, he wants me
back now.”
Chapter 2670
Investments
“What should I do?” cried Abelyn hysterically. “This hurts so bad!”
Joan did not quite understand what the dilemma was. Given how cheaters should not be forgiven,
Abelyn naturally could not agree to patch things up with her ex. However, if she still loved the man,
Abelyn was clearly a lost cause. Joan’s gaze darkened as she thought of this.
“Abelyn, do you still love him?” queried Joan.
“Love him? What on earth do you even mean?”
“Oh, she definitely still has a thing for him,” whispered Dustin in Joan’s ear.
“What is up with that whispering again? Do you think that I can’t see it just cause I’m drunk?”
Joan sighed audibly. “Since you don’t love him anymore, then let it go.”
After Abelyn heard these words, she burst into tears once more.
“No, I can’t live without him. In fact, I still love him!”
Why is she being so wishy-washy? Joan frowned and massaged her aching temples. She was truly
confounded by Abelyn’s behavior.
The three continued to chat for quite some time before Abelyn finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
“Joan, I won’t accompany you back. Not when Abelyn looks like this.” Dustin pointed at the woman who
had dozed off quite unceremoniously next to him.
“It’s okay. I know she’s in good hands.” With that, Joan turned on her heel and left.
As it turned out, Abelyn’s love life was quite a bitter ordeal. Joan sighed and absent-mindedly kicked at
the pebbles on the pavement.
I guess there’s nothing in the world that brings someone more torment than love.
It was quite late by the time Joan reached her residence. She decided to pull out a book and read for a
bit before she too slept.
Larry was still at the office, but Joan was the only thing he could think of.
Where did you go? Why are you with Dustin? The more Larry thought about it, the more infuriated he
got. He then pulled out a cigarette and lit it before taking a deep drag.
Just then, Caspian walked in and greeted him loudly.
“What is it?” asked Larry in a low voice after he breathed out a puff of smoke.
With a look that matched the solemnity of his voice, Caspian said, “Someone has terminated all
cooperation with us.”
“Under whose orders?” asked Larry calmly.
“I don’t know. I’ve not found anything yet.”
“Continue investigating this.” Larry walked towards the window and gazed at the hustle and bustle of
the city, his expression icy.
He knew that this would happen one day. It was only a matter of time. Besides, who else could pull
something like this off, if not Jake?
He was not surprised if Joan’s trip abroad had something to do with him too.
Just then, the sound of Jessica’s voice broke the silence.
Larry cursed. “Could you try to be more ladylike at least?”
“What’s this about?” whined Jessica, who also pouted at him. “All I did was greet you, and you yelled at
me!”
He tutted impatiently and looked at Jessica. “Well, what do you want?”
“Money,” came Jessica’s gleeful reply.
Larry turned around and looked at the brazen woman in front of him doubtfully. Had she already run out
of money? Did you blow it all on stocks?
“What happened to your money?” asked Larry suspiciously.
“I’ve decided to invest it,” replied Jessica solemnly.
“What did you invest in?”
“A bookstore. Didn’t Caspian tell you? I opened a few more branches.”
Ah, is that so?
Larry lowered his head and took a deep breath. It was not long before he managed to calm down.
Things were stressful enough for him at the moment. His mind was occupied by either his work or by
thoughts of Joan, and he rarely thought of anything else. Naturally, news of Jessica’s actions would
have slipped his mind.
“Alright. This is a loan. Don’t forget to pay me back in the future.” Larry then tossed a card at Jessica.
As expected, he is so generous! Jessica giddily kissed the card in her hands and playfully punched
Larry in the shoulder.
“Don’t worry. If you ever go bankrupt in the future, you’ll still have my support!”
“Jessica!”
“It’s just a joke, sheesh,” whined Jessica. “Why are you taking this so seriously?”