Ch. 2311..2320

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2311

“What's the matter? Are you looking for Joan?” Delilah quipped.

Larry had to give it to Delilah for having such an acute sense and immediately guessing his thoughts. He was even more worried as he checked his watch. It's already so late. Why isn't she back yet?

Did what happened at the office earlier upset her? She wouldn't do anything stupid, would she?

Larry knew women tended to be more sensitive and emotional. But at the same time, the Joan he knew had always been strong.

Regardless, he could not stop worrying about Joan. After all, she was just a woman - and one that he cared much for, too. That's it. I'm going to look for her.

“Ms. Young, I'm heading out for a bit. I'll be back soon!”

Larry had barely stepped out of the house when he almost ran into Joan. And there, standing behind her, was Dustin.

Why are they together? Did she go straight to him right after what happened this morning? Furious, Larry clenched his fists tightly.

He could not understand why Dustin always seemed to appear whenever she was hurt. Had she been neglected so much by him that she could only look to Dustin for comfort?

Joan hardly greeted him. She walked straight into the house.

She wasn't magnanimous enough to forgive him that soon, especially not after his brazen act at the office.

Larry continued to fix a steely gaze at Dustin.

“Come on in, Dustin,” Joan said.

She's now openly inviting other men into our house? What is she trying to do? Is she going to make him a meal? Isn't this more outrageous than what I've done?

“Oh, Dustin, you're finally here! How efficient of you, Joan! Come in, Dustin. I've prepared so many dishes for you,” Delilah said cheerily.

What's going on? Why is Ms. Young also being so nice to Dustin? Just what is so special about Dustin that he has both women under his spell?

Lucius came bouncing out when he heard Dustin and hugged him. “Mr. Dustin, you're here! Grandma made barbecue pork ribs just for you!”

Larry was even more confused now. He thought only the women were smitten with Dustin, but as it turned out, so was Lucius. Can't they tell that I'm Joan's husband and Lucius' father? Larry's heart sank upon seeing the scene in front of him.

“Larry, what are you standing there for? Come eat!” Delilah shouted, bringing Larry out of his daze.

Joan's gaze was shifty but she remained silent and continued to bring out the dishes. The eagle-eyed Dustin had already felt the tension in the air when he came into the house. After seeing Joan's reaction, he was all the more convinced that she and Larry had yet to make up.

“Dad, come! I saved you a seat!” Lucius exclaimed in excitement as he patted the chair next to him.

Larry wanted to join them but Dustin's presence and Joan's indifference toward him had caused him to lose his appetite. Nevertheless, he tried to be polite as he walked up to them and smiled.

“Why don't you start without me; I still have work to do back at the office.” With that, Larry turned and left.

Seeing her husband's retreating figure, Joan couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of disappointment.

It did occur to her that he might be unhappy because of Dustin. But Delilah was the one who told me to invite Dustin over! Shouldn't he have gotten the facts before jumping to conclusions? Joan was so overwhelmed by rage that she could only sit and pout in silence.

“Grandma, Mom, what's wrong with Dad?” Lucius suddenly asked.

The boy sounded so depressed and confused that Delilah's heart ached for him. What else could it be, Lucius? Your father's jealous. That's what's wrong.

“Don't worry about your father, Lucius. He has just been very busy with work. Come on, eat more. You have to grow big and strong, remember?”

She was tired of using the same old excuse of Larry being busy with work, but other than that, what else could she say?

“Why is Dad always so busy? He hasn't sat down to eat with me for very, very long now,” Lucius grumbled.

Joan knew this was not what a young child should have to endure. The guilt and hurt she felt became almost too much to bear.

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Nevertheless, she tried to coax her son. “It's okay, Lucius. Next time we'll tell Dad in advance so he can make the necessary arrangements.”

“Your dad isn't here but I'm here! Or do you not like me anymore, Lucius?” Dustin quipped.

“What? There's no such thing! You're the best, Mr. Dustin!”

Lucius used to think that Dustin might come in between his parents and destroy his family. But over time, he realized Dustin was not as bad as he thought. After more interaction, he gradually began to like Dustin and eventually accepted him.

“Here, Dustin, eat more. I'm very grateful to you for rushing over in time when Lucius fell sick. Thanks to you, he's now back to his active, healthy self. Here, try my special barbecue pork ribs!” Delilah cooed.

The truth was Lucius had fallen seriously ill during the time Joan was overseas. At the time, Larry also did not come home. Thankfully, Dustin happened to drop by to visit Delilah so he promptly sent Lucius to the hospital. To show her gratitude, Delilah had always meant to invite him for a meal. It just so happened that Joan bumped into him on her way home. Once Delilah got wind of it, she immediately had Joan bring him over.

“Ms. Young, you're too kind! I was only doing my part. Feel free to let me know if there's anything I can help with in the future!” Dustin proclaimed while tapping his chest confidently.

Delilah's lips curled into a satisfied smile. What a dependable man! If Joan were still single, they'd have made such a good couple. Dustin's handsome and capable while Joan's gentle and beautiful, but...

Before her thoughts could stray any further, Delilah shook her head to clear her mind. Am I getting old and senile? How can I harbor such thoughts? Larry and Joan are perfectly happy together!

The four of them continued with their meal, chatting and laughing as they ate. Before long, all the tension and awkwardness from before had dissipated. Joan, however, still couldn't stop thinking about Larry.

Has he eaten? Is he really back at his office? Once the thoughts started flooding back, Joan gradually got lost in them.

“Mom, may I get more food?” Lucius asked.

However, Joan was so distracted by her own thoughts that she failed to hear Lucius at all. Dustin and Delilah could only look on in embarrassment.

“Mom!” Lucius shouted out of the blue to get his mother's attention.

“What? What's happening? Are you done eating? I'll clear the table then.”

Back at Norton Corporation, Larry and Jessica were both in his office. “Hey, Larry, have you heard? The Lane Group is holding an event,” Jessica asked.

Being newly established, the Lane Group needed to establish proper business footing. As such, the company decided to hold a large-scale event to socialize with all the prominent business figures. As an up-and-coming new player in its field, many business leaders could not let this opportunity slip.

“Yes, I've heard,” Larry replied nonchalantly.

He never liked attending such events but for the sake of maintaining relationships with other companies, he had no choice but to go with it.

“They've also requested attendees to bring a plus one. So, have you told Joan?”

What can I tell her? Given the way she is now, why would she even care about me? Larry felt the start of another headache as he thought about her. He did not know what was going on in Joan's mind and why could she not keep her distance from other men.

Judging by the awkward silence that hung in the air, Jessica realized that something must have gone wrong between Larry and Joan, so she decided not to probe any further.

She knew there was no need for her to worry about him. It was his personal affairs, after all, and he would know how best to handle them. As she turned to look out of the window, she couldn't help but feel a little bored. And at that moment, Caspian was out and about, working hard. Ever since his discharge from hospital, he had been extra motivated every day to the point where even Larry was impressed by him.

“How are things between you and Caspian?” Larry suddenly asked.

“Nothing much. Why do you ask?”

Jessica eyed Larry suspiciously. Why is he suddenly bringing this up?

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2313

Larry only brought up the question because he had every intention to let Jessica be his plus one at the event.

“Hey, Larry, don't you think it's time you make peace with Joan?”

Peace? What peace? That woman hasn't given me any peace lately!

“That's not for you to worry about. That reminds me, how are things with the library?” Larry replied curtly, changing the subject.

Jessica knew better than anyone else that this wasn't an easy task. It was complicated and laborious, and if it weren't for the constant support of the people around her, she would have given up on the undertaking a long time ago.

“It's still in the planning stage and it's driving me crazy.”

A public library would have been easier to plan and manage. After doing her research, Jessica found out that there was only one major public library in the entire city. It was crowded every day, especially during holidays when students would come to study. That was why she wanted to start a private library in the name of the Zimmer family. Of course, that would require a lot more investment and effort.

Fortunately for Jessica, she did not have to worry much when it came to the finances. Her parents had left her a considerable amount of money when they passed away and Larry helped recover all the debts owed to the Zimmer family. With Larry's support, Jessica just needed to be patient and see this project through.

Everyone at the Lane Group was busy with their respective duties to get the event ready to go.

“Have you contacted everyone?”

“Yes, almost all of them.”

“Don't forget about Caiden from the Owens family! He has to be present!”

Upon hearing that, the butler who was in charge of inviting all the prominent figures froze.

Caiden Owens? Didn't he leave the country? Or has he returned recently? The butler immediately flipped through the address book in his hand and looked up the number to the Owens family.

“Hello, is this Mr. Caiden Owens?”

Caiden was confused. What? This voice doesn't sound familiar. Who the hell has given my number away to strangers?

“What is it?” Caiden answered curtly.

He was not at all enthused to have to answer such an unexpected call.

“Mr. Owens, the Lane Group will be organizing a large and exciting event, and we would love to invite you to attend.”

Caiden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He really hated these boring social events.

“Sorry, I'm busy. I won't have time for it.”

Just as Caiden was about to hang up the phone, the butler interrupted, “Please wait a minute, Mr. Owens. We would sincerely like you and your partner to attend our event.”

There was a sparkle in Caiden's eyes when he heard that.

I get to bring someone? Maybe this isn't such a bad idea. As he thought about it, the grin on his face grew wider.

“All right, I got it. Just send me the invitation.” Before the butler could reply, Caiden had already ended the call.

The wheels in his head had started to turn. He knew this would be a brilliant opportunity, one that he couldn't let slip.

Joan, you won't be able to escape this time.

Joan's voice rang loud and clear from the living room. “What did you say? What event? I'm not going.”

Is Caiden mad? He's going to an event and he wants to bring me as his plus one?

“Come on, Joan. Go with me. You don't have anything to do anyway,” Caiden pleaded.

I have nothing to do? Contrary to Caiden's statement, Joan was a busy woman. When she was not helping Delilah in the garden, she would be assisting at the supermarket. At home, she also had Lucius keeping her busy that she barely had time to rest. Spoken like an unmarried person who doesn't know how busy married life can get.

“I don't care. You have to go with me. That's settled then.” Upon saying that, Caiden hung up the phone.

What rubbish is this? I never agreed to anything! How dare this idiot be so presumptuous!

After calming herself down, Joan once again thought about Larry. If it were a big event, wouldn't he be there, too? If he isn't asking me along, does that mean he already has someone else in mind?

“What's up? What are you thinking about?” Delilah asked as she sauntered into the living room.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2314

“What? Oh, it's nothing. Ms. Young, you're back,” Joan answered.

“Yeah. I feel a bit tired today, so I came back early.” Delilah put down her things on the chair. “How are you and Larry lately? Have you two reconciled?”

He's been angry with me for quite a long time.

Joan sighed at the thought and replied, “No. I'll wait for some time first. After he has calmed down, I'll try to talk it out with him.”

What a silly girl. By the time he is no longer upset, he will be long gone.

Delilah shook her head. “You're such an overthinker, Joan. You can talk to him directly. Men shouldn't be too petty. As long as you explain the situation to him nicely, I'm sure he will understand. But if you keep dragging it on, problems will come sooner or later.”

Young people are often told to learn from the older generations, who have experiential knowledge of just about every problem a person might encounter. Therefore, Delilah's sage advice should serve as a guide for Joan.

However, Joan brushed it aside as she cared more about how Larry would feel; she did not want to infuriate him for the time being. Little did she know that doing so actually enraged him even more.

Suddenly, Lucius came to them and interrupted their conversation. “Grandma, look. I've got a hibiscus today.”

Thus, the topic was dropped.

Meanwhile, in Larry's office, Jessica slumped onto the couch and grumbled, “No, wait. What happened? Are you sure, Larry? Your partner should be Joan, not me. I want to bring along my own date.”

In fact, she was planning to bring Caspian to the event for him to learn a thing or two, but now Larry had messed up her plan.

Larry had actually come to this decision only after a long moment of hesitation. Besides, he had informed Caspian about it as well.

“Caspian is not going. I don't think you can find anyone else other than me, so you will be going with me.” Larry challenged her.

What? Who said so? Did he coax Caspian into not going to the banquet? How could he do that? He's so mean! Previously, he was the one who encouraged me to be Caspian's girlfriend, but now he is trying to break us up? It's despicable to ruin other people's relationships!

With such thought in mind, Jessica deliberately said, “Who said I couldn't find a date? Anyway, I won't be going with you. You should find Joan.”

His face fell at once. It reminded him that he had not been home for several days and did not even make a single call back home since he left.

“Jessica, you should know that there are things that can and cannot be said in front of me,” he growled, venting his frustration on her.

She shuddered in fear upon hearing his warning.

Larry is terrifying when he's angry!

Although women are generally more quick-tempered than men, when men become angry, they are even scarier than the most furious of women.

What happened between Larry and Joan? Why did Caspian not help them moderate their relationship?

Sighing, Jessica relented and agreed to go with Larry.

When night fell, Larry went to the banquet with Jessica as his partner while Caiden stood outside the supermarket where Joan worked, waiting for her to clock out.

“Hey, Joan. What's going on? Who is that guy?”

“He's been waiting here for several hours. Is he here for you?”

“Yes, he's here for you. I went out just now and chatted with him for a bit.”

Joan's colleagues bombarded her with questions; she could only smile awkwardly. She had no idea how to explain the situation to them. Even she herself did not expect to see him waiting at the supermarket entrance so blatantly.

While she suffered from embarrassment inside the supermarket, Caiden felt rather happy to stand there and watch her work.

Looking at the man at the entrance, Joan responded to her colleagues without any hesitation, “I don't know who he is.”

Their eyebrows shot up in surprise and they went back to their work quietly.

Meanwhile, Dustin, who was also outside the supermarket, scowled at Caiden. Although Caiden had long attracted Dustin's attention, up until now, the latter had not made a move because he wanted to see what Caiden was up to.

Suddenly, Caiden approached him and said, “Hey, Dustin, are you not going to the Lane Group event tonight? A lot of people are invited. Given your status here, you should have received an invitation letter as well, haven't you?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2315

Indeed, Dustin was invited but he did not intend to join.

He looked at Caiden and replied, “I'm not interested.”

The reason was that he did not have a plus one. Joan was Larry's wife, so she would certainly be his partner to the banquet. Besides Joan, he did not want to bring any other woman to such an occasion.

Hearing his reply, Caiden smiled wickedly. “I see. I should thank you then, for giving me the chance to bring Joan to the banquet as my partner.”

What did he mean by that? There's no way Joan would agree to that. Dustin sized up the man in front of him, baffled.

Soon, it was time for Joan to clock off. As her colleagues were getting ready to go home, she sat in the break room, looking grim.

“Hey, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“You don't look too well, Joan.”

The colleagues around her came over to her when they realized she was looking sick.

“I'm okay. I just need to get some rest.” Joan smiled weakly.

She was not sick; she just did not want to go out at the moment when her colleagues were still here.

Gradually, all of them went home and Joan was the only one left. After looking at the time on her watch, she finally mustered up her courage and walked out.

She still needed to go back home and prepare dinner. Ms. Young has been busy with gardening recently and Lucius is about to get back home. I need to hurry up and go home to cook.

As she stepped out of the supermarket, Dustin came over and offered, “Joan, do you need a ride home?”

“No, thank you. I'm okay,” she declined right away and walked past him.

The banquet should have started already. Has Caiden left? As she continued on the path, she looked around and saw no one.

Okay. I can finally go back in peace.

Little did she know that he was still there, sitting on a bench at the side. It was getting dark and that was why she did not see him. Furthermore, she did not know that the event had been delayed because Caiden was not there yet.

“Joan, let's go.” A familiar voice came from her back all of a sudden.

Crap. Here he is.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to face him.

“Oh, you're still here.” She smiled awkwardly.

“Of course I'm not going anywhere until you come out and attend the banquet with me,” he said, shrugging nonchalantly.

D*mn it! Is he for real? This guy won't give up until I go with him, will he? Joan took a few steps back instinctively and was about to run away when he stepped forward and grabbed her wrist tightly.

“Listen to me when I'm talking, okay? Where are you running off to? We should get going. They're waiting for us.” He tugged her forward and dragged her to the car.

Then, he brought her to get a gown, a pair of heels, and a makeover. Everything on her was new.

After they were done, she looked like a whole new person, attracting admiring glances wherever she passed.

Soon, the car came to a stop in front of Lane's Hotel.

“Are you ready? Shall we go?” A smiling Caiden gave her his hand.

She ignored his gesture and looked away, feeling irritated. In the next moment, he took her hand forcefully and went out of the car.

“Wow! Is that Mr. Owens? He is so handsome!”

“Yeah. That's Caiden Owens. I heard that he was studying abroad for the last few years.”

“Who is that woman beside him? Why does she look so familiar?”

“Hey, isn't that the wife of Mr. Norton?”

In an instant, all the reporters surrounded them and snapped countless photos of the two. As they walked through the crowd, the flickering of the flashlights made Joan's eyes uncomfortable so Caiden thoughtfully used his arm to block the glare.

“Mr. Owens, we heard that you have just come back recently. How was your life abroad?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2316

“Yeah. I see that you've done plenty of research as well.”

As the reporters continued to question Caiden, Larry and Jessica heard the ruckus and came to watch from the side. “What's going on?” Jessica asked, staring at the entrance in shock.

Larry had a murderous look in his eyes. D*mn it! Why is she here with him?

Seeing the livid expression on his face, Jessica felt scared and backed away subconsciously.

She knew Larry too well. He never liked anyone taking away his possessions, especially his woman.

Sh*t! Is he going to make a scene? She turned fearful.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

“Your girlfriend is so beautiful!”

A few reporters suddenly chimed in, and everyone in the room froze.

All the people who lived in this city knew that the woman beside Caiden was Larry's wife. Needless to say, these journalists were hired by Caiden to say those remarks on purpose.

“You must have mistaken me. I'm not his girlfriend,” Joan responded immediately.

“Yeah. Even though we're not a couple now, it doesn't mean that we won't be in a relationship in the future,” Caiden added.

What the hell? His statement had Joan's eyes narrowed in displeasure.

“Please excuse us. My partner is hungry; I'll have to take her to have some food first.” He then grabbed her hand and headed away.

The crowd gradually dispersed with the departure of Caiden but gossips about both of them started to spread in the banquet hall.

“Is she not Larry Norton's wife? Why is she here with Caiden Owens instead?”

“I don't know. Look, even Larry Norton has another woman beside him.”

“Yeah. What happened between them?”

“Are they divorced?”

It was not only the women who were tittle-tattling about Larry and Joan, but the men who normally did not pay much attention to rumors also started to chat about it.

“Larry, you need to go to your wife now. Don't let her get taken away by somebody else,” Jessica prompted.

But Larry refused to move. He glanced around and took no notice of her words.

It was a lively banquet. As time went on, the crowd got denser and things started to get rowdy. Nevertheless, everyone seemed excited to be there. Many young women were observing eligible bachelors in the hope of finding potential partners, but the men here were focused mainly on business opportunities rather than romantic attachments.

Jessica nudged Larry with her elbow, snapping him out of his trance. “Hey, are you really not going to find her?”

But before she could say more, Larry wrapped his arm around her waist abruptly and went toward Joan and Caiden.

When he saw both of them looking over, he hugged Jessica's waist even tighter and smiled. “What a coincidence.”

Joan was at a loss of words. Looking at her husband in front of her, she did not know how to explain why she was here with Caiden.

But, how about him? Why is Jessica with him? Joan eyed Jessica suspiciously.

I thought that Larry would not come tonight because he has never asked me to accompany him to this event. But here he is, standing right in front of me with another woman in his arm. How ironic! We're a married couple but we're not each other's partner here at this event. This must have made us the laughing stock tonight.

“Mr. Norton, may I offer you a toast?” Caiden took a glass of wine and handed it to Larry.

Larry looked at him and hesitated for a while before taking it over ultimately and took a sip. “Mr. Owens, what do you think of my wife?”

His question stunned all of them, especially Jessica.

What kind of question is that? She is his own wife! Why did he ask Caiden such a weird question?

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“Pretty good. I like her a lot,” Caiden answered, putting his arm around her shoulder deliberately.

“Uh-huh. I think she's good, too. After all, I am the one who has spent more time with her compared to you.” Larry took a sip of wine, as cool as a cucumber.

What is he trying to say? Joan looked at him frostily as a wave of sadness swept through her.

“Hey, Mr. Owens. I have something to ask you. May I have a word with you?” Jessica cut them off before they could continue the conversation about Joan and tried to pull Caiden away.

But Caiden did not care about Jessica at all and rejected her immediately. “What's the matter? We can talk here.”

Ugh, why is this man so tactless? Can't he see that there is something wrong between Joan and Larry? Or did he do that on purpose?

“It'd be better to talk elsewhere,” Jessica insisted.

“There's no need for that. We can chat here. If not, you can ask Larry instead. He is the all-knowing boss of Norton Corporation; I believe he can help you with anything you have in mind. Besides, how could I leave my lovely partner here and walk away with you?” Caiden smiled smugly and stroked Joan's hair.

As soon as she felt his hand on her, she ducked her head swiftly and kept a distance away from him.

Caiden merely smiled in response and continued to provoke Larry. “Why, Mr. Norton? Are you not happy with your partner? I see you keep staring at my partner.”

That son of a b*tch! He did that on purpose! Rage boiled in Jessica as she clenched her fists.

She understood that as a man, Larry could not do anything to Caiden at the moment. But she was different; she could do many things that a man could not do.

All of sudden, she ran to Caiden and threw herself on him, momentarily staggering him.

“Hey! What are you doing? Get away from me! This is inappropriate. Other people might see us.” Caiden darted a glance nervously and tried to push her away from him.

Yes! This is exactly what I want. I want him to panic and let him have a taste of my power.

Smirking, Jessica pounded on his chest lightly and acted coquettishly. “Mr. Owens, how could you do this to me?”

Standing on the side, Larry wanted to laugh at the scene in front of him. He knew Jessica had done it for his sake.

Struggling to break free of her, Caiden snapped, “Hey, leave me alone! You and I aren't even close!”

However, no matter what he did, Jessica clung to him and refused to let him go. As she clutched Caiden's arm tightly with both of her hands, she used her right leg to kick Larry, motioning him to take Joan away, but Larry did not budge at all.

What in the world is Larry thinking? Jessica furrowed her brows deeply in displeasure.

Left with no choice, she finally yelled, “Hey, Larry! Just get her away, will you? Can't you see that I'm struggling here?”

Only then did Larry pull Joan out of the banquet hall.

As he dragged her down the corridor, Joan tried to pry his hand away. “Larry, let me go! What are you doing?”

She was willing to go with him but his tight grip on her wrist was hurting her.

In spite of her protest, he did not even turn to look at her and dragged her all the way to the restroom.

Bang!

As soon as he slammed the door shut, he pinned her against the door and went straight for a kiss.

He then pried her lips open and shoved his tongue inside, taking her breath away. As he continued to lock her within his arms, he slid his right hand underneath her gown, eagerly caressing every inch of her skin. Finally, when Larry landed his hand on a sensitive part of her body, she sank her teeth onto his lower lip.

He immediately drew back in pain and glowered at her. Joan took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself down but to no avail.

“What the heck do you want from me?” she lashed out.

Larry let out a scoff. “Caiden must have done to you what I just did just now. Am I right?”

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What? Larry suspects me of having something going with Caiden? But I've explained it to him before... Caiden saved my life, so what's with the cold attitude now? Joan was dumbfounded.

“Are you drunk, Larry? You know what? I'm not about to get into an argument with you right now. I'm going home!”

As they were both feeling extremely terrible, she decided to walk away. There was no way for them to maintain a proper conversation.

Larry grabbed her by the wrist and shouted, “Answer me! Did Caiden do the same thing with you?”

He's definitely lost his mind! Joan turned around and shot him a stern glare as she retorted, “What the hell do you take me for, Larry?”

Of course, I take you as my beloved wife, but what did I get in return? Nothing but betrayal! Larry sneered in disdain at the thought of that.

“Isn't that what you've always been doing? First Dustin, and now Caiden? Oh, I know! It's because Caiden has a handsome face, an amazing figure, and a great personality, right? More importantly, he's made a name for himself overseas and comes from a wealthy family...”

Smack!

Joan slapped him across the face before he could even finish.

Her eyes were tearing up, but she forced herself to hold her tears.

That was the first time Joan had ever hit Larry, as well as the first time she had felt such heartache.

“How does it feel? Does it hurt?” she bellowed at him.

The man slowly looked up at her with a burning rage in his eyes.

“I bet it hurts a lot, doesn't it? Tell you what, that pain is nothing compared to the pain I feel in my heart, Larry! How dare you accuse me of cheating on you when you have no idea what happened! You have any evidence whatsoever either!” Joan shouted at him before storming out of the room, slamming the door shut in the process.

Things were still as lively as ever at the banquet, and there were smiles on the faces of both adults and children alike. The only exceptions were the two individuals in a corner with ice-cold looks on their faces.

“Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me!” Caiden shouted, but Jessica wasn't about to let him go after Joan.

Jessica was very big on loyalty and had successfully turned her love for Larry into one between siblings. As she saw him as a brother, it was only natural that she became protective of Joan.

“They're a married couple, Caiden! You have no right to stop them from having a conversation! Besides, you know Joan is married, so why are you still going after her? Have you no shame?” Jessica scolded him while clinging tightly to his arm.

My goodness, this woman is surprisingly strong! ”Look, you'd better let go of me if you know what's good for you!” Caiden threatened her with a cold look in his eyes.

Heh, what a joke! Sure, threaten me with physical harm when I don't do as you say! That's all you men are capable of anyway! I've been through much worse situations during my time overseas, so it's going to take a lot more than that to scare me!

“Or what, huh? Are you going to hit me? Come on, then! Bring it! I don't mind you hitting me at all! Well, that is, if you can hit me!” she taunted him in response.

“Hi, Caiden!” Joan came over to greet him all of a sudden.

Huh? Wait, where's Larry? What's going on here? Jessica slowly loosened her grip as she squinted into the distance.

“Are you okay, Joan? Did he hurt you?” Caiden asked worriedly, eyeing her from head to toe.

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“Oh, please... There's no way he would hurt her! They're husband and wife, for crying out loud!” Jessica mumbled softly.

“Come on, I'll send you home. It's too dangerous here,” Caiden said, reaching for Joan's hand. The two left the scene without looking back after that.

Larry came out of the washroom after quite some time, looking haggard and weary.

Jessica immediately ran over to him and asked curiously, “Hey, what happened? Where were you? How did your conversation with Joan go?”

The man simply kept quiet and walked away.

“Well? Say something, Larry! What's gotten into you? Pull yourself together!” she shouted, smacking him on the shoulder.

“Leave me alone. I'm going home...”

With that, Jessica could only stand and stare at Larry as he slowly disappeared into the distance.

“Leaving so soon, Joan?” Nancy asked as she suddenly appeared in front of the woman.

“I know, right? The party has only just begun!” Jory chimed in with a smile.

Joan had an awkward look on her face as she shifted her gaze between Caiden and the two of them.

“I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to head home now. You guys enjoy the evening, okay?” She then grabbed Caiden by the arm and ran off before Nancy could respond.

“What happened? Why did she leave in such a hurry?” Nancy grumbled.

“What do you think happened? She must've gotten into a fight with Larry!” Jory replied.

Joan cried her heart out in the room that night. Lucius had fallen asleep long ago, but Delilah heard her crying when she passed by her door.

“Open the door, Joan!” Delilah shouted while knocking on the door.

Joan quickly wiped her tears dry and tried to regain her composure, but the pain was simply too much for her to suppress.

Delilah continued, “I heard you crying, so don't bother trying to hide it!”

She knew Joan was trying to calm herself down before facing her.

The weeping woman got up and opened the door upon hearing that.

“What happened? Did you two get into a fight?”

Larry's probably the only guy capable of hurting her like this!

“It's nothing, Ms. Young. I just had some sand in my eye, that's all. Why are you still up so late?” Joan replied.

Who is she trying to fool? Me? Or herself? Delilah simply smiled at her in response and sat beside her on the bed.

Just like that, the two of them sat there staring at the moon in complete silence.

Perhaps a few minutes of silence was exactly what Joan needed.

“Are you happy?” Delilah turned around and asked worriedly all of a sudden.

I've witnessed how lovey-dovey and sweet the two of them can be, but I see no trace of happiness on Joan's face right now. If a married couple finds it difficult to face each other and communicate properly, their marriage has come to an end. Man, life sure is full of surprises... Some couples remain just as sweet after marriage, and some become the complete opposite. Such marriages are proof of how drastically people can change.

Joan lowered her gaze and replied with a trembling voice, “I don't know...”

She wasn't happy, but she didn't dare admit to it as she feared that would mark the end of her relationship with Larry. She didn't want to leave him, but she didn't know how to face him either.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2320

“Get a divorce, then!”

Delilah's voice was as soft as silk when she said that, but her words hit harder than a sledgehammer. Joan looked up at her in shock and disbelief.

Ms. Young would always play the role of the mediator whenever Larry and I get into fights, so why is she...

“Why do you look so surprised? You know, I used to enjoy seeing you two being lovey-dovey and sweet. In fact, I believed you two were the best couple I've ever seen in my life, but... Things have changed now. You're not happy, and happiness is the most important thing in life. That holds true regardless of what happens in life, and how old you get. Never forget that, Joan.”

She's right... Life is short, so we should live it in a way that makes us happy! After all, what point is there in living if we're unhappy?

The warm rays of the morning sun flooded in through the window and filled the room. Joan recalled the conversation from last night as she slowly opened her eyes and stretched lazily in bed.

“Joan, it's time for breakfast!” Delilah's voice came from the dining room.

Huh? Was it... Was it all a dream? I can't believe I dreamt of Ms. Young telling me to get a divorce with Larry! Why would I dream of something like that? I must be going crazy! Joan gave herself a slap on the cheek to clear her head before heading out of her room.

Lucius had gone to school by then, so Delilah and Joan were the only ones in the house.

“Ms. Young, I had the craziest dream last night,” Joan said while eating breakfast.

Delilah let out a chuckle. “That wasn't a dream, silly girl! I did indeed tell you to get divorced from Larry! Of course, that's just a suggestion.”

“Pfft!” Joan spat out the toast in her mouth upon hearing that.

So it wasn't a dream after all! She looked up at Delilah curiously.

“Are you awake, Joan?” A man's voice came from outside the door, and the two of them frowned when they recognized who it was.

“Yes, why?” Joan asked as she went to open the door.

“Ah, I bought you breakfast! Here you go!” Caiden placed the food on the dining table, but Joan ignored it and carried on eating the breakfast Delilah made her.

“By the way, I'm sorry about what happened last night. I didn't think we'd bump into Larry there...” Caiden began as he scratched his head awkwardly.

“It's okay. I can't run from him forever anyway. You can go now. I have some more business to take care of later.”

Caiden frowned when he heard the dismissal in her voice.

Did she seriously just tell me to leave like that? Isn't she at least going to pour me a glass of water or something?

“What are you going to do? I'll help you out,” he suggested.

Help me? As if he hasn't 'helped' me enough as it is?

“Caiden, please... Just stay away from me, okay? I'm sick and tired of all this, so please hurry up and leave,” Joan mumbled as she shoved him out the door.

Regardless of whether Larry and I end up getting divorced, I want no further business with Caiden... The Owens family is a very powerful one, and Noelle is not someone to be trifled with either. I should stay away from them if I am to live a simple and peaceful life!

“Hey, Joan! Are you still mad at me? Please don't be mad at me! I didn't mean for any of that to happen!”

Caiden kept knocking on the door, but Joan ignored him and carried on eating her breakfast in silence.

Delilah let out a helpless sigh at what she saw and left without saying a word.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jessica asked Larry in his office.