The premium VIP wards were on the top floor of the inpatient department. The lift was full, but Tanya was simply too anxious, so she had taken the stairs instead. Therefore, she didn’t expect to run into Joel.
Joel, who had something urgent to attend to, had to go downstairs, so he also took the stairs.
Joel was currently standing on higher ground and looking down at Tanya, while Tanya was standing on lower ground and looking up at him.
The two looked at each other. For a while, neither of them spoke.
Tanya had rushed all the way here, for fear that Cherry was seriously ill. At the sight of Joel’s familiar face, she subconsciously felt even sadder and her eyes instantly reddened.
Five years ago, she could have made that man her pillar of support.
But five years later, he had already become another woman’s pillar of support.
The thought made Tanya hold back the tears about to gush out of her eyes. She cast her eyes down and walked around Joel so that she could go up.
Joel was watching her.
When the woman first saw him, there had been some lingering affection in her expression. It reminded him of how she had always come to him immediately whenever she was lectured by a professor or whenever she encountered some kind of difficulty.
She would hug him and cry, or hug him and laugh.
She always shared all her feelings with him. Just now, she had looked as if she wanted to rush forward and hug him.
Yet it had taken only an instant for the woman to change her mind. The look in her eyes became distant, and she even wanted to walk past him.
The rose-scented shower gel on her wafted over to him. The scent was so familiar and so long-lost that it made a lump form in his throat.
Tanya wanted to walk past the man quickly and hurry to the ward.
There was no one else in the stairwell, and the door had shut out all the noise in the hallway outside.
She felt like she could even hear the man’s heartbeat in the small, closed-off environment. The stairs were relatively narrow, so Tanya turned sideways when she passed him by.
It was at this point that the man suddenly grabbed her arm. He asked, "Tanya, do you know that there’s something going on between Justin Hunt and Nora Smith?"
Tanya didn’t immediately understand what he meant, so she frowned and said, "Their relationship can’t be made public yet. What’s the matter?"
’Can’t be made public yet’... In other words, she knew?
Since she knew that man was two-timing her, then why was she still staying with him?
Five years ago, when she realized what had happened between him and Hillary, hadn’t she immediately left him so firmly and resolutely? Was it because she loved that man more than she loved him?
Joel felt terribly frustrated. He asked, "Therefore, you’re willing to turn a blind eye to their relationship? Or are you actually the mistress instead?"
Although he hadn’t interacted much with Nora before, he could tell that she was a very prideful woman.
Joel would never believe that she would become someone’s mistress.
But if it wasn’t Nora, then the real mistress was... Tanya?
Anger surged up in Tanya when she heard what he said, and she let out a sarcastic laugh.
So, was she actually someone like that in his eyes?
She looked down and pushed Joel away at once. Then, she said distantly, "There’s nothing between the two of us anymore, Mr. Smith. It’s none of your business whether I’m someone’s mistress or not, right?"
Tanya wanted to leave after saying that, but Joel held on to her arm, pulled her toward him again, and slammed her against the wall at the back!
Tanya’s words just now were tantamount to a tacit admission to Joel.
The look in his eyes turned dark and the aura around him also turned oppressive. He said coldly, "Since you’re willing to be someone’s mistress, then... why don’t you be mine?"
An angry Tanya snapped, "Joel Smith, can you get any more shameless?!"
Joel gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him. He said, "How much is Mr. Hunt giving you? How about I double the amount? Or is it because of the child? In that case, if you bear me a child, I’ll give you the position of Mrs. Smith. Isn’t that better?"
Tanya was so furious that she was shaking all over.
She sneered, "Your behavior is going to make me think you still have feelings for me, Mr. Smith."
Taunts had been the most effective on him in the past.
Her words indeed made Joel’s expression change, but right after that, he leaned in close. She could feel his breath on her neck as he spoke.
"I wouldn’t call it feelings, but I do miss your body very much. I wonder if it’s become even more alluring after five years of separation?"
His words were as if a hard slap across Tanya’s cheek.
She shouted angrily, "What, is Hillary not satisfying your needs?"
Joel’s voice also became a little harsher. He said, "She was never as curvy as you right from the start. After all, a dancer’s body is softer and more flexible, so you can better match me and get into all kinds of positions with me!"
"... Joel Smith, you’re so shameless!"
"Shameless? I can be even more shameless, Ms. Turner. Do you want a taste of it?"
Joel started to kiss Tanya right after he said that!
A furious Tanya struggled to get away from him, only to find that the more she struggled, the more fiercely the man kissed her. It was as if he wanted to swallow her whole... She simply couldn’t push him away, no matter what she did. Tanya slowly gave up struggling.
Joel felt like he had gone crazy.
Originally, he had said all those things and provoked her just for a momentary thrill, but when he saw her admitting to it without denying anything, he found his heart hurting even more, and felt even sadder.
He allowed himself to vent all the yearning he had toward her during the last five years, but suddenly, something warm dripped onto the back of his hand.
The warm current felt as though it was scalding hot, causing his movements to suddenly stop.
Joel looked at Tanya and saw that she was really crying.
For a moment, he actually felt somewhat at a loss.
Tanya slapped him across the cheek. Then, she pushed him away and rushed upstairs.
In the ward upstairs.
When Tanya entered, she found an alive and kicking Cherry playing games. It was then that she realized that she had been tricked. After comforting Cherry a little, she left with flustered emotions...
Joel was the only one left in the empty stairwell.
Joel clenched his fists. When he thought of Tanya’s tears just now, he suddenly gave himself a slap.
He had been a real scumbag just now.
But he really couldn’t bear to see her disrespect herself like that.
Joel leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. After a long period of silent contemplation, he suddenly heaved a huge sigh.
He stood up suddenly. However, instead of going down, he went back up.
He stood at the door and hesitated for a long time before he finally turned and walked toward the young Mr. Hunt’s VIP ward.
When he reached, he stood at the door for a long time again... At last, he pushed the door open.
However, he only saw two bodyguards and two nurses there. Tanya wasn’t there.
His brows drew together. Then, Cherry raised her head and looked at him in puzzlement. She asked, "Handsome mister, why are you here?"
Joel was about to speak when Cherry pursed her lips and said, "I don’t like you! It must’ve been you who bullied God-mom Tanya and made her cry!"
Joel was utterly stunned when he heard what she said. He asked, "What did you say?"