Facing such an uncivilized person for the first time, Joy found the reality to be far harsher than mere words could portray. The difference lay in the brute force of this vile woman, Lucy, whose grip was nearly tearing her scalp off!
Lucy continued to verbally humiliate Joy, "You truly have no shame, Joy! Living off our Johnson family, using our resources! Yet, you court wild men, cheat on my son! You ungrateful wretch! Today, I'll teach you a lesson!"
Fortunately, Christopher was still in his phase of feigned affection. Seeing his mother make a scene, he quickly intervened, rescuing Joy, "Mother, Joy isn't that kind of person, there must be some misunderstanding."
As he spoke, he comforted Joy, holding her in his arms, "Sweety, you don't have to say anything. I trust you. Let's go home."
Joy felt sickened in his embrace. Of all the people in the book, he was the most contemptible, feigning deep affection! He made it seem as if she were the one at fault!
Alright, if he wanted to act, she would join him! She was not boasting, but the Joy he was holding now possessed acting skills worthy of an Oscar, far surpassing his. Watch her play him for a fool!
However, she had not anticipated that her body would betray a trace of excitement upon being held by Christopher. Although she felt utter disgust, her body trembled slightly, a sour sensation welling up in her heart.
Damn!
The original Joy was still oblivious to the torment she would face. She was still in love with Christopher, remnants of her deep affection lingered. But it did not matter, Joy pushed Christopher away, turning her head to avoid meeting his eyes, fearing her disdain would betray her.
Joy murmured, "Chris, things are exactly as they seem. I slept with someone else. I'm not worthy of marrying you. Let's call off the engagement."
Christopher looked at Joy in disbelief, "Sweety! What nonsense are you spouting? No matter what happens, you are my fiancée, my future wife, the future mother of my children! I love you and I'll never let you go in this lifetime."
Oh, such sweet words. Joy's body trembled slightly. The original Joy had been blinded by these sweet nothings. Christopher's promises were like poison, ruining the life of that loving girl.
Christopher did keep one promise: he never let go of Joy. In the end, to protect his reputation, he didn't divorce Joy; instead, he sent her to a mental institution, hired someone to pretend to be insane, and burned the entire hospital to the ground.
Experiencing the lingering affection, Joy felt it was a waste for the original Joy. Such a kind and innocent girl, due to her yearning for love, had fallen into a trap woven by a devil with the guise of love...
The sense of immersion was too strong; she was determined to make this scoundrel pay.
Joy suppressed the urge to cut off Christopher's tongue. Exposing their lies would be letting them off too easily. She wanted them to suffer a hundred times more than what the original Joy had experienced.
Joy closed her eyes, recalling the pain she felt when her beloved kitten died, until her eyes were filled with tears. She looked up at Lucy with tear-filled eyes, her voice trembling, "Chris loves and cherishes me, I know. But can you accept a soiled daughter-in-law like me?"
Lucy already despised Joy for her propensity to burst into tears at the slightest provocation. Seeing Joy acting pitifully in her son's arms only fueled her disdain. "Our family will never accept a shameless woman like you. Christopher, you must end the engagement immediately."
Christopher looked torn, "Mother, I promised Uncle Brown that I would care for Joy. I can't go back on my word."
Joy looked at Christopher guiltily, "Chris, you should break off our engagement. I've been with someone else... Your mother won't let you marry me. Please don't argue with her because of me! I already feel guilty enough. Don't make me feel worse!" After saying this, Joy hugged Christopher tightly, then pushed him away and covered her face, sobbing.
(Covering her face, Joy gave herself a thumbs-up. Well done, she was in character! Keep it up!)
Christopher looked at Joy with a pained expression, holding her and trying to comfort her.
Lucy began to curse, "You shameless thing, at least you admit it quickly! If it weren't for your father's dying wish, Christopher would never have agreed to the engagement. We kindly took care of you, and this is how you repay us! Going out and messing around with other men. You may look innocent, but you're nothing but a lowly harlot at heart! The engagement must be ended."
Joy sobbed out loud, "I didn't, I didn't mess around with anyone... Christopher asked me to accompany him to meet a client last night, and I got drunk after blocking just one drink for him. I don't know how I ended up here... oh right Chris, how did I get to the hotel? Where were you last night?"
If Christopher wasn't involved in this, it would be a miracle! The original book only mentioned Amanda's idea of Christopher catching Joy in a compromising position, making it easier to take her property in the future. However, Christopher was more ruthless, intending to send Joy to a collaborator's bed to secure a project deal! He was the scum of all scum!
Unexpectedly, through a twist of fate, the supporting male character, Dean, entered the room and spent the night with her.