Her First Love Killed Me, but I Owe an Apology?

Joanne supported Steven all the way to a private residence.Steven grabbed her arm and asked softly, "Jo, if Charles finds out you brought me here, he's going to be mad at you again."Joanne's heart ached at how considerate Steven was toward her. Her voice trembled as she said, "Steven, I promised you I'd give us a home. I paid for this place myself. It has nothing to do with him."Besides, so what if he finds out? He doesn't even have the right to be angry. Even if we slept together in front of him, he wouldn't dare protest. The moment I mention getting a divorce, he would beg me for forgiveness!"I never imagined that in front of Steven, Joanne would speak of me with such contempt.Steven put on a look of relief. But the greed hidden in his gaze deepened as he looked at the house, and the smile on his face grew brighter. "That's good, then."I looked at the house as well and felt a deep sense of desolation settle in my chest. I had scrimped on food and clothing, giving Joanne t

Joanne got up early to cook for Steven.But Steven had no appetite. He said worriedly, "Jo, maybe we should go get Charles. My injuries aren't serious. If he ends up with a criminal record, it'll destroy his life. And if you two have children in the future, their lives would be ruined too."He wasn't worried about me at all. He was just afraid Joanne would discover the truth.Joanne sneered. "He deserves whatever consequences he gets! Steven, don't worry. I'll never have children with him. I've been taking precautions all these years."No wonder she never became pregnant after five years of marriage.I had even suspected something was wrong with me and gone to the hospital for tests. I never imagined that all these years, she had secretly been preventing pregnancy, afraid of carrying my child.Joanne even took leave to bring Steven out to relax.They hadn't been out long when my best friend, Frank Jensen, called."Joanne, my friend is dead, and you're off taking your lover out

Joanne was fired.The police tried to take Steven away to investigate my death, but Joanne stopped them. She insisted he was innocent.Without concrete evidence, the police could only take their statements and let them go.Steven said aggrievedly, "Jo, will I be okay? I really didn't know Charles was already so badly injured before he came looking for me."Joanne immediately came up with an excuse on Steven's behalf. "He must've offended someone somewhere. Even in death, he still causes trouble."Within days, Joanne had accepted the fact that I was dead. She didn't shed a single tear. It was as if the one who died wasn't her husband, but a stranger.Joanne comforted Steven, saying, "Don't worry. I'll have my mom hire the best lawyer to clear our names."To put his mind at ease, she called her mother, Susan Brown, on the spot."Mom, I'm in a tough spot. Help me find a lawyer."Instead of concern, Joanne was met with fury."Joanne, how dare you call me? You got Charles killed f

When Steven showed up again, he took Joanne to a bar.I hovered unseen, watching the man she trusted with all her heart pour white powder into her drink.Almost every day, Steven brought Joanne to bars to drink.On the rare occasion they didn't go, Joanne would feel unbearable withdrawal symptoms.She trembled as she grabbed Steven's hand. She had already realized something was wrong with her. "Steven, I don't feel well. Take me to the hospital."Steven shed his weak facade. He flung her hand away and said coldly, "What's the point of going to the hospital? Jo, what you need is heroin. But you're out of money."It took Joanne a moment to react. "Heroin? Have you been giving me drugs? Steven, are you being threatened by someone?"Her first instinct wasn't to question him, but to assume he was being forced to do it.If it were me putting heroin in her drink, she'd never have tried to defend me. She would've wanted me dead.Steven laughed at her stupidity and put on an exaggerate

Steven, covered in Joanne's blood, kicked her to the ground in disgust. "Who are you to call me an animal? You knew my injuries weren't serious, yet you deliberately kept all the medical staff by my side. Wasn't that your way of killing Charles so you could be with me?"Joanne had known everything all along. She had simply pretended not to.Perhaps, deep down, she had even hoped that my death would clear the way. Then she could be with Steven openly, without guilt or restraint.Having those thoughts exposed on the spot left her humiliated and panicked."I-I…" she stammered.The startled looks of the people around him only fueled Steven's ego.He knew he had no way out, so there was no reason to spare Joanne. "Oh, and one more thing—Charles never hurt me. I set him up every time. And you, you stupid woman, believed every word I said. You blamed your own husband without ever doubting me."Joanne's face drained of color, and her lips trembled in terror. "Stop talking…"But Steven