11

A child who has lived a lifetime under the control of his parents, can easily be spurred into action by a few words of encouragement. How could it be otherwise for Christopher? His previous compliance was due to his lack of resources. Now, with his wealthy wife at his side, he naturally aspires to throw off the yoke, to take up the reins, to assert his dominance over his parents.

To afflict Lucy, neither insults nor blows would cause her pain. Only by alienating her son, turning him against her, could she be brought to the brink of despair.

Christopher nodded gravely. "Very well, Joy. I have chosen you to be my wife, and marriage is inevitable, sooner or later. If you wish to wed immediately, of course I shall oblige. I am merely concerned about my mother's inability to accept this..."

"Chris, I've done all this behind her back. If your mother is angry, she can vent it on me," Joy reassured him.

Christopher gently brushed her forehead. "Sweetheart, this house is indeed rather splendid. I'll find an excuse to move out tomorrow, and then we can register our marriage."

Joy laughed with delight. "Great, then we can pick out a yacht tomorrow and even look at private jets. We can go anywhere for our honeymoon."

Christopher, swayed by her words, was eager to acquiesce. With a yacht, he could take Amanda out to sea for some fun. For his sake, Amanda had endured so much humiliation, yet he could not openly acknowledge her.

Christopher comforted Joy with a few more words, then found an excuse to leave.

Joy couldn't wait for him to go. Once Christopher was gone, she glanced at her phone. Dean had not yet approved her WhatsApp request; he was probably too busy to check WhatsApp.

Joy turned on her computer to look for someone, hacked into a communication system to find her phone number, and called her.

The call was answered swiftly, and an impolite woman's voice snapped, "Who the hell is this? Daring to call me while I'm playing cards. If you cause me to lose, will you compensate me?"

"Would ten thousand be sufficient?" Joy countered.

"Heh, young lady, you start off with ten grand, what's the matter?"

"Find me an unmarried woman in her mid-twenties, also named Joy, preferably from G City. If none reside in G City, those from other cities will suffice. Ideally, she should be feisty, with questionable morals."

"Once the money is seen, the search will begin. I'll have your results by tomorrow."

"Add another ten thousand, I need it this afternoon."

"Heh, money makes the world go round. You say it, I'll make it happen. I'll make them hurry up."

Joy ended the call and transferred twenty thousand to BIG SIS.

In the underworld, this woman was known as BIG SIS, a broad network of talented individuals at her disposal. Tasking her was both reliable and efficient, as long as you could afford her services. She could find someone to do anything for you.

In the past, Amanda had sought her assistance for many tasks. However, when Amanda and Christopher later asked her to kill Joy, she refused. Despite her rough exterior, she drew the line at unconscionable deeds.

She had even once covertly warned Joy not to trust Amanda and Christopher, but Joy had unwavering faith in them and didn't heed her warning.

After Joy was disfigured by fire, BIG SIS offered to smuggle her out of the country through a contact. However, Joy was so despondent at the time that she didn't take it seriously.

Joy was a straightforward and high-paying client. After lunch, BIG SIS sent her the information via email and called her. "There's a woman originally from Y City, but she's now settled in G City. She's twenty-four, doesn't have a regular job, but makes a living seducing men and extorting money from them. If they refuse, she creates a scene. She's probably what you're looking for."

"Good, thank you. I might need your help again later."

"As long as you're willing to pay, anything can be done. Just no murder or arson."

"I'll call you later."

"Fine."

Joy contacted the woman named Joy, as per the information.

The call was quickly answered. "Who are you? Why are you calling me?"

Perhaps because she had been the 'other woman' too often and had been frequently confronted by wronged wives, her tone was hostile from the outset.

"There's an opportunity to make some money. Are you interested?" Joy got straight to the point.

"Get lost. I'm not falling for your scam. I was scamming people when you were learning to crawl," the woman retorted, ready to hang up.

"You'll miss a chance to strike it rich if you hang up," Joy asserted. "We share the same name, Joy. I've had a falling out with my fiancé and I want to collaborate with you. You'll definitely profit."

"How do you know my name... What are you planning?"

"I have ways of obtaining your information, and I have money. If you're interested, we can meet and talk. I'll send you an address, you can come and meet me."

"How do I know you're not scamming me..."

"Give me an account number, I'll transfer you a thousand for travel expenses."

"Aren't you afraid I'll take the money and not show up?"

"You won't, because I can make you several thousands."

Money always makes things easier. After receiving the money, the other woman agreed to meet.

While transferring the funds, Joy saw that Dean had approved her WhatsApp request and even sent her a cold, indifferent question mark.

Joy hurriedly opened her compliments script, copied a message, and sent it to him.