The Wife Who Jumped on New Year's Eve

Chapter 33

Joanna Taylor had just begun to feel at ease after Sean Yates' heartfelt confession. Humming a cheerful tune, she busied herself in the kitchen preparing dinner.

Then, the doorbell rang—sharp and urgent.

The moment she opened the door, her smile froze.

Standing outside was Bianca White.

The once-proud and malicious socialite now looked wary and disheveled, her clothes torn, her hair tangled across her face.

Instinctively, Joanna moved to shut the door, but Bianca thrust her hand forward, blocking it. The door slammed onto her fingers, eliciting a sharp cry of pain.

Joanna's expression remained cold.

"You dare show your face here?"

Bianca smirked, though it lacked its usual arrogance.

"You and Ryan Bennett seem close now. But did you know he paid me to orchestrate everything online?"

Joanna's heart plummeted. She stared at Bianca in silence, waiting for her to continue.

"Those rumors that slandered you? All hired trolls arranged by Ryan."

"From the fake accounts to the doctored photos and videos—my family was already bankrupt. Where would I get the resources for that?"

"He wanted to ruin your reputation so you'd crawl back to him. He promised me that if I helped, he'd bail out the White family when we were in trouble."

Skepticism flickered in Joanna's eyes.

Bianca let out a bitter laugh.

"But I never expected him to betray me. He knew all along that even if he did nothing, the Yates family wouldn't stand by and watch."

"So after using me, he discarded me like trash. He let the White family collapse and ignored my pleas. Everything he did was just to win your favor."

Joanna clenched her jaw.

"Proof?"

Bianca's gaze turned mocking.

"You think I could afford to hire that many trolls on a waitress's salary?"

Fury darkened Joanna's expression. She had always known Ryan was calculating, but he kept sinking lower than she ever imagined.

Steeling herself, she countered, "Why tell me this now?"

A mix of emotions flashed in Bianca's eyes—anger, regret, and something like relief.

"I hate Ryan. He destroyed everything I had. I won't let him win. You deserve to know the truth."

"And I hate you. If I had married Sean, the White family wouldn't have fallen."

"So I don't want either of you to be happy."

With that, Bianca gave Joanna one last lingering look before turning and walking away.

Joanna stood rooted in place, her emotions in turmoil. She had thought she'd made peace with Ryan and the past—only to realize it was all another scheme.

Less than half an hour later, Ryan arrived at her doorstep.

His forehead glistened with sweat, his breathing uneven.

"Joanna, let me explain."

"About Bianca—I did consider it, but I couldn't go through with hurting you. I stopped."

Disappointment etched across Joanna's face.

"Ryan, your hypocrisy is disgusting."

His expression flickered before settling into resignation. For the first time, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Joanna, I love you. As long as I live, I don't know how to let you go."

"Bianca got what she deserved—"

"She did. But you're the real criminal here." Joanna cut him off coldly.

"You don't know what love is. All you understand is taking, demanding, and lying."

"Whether you move on or not is your problem."

"But as far as I'm concerned, we're done. Stay out of my life—forever."