Chapter 4: Chapter 4

After that day, Joy threw herself into work, determined to forget Cedric once and for all. She worked at an investment bank, and things had been hectic lately. It left little room in her mind for Cedric, giving her some relief from the humiliation and pain he had caused her. Jonah called her several times. Cedric must have given him her number. He wanted to take her to dinner, but Joy turned him down. She had no interest in pursuing anything with him. Later, Jonah showed up at her office. Cedric must have given him the address, too. Joy still refused. Then Cedric came. "Joy, have you been busy lately? Why haven't you answered my calls or replied to my messages?" His voice held a note of reproach. When Joy saw him frown, she instinctively wanted to explain herself, but she couldn't think of what to say. He was the one who'd been busy dating Snow, barely contacting Joy at all. And when he did reach out, it was usually in the middle of the night. She'd seen his messages and ignored them. In the awkward silence, Jonah tossed his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his leather shoe. Then he strode over to Joy and, right in front of Cedric, drew her into his arms. "She really has been busy," he said. "We've been going out lately." Joy stiffened. Aside from Cedric, she wasn't used to being this close to another man. She instinctively started to push Jonah away. But when she caught sight of Cedric's unreadable expression, she stopped and let Jonah hold her. Cedric stared at the hand Jonah had placed on Joy's shoulder. After a long pause, he shifted his gaze to her face. "Joy, go home early today. I need to talk to you." Out of habit, Joy almost agreed. The words were already on the tip of her tongue when she changed her mind. "We're going to dinner, then a movie. I don't know what time I'll be home. Maybe another day." Before Cedric could respond, she lowered Jonah's hand from her shoulder, took his hand, and led him past Cedric. Cedric stayed where he was, watching them walk away. For a long time, he didn't move.