Chapter 18

Joyce froze when she realized she'd let something slip. After a long pause, she finally sank back onto the bed and started going over everything that had happened. Walter and Grace listened, their faces changing with each twist of the story. When they learned Joyce had run off to have a child with Jeffrey right before her wedding, they shook their heads in exasperation. "Joyce, you've always been so sensible. How could you make such a reckless decision at a time like this?" Joyce remained silent. She buried her face in her hands and wept quietly. She didn't even know why she'd done it. She just thought Nigel loved her and would never walk away. Seeing her in such a state, Grace couldn't help but feel sorry for her and started blaming Nigel. "Yes, you messed up, but look at how it ended just because you wanted to see him… He's being so heartless." Joyce wanted to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn't deny it—Grace was right. Here she was, in this mess, and Nigel w