The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 16
She looked sadly at the pigeons milling around her feet, then she sensed someone approaching.
On edge from her encounter with Ilian, Johanna tensed up, wary of the person coming closer. However, as the familiar face came into view, she felt her tension drain away.
“Johanna? What are you doing here?”
It was Victoria, a friend she grew up with in the same neighborhood. Dressed casually, she was holding a dog’s leash in one hand, likely out for a walk.
At the end of the long leash, a golden retriever with golden fur, named Luther, wagged his tail enthusiastically as he recognized Johanna.
“He seems happy to see you. How have you been?”
Victoria had visited on the first day of Johanna’s mother’s funeral. So, she didn’t know that Johanna was struggling with loan sharks.
“Just…”
Johanna hesitated to answer, staring blankly at Victoria’s clear face. They were close, but not intimately so. They weren’t the type to share their deepest secrets with each other.
However, after going through a series of difficult events, Johanna’s heart was more fragile than usual, and she felt an urge to confide in someone about the things troubling her.
Without realizing it, she began gently petting Luther’s head as he panted beside her. Victoria sat down next to her, and Johanna could feel her friend’s concerned gaze.
Though she knew Victoria couldn’t really help, she wanted to at least hear some comforting words. Her heart leaned towards confiding in Victoria.
Without hiding her gloomy mood and dark expression, Johanna began to speak.
“Actually…”
Johanna briefly summarized her story for Victoria, mentioning her missing father, the overwhelming debt, and even her sudden manifestation as an omega.
Victoria listened calmly, nodding occasionally and interjecting with comments like “I see” to show she was paying attention.
Johanna appreciated Victoria’s measured response, despite the story sounding like a soap opera tragedy.
It seemed she made the right decision to talk about it. If she had kept everything bottled up inside, her heart might have burst from the strain.
“It must have been really hard for you.”
“…Yeah.”
Johanna didn’t pretend she was okay and nodded honestly. Despite having to take on the role of head of the household early due to her incompetent father, she was still just a young woman barely in her twenties.
“So… you haven’t managed to get the money yet? What about your aunt? I heard her business is doing well these days, and she’s quite well-off.”
Johanna couldn’t help but laugh at Victoria’s cautious question and shook her head. She couldn’t outright say that her aunt was too greedy to ever be generous, so she had to phrase it more gently.
“My father apparently owes my aunt’s family money too. She even came to my mother’s funeral demanding repayment.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. So, I don’t think I can get any help from her. She knows about the loan shark visiting too. But she didn’t say anything. She just doesn’t want to help, that’s all.”
“…Huh.”
Victoria sighed softly, rolling her eyes in disbelief. Knowing her personality, she was probably internally criticizing Johanna’s aunt.
“Making all that money… and it’s not like you’re just anyone, you’re her niece… Never mind, let’s not talk about it.”
Muttering disdainfully, Victoria waved her hand dismissively. Johanna could only smile awkwardly, but she felt better knowing that someone understood her perspective.
“You couldn’t get any help from the newspaper or magazine you work for, right?”
“Yeah. They seem to be having a hard time too. It can’t be helped…”
Johanna answered in a weak voice, picking at the hangnail on her finger. Despite the overwhelming misfortune suddenly crashing down on her, she was determined to hold herself together and find a solution.
However, with no way out, it felt like fate was pushing her off a cliff. If she couldn’t find the money and couldn’t locate her father… she would end up doing whatever Ilian Rediess wanted.
Her hand, gripping the hem of her skirt, trembled. Humiliation and shame filled her, but what scared her more was the slight chance that her brother might end up in the gutter as well.
To Johanna, Daniel was more than just a brother. With a six-year age gap, she had raised him like her own son. She had a deep attachment to him.
She wanted to protect Daniel at all costs. That was Johanna’s desperate wish.
“…You know, Johanna.”
After a long silence, Victoria licked her lips nervously and began to speak. She seemed tense for some reason, glancing around as if checking if anyone was nearby, like someone about to commit a crime.
“This is a real secret, something you mustn’t tell anyone…”
“…Okay.”
What was she about to say? Johanna looked at her friend with a serious expression, feeling the gravity of the moment.
