Joanna's heart clenched. "Just some irregular periods. I went in for a checkup."
Paddy's expression relaxed. He carefully helped her to her feet. "Why were you sitting on the floor? What if you catch a cold?"
His phone chimed.
He glanced down at the screen, then hesitated before speaking. "Lola threw a fit and ran away from home. How about she stays here tonight?"
When Joanna said nothing, Paddy's tone turned helpless.
"It's just for a little while, Joanna..."
"Let her come."
Joanna cut him off, her voice flat.
It didn't matter whether she refused. The outcome would be the same.
Paddy blinked, caught off guard. Before he could dwell on how unusually calm she was today, he grabbed his coat and walked out.
That evening, he brought Lola home.
Joanna had just picked up a glass to take it to the kitchen when Lola hurried over.
"Let me do it!"
She snatched the glass and ducked into the kitchen. A second later, a sharp crack echoed through the room.
Paddy rushed over immediately. "Lola!"
The moment he saw the cut on her hand, he grabbed her fingers and pressed them to his lips.
Joanna stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the scene before her. A dull, spreading ache bloomed behind her ribs.
She thought of a few days ago, when she'd sliced her hand while chopping vegetables. The cut had been deep, blood pooling across the cutting board.
She'd asked Paddy for help. He'd barely looked up.
"I'm busy right now, Joanna. Handle it yourself."
She'd paused, then gone to the bathroom to stop the bleeding. But the blood only came faster.
She had no choice but to call out again. "Paddy, take me to the hospital. It's bad this time."
His voice drifted back through the door, laced with impatience. "How bad can it be? You're the one who hates spending money on hospital visits."
Joanna had stood there, stunned. The words landed like a slap.
In the end, she'd called a cab herself. Checked in alone. Paid the bill alone. And came home alone.
Paddy noticed Joanna watching them now. He pulled away from Lola's hand, flustered, but the worry in his eyes didn't fade.
"Lola, let me take you to the hospital."
Lola didn't answer him. Instead, she turned to Joanna.
"Joanna, I'll pay you back for the glass. How much was it?"
Paddy frowned. "You don't need to pay for a couple of glasses."
Lola pressed her lips together.
"But Joanna's famous for being frugal. She probably spent days hunting for a sale on these."
The moment the words left her mouth, Paddy's expression darkened.
Joanna's hand tightened at her side, fingers curling into her palm.
The meaning was clear enough. She was the cheapskate everyone in their circle talked about.
Paddy sighed and pulled Lola toward the door. "Your hand matters more. I'm taking you to the hospital first."
"As for the glasses..."
He looked back at Joanna, irritation plain on his face.
"If she can't let it go, take it out of the savings in my account."
Joanna had never cared about other people's jabs before. She could keep her head down and live her own life.
People who didn't matter to her couldn't hurt her.
But hearing those words from Paddy's mouth felt like being slapped across the face in public.
The door closed softly behind him, but the sound reverberated through Joanna's chest until her whole body felt numb.
It wasn't until the small hours of the morning that Paddy came back with Lola.
He walked into the bedroom, shrugged off his jacket, and climbed into bed. His arm slid around Joanna from behind.
Her body went rigid. She tried instinctively to pull away, but he tightened his grip and pressed her closer.
"Come on, don't be upset."
"Lola grew up wealthy. She's not cut out for housework. I transferred a hundred thousand to your account. Just let her stay for a few days and stop asking her to do chores."
The words hit Joanna like a fist to the sternum. She wrenched free of his arms and sat up.
"You think I made her wash that glass because I didn't want to spend the extra money on another person in this house?"
Paddy frowned but said nothing.
Silence was answer enough.
The bridge of Joanna's nose burned. She bit down hard, forcing the tears back.
A knock came at the bedroom door. Lola's voice floated through.
"Paddy, I can't sleep in a strange bed. It's dark and I'm scared. Could you come keep me company?"
Before Joanna could even react, Paddy was already out the door.
She stared at the empty space where he'd been.
The tears finally fell.
