The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 183: Spreading news

It was not her curiosity that made her want to turn her body around to find out who they were and who seemed to enjoy their conversation. But it was how they disrespected others, particularly soldiers who had put their lives on the line to guard and protect their land.

Without them, would they have enjoyed their luxurious and convenient lives as they had until now? Without them, had they ever thought that they might have lost their breath a long time ago?

Apart from that, Joanna disliked the way they talked about the man, whom she hoped would not hear what they were talking about at the moment because Joanna was sure that the general term soldier was specifically aimed at him, her husband.

She also wanted to shout at them that he was not dirty and stinky, as they said. However, even if he was, was it something to be disrespected for someone who had sacrificed his life to defend the land that was not his?

He had defended the land for human beings who lived there, but instead of respect or gratitude, what he gained in turn was insult and disrespect. Joanna suddenly felt a prick in her heart.

"Poor her. That’s why she looks skinnier than when I saw her the last time before she was chosen as his wife. It must be hard for a timid and meek lady like her. I doubt she will survive for long." Another comment about her body shape came again from the second lady, who still spoke it in a sympathetic tone.

However, the more Joanna heard her speak, the more she felt that although the tone she used in her speech was sympathetic, the real meaning was tinged with sarcasm.

Even if it was not sarcasm, it did not bother Joanna to glance at her body to prove if she really looked skinny, which made the same comment erupt again from that lady. It was because what she commented on was her body, and she knew her body better than them, that she did not change much from before she married him, although her mind had been restless since the marriage decree bestowed upon her.

And her justification was based on the fact that the dress that she was currently wearing, which was made about a year ago, still fit on her body without mending.

Meanwhile, about timid and meek, she was aware that for someone with keen eyes, it was not hard for them to notice that personality of her, who preferred to sit on the corner with her so-called best acquaintances in social events.

"We are lucky that we were not chosen as that lowly, stinky man’s wife. Otherwise, we would have been in her position, fulfilling his desire until he is satisfied while holding our breath not to sniff on his body." As to what Joanna remembered this time, it was the first lady who spoke.

The spiteful tone of the way she spoke was similar to that of the third-speaking lady. And it was once again another insulting word.

"My brother also told me that soldiers are mostly rude. I believe, because of that, her father pleaded for a marriage annulment for her. Who can bear such malicious treatment? For a noble blood like us to be trampled and assaulted by such a lowly man, who can accept that?" The third-speaking lady again voiced her hostility towards her husband after generalizing the rudeness of soldiers based on the loaded information she claimed to have been shared by her brother.

As those words were spoken, Joanna’s heart skipped a beat before she turned anxious when the topic that had long gone from her mind reappeared. She had never thought that issue would come up at such a moment.

What made her anxious more was that the news about her father asking for an audience with His Majesty the King for her marriage annulment was leaked.

"Are you sure that the news was true? If that were true, then why are they still together? I also saw her walk happily with him, smiling and whispering to each other. Isn’t that a sign that they are in a harmonious relationship? He even looked good on her, holding her hand all the time, even now."

In the middle of her anxiety, Joanna heard the second speaker. There was no sympathy, and sarcasm colored her voice this time as she narrated what she saw objectively with a tone that sounded normal, not even laced with hostility.

"She must be forced to do that. There must have been a trick or threat that he used to make her cancel the annulment. The smile was also fake. In fact, she must be afraid of him. If that news wasn’t true, then why did she, a married woman, leave his house? We know that a married woman should stay at her husband’s house, especially if he is a foreigner. If not, who can bear such humiliation that she is thrown away by her husband or risk her reputation for her husband’s infuriation to then divorce her?"

The smile was gone from Joanna’s lips, as she did not bother to pretend to smile over every conversation with the elderly in which she had not had her attention anymore. Lowering her eyes, Joanna gazed at the floor before closing her eyes for a couple of seconds while inhaling deeply.

She was aware that the possibility of the news spreading existed because walls had ears. From mouth to mouth, door to door, it would then spread out throughout Terra.

But she gave no care about that before at all, as what occupied her mind was separation, and she would make sure that she would have her marriage annulled, so there was nothing to hide about something that would happen soon.

She was also ready to bear all the consequences when her marriage was annulled, and she had mentioned that to her father when they talked about that matter the day after she returned from his homeland.

However, the situation had changed after what she had inflicted by involving Clara de Lorn, and that intention never came to her mind again after some consideration she made in regard to the man whom she had hurt but never did something wrong to her.

As a result of the marriage annulment becoming their past issue, there would be no consequences that would shatter her reputation as a divorcee or a lady who had her first marriage fail.

Overall, her reputation was clear. But his was not.

And it was all her deed that he now had to bear judgment as a rude man who had treated her badly, so she left his house to return to her house, and her father requested a marriage annulment on her behalf because he could not accept her being treated disrespectfully.

Once again, she had wronged the man, who did not know anything to begin with. She trampled on his reputation. Perhaps she would soon ruin the achievement that he had gained through his hard work.

Joanna closed her eyes again at the thought that made it hard for her to take a breath.