Chapter 1381

She had indeed met with Joel privately in Montclair, and they had gotten along well. They also kept in touch online; back then, Joel was the only man she could confide

in.

She remembered one time she missed her flight, and lan Goodwin had returned home with their daughter without her. She explained that a trip with a friend to a nearby town had delayed her. When she got home, lan's expression was grim. He sat silently on the sofa, a heavy atmosphere surrounding him.

Eleanor Sutton bit her lip. Ian was a proud man who kept his thoughts to himself.

She had consulted a therapist who told her that emotionally unavailable men often develop emotional deficits, rendering them unable to share joy or sorrow. In intimate relationships, this manifests as coldness or distance.

This often makes their partner feel neglected or unvalued.

lan certainly fit that description. When Eleanor first married him, she had been cheerful, like a ray of sunshine, always trying to warm him up. She'd eagerly share stories with him, was affectionate, and made him the center of her world.

For instance, she'd buy matching glasses, armbands, and couple's mugs, create a photo wall, and cuddle up in his arms to watch movies on weekends.

Back then, lan was busy and, as always, a man of few words. He would silently bring gifts home and give her a generous allowance every month, always on time. Eleanor had never been a big spender. No matter how much he gave her, she only bought necessities, living a low-key life. Sometimes she would even complain that he gave her too much, worried that having so much money in her account was a risk.

So lan started depositing money into her account on a fixed schedule, but Eleanor always had more than she could ever spend.

lan's emotions were like a deep well-calm, still, and bottomless.

But this wasn't a good thing, at least not for the people close to him. A man who was emotionally stable but didn't know how to love was a form of torture.

Eleanor knew about his difficult teenage years, which helped her come to terms with

it.

He had endured suffering beyond his years: the blow of his father's death, his mother's illness, and his own car accident, all while having to take over a corporate empire. He had no one to fall back on; he had carry everything himself.

He had honed his ability to solve any problem, a mind that weighed every pro and con, and the shrewdness to dominate the business world.

Everything around him forced him to operate with absolute rationality and control.

Over time, he became the lan everyone saw: powerful, calm, and invincible.

When Vanessa Shannon's smokescreen appeared, Eleanor withdrew her own passion and love Her unconditional warmth was no Longerhus The silent treatment and emotional numbness were often her own doing. When she began to suspect he was cheating Eleanor quickly retracted her feelings and closed her heart to him.

With such internal and external pressures, how could their marriage have had any warmth?

One person didn't know how to love, and the other no longer wanted to. Divorce was the best outcome.

They were too young back then. Their first instinct during a misunderstanding was to turn their backs on each other.

During that time, Eleanor had indeed talked a lot with Joel about marriage and medicine. Joel was like a caring older brother, comforting her and warming a heart that had grown disillusioned with marriage. But what connected them most was their shared passion and rapport in the medical field.

Joel was the first to support many of Eleanor's theories. They constantly discussed and debated. The professional synergy she and Joel had shared for the past three years was built on the foundation they laid back then.

Perhaps she was also at fault in the marriage.

Eleanor curled up. She was so tired, and before she knew it, she drifted into sleep.