Chapter 263: I Get Annoyed Just Looking at You
Of everyone in that hospital room, Laura had the least right to talk about betrayal.
Isabella was the one William had betrayed, and the so-called true love Laura championed had been built on that betrayal from the very beginning.
"What do I lack compared to her? Why do you keep abandoning me to chase after her?" Laura pointed at Isabella, her voice rising with indignation.
"In looks, I don't think I'm any worse than her. In age, I'm younger. In education, we're basically the same. William, do you even have a heart?"
Each accusation hit William like a slap across the face. These were the consequences of his own mistakes, and everything he did now was merely an attempt at damage control.
William remained silent. Laura then turned her fury on Isabella, convinced she was the one destroying her relationship.
"And you—you've already decided on divorce, so why do you keep showing up in front of William? Don't think I don't know—you're deliberately trying to seduce him!"
The word "seduce" was particularly offensive, especially applied to Isabella.
Isabella stood with her arms crossed. "Please get a grip. Only you think the entire world revolves around you. In reality, people can't even stand to look at you."
In this context, the bouquet Olivia had chosen became a stark mirror, reflecting Laura's hypocrisy and selfishness.
And William, as the architect of this entire mess, lacked the ability to stop Laura. He could only watch the situation spiral further out of control.
"I warned you a long time ago—William abandoned me for you today, and he'll abandon you for someone else tomorrow. Now the tables have turned, and you can't handle it?" Isabella's lips curved into a faint smile.
"There will always be younger, prettier girls around William. You can't stay twenty-two forever, but there will always be someone who is."
Laura's confidence stemmed from her supposed youth, which meant she was destined to be defeated by that very same youth.
"You've always been insecure around me, feeling guilty that you used underhanded methods to steal William. So you assume I'll use the same tactics to get revenge."
Isabella's gaze was piercing, as if she could see straight through Laura's thoughts.
"But you're wrong. I don't have your despicable character. I have no interest in wrecking other people's relationships, and even less interest in picking up trash. If you like him so much, you can have him. Why assume everyone wants to compete with you for him?"
Isabella mercilessly compared William to a piece of garbage.
Only those who desperately wanted something they couldn't have would go to such lengths to glorify it.
Isabella had had enough. She launched an indiscriminate attack, putting William and Laura on the same level and striking at them both.
William felt deeply wronged. He could admit to his past mistakes, but today Laura had come of her own accord—it had nothing to do with him.
Isabella had initially wanted to throw the bouquet in the trash, but couldn't bear to destroy Olivia's effort. Instead, she tossed it onto William's hospital bed.
She took Olivia's hand and turned to leave, without hesitation or a trace of lingering attachment.
William panicked and struggled to get up from the bed, wanting to stop Isabella from leaving.
However, the pain in his back was more intense than he'd anticipated. As his shoulder blades moved, they inevitably pulled at his wound, and William collapsed heavily back onto the bed.
Laura's heart ached. She quickly reached out to support him.
William only looked at her with impatient irritation.
"Can you just stay away from me? I get annoyed just looking at you. What good does constantly clinging to me do you?"
"The marriage alliance benefits both families, William. Even if I don't love you, this is my duty. I have to fulfill it." Laura put on an air of helplessness, as if she too were being forced by her family to marry William.
"Born into families like ours, we have no freedom in our decisions. William, haven't you learned to accept your responsibilities yet?" Laura's voice carried a touch of gravity.
Placing the burden of family destiny on a young person's shoulders—such responsibility was too heavy, and even William couldn't bear it.
He slapped away Laura's hand.
"I'm sick of this life. That's why I want to break out of this framework. I don't want my every move controlled by boundaries other people have drawn for me..."
"After we're married, you can still have your freedom. Don't worry, I'm very generous—I won't be like Isabella, demanding you stay faithful to me."
Laura tried to appear naturally magnanimous, but the harder she tried, the more pathetic she seemed.
William's gaze grew increasingly strange. "By that logic, you could marry anyone—why does it have to be me?"
While Laura and William argued about their relationship, they completely failed to notice that Nathan had quietly slipped out of the hospital room.
He sprinted toward the hospital entrance, finally spotting Isabella and Olivia near the door.
"Mom!" Nathan shouted with all his might.
He ran up to Isabella, panting heavily.
"Mom, I know I was wrong. No one in the world can replace you. You'll always be my wonderful mother. I was too narrow-minded before, thinking only people who were nice to me could be good mothers."
Isabella turned at the sound to find Nathan bowing deeply before her.
A five-year-old's vocabulary was quite limited—he could only repeat "I'm sorry" and "I was wrong."
Isabella grew impatient listening. To avoid blocking the hospital entrance, she led Nathan to a small garden nearby.
"Why did you follow us out here?" Isabella asked.
Nathan pressed his lips together lightly. "I don't want to live with Laura anymore."
"You chose her yourself back then," Isabella replied, her voice utterly calm, without a ripple of emotion.
Everyone had to take responsibility for their choices, even a child like Nathan.
Tears immediately welled up in Nathan's eyes, which filled with hurt and grievance.
"Mom, I really miss you."
As Nathan reached up to wipe his tears, Isabella suddenly noticed a small purplish bruise on the soft inner part of his arm.
Given its location, the mark didn't look like an accidental fall. It looked more like someone had deliberately pinched him.
Isabella's heart clenched violently.
She pointed at Nathan's arm. "What happened there?"