Chapter 107
Joshua didn't want to waste words with Scarlett. He pulled out his phone and played a recording for her.
In the recording, it was Scarlett's vicious voice from moments ago, demanding that Ella kneel and kowtow to her, and telling Ella to ruin her own face.
After listening, Scarlett's entire expression changed.
She hadn't realized that when Mason had dragged Ella in moments ago, Ella had been on a call with Joshua.
This meant all her cruel words had been heard by Joshua.
Scarlett quickly moved closer to Joshua, shaking her head in denial, "No, Joshua, I didn't mean it. I was just trying to scare Ella."
Joshua coldly pushed her away, "I never knew you were such a vengeful person. Let's call off our engagement. I won't pursue what you and Mason did to hurt Ella this time."
He used to think Scarlett was gentle and kind. Thinking of her pitiful background, he would take care of her.
He never expected her personality to be so cruel.
If he really couldn't find evidence that she had killed Aiden and arranged Aurora's kidnapping.
Joshua was starting to wonder if what Ella said might actually be true.
"What did you say?"
Scarlett couldn't accept being called off right after getting engaged.
How could she explain this to the Rhea couple?
Besides, the Rhea couple would never allow her to be with Mason.
Her only support could only be Joshua.
Scarlett refused, crying as she grabbed Joshua's hand again, pleading, "No, Joshua, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have gotten upset and made her kneel after Ella hurt me."
"Please don't leave me, okay? I gave you my first time, and Ella has hurt me so many times. This time it was Mason who brought her over, otherwise I wouldn't have hurt Ella."
Scarlett cried with tears streaming down her face, looking as pitiful as could be.
Seeing her like that, Joshua started to soften again.
Just then, Ava pushed the door open and walked in.
Scarlett had told her she was hospitalized. Since Scarlett was already engaged to Joshua, she wanted to see what was going on.
As soon as she entered the hospital room, she saw Scarlett crying so sadly, as if she'd been abandoned.
She walked over and asked, "What's going on?"
When Scarlett saw Ava, it was like seeing her lifeline. She rushed over, grabbed Ava's arm, and sobbed, "Mom, Ella hurt me so badly I had to be hospitalized. Mason was upset about it and made Ella come apologize to me, but Joshua wants to call off our engagement because of this."
"Mom, I truly love Joshua. Can you please talk to him and ask him not to leave me? I'll work hard to be a good daughter-in-law for the Thomas family."
Knowing that Ava hated Ella now, she deliberately brought up Ella.
Even if Ava wasn't satisfied with her as a daughter-in-law, she would at least take her side because she disliked Ella.
Sure enough, as soon as Ava heard Ella's name, she became furious.
She looked at Joshua and demanded, "Are you still tangled up with that bitch who made your grandfather die of anger?"
"Mom, can you not say such harsh things? Ella didn't mean it."
Joshua really didn't want to hear his mother insult Ella and couldn't help but speak up for her.
But the more he defended Ella, the angrier Ava got. Forgetting her dignified image, she laid down a threat, "That Ella already had a bastard child with someone else and deceived everyone to marry you. If it wasn't for this, would your grandfather have died?"
"If you keep getting involved with her and call off your engagement with Scarlett because of her, believe it or not, I'll make sure she can't stay in all of Emerald City."
That little bitch actually dared to be with Joshua.
Looks like she was really pushing her luck.
Ava felt it was time to teach Ella another lesson.
"This has nothing to do with Ella. Don't take it out on her."
Joshua didn't want to argue with Ava. He looked at Scarlett, "Know your place. If there's a next time, I definitely won't let you off easy."
He turned to leave.
Ava raised her hand to stop him, warning again, "Joshua, did you hear what I said? Don't get involved with Ella anymore, or I'll have no choice but to go settle accounts with her."
Joshua was really afraid his mother would go after Ella, so he could only say perfunctorily, "I'm already divorced from Ella, and I won't be with her in the future. If you go cause trouble for her, then I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life than marry anyone."
These words were also meant for Scarlett to hear.
Really tired of dealing with these people, he shook his hand free and left.
Ava didn't say anything more. She looked at Scarlett with displeasure, "Look at you. You grew up in the Lewis family, they gave you the best of everything, and your own conditions aren't bad either. How come you can't even manage a man and need me to talk to him?"
"Are you deliberately trying to create conflict between my son and me?"
If Ella hadn't gone too far, she would never have agreed to let this adopted daughter of the Lewis family into the Thomas family.
An adopted daughter, someone who caused the Lewis family's biological daughter to be lost—how could she have good intentions?
"I'm sorry, Mom. I know I was wrong, but Ella has hurt me again and again, and I don't dare say anything. If I do, Joshua gets angry and goes to find Ella."
Scarlett started crying, looking as weak as someone who could only be bullied.
Ava rolled her eyes at her, looking very disgusted, "Don't call me Mom. You and Joshua are only engaged, not married yet."
This kind of woman who only knew how to cry couldn't even handle Ella.
With someone as outstanding as Joshua, there would be more women trying to seduce him in the future. If she came crying to her every time, wouldn't she be annoyed to death?
Scarlett endured the humiliation in her heart and could only change how she addressed her.
In the end, she kept trying to please Ava.
While waiting for the test results these past few days, Ella ignored Joshua and stayed with Dorian and Zachary.
Every night when Joshua couldn't sleep and wanted to contact her, he felt it wasn't appropriate, and in the end would forcibly put his phone back down.
He thought that over time, he would gradually let go of Ella.
But he didn't.
Instead, the longer he went without seeing her or hearing any news about Ella, the more crazily Joshua missed her.
Finally, he couldn't help it and went to find her himself.
He even brought some toys for Dorian.
When he rang the doorbell, it was Dorian who opened the door.
When Dorian saw him, his little face immediately changed, and he said angrily, "What are you doing here, you cold-hearted person?"
Joshua knew Dorian was angry with him because of Aurora.
He crouched down and ingratiatingly handed him the gift, "I came to see your mom. Is your mom feeling better?"
Dorian opened what Joshua handed him, "My mom is doing great, she doesn't need your concern. Go away."
He prepared to close the door.
Joshua quickly blocked the door, "Dorian, let me in. I want to see your mom."
"No way. My dad and mom are taking a bath. You're not allowed to disturb them. Get lost."
Dorian tried to close the door and kicked at him.
When Joshua heard that Ella and Zachary were bathing together, his heart suddenly stabbed with pain.
In that moment of distraction, Dorian pushed the door shut.