Chapter 14 She's Not My Mom!
Julia's appearance made the already complicated situation even more chaotic.
Laura reacted quickly enough, slightly lowering her head as she pondered the relationship between Julia and Isabella.
Julia appeared to be only four or five years old. Laura knew better than anyone that children this age were the hardest to win over.
Back then, it had taken considerable effort for her to get Nathan to accept her.
Before anyone else could react, Laura was quick to grab William's arm, her voice soft as she spoke, "William, who is this little girl? She's so beautiful. Why haven't you mentioned her before?"
Isabella watched Laura's performance with cold eyes.
Even Isabella had only met Julia for the second time herself—it would be strange if Laura had seen her before!
"Are you done with your act?" Isabella interrupted impatiently.
With just a gentle blink of her eyes, Laura effortlessly squeezed out a tear.
Laura was already delicate and fragile by nature, and when she cried, she looked like a pear blossom in the rain, enough to soften anyone's heart.
After six years of marriage, Isabella finally understood what type of woman William preferred.
"I just care about you so much. Seeing that you've found your own happiness, I'm happy for you too," Laura pouted her small mouth high, then quickly steered the topic toward Julia. "I'm just curious—you stay home all the time, so how did you get to know outsiders?"
"And this little girl—she just called you her sister-in-law. Could you two really be...?"
If Laura had finished her sentence, it would have seemed too obviously manipulative, but she only said half.
The remaining half was left entirely to the listener's imagination. Whatever William chose to imagine was entirely his own doing.
This was the most vicious tactic.
Stepping outside the mindset of someone directly involved, Isabella simply watched Laura's antics with even greater calm.
Laura had already gotten what she wanted. What was the point of further manipulation?
Isabella couldn't figure out the answer, so she could only respond with silence.
Because of Julia's appearance, William became even angrier.
The fire that had gradually begun to die down seemed to be fanned by the wind, once again spreading like wildfire.
He deliberately took a step forward in challenge, pressing down on Isabella again.
"Richard, you'd better explain to me why your sister is calling my wife her sister-in-law?"
The two evenly matched men now emanated an incompatible tension. William's brow furrowed tightly as he waited displeasedly for Richard's answer.
Laura once again put on a surprised expression, "No wonder, when I tried to invite Isabella out for tea before, you always said you didn't have time. Could it be that you two already knew each other back then?"
Isabella let out a cold laugh.
It seemed Laura had come with a mission today.
The two of them had shamelessly committed adultery, and now they wanted to pin the same crime on her head?
"During that time, Olivia wasn't feeling well. I was running back and forth between the hospital and home every day, taking care of Olivia all by myself, and you kept encouraging me to go out. What were your real intentions?"
Facts spoke louder than words. Isabella didn't even need elaborate rhetoric to clear her name completely.
To outsiders, she was William's wife, and that house was their shared home, but in reality, Isabella had been the only one giving her all these years.
When the children were sick, she was the one caring for them. All the trivial matters of their education were handled single-handedly by Isabella.
William had been far too idle as a father.
"William, you've gone too far." Richard finally spoke up, his gaze filled with displeasure as he looked at William.
He had always thought William was a gentleman, a rare upright person in their circle who didn't mess around.
Everything that happened today completely overturned Richard's impression of William.
Isabella was well-educated, graceful, bright, and generous. In terms of manners, conversation, knowledge, and ability, which aspect wasn't superior to Laura's?
Richard simply couldn't understand what had bewitched William to care so much about Laura, even to the point of pursuing divorce for her sake!
William's frown deepened. "Richard, what exactly is your relationship? What gives you the standing to speak for her?"
His heart grew several degrees colder, and deep down, he had already stamped a verdict on Isabella and Richard's relationship.
He was convinced that Isabella had cheated.
And the person she'd cheated with was his best friend!
"Isabella, you're really getting more and more capable!"
This feeling of being betrayed by both his friend and wife quickly ignited a raging fire in William's heart.
It burned away the last remnants of his rationality, leaving only the impulse to settle accounts with Isabella.
And William did exactly that. He stepped around Julia, clamped one hand on Isabella's wrist, and forcefully pulled her toward the restaurant exit.
His grip was strong, and because he was angry, the strength in his right hand was like an iron clamp, making it impossible for Isabella to struggle free.
All the way to the underground parking garage, Isabella continued to struggle desperately while William had already opened the car door and forcibly shoved her inside.
William's car was filled with Laura's perfume—a very sweet rose scent that matched Laura's character perfectly.
Isabella was very displeased and immediately tried to get out of the car after getting in.
William leaned over, easily restraining Isabella's restless hands with one hand, then instructed the driver, "Drive."
The driver glanced at the rearview mirror with some hesitation, but given that this was William's order, he could only comply obediently.
The car slowly drove out of the underground garage onto the bustling streets outside. Isabella gave up struggling and turned to look at William with cold eyes.
"What exactly do you want?"
William scoffed, "You put on such a good act before. I actually thought you were really angry."
"I never imagined that privately you'd already hooked up with Richard."
No wonder Isabella wasn't afraid when he cut off her cards—having latched onto another sugar daddy's coattails, why would she worry about trivial things like not having food to eat?
Isabella understood William's meaning perfectly. This was a complete insult to her character.
She was angry, so a cold smile curved her lips, "Even if I did cheat, I'd just be returning what you did to me. What do you have to be angry about?"
William instantly felt a stuffiness in his chest. Isabella's words hit his heart like a heavy blow.
It made him even more irritable.
He hadn't given the driver a destination, so naturally, they were taken back to William's residence.
This was their marital home when they got married—a villa that Isabella had personally chosen from among William's many properties.
Returning here after several days, Isabella only felt somewhat unfamiliar.
A swing had been set up in the yard, with romantic climbing roses planted beside it.
Without thinking, she knew it must have been prepared for Laura.
Being dragged forcibly into the villa by William, Isabella heard an excited shout from far away.
"Daddy, Mommy, you're finally back!"
Nathan ran to the distance, but when he saw that William had actually brought Isabella back, he stopped dead in his tracks.
His voice was crisp and clear, "She's not my mom! Daddy, didn't you go out with Laura? Where did you take Laura?"