Chapter 162: Playing the Victim
When William asked that question, he actually harbored a glimmer of hope that Isabella might show some concern for him.
He had even imagined that if she was willing to apologize for everything she'd done, he'd let it all slide.
They could still live happily together as a family.
However, after Isabella stared at William for a long moment, she suddenly asked in an icy tone:
"How come he didn't beat you to death?"
The atmosphere between them instantly plummeted several degrees, the air turning frighteningly cold.
Joseph, despite his wounds still throbbing with pain, clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
His laughter, to William's ears, carried an unmistakably mocking tone.
How dare Isabella treat him this way?!
Before he could respond, Isabella took the initiative to warn him: "If you keep harassing me, I won't hesitate to call the police and let them deal with you!"
With that, Isabella supported Joseph as they headed back toward the residential complex.
They walked slowly, step by step, disappearing from William's line of sight.
The frightened Nathan finally stopped crying and walked over to take William's hand, asking softly:
"Daddy, are you okay? We should go to the hospital and get your wounds bandaged." He wiped his tears, his voice trembling.
After all, he was just a child who had never witnessed such violence, and he was badly shaken.
Feeling the small, soft, warm hand slip into his palm, William still didn't look away, his eyes coldly fixed on the direction where Isabella and Joseph had disappeared.
His heart felt like it had been pierced with a thorn—it hurt, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the pain was coming from.
Once inside the elevator, Isabella's expression turned serious as she scolded Joseph.
"You were way too impulsive back there!"
If she hadn't held him back, with both men trying to prove their strength, there was no telling what kind of trouble they might have caused.
Joseph pursed his lips, wincing as the movement tugged at his split lip. "That damn bastard is insufferably arrogant, strutting around like some kind of aristocrat. And he doesn't respect you at all—he treats you like some servant he can order around. If I see him again, I'll do the exact same thing."
After all, even though Victoria had never shown her face publicly, the people who admired and appreciated her could form a line stretching to the other end of the city.
The flowers and gifts delivered to their racing club every day required a small cart to transport them all.
In comparison, William's attitude could only be described as abominable.
Joseph couldn't bear to imagine how much grief Isabella had endured all these years living with a man like that!
"Don't look at me like that," Isabella reminded Joseph.
"When we were together, there wasn't actually this much drama. He rarely came home and didn't care about the kids or me. I could do whatever I wanted, and it was actually quite comfortable."
William was the type of standard husband that many people online seemed to want.
Rich, busy, and never home.
If they hadn't abandoned Isabella on that mountain, perhaps she could have continued turning a blind eye and just lived her life that way.
But once certain things happen, they create wounds in your heart that can never fully heal.
When they pushed through the door, Mary heard the sound and came out. Seeing Joseph's condition, she was immediately frightened.
"What happened? How did you get hurt this badly?" Mary rushed to find the first aid kit.
Joseph took this opportunity to look around, assessing the security situation of Isabella's home.
Then he frowned.
This was just a middle-class neighborhood with average security measures—not terrible, but not great either.
After what had just happened, Joseph was even more concerned about Isabella and Olivia's safety.
"Isabella, you should move to a different place. I saw a nice unit in Blossom Creek District—it's a large flat, much bigger than your current place. Even with the three of you living there, it would be plenty of space. Most importantly, the security is excellent. They have night patrols, and there's a police station nearby."
Isabella knew Joseph meant well.
"Do you know how expensive those houses in Blossom Creek District are?"
Isabella's salary was decent, but she had to support all three of them plus Olivia's expensive school fees. They could live comfortably now, but adding a Blossom Creek District mortgage would be entirely different.
For Isabella and Olivia right now, their current home provided adequate shelter, and that was enough.
"I can pay for it. I've saved up quite a bit from my racing career over the years. If that's not enough, we could ask Samantha and Zack for help—they definitely wouldn't refuse. I'm mainly worried about your and Olivia's safety."
No matter how much time passed, Joseph still seemed like a child to Isabella, speaking with such naive earnestness.
"You're really good at volunteering other people's money, aren't you? Have you considered whether they'd actually want to help? They'll have their own families and lives eventually. We can't keep relying on other people for everything, can we?"
Just as she finished speaking, Mary returned with the medical kit. Isabella took it and began treating Joseph's wounds.
"You don't need to worry. I think things are fine as they are. What I'm actually worried about is you and your impulsive personality. You shouldn't have gotten into a fight with William back there."
Joseph winced in pain but still felt no regret.
"If he dares to harass you again, I'll beat him up every time I see him! He's about to be divorced from you, yet he's still pestering you. You should apply for a restraining order to keep him from coming within a hundred feet of you!"
Isabella couldn't help but laugh.
"When you stop being so impulsive, that's when you'll truly be grown up. You've gotten older these past two years, but you still think like a child."
Mary chimed in with a suppressed laugh: "Joseph is just too worried about you. If it were someone else, he probably wouldn't get this angry."
Joseph shot Mary an appreciative look.
As they were talking, someone suddenly rang the doorbell outside.
Mary strode over to answer the door. She was about to ask who they were looking for when she opened it and froze instantly.
Two police officers in uniform stood outside, frowning as they asked: "Who here are Joseph and Isabella?"
Hearing the voices, Isabella also stood up.
Looking toward the door, she immediately spotted the two officers.
"We received a report from someone named William saying you were in trouble. We need to investigate," the officer informed Isabella solemnly.