Chapter 36 Where Did Richard Touch You?
Seeing Isabella get up and leave, William's expression darkened as he brushed off Laura's hand and followed her out.
Richard noticed this and felt something was wrong, wanting to follow as well.
Joshua reacted quickly, grabbing Richard's arm and pulling him back down into the booth.
"This is between them. We'd better not get involved."
He gestured for someone nearby to bring over a bottle, then poured Richard another glass of champagne.
Pressing the flute back into Richard's hand, Joshua's expression carried meaning, "We've all known each other for years. Surely, we're not going to let a woman come between our friendship?"
Richard felt agitated, tugging at his collar. "You don't understand Isabella and William's relationship."
Things had deteriorated to this point, and with Laura complicating matters, their relationship was already hanging by a thread.
Richard was genuinely worried that William might do something to hurt Isabella in a moment of impulse.
Joshua sighed helplessly, shaking his head. "I may not understand them, but I understand you."
"Since when did you become so impulsive? Even if they're not divorced yet, this is still their internal business. It's not proper for outsiders to interfere."
His gaze flicked toward Laura, and a mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"William's parents never approved of Isabella to begin with. If it weren't for the pregnancy, they never would have agreed to the marriage."
"Do you think they can't see what Laura's real motives are for getting close to William?"
In their circle, there were plenty of messier situations than this.
Only those who truly gained family approval and had legally registered marriages were the real winners.
Richard frowned. "I'm worried about Isabella..."
Joshua casually draped his arm over Richard's shoulder. "Relax. William's not someone who loses control. He knows what he should and shouldn't do."
Isabella entered the restroom and immediately moved to close the door, but a hand suddenly shot out, blocking her from shutting it.
William stood outside with a dark expression, and through the narrow gap in the door, his cold eyes met Isabella's directly.
Isabella applied more force, trying to close the door.
But William pushed back with greater strength, forcing his way inside with rough movements.
The restroom door clicked shut, leaving them face-to-face in the cramped space.
Isabella stepped back warily. "You're drunk. Can't even tell the difference between men's and women's restrooms anymore?"
Thank goodness the bar had single-occupancy restrooms, or William's behavior would be no different from sexual harassment.
William also stepped forward, getting very close, his oppressive presence bearing down as he looked at Isabella.
Inexplicably, Isabella caught a glimpse of possessiveness in William's gaze.
"If you don't leave right now, I'm calling for help."
The moment the words left her mouth, William reached out with his right hand, wrapping it around Isabella's waist and forcing her closer to him.
Through the thin fabric, Isabella could clearly feel the warmth of William's palm resting at her waist, creating a burning sensation that made her face flush.
His hand began moving upward, and his gaze grew increasingly intense and dangerous.
"Are you insane?!" Isabella cursed, reaching out to push William away, but he only held her tighter, their bodies pressed together in an extremely intimate position, sharing heartbeats.
In six years of marriage, they'd never been this intimate. Isabella had no idea what had gotten into William today.
He and Laura had been so affectionate in the private room, showing no restraint in front of all those people. What right did he have to appear before her now with this accusatory attitude?
Isabella bit her lip, staring at William with obvious irritation. "Let me go. I need to get out!"
Her struggles were like child's play against William's absolute strength, creating barely a ripple.
The air itself seemed to grow hot and suffocating.
"Where did he touch you just now?"
William's hand moved slightly upward, making contact with Isabella's back.
Not getting the answer he wanted, his hand wandered lower. "Here?"
It settled on her waist.
"Or here?" Moving down to rest at the small of her back.
This interrogating attitude made Isabella even more furious.
What right did William have to question her?
"Why should I tell you anything!" Isabella retorted defiantly.
William applied slight pressure with his hands, lifting her and setting her on the restroom counter, forcing one leg between hers in a position that became even more suggestive.
For Isabella, it felt downright humiliating.
William showed absolutely no respect for her as an independent person, treating her completely like his possession—it was an insult.
Isabella's face flushed red with anger, her pupils trembling slightly. "What right do you have to control my affairs?"
"Do I need to remind you again that I've already officially filed for divorce?"
She twisted left and right, struggling free from William's constraining hand with displeasure. The nauseating feeling surged through Isabella's chest again.
"Don't touch me with hands that have touched Laura. It disgusts me!"
Rationally speaking, Isabella was actually quite traditional in her thinking. Before meeting William, she'd never been in a relationship, much less had any substantial physical contact with anyone else.
Her only requirement for a future partner was to be loyal.
At the time, William barely met that requirement.
But ever since Isabella learned of Laura's existence, she could no longer look at William the same way.
A man who couldn't maintain even the most basic fidelity in marriage completely crossed her bottom line and disgusted her.
"I can't touch you, but Richard can?"
William felt a surge of rebelliousness as well, using his right thumb and forefinger to grasp Isabella's chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"Do I need to remind you again—you only filed for divorce, but I haven't signed the divorce papers yet, which means we're still legally married."
"Strictly speaking, our marriage is still protected by law."
Hearing a cheating man talk to her about their marital relationship, Isabella felt like she was listening to a joke.
"When you were with Laura, did you think about how our relationship was legally protected?"
William's forefinger gently caressed Isabella's delicate skin, his eyes growing increasingly dark.
"Quit Richard's company now. Everything that happened before can be forgiven and forgotten. You can still be Mrs. Montagu."
He seemed to think the title 'Mrs. Montagu' was quite an attractive offer—meaning she could rightfully enjoy all the resources of the Montagu family and return to a life of luxury.
But to Isabella, that title was worthless.