Chapter 73: William's Anger Flares Again
Isabella wanted to celebrate more than just thanking Richard—she was thrilled to have finally taken the most important step toward divorcing William.
Richard understood how difficult this step had been for Isabella, so he smiled and nodded in agreement. After work, they went to the grocery store together and bought plenty of ingredients.
This time their selection was even more elaborate than before, and Isabella proactively grabbed a six-pack of beer.
Richard wandered over to the snack aisle, making a couple of rounds before returning with several chocolate bars in hand.
Isabella immediately recognized them as Olivia's favorite brands.
"We still haven't finished the chocolate from last time, and Olivia already has a cavity. The dentist said if she keeps eating sweets, she'll need a tooth extraction!" Isabella said half-jokingly.
"Julia's in the same boat, but with regular dental checkups, I think it's manageable," Richard replied, insisting on putting the chocolate in their cart.
At checkout, when Richard reached for his wallet, Isabella quickly stopped him.
"I said this was my treat," Isabella said with a smile, holding out her phone for payment.
Back home, Isabella knocked on Thora's door. When Olivia came running out, Lloyd followed like a little shadow, then jumped back startled when he saw Richard.
"Isabella, who is this—" Thora winked knowingly, clearly misunderstanding Isabella and Richard's relationship.
Isabella laughed and quickly shook her head to explain: "This is my boss Richard. Don't get the wrong idea."
Hearing "boss," Thora's expression immediately grew serious, and she hurriedly nodded and greeted Richard.
Once they were back in their apartment, Olivia curiously rifled through their purchases, instantly spotting the chocolate among all the vegetables.
"Mom, you actually bought me chocolate!" Olivia was delighted, breaking into a wide grin.
Isabella gently touched her cheek: "I didn't buy it. Mr. Spencer knew you loved chocolate and specially brought it for you."
After Isabella said this, Olivia immediately threw herself into Richard's arms, her voice sweet as she cooed: "I knew Mr. Spencer was good to me!"
After playing with Olivia for a while, Richard headed into the kitchen. Just as Isabella was about to shoo him out, she saw he had already put on an apron and was quietly washing and prepping vegetables.
"Don't worry, I just want to eat dinner sooner. I'm getting pretty hungry."
Isabella nodded.
With an extra pair of hands helping, cooking went much faster. In less than an hour, Isabella had prepared a whole table full of dishes.
The spread was elaborate enough for a special occasion.
Looking at the feast, Olivia let out a "wow," her eyes dazzling as she didn't know where to start.
Isabella and Richard each opened a beer, poured Olivia a glass of juice, and the three of them clinked glasses with a satisfying clink.
"What are your plans going forward?" Richard asked proactively.
Resting her chin on one hand and looking upward thoughtfully, Isabella considered: "I don't really have any plans yet. I suppose I'll just focus on work. I won't be thinking about marriage again—as long as Olivia and I are doing well, that's enough."
Her six-year marriage to William had been nothing short of a nightmare for Isabella.
Now that the nightmare was over, she deserved a fresh start in life.
Richard fell silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Isabella's choice, simply eating quietly.
Olivia started telling Isabella about what happened at preschool that day, giggling as she spoke and gesturing animatedly in the most adorable way.
Watching her reminded Richard of Julia, and his gaze unconsciously softened with affection.
The meal ended quickly, but Richard found himself wishing strangely that time would slow down, that he could stay here a little longer.
He helped Isabella carry the dishes into the kitchen, loading them one by one into the dishwasher.
By the time they finished, the wall clock pointed to eight o'clock—it was getting late.
Richard had just opened his mouth to tell Isabella he needed to leave.
But before he could speak, Isabella's phone rang, interrupting him.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number. Isabella hesitated for a moment before answering and putting the phone to her ear.
"It's me." William's voice came through crystal clear from the other end.
"Why are you calling me?" The smile instantly vanished from Isabella's face, her expression turning cold as she questioned the person on the other end.
"If you hadn't blocked all my contact information, would I be calling you this late at night?" William sounded equally displeased, his voice like an interrogation.
"So what does Mr. Montagu want this late at night?" Isabella's tone grew heavier, clearly impatient.
William snorted: "Tomorrow's a holiday. I want to see Olivia."
"No—"
"Even if we're getting divorced, I'm still Olivia's biological father. The law gives me legitimate visitation rights. Besides, we're not even divorced yet—I'm still one of Olivia's legal guardians."
William's words on the other end were logical and well-reasoned. Isabella seemed to have no grounds to refuse him.
So despite her reluctance, Isabella could only respond with a grudging "mm-hmm." "I'll bring Olivia over when I have time."
"Don't forget—"
William's words were cut short when he heard a man's gentle, warm voice from the other end of the phone.
"Should I put the leftover food straight in the refrigerator?" Richard came out carrying leftovers, asking gently as if unaware she was on the phone.
"Just leave it there, I'll take care of it in a bit," Isabella said distractedly.
William keenly sensed that Isabella's tone was quite familiar, as if she had an intimate relationship with the other person.
And the more he thought about that voice, the more familiar it seemed—it sounded like Richard.
"Are you with Richard?" William's pitch rose slightly as he demanded harshly over the phone.
Isabella moved the phone away from her ear slightly, frowning as she answered William quite frankly: "Yes, I'm with him right now. So what?"
Her matter-of-fact tone was like a fuse, igniting William's fury.
Anything involving Richard made William lose control instantly.
He ground his teeth over the phone: "Isabella, you're really something else."
Naturally, Isabella didn't need Richard to tell her twice—she knew she was something else.
Without hesitation, she hung up the phone and tossed it back onto the table.
Standing in the kitchen, Richard saw Isabella come in and lowered his voice to ask: "Did I say something wrong again and upset William?"