Chapter 17
Ella still felt disgusted inside.
She pushed past Joshua and went back to her room. "If I ever see you bringing her here again, I'm telling Grandpa."
She had backup too.
Push her too far, and she was capable of anything.
Joshua was so angry he had to laugh at her words.
She was a mother of two, yet Ella talked like a three-year-old.
Running to Aiden to tattle about everything - how childish.
He followed her inside.
Ella went to her room, took a shower, changed clothes, and locked herself in the guest room.
Thinking about how Joshua hadn't actually done anything to her children, but instead had people take good care of them with food and everything.
Maybe she should have a proper talk with Joshua.
Or make a deal.
As long as Joshua let her see her children every day and didn't do anything to them.
Actually, sometimes there was no need to care about his thing with Scarlett.
After all, Joshua would end up with Scarlett sooner or later anyway.
Why should she insist on defending this so-called dignity of being a wife.
With this thought, Ella left the guest room and headed to the study.
But Joshua wasn't there.
She went to the master bedroom instead.
When she arrived, she happened to catch Joshua changing clothes.
Ella stopped in her tracks, really wanting to turn around and avoid the situation.
But then felt it was unnecessary.
She had seen and touched every part of Joshua's body.
They'd been married for a year - even if they were getting divorced, she didn't need to run away, right?
Ella didn't make a sound, just stood there waiting for him to finish changing.
Joshua was tall and proud, imposing and magnificent.
His whole torso had perfect proportions - broad shoulders, narrow waist, eight-pack abs, smooth wheat-colored skin that was sexy and smooth, bursting with testosterone.
Any woman who saw this couldn't help but feel her blood pumping.
Ella didn't deny that she'd been seduced by his looks back then.
Otherwise, how could she have lost control and actually slept with him.
Thinking about all those things that happened in bed with him this past year, Ella didn't deny she'd been pretty satisfied.
"Seen enough?"
Suddenly, Joshua's cold voice came from across the room.
Ella snapped back to reality, not feeling embarrassed at all, and said with a straight face, "I want to talk to you."
Joshua buttoned up his pajamas, glancing at her coldly.
"What do we have to talk about."
He was still angry, looking away, unwilling to look at her.
Ella gathered her courage in one breath, "From now on, I can stop caring about you and Scarlett, even if you bring her here again, I won't say anything. But I have one condition."
For the sake of her children, a little humiliation was nothing.
Maybe only Scarlett's presence could give her the standing to negotiate with Joshua.
Joshua couldn't help but stare at Ella.
He didn't deny that Ella was beautiful - thick eyebrows, big eyes, delicate features, soft and delicate body.
Especially when making love in bed, she always left him unable to stop.
Even though Ella had children with someone else, even though she said she found him too old, when facing her, he still wanted to possess her completely.
And this impulse was something he'd never felt with Scarlett.
But for the sake of his dignity and pride, he absolutely couldn't forgive her.
Otherwise, what would that make him.
Joshua pressed his thin lips tightly together without making a sound, his handsome face dark and terrifying.
Ella felt inexplicably intimidated.
She lowered her head and continued, "As long as you let me visit my children every day and spend more time with them, I won't interfere with you and Scarlett anymore. Is that okay?"
Afraid Joshua wouldn't agree, Ella added more conditions, "I can even cover for you two being together. Like if you call her over, even if you two sleep together, I can pretend I don't know anything."
Even though doing this would hurt her heart.
But compared to Joshua, she cared more about her children being well and being able to stay with them.
Joshua felt increasingly uncomfortable inside.
Especially after hearing Ella finish speaking, he wanted to strangle her.
This damn woman really didn't love him at all.
She was actually happy to hand him over to someone else.
Even if he was going to be with Scarlett in the future, was it her place to give her blessing?
Joshua was furious and said angrily, "Do you think you're being noble?"
Ella looked at him. "You won't divorce, but you love Scarlett in your heart. I'm helping you both. And if Scarlett gets pregnant with your child, maybe Grandpa will agree to let you two be together."
She was being so understanding - what did Joshua have to complain about.
Tell me, what other wife in the world could tolerate her husband keeping a mistress by his side.
Joshua should feel lucky that she only compromised because he had leverage over her.
"Ella, do you care that much about those two bastards?"
Joshua tried hard to restrain himself, his eyes staring at her like sharp blades.
Ella got angry and shot back, "Watch your language. My children are not bastards."
"If they're not bastards, what are they? You're my wife now, but they have nothing to do with me. Or should I call them your illegitimate children?"
Joshua thought he'd been pretty generous, not doing anything to Ella or those two kids until now.
If it were any other man, how could he tolerate those two children's existence.
And this Ella - instead of trying to please him and beg his forgiveness, she was actually handing him over to someone else.
If he really did something with Scarlett during their marriage, she'd probably take half his assets in the divorce.
She was really good at calculating.
"You think I wanted to be your wife?"
Ella was really angry at what Joshua said, puffing out her cheeks as she confronted him.
"If you hadn't dragged me to the marriage registration office back then and used Grandpa to force me to get the marriage certificate with you, I would never have married you."
"And my children existed before I married you. What right do you have to call them illegitimate?"
This was too much.
If her concession only earned Joshua's humiliation, why should she be polite to him anymore.
If he wouldn't make a deal, then as long as they weren't divorced, he could forget about being with Scarlett.
"Yes, I was blind back then to marry something as filthy as you."
Joshua didn't want to keep arguing with Ella. He pointed at the door and shouted, "Get out."
Otherwise he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't get physical with her next.
Ella's temper flared up too. Without fear, she shot back, "Fine, I'm leaving. You think I want to be with an old man like you? You've been with way more women than I've been with men, and you have the nerve to look down on me."
"I think you're disgusting too."
Not knowing where she got the courage to argue back at Joshua, as soon as the words left her mouth, Ella quickly disappeared.
Afraid Joshua might suddenly use force on her.
She was no match for him.
"Ella."
Joshua gritted his teeth. When he got up, really wanting to get physical, Ella had already wisely run off.
Knowing he couldn't really do anything to Ella.
He was so angry that his cotton-slippered foot kicked the bedpost beside him, immediately causing piercing pain in his toes, veins bulging on his forehead.