Chapter 28
Listening to the children's words, Joshua still felt a tightness in his chest.
But somehow finding the patience, he replied coolly, "Your very existence has already put me at a disadvantage."
Out of nowhere, he'd become the stepfather to two kids.
Sometimes, he really wanted to strangle Ella, who was sitting on his lap.
Why keep such a woman around? Just to disgust him?
What's more, she had the family elders protecting her. For the time being, there really wasn't much he could do about her.
Aurora and Dorian were very curious and asked in sweet childlike voices, "How is it a disadvantage? If you become our father, you'll suddenly have two adorable, smart little treasures."
"We're good talkers and can make you happy every day. When you're happy, you'll live a long life, and when Dorian and I grow up, we can take care of you."
This time it was Aurora's voice.
So soft and sweet that even the toughest, most hardened man would melt upon hearing it.
Joshua didn't deny it—he couldn't bring himself to say a single harsh word.
For a moment, he even thought how nice it would be if those two children were his own.
Then he realized he was being naive again.
He didn't want to be fooled by two kids anymore.
Joshua changed the subject. "It's getting late. You two should go to sleep."
"No, let's keep talking."
Aurora's voice turned soft and wheedling.
"We can't sleep when Mommy's not home. Aurora is scared. Will you talk to Aurora, please?"
Joshua pretended to be stern. "I don't have time. Kids shouldn't stay up late. Go to sleep."
"Then let Mommy answer the phone. I want Mommy to say goodnight to me."
Aurora knew she couldn't disobey adults, or they wouldn't like her, so she had to compromise.
Joshua looked at Ella, who was leaning against him, completely unconscious, and felt helpless. His voice became a bit gentler than before as he spoke into the phone.
"Your mom is drunk and can't wake up right now."
Dorian was startled and immediately grabbed the phone, saying worriedly, "My mom can't drink alcohol. If she drinks, she'll get poisoned and die."
"Please take Mommy to the hospital, okay?"
Joshua thought the child was making a big fuss.
Hadn't Ella drunk before without any problems?
He patiently told the child, "Don't worry. With me here, your mom will be fine."
"Then you must take good care of Mommy. When she wakes up, have her call Patricia, okay?"
Dorian's voice was tinged with tears.
He was really scared something would happen to Ella.
But he also trusted that Joshua would take good care of her.
"Okay, you two go to sleep now. I need to go."
Joshua hung up the phone.
Hearing the child say Ella could get alcohol poisoning, he was a bit skeptical. Looking at Ella lying motionless in his arms, he called out to her twice.
"Ella, we're home. Wake up."
Ella showed no reaction at all.
She lay limply in Joshua's arms, completely still.
Because it was dark and the car lights were off, Joshua didn't notice anything unusual about her.
He just assumed she'd drunk too much and fallen asleep.
But when they arrived at Tranquil Villa and he carried Ella inside,
the light fell on Ella's pale face. Seeing her lips slightly purple, she really didn't look like someone who was just drunk.
Joshua suddenly panicked and quickly called out to Brian, who was about to leave.
"Quick, get the doctor over here."
Brian didn't dare hesitate and immediately pulled out his phone to make the call.
Realizing that Ella's body was getting cold,
Joshua carried her upstairs in quick strides and laid her on the bed.
He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to check Ella's breathing.
Very weak.
Joshua realized this might really be a sign of alcohol poisoning and anxiously couldn't help calling to rush the doctor.
Karen followed into the room and asked with concern, "Mr. Thomas, is there anything I can do?"
No matter how calm and composed Joshua usually was, he was genuinely worried now.
His voice even trembled slightly. "Go prepare some hangover medicine."
Karen immediately went to do it.
When the doctor Samuel Harris arrived and did a preliminary examination of Ella, his conclusion was alcohol poisoning.
Looking at Joshua standing to the side, obviously worried, Samuel asked him, "How could you let her drink so much? She has alcohol poisoning. I need to give her an IV immediately."
Hearing it was caused by drinking, fortunately he had brought medicine with him.
Joshua felt somewhat guilty.
But he didn't want to put the blame on himself.
If anyone was to blame, it was Ella for being money-hungry, downing glass after glass for those few thousand dollars.
No one forced her.
But he was still worried, so Joshua asked, "She'll be okay, right?"
Samuel's expression was serious. As he set up Ella's IV, he said, "Hard to say. I'll take a blood sample for testing first. You'd better stay with her the whole time, in case her stomach lining is damaged and she vomits blood from gastrointestinal bleeding."
Samuel was the Thomas family's family doctor.
He was also Joshua's good friend.
He knew about Joshua and Ella's relationship.
After finishing, Samuel drew Ella's blood and left.
Joshua remained, looking at Ella on the bed—not asleep, but unconscious from alcohol poisoning.
To say he didn't feel guilty would be a lie.
Ella had clearly told him before that she couldn't drink.
But he didn't listen.
Not only did he make her drink with a bunch of old men before, but tonight he made her drink with several friends again.
Two consecutive rounds of heavy drinking—no normal person could handle it, let alone someone as young as her.
Joshua sat down beside her, his eyes deep and troubled as he stared at Ella.
He thought, if she hadn't had children with someone else,
their marriage could definitely have lasted.
They would have had a child of their own.
But now, Ella had someone else's children. There was no way he could have a future with her.
After Aiden died, he would divorce her and let her go.
He couldn't think about this. The more he thought about it, the worse Joshua felt.
He got up to leave.
Suddenly, Ella on the bed reacted.
She sat up abruptly, leaned over the edge of the bed, and started vomiting.
But what came out wasn't just bile—it was blood.
Joshua watched, his scalp tingling.
No matter how much he resented her, he panicked and rushed over to support her. "Ella."
He called out toward the door, losing his composure.
"Samuel, Samuel..."
Samuel, who had been downstairs, immediately ran up when he heard the shouting.
Seeing Ella vomiting blood, he pushed Joshua aside and immediately injected her with medication.
Fortunately, his medical skills were good enough. Combined with the IV, the alcohol in her system was quickly diluted by the medication.
Gradually, Ella improved.
Though she stopped vomiting blood, her vital signs remained very poor.
Samuel was somewhat angry. Looking at Joshua, he said, "What kind of husband are you, letting your wife drink so much?"
"Her digestive tract is already damaged. You'd better pray her liver function isn't affected. Stay with her!"