Chapter 81
"Me, a hypocrite?"
Joshua gripped Ella's thin shoulders with both hands, his tall figure in a suit towering over her intimidatingly.
"Did I have a child out of wedlock and hide it from everyone like you did? Am I selfish enough to make Grandpa so angry he died, just so I could be with Michael?"
"Ella, listen to me. Until we're divorced, don't even think about having contact with any other men. Otherwise, you'll never see Aurora again for the rest of your life."
Damn Ella, where did all these men come from?
One leaves, another shows up.
Joshua had brought Ella here to use her to make Scarlett back off.
Who would've thought she'd run into another man?
Joshua felt the jealousy in his chest about to overflow.
Ella was furious and retorted through gritted teeth, "Then let's get divorced quickly. Once we're divorced, you and Scarlett can be together openly, right?"
Joshua always threatened her with Aurora.
Besides bullying a woman, what else could he do?
Damn man, she better not get a chance to leave.
Once she left, she'd never come back to him again.
"You want a divorce so you can go find the kids' father and run off with another man, right?"
Joshua raised his hand to grip her neck, his face vicious.
"Let me tell you, Ella, the more you want to leave and fly away with the kids' father, the more I won't let you have your way."
"I just won't divorce you."
If they divorced, Ella would take the kids to find their father, and they'd be one happy family.
There's no such good deal in this world.
If he was miserable, Ella wouldn't be leaving his side.
Even if they tortured each other to death, Joshua wouldn't let her leave.
"Joshua, you bastard."
Ella was so angry her eyes turned red with grievance.
"You don't even like me, why do you keep tying me down? Does bullying a woman ten years younger than you give you a sense of achievement?"
Joshua wouldn't divorce but kept entangled with Scarlett.
What did he take her for, someone cheap he could trample on at will?
Ella felt not only angry, but her bleeding heart was being torn apart painfully.
Joshua couldn't stand seeing Ella looking pitiful and crying.
When she cried, he didn't know what to do with her.
His heart suddenly softened.
Joshua let her go and turned to enter the room.
He wanted to leave Ella standing outside, not letting her in.
But he was inexplicably worried she'd really go out on a date with Zachary.
Already inside the room, Joshua turned back and pulled Ella in.
He warned coldly, "If you dare sneak around to meet someone else, I'll break your legs."
Ella cursed back through gritted teeth, "If you keep hugging and being lovey-dovey with Scarlett, I'll find another man. Whatever you do to me, I'll do to you. Who's afraid of who?"
She wouldn't compromise.
At worst, they'd go down together.
Joshua was about to get angry again, but seeing Ella's furrowed brows, glaring eyes, and indignant expression, he hesitated.
In the end, he couldn't say anything harsh. He sat on the sofa and ordered coldly, "What are you standing there for? Go run me a bath."
Ella wiped the tears from her cheeks and reluctantly went to the bathroom.
As soon as she left, there was a knock at the suite door.
Joshua thought it was Zachary. When he got up to open the door, he was inexplicably furious. "Mr. Baker, my wife isn't available."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Joshua saw not Zachary, but Scarlett. She was dressed provocatively, her eyes red, crying pitifully, "Joshua, Mason and I had a fight. I'm so upset. Can I stay with you for a bit?"
Joshua unconsciously looked toward the bathroom.
Remembering what Ella had just said—if he got together with Scarlett again, she'd find another man.
Joshua immediately refused, "Why don't you go get a..."
"Joshua, don't send me away. Besides you, I have nothing left now."
Before Joshua could finish, Scarlett threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist tightly and not letting go.
"Joshua, now even Mason doesn't want me. I have no place left in the Lewis family. What should I do?"
Scarlett cried miserably, her voice soft and delicate, making it hard to refuse her.
Joshua raised his hand in mid-air, wanting to push her away but afraid of hurting her feelings.
As he hesitated, Ella came out of the bathroom after running the bath.
Seeing the two embracing at the door, she thought she really didn't care.
But her heart was still jealous.
To give them space, Ella could only pretend to be generous and walk over to tell Joshua.
"You two go inside to hug. What would it look like if someone saw you at the door? I'll go out and not disturb you."
Ella walked around them to leave.
Who knew Joshua would suddenly push Scarlett away and grab Ella's hand.
"I told you, you're not allowed to go."
How could he not know that Ella was going to find Zachary?
If he'd known she had a man she liked here, he shouldn't have brought her.
Before Ella could speak, Scarlett came over again, hugging Joshua's arm and crying even more heartbrokenly.
"Joshua, I really don't know what to do. Please don't abandon me, okay?"
Joshua hesitated, feeling quite sorry for Scarlett.
After all, like Ella, she was an orphan too.
He opened his mouth to comfort her, but Ella suddenly shook off his hand and coldly left him with these words, "Joshua, enjoy your time with your first love. I'll give you two some space."
Ella left anyway, without looking back.
Joshua wanted to stop her, but Scarlett held him back, continuing to cry, "Joshua, stay with me. I'm really upset."
Joshua was helpless and could only watch Ella leave.
He wanted to be angry, but he couldn't take it out on Scarlett beside him.
In the end, he could only stay to comfort Scarlett.
Ella didn't go find Zachary. She went back to the place where she used to live.
She met up with some neighbor friends she knew from before.
Her friends asked her to stay the night, so she didn't return to the hotel.
But in the middle of the night, Joshua's call came through.
Like he'd lost his mind, he shouted angrily, "Ella, where are you? Come back here."
Ella rarely got together with good friends, and in the excitement, she drank a few too many.
Even though she was allergic to alcohol.
But she just couldn't help wanting to numb herself with alcohol.
Hearing Joshua's voice, the tipsy Ella laughed coldly, "Why do you care what I do? Go be lovey-dovey with your first love, you bastard. I'll never love you again."
Ella hung up.
Joshua was so angry he left Scarlett behind and rushed out to find her.
He wouldn't admit he was worried about her and went to pick her up.
He was just afraid Ella would run away—after all, she hadn't atoned to Aiden yet.
Using phone location tracking, Joshua quickly found where Ella was.
It was in a residential house.
The house was full of foreign women, no men.
After explaining his relationship with Ella, Joshua successfully took her away.
Ella was quite drunk and unconscious. Strapped into the passenger seat, she kept struggling uncomfortably.
Unable to break free from the restraints, she turned her head and opened her eyes, seeing Joshua's chiseled profile.
Not sure if it was Joshua, Ella rubbed her eyes to see clearly, then couldn't help cursing out loud, "Old man, finished with Scarlett already? Guess you really are too old—can't perform anymore."