Chapter 320 The One Who Isn't Loved Is The Homewrecker

Chapter 320 The One Who Isn't Loved Is The Homewrecker

One vicious comment after another stabbed at me like steel needles. My hands trembled as I gripped my phone.

Phoenix often browsed the internet. If she saw these comments, what would happen to her?

I immediately called William.

He picked up quickly, his voice low and warm.

When he heard I was asking about Phoenix, his tone dropped. "Don't you worry about me at all?"

I was too frustrated to flirt. "William, now's not the time for this."

Just as I finished speaking, my doorbell suddenly rang.

Who could it be at this hour?

I clutched my phone and walked to the door. To my surprise, William was standing there.

My breath caught.

He wore a dark coat, his tall frame calm and composed.

Even with all the online chaos swirling around him, he showed no sign of avoiding anything.

I fumbled to open the door, my voice filled with worry. "Are you crazy?"

I instinctively looked behind him, afraid of hidden cameras. "What if Michael really blows this up? Even if we're not scared, we have to think about Grandma! She's so old—how can she handle being cyberbullied?"

William raised his hand, his fingertip gently brushing over my furrowed brow. His eyes softened with tenderness. "I came to give you peace of mind."

"I already have it."

I quickly turned my head to avoid his touch and tried to push him away. "You need to leave!"

My strength was nothing compared to his.

The next second, his warm hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me gently into his arms.

His breath fell on the top of my head as he said with certainty, "Michael won't dare continue the cyberbullying."

I froze in his embrace. "Why not?"

"Because he can't afford to blow this up completely."

William's voice grew colder with each word. "If he really pushes you into a corner with no way out, you'll have nothing left to lose. How can he control you then?"

My heart trembled. Though I thought he was right, I still asked, "Can you tell me what you're planning? You can't keep me guessing forever."

He didn't answer directly. Instead, he tightened his arms, pulling me closer.

The light inside my apartment reflected in his eyes like a sea of stars. "Do you trust me?"

My lashes fluttered. After a few seconds of silence, I nodded firmly. "I trust you, but… I can't go through with this wedding with Michael. Not even as a formality. I… I can't get past it."

"That depends on whether he's capable of making the wedding happen."

William's tone was resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

Seeing a flash of menace in his eyes, I panicked and quickly reminded him, "Don't do anything reckless! I know you have your ways, but don't let anyone die. Michael isn't worth…"

William chuckled softly.

He pinched my flushed earlobe, his tone teasing. "Do you really think I'm that brutal?"

I pressed my lips together and said nothing, but the worry in my eyes wouldn't fade.

He dropped his smile and said seriously, "Stay calm. The more Michael jumps around now, the harder he'll fall later. We just need to step back and let him keep digging his own grave."

His gaze deepened, his voice hoarse yet soothing. "But that wedding? It's never happening. I won't let anyone force you to do something you don't want to do."

My chaotic heart, which had been all over the place, felt like it was being held steady by him. Slowly, it calmed down.

That night, I slept surprisingly well.

The next morning, all the online vitriol was forcefully wiped clean by William once again.

After dropping the kids off at preschool, I went straight home. I'd taken a few days off since I had a lot of novel updates to work on.

The living room sofa was a mess, covered with Isabella and Katya's dolls and stuffed animals.

As I was tidying up, I suddenly spotted a dark jade cufflink.

I realized it must have fallen from William's sleeve last night.

I picked it up and was about to text him when the doorbell rang.

I instinctively assumed it was William, wondering why he'd come in person to retrieve it.

Without checking the door monitor, I opened the door.

I froze.

Alice stood at the door, wearing a glaring red dress, her makeup flawless as if she were heading to a gala.

Her gaze immediately landed on the cufflink I'd left on the entryway table. A knowing smile curled at her lips. "Ms. Thomas, that's not Michael's, is it? I've never seen him wear that style."

I kept my expression cold. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you, of course."

Alice acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Michael specifically arranged for me to accompany you to pick out wedding dresses and jewelry. After all, a wedding is such a big deal—you shouldn't have to do it alone. Are you free now? Should we start with the jewelry?"

I stared at the smugness she couldn't quite hide and found it almost laughable. "I don't mind going shopping, but are you sure you want to come with me? Your reputation is already in the gutter. Going out now would just be humiliating yourself, wouldn't it?"

Alice's face flashed with anger, but she quickly suppressed it. Her smile deepened. "Don't worry, we're not going to a mall. The jewelry and bridal boutique staff are already waiting outside! Michael said you're Mrs. Johnson—how could he let you go shopping like a commoner? Oh, and since the wedding is so rushed, we couldn't hire a designer for the dress. Hope you don't mind!"

I studied her face. "So you're perfectly fine being a homewrecker for the rest of your life?"

Alice's sinister smile vanished. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping so low only the two of us could hear. "Michael stopped loving you a long time ago. He's keeping you around just to torture you slowly, to make you pay for the past. The one who isn't loved is the homewrecker!"

She paused, then added, "What makes me even happier is that you've fallen for William. But too bad—no matter how much you like him, you'll never be with him. Michael won't let you. You'll stay at the Johnson family as Mrs. Johnson in name only, watching him and me live happily ever after."

As I listened to Alice's words, I found myself wondering when exactly William would finally free me from this nightmare.

Though Michael and Alice's madness was terrifying, William had reassured me over and over. I was now fairly certain that Michael's "wedding" would ultimately amount to nothing.

So, faced with Alice's provocation, I didn't even flinch.

Seeing that I wasn't angry, her tone grew even more vicious. "Evelyn, as long as I get to watch you live like a walking corpse, holding onto the empty title of Mrs. Johnson, listening to Michael and me laughing in the next room every single day—what does it matter if I'm labeled a homewrecker?"

She grew more excited, almost laughing. "Charles is useless. He won't last. The Johnson family fortune will eventually belong to Michael. By then, I'll control everything. You'll have to beg me just to buy a new dress. And when I'm pregnant with his child, you won't even be able to touch Michael! Then I'll show you who the real other woman is!"