Isabella took a bite of her pizza and casually glanced at Nathan. “You, born with a golden key, eating abalone and bear paws every day—aren’t you enjoying life even more than I am?”Nathan: “...”“Can you even compare with me?”Nathan muttered under his breath, his voice low but still full of arrogance, which irritated Isabella. She frowned.She gave him a disdainful look. “Am I missing a heart? Or maybe an eye? Nathan, we’re both human beings, so be kind. We’re equals. You’re not more noble than I am.”Nathan was taken aback, but his handsome face darkened immediately. “Sharp-tongued. If you’re so capable, stop being a parasite.”Isabella retorted, “I’m your wife. Your income is half mine. I’m using your money, and it’s completely legal. If you don’t like me being a parasite, then why don’t you divorce me?”Nathan choked on his words, stunned by her boldness. He had never imagined that the Isabella who used to be so pliable would now defend her interests so fiercely with the law.He
Guillermo’s gaze, sharp as a venomous snake, was fixed on Theodore. The moment Theodore entered Isabella’s guest room, Guillermo’s temper flared up instantly.“Who’s staying in that room?” he asked suspiciously.“Sir,” the assistant leaned in and whispered into Guillermo’s ear. “The one staying in there is the young lady you asked us to inquire about.”Guillermo’s mind immediately flashed with the image of a fashionable woman. A strong sense of jealousy seeped into his voice: “How does he know her?”The assistant replied, “Who knows?”Theodore knocked on the guest room door, and Ava opened it for him.“Ava, where’s my Sis?” Theodore asked.Ava looked frustrated. “She went back to the Hill family.”Theodore’s expression tightened, and he asked, his voice tinged with barely contained anger: “She still can’t forget about him? He’s just a dog, why’s she still thinking about him after all this time?”Ava shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. She went back to gather evidence.”“Evidence?
Nathan was so angry his blood rushed to his head. He stood up and rushed upstairs, with Victoria following closely behind.When they reached the top, they discovered that Isabella had placed a video speaker at the hallway entrance, where it was playing a street dance tutorial video, accompanied by loud, energetic rock music.Isabella, dressed in a dance outfit, was moving her body to the beat, but her movements were awkward and uncoordinated.Nathan’s face darkened as he walked over and immediately turned off the speaker.Isabella was about to lash out in anger, but upon seeing Victoria standing behind Nathan, she quickly turned her frustration into a smile. “Hubby, I’m getting in shape. Once I’m fit, let’s have a baby.”She said this as she walked over to Nathan, naturally taking his arm with a sweet, loving gesture.Victoria’s face twisted in displeasure.Her mouth opened several times, but she couldn’t find the right words. Finally, she closed her lips, unable to speak due to her e
She had no choice but to wear a false mask, responding to him with feigned politeness:“At that time, I had just donated a kidney, my health wasn’t good. How could I possibly conceive and give birth?”Nathan didn’t press the issue any further. After all, he had no expectations of having a child with Isabella.“It’s better you didn’t have the child. A mother like you, so irresponsible, doesn’t deserve to bear my child.”His words stung, and Isabella clenched her hand into a fist under her sleeve, her nails digging into her skin. But when her eyes caught the smug look on Victoria’s face, she suddenly deflated.She forced herself to adopt a fake, sweet smile. “Hubby, if I don’t have children, you’ll end up without heirs.”Nathan was furious, but Victoria was unbothered. “Isabella, these days, what successful man doesn’t have a few charming women on the side? What successful man doesn’t have a few illegitimate children?”Isabella smiled calmly, her tone sharp as she retorted, “Oh, but the
Isabella sat in front of Ezekiel, the world’s most renowned hypnotist. Her thin face and sunken eyes, combined with her reverent demeanor, made her look like a devout believer."I want to forget someone," she said. Her voice trembled, and even her frail shoulders shook.Ezekiel pulled out his old pocket watch. After tracing a graceful arc through the air, it fell steadily into Isabella’s line of sight. Her gaze quietly fixed on the watch, waiting patiently for him to begin."Is there any unfinished wish you’d like to fulfill first?" Ezekiel asked.Isabella shook her head.Ezekiel felt his question was pointless. If she weren’t utterly despairing, how could this young woman have chosen such a drastic way to sever ties with her past?"Where should I send you after the hypnosis?" he asked, changing the topic. As an internationally renowned hypnotist, he had helped many people recover lost memories and erase painful ones. Those who left his clinic often seemed reborn.But Isabella wanted
Under the sunlight, she performed peculiar shadow dances while humming an off-key tune: *"...lyrics…"* Nathan observed Isabella’s antics, a hint of confusion surfacing in his eyes. This wasn’t the Isabella he knew.Stepping out of his car, Nathan strode toward her, his face dark with annoyance over the trouble she had caused. “Bella, who let you out on your own? Your wounds haven’t even healed!” he reprimanded.The moment Isabella saw him, she instinctively jumped a meter away, clutching her chest in a defensive gesture. Her startled expression and wary gaze filled Nathan with a sense of unease. “Who are you?” she asked timidly. “I’m your husband,” he replied impatiently. But Isabella clearly didn’t believe him. She turned on her heel and bolted into the shop adorned with a skull motif. Nathan followed her with long strides. Inside the shop, Isabella cowered behind the hypnotist, Ezekiel, peeking out cautiously with terror in her eyes. Even Nathan, as dense as he co
Nathan extended his hand toward Isabella. “Come home with me.”The scene faintly overlapped with their first meeting four years ago. Back then, it was in this very spot where a wounded Isabella, driven out of her home by her mother, had curled up in despair. Nathan Hill, like the dawn breaking through the darkness, appeared in her life.Naïve and inexperienced, Isabella had been drawn to his kind and compassionate face. Without hesitation, she followed him.“Sir, why me?” Though young, Isabella understood that nothing in the world came free.Nathan, burdened by his thoughts, took a moment before replying in a low voice, “It has to be you.”She didn’t know that he had painstakingly sought her out, going to great lengths to approach her. In her innocence, she mistook him for a benefactor and believed she was just another of the many impoverished children he had helped. She trusted him so easily.“Sir, thank you for giving me a home. I’m very hardworking—I can cook, do laundry, sweep,
Nathan walked upstairs and knocked softly on the door.However, there was no cheerful response from Isabella as there used to be. His face darkened as he pushed the door open and approached the bedside, towering over the unmoving figure lying there."Isabella, why are you causing such trouble today? Do you know your Sis was feeling guilty because you ran away from home? In the future, try to be more sensible and don’t upset your Sis..."Isabella lay on the bed, her face as desolate as a desert, devoid of any vitality. Nathan’s monologue felt increasingly pointless."Why aren’t you saying anything?"The Isabella who usually flattered and fawned over him was acting mute today. Even someone as slow to notice emotions as Nathan could sense something was off.He pulled back the blanket, and the stark red stains on the white bedsheet immediately caught his eye. They contrasted sharply with Isabella’s pale, bloodless skin."Isabella, why didn’t you tell us you were sick?"A huge wave of pani
She had no choice but to wear a false mask, responding to him with feigned politeness:“At that time, I had just donated a kidney, my health wasn’t good. How could I possibly conceive and give birth?”Nathan didn’t press the issue any further. After all, he had no expectations of having a child with Isabella.“It’s better you didn’t have the child. A mother like you, so irresponsible, doesn’t deserve to bear my child.”His words stung, and Isabella clenched her hand into a fist under her sleeve, her nails digging into her skin. But when her eyes caught the smug look on Victoria’s face, she suddenly deflated.She forced herself to adopt a fake, sweet smile. “Hubby, if I don’t have children, you’ll end up without heirs.”Nathan was furious, but Victoria was unbothered. “Isabella, these days, what successful man doesn’t have a few charming women on the side? What successful man doesn’t have a few illegitimate children?”Isabella smiled calmly, her tone sharp as she retorted, “Oh, but the
Nathan was so angry his blood rushed to his head. He stood up and rushed upstairs, with Victoria following closely behind.When they reached the top, they discovered that Isabella had placed a video speaker at the hallway entrance, where it was playing a street dance tutorial video, accompanied by loud, energetic rock music.Isabella, dressed in a dance outfit, was moving her body to the beat, but her movements were awkward and uncoordinated.Nathan’s face darkened as he walked over and immediately turned off the speaker.Isabella was about to lash out in anger, but upon seeing Victoria standing behind Nathan, she quickly turned her frustration into a smile. “Hubby, I’m getting in shape. Once I’m fit, let’s have a baby.”She said this as she walked over to Nathan, naturally taking his arm with a sweet, loving gesture.Victoria’s face twisted in displeasure.Her mouth opened several times, but she couldn’t find the right words. Finally, she closed her lips, unable to speak due to her e
Guillermo’s gaze, sharp as a venomous snake, was fixed on Theodore. The moment Theodore entered Isabella’s guest room, Guillermo’s temper flared up instantly.“Who’s staying in that room?” he asked suspiciously.“Sir,” the assistant leaned in and whispered into Guillermo’s ear. “The one staying in there is the young lady you asked us to inquire about.”Guillermo’s mind immediately flashed with the image of a fashionable woman. A strong sense of jealousy seeped into his voice: “How does he know her?”The assistant replied, “Who knows?”Theodore knocked on the guest room door, and Ava opened it for him.“Ava, where’s my Sis?” Theodore asked.Ava looked frustrated. “She went back to the Hill family.”Theodore’s expression tightened, and he asked, his voice tinged with barely contained anger: “She still can’t forget about him? He’s just a dog, why’s she still thinking about him after all this time?”Ava shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. She went back to gather evidence.”“Evidence?
Isabella took a bite of her pizza and casually glanced at Nathan. “You, born with a golden key, eating abalone and bear paws every day—aren’t you enjoying life even more than I am?”Nathan: “...”“Can you even compare with me?”Nathan muttered under his breath, his voice low but still full of arrogance, which irritated Isabella. She frowned.She gave him a disdainful look. “Am I missing a heart? Or maybe an eye? Nathan, we’re both human beings, so be kind. We’re equals. You’re not more noble than I am.”Nathan was taken aback, but his handsome face darkened immediately. “Sharp-tongued. If you’re so capable, stop being a parasite.”Isabella retorted, “I’m your wife. Your income is half mine. I’m using your money, and it’s completely legal. If you don’t like me being a parasite, then why don’t you divorce me?”Nathan choked on his words, stunned by her boldness. He had never imagined that the Isabella who used to be so pliable would now defend her interests so fiercely with the law.He
Isabella didn’t plan to stay at the Hill household permanently, so she packed only the bare essentials.It didn’t take long for her to settle in, and she sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.She needed to find a way to quickly gather evidence of Nathan's infidelity; only then would she have any leverage to negotiate a divorce.However, Nathan was a typical idealist. He loved Victoria, and although his love was passionate and maddening to others, Isabella had never personally witnessed any solid evidence of their illicit relationship.It seemed that she would have to do something to expose the truth.Isabella took out her phone, then went to the guest bedroom, lay down on the bed, and snapped several pictures. She arranged them in a nine-square grid and posted them on her social media, visible only to Victoria.Her caption read: *“Thanks to my husband for decorating this room for me. It's so romantic. I really like it.”*With the post complete, she returned to her room and wait
Nathan’s handsome face was as cold as ice.It was an insult. A tremendous, shameful insult. A beggar with nothing to her name actually preferred to leave him with nothing rather than stay married.Nathan felt a surge of blood rushing to his head."Isabella, I don’t agree to the divorce," he said, his voice dark with rage.He hung up the phone, slamming it down.Isabella’s negotiation had failed, and her mood was deeply depressed.She curled up in a corner of the sofa and picked up her phone, posting on various forums: *I want to divorce my scumbag husband who keeps a mistress, but he refuses to divorce me. Any advice?*Before long, the replies began piling up.While the comments were mixed, there were some insightful suggestions among them. One comment stood out the most:*“Since the scumbag loves his mistress, things should be easier. As long as you can stomach it and pretend to be affectionate with him, I guarantee the mistress will get uncomfortable and cause a scene. Let her help
Ava snorted, "This man is truly a businessman. Even when he does something kind, he calculates it all clearly. Had I known he was this type of person, I wouldn't have cared about the little favors he offered."Isabella thought for a moment, then said, "If he won't divorce me, then I'll have to resort to legal means."Ava replied, "But a divorce lawsuit is a long battle. You hate him so much, but you'll have to face him every day. Won’t that be torturous?"Isabella thought about it, then endured the immense physical and emotional discomfort and said, "Then I'll just have a good talk with him."Isabella chose to call Nathan after 9 PM, knowing that this was the time he would likely be free.The phone rang twice before someone picked up."Hello, who is this?"A soft, coquettish voice—it was none other than Victoria.Isabella froze for a moment. "Put Nathan on the phone."Hearing her younger Sis’s voice, Victoria was clearly startled. She couldn’t speak for a while.After a long pause, sh
Isabella couldn't help but chuckle, "I'll come over once I finish what I need to do."Theodore was overjoyed. "Sis, I'll wait for you."The rest of the banquet went very smoothly.In the past, the Sanchez family’s gatherings mainly involved people from the business circles. However, this time, prominent figures from the elite social and cultural circles were also invited. These big shots, who were usually out of reach for the business crowd, held the power to control the economic lifeblood of the business world.As the saying goes, “refined and popular tastes can coexist,” and their presence seemed to cleanse the air of the usual commercial vulgarity.The businessmen at the venue scrambled to flatter these influential figures. Guillermo’s invited guests, it seemed, had all turned against him and were now fawning over Theodore.Guillermo and Mrs. Sanchez were left out in the cold, seething with anger.In a corner, the Sanchez family patriarch and his son stood among the crowd, with the
Guillermo was dumbfounded.Theodore said, “This is some authentic antique. A few years ago, it sold for billions at auction. This is the cheapest piece of calligraphy in the venue.”“Big Brother, why don’t you guess who owns this priceless original?”Upon hearing this, Guillermo was completely dumbstruck.“This is impossible. How could you have gotten such an expensive piece of calligraphy?”Theodore glanced at Nathan and Victoria, his eyes cold. “So, get your troublesome friends out of here. I don’t welcome troublemakers.”Both Nathan and Victoria’s faces turned ashen, darker than liver.Guillermo quickly reassured Nathan, “They’re important guests I invited...”Theodore ignored him completely and walked straight up to Isabella. His cold demeanor instantly softened as he said, “Sis, thank you for coming across the ocean to attend my coming-of-age ceremony.”Isabella cleared her throat, her voice a little hoarse, “I can finally rest easy.”Theodore was no longer the defenseless, helpl