After Emily went abroad, Charlotte personally went to the Brown family to discuss the divorce. Her words were harsh, and Mrs. Brown was nearly driven to a heart attack by anger.
Although Mrs. Brown had never liked Emily as a daughter-in-law, their family did not agree with the divorce at this time.
With David as his father-in-law and the Deputy Mayor, James would at least gain some reputation from outsiders, and certain things would become easier. Once they lost the support of the Harris family, James would truly face difficulties.
But despite their disagreement, there was nothing they could do. James and Emily didn’t have a marriage certificate, and since Emily was unwilling to marry, they couldn’t forcibly tie her down. Moreover, the Brown family currently didn’t have the capability to marry off David’s daughter.
Helpless, Mrs. Brown could only accept the situation. She proposed to have the Harris family return the betrothal gifts and some valuable items that James had given to Emily. Previously, this wouldn’t have been a big deal for their family, but in their current dire situation, the betrothal gifts were a substantial amount.
However, Charlotte firmly refused, declaring: ‘Once these items are given, there’s no reason to take them back. Emily even had a child for James. Consider it compensation.’
After Charlotte left, Mrs. Brown coldly smiled at her son, ‘When the masses push the wall, James, now you finally see the true face of this woman!’
James slumped on the sofa in despair, his hands gripping his head. ‘No, it’s not like that. Emily isn’t the type to be so materialistic. Perhaps she’s just under pressure from her family. I’ll go find her and clarify.’
Mrs. Brown shook her head helplessly. Her son, even until now, refused to accept reality.
James insisted on talking to Emily, needing to make things clear, even if it meant breaking up. He questioned why Charlotte was the one to discuss the divorce. Matters concerning marriage and relationships were between him and Emily; they should resolve them by themselves.
However, he couldn’t find Emily. Her phone was switched off, and when James went to the Harris family, Charlotte simply said, ‘Emily isn’t home,’ and kicked him out.
James went to several places-Emily’s workplace, the malls she frequented, even beauty centers. Eventually, he found two of her close friends.
They avoided him. They used to joke and laugh when they saw him, but now, it was as if they had encountered a plague. They looked at him with disdain, as if afraid of being associated with him.
“James, I advise you not to bother. Emily doesn’t want to see you now. Also, take a look in the mirror. With your current destitute appearance, you still want to marry Emily? A toad lusting after a swan,” one of the girls mocked.
“Come on, don’t be so harsh in your words. Although James has nothing now, he’s ambitious. Given some time, in ten or twenty years, who knows? Maybe he’ll be able to give Emily a good life,” another girl chuckled, filled with mockery.
“Ten or twenty years? By then, Emily will be old and no longer attractive. She can’t wait that long. If I knew you were this useless, you should have stayed with Jason, the only son of a real estate tycoon.”
‘Real estate tycoon’s son?’ James looked confused. Emily always claimed that he was her first love.
The two girls glanced at each other, realizing they’d spoken too much. But now that the Brown family had gone bankrupt, they had no reservations.”
“Originally, Emily asked us to keep this a secret. Before you, she cohabited with the son of a real estate tycoon for two years and even had an abortion. Honestly, Jason is much better than you. He was generous, whatever Emily wanted, she got, and he fulfilled the wishes of us sisters too. If it weren’t for his drug history, Emily wouldn’t have noticed you.”
“Alright, why are we talking so much to him? I’ve arranged to meet someone for coffee.” The two hailed a taxi and left.
James sat slumped on the steps in front of the bar, the sky gloomy, and then it started snowing lightly-the first snowfall of the winter, big and hurried.
Snow collected on James’ coat as he sat there motionless, resembling a statue. Until a pair of red high heels halted in front of him.
James instinctively looked up, finding Isabella’s lovely face.
She wore an over-the-knee skirt, wrapped in a pink coat, holding a large umbrella. Beneath it, golden eyes blinked at him.
Her current poise and composure made James feel even more exposed and vulnerable.
He slowly lowered his head, a self-deprecating smile forming on his lips. “Are you here to relish my misery? Finding it particularly satisfying. That’s right, this is the ending I should have.”
Isabella furrowed her pretty eyebrows slightly. In truth, she didn’t have a hobby of kicking someone who was already down. It was all his insecurity talking.
She sighed lightly, feeling somewhat helpless. The umbrella in her hand tilted forward, shielding him from the rapid snowfall.
“Emily has left the country. Aunt Charlotte arranged for her to go to Italy, and she won’t be back for the next two months,” she said calmly.
James, hearing this, chuckled bitterly. “She’s probably avoiding me to get rid of me.”
“If you want to see Emily, I can help you,” Isabella offered.
Shaking his head, James replied, “Initially, I just wanted to talk things out with her. After all, we once loved each other, and she even carried my child. I didn’t want to burden her; I just wanted to say goodbye properly. Since she doesn’t want to see me, it’s not necessary anymore.”
When Isabella heard about the child, she couldn’t help but smirk sarcastically. “A child? Are you sure she carried your child?”
“What do you mean?” James looked shocked, almost disbelievingly at her.
Isabella wasn’t planning to explain too clearly. Her tone was slightly cold as she dropped a sentence, “If you want to know the truth, go check the hospital where Emily had the abortion.”
James kept silent, his head down. However, deep down, he was certain that at this point, Isabella had no need to deceive him further. The whole story about Emily’s abortion had been fabricated from the start, and the purpose was undoubtedly to shift the blame onto Isabella.
All along, he had been manipulated by Emily, utterly foolish.
There was a brief silence between them.
Unknowingly, the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. Isabella’s red high heels were chilling on the snow-covered ground.
She moved her feet subconsciously, not intending to stay any longer to accompany James in his contemplation.
Isabella pulled out a stack of documents from her handbag and handed it to him, her tone still calm, “If you don’t want to be stepped on forever, learn to stand up again. James, I believe in you.”