“What’s going on?” Isabella pushed open the door and asked in confusion.
Lily rushed up from downstairs, her face gleaming with schadenfreude as she told Ava and Isabella, “You two should go downstairs and take a look; it’s quite a spectacle. Charlotte and Emily just got back, and Mrs. Ada is furious with them. There’s shouting and fighting downstairs, it’s a mess. Even Mr. David couldn’t calm things down when he got back.”
“Shut your mouth. You’re too loose-lipped; be careful not to stir up trouble.” Ava scolded Lily in a low voice but still followed her downstairs.
Downstairs was indeed chaotic, as if a market was in full swing.
Charlotte and Emily had just returned from Paris and were unaware of Aria’s miscarriage due to domestic violence. They returned home happily, carrying bags filled with their shopping spoils. However, as soon as they entered, Mrs. Ada slapped Charlotte across the face.
Though Mrs. Ada was advanced in age, she was still strong from her younger years and had a powerful arm. Charlotte was stunned, her cheek swelling up like a bun, ears buzzing incessantly.
When Emily tried to step forward to argue, Mrs. Ada slapped her as well, leaving a clear imprint of her fingers on Emily’s pretty face.
Both they were infuriated but dared not retaliate against Mrs. Ada. Instead, they resorted to their usual tactics: crying and pleading, feeling utterly wronged.
The living room was in turmoil. Amid Charlotte and Emily’s cries, Mrs. Ada shouted, “You heartless mother-daughter pair! How could you introduce that beast, Idris, to Aria and cause her such misery?”
Charlotte, realizing that Idris had revealed his true colors, felt her head spin. That good-for-nothing man! He couldn’t even pretend properly; he should have waited until Aria gave birth to show his true self. Once they had a child, it would have been easier to control Aria.
Charlotte had planned everything so well, but Idris’s incompetence had completely implicated her now.
While Charlotte was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to resolve the situation, Emily, who lacked discretion, shouted loudly, “Why do you have the right to hit us? Your granddaughter, a commoner, wouldn’t have caught Idris’s eye if it weren’t for my mom’s hard work helping her marry into the Hayes family! Instead of being grateful, she’s here hitting and scolding us. You, a old woman have one foot in the coffin are not afraid of thunder.”
“You, you…” Mrs. Ada pointed at Emily’s nose, trembling with anger.
Just then, David walked in, perfectly timed to hear Emily’s words. His face instantly turned ashen.
“David, look at what your beloved daughter said! She’s wishing for my death!” Mrs. Ada lifted her foot and kicked Emily in the shoulder, causing Emily to stagger. Still not satisfied, Mrs. Ada continued her tirade, “You shameless little harlot, using seductive tactics to lure men! Sleeping around, even with your sister’s fiance. Who knows how many men you’ve slept with; aren’t you afraid of catching some awful disease?”
Mrs. Ada, uneducated and having spent many years mingling in the streets, had a particularly foul mouth. Even Charlotte found it hard to listen to.
“Mrs. Ada, it’s a different era now, and relationships are more open. It’s not uncommon for couples to live together before marriage. Aria and Idris got married because of the child. What you’re saying about Emily isn’t appropriate. After all, she’s your granddaughter,” Charlotte said tearfully, covering her swollen face with one hand.
“I don’t have such a shameless granddaughter,” Mrs. Ada seemed exhausted from her rant, slumping onto the sofa, covering her face and bursting into tears.
“David, you’ve been in the political arena for many years and are known for your fairness. Tell me, have I committed an unforgivable sin? I was merely negligent. How could I have known about something even your people couldn’t uncover? I too was deceived,” Mrs. Ada pleaded.
“You, you’re so articulate and cunning,” Mrs. Ada fumed, pounding her fists and stomping her feet. “This wicked woman can’t stand to see me and Aria happy. David, you must divorce her immediately, or I won’t recognize you as my son.”
“Mom…” David looked distressed. To him, the quarrels between Mrs. Ada and Charlotte were just family disputes, but divorce was taking it too far.
When David divorced Eleanor, it had caused quite a stir. As a government official, multiple divorces could harm his political future, especially with the upcoming elections. He couldn’t afford to become a laughingstock now.
Charlotte understood this too. She tugged at David’s sleeve, pleading, “David, I know Aria is your niece, and you care about her. Aria is just a child, and I have no deep grudges against her. Why harm her like this? If you want to divorce me over this, I’m not afraid to let everyone know. I’d even go to court over it.”
Isabella, eavesdropping from the staircase, couldn’t help but smirk.
This couple was inherently selfish and self-centered. While Aria lay in bed, forced to terminate her pregnancy, David was only thinking about his own future. Charlotte was even more cunning, exploiting David’s weak spot.
Isabella knew she wouldn’t gain any advantage from Mrs. Ada. She couldn’t let Mrs. Ada come out on top, or Charlotte would gloat.
She stepped forward and descended the stairs calmly.
In the living room, David looked flustered. Spotting Isabella, he beckoned her over.
“Isabella’s back.”
“Dad, grandma, aunt.” Isabella descended the steps, walking calmly toward David and stopping in front of him. She cast a cold glance at Charlotte, who was kneeling on the floor.
“Isabella, about your cousin Aria…”
“Father, I’ve heard about Aria,” Isabella started but was promptly interrupted by Mrs. Ada’s indifferent voice.
“I know, I just know. You’re all enjoying Aria’s misfortune!”
Isabella frowned instinctively. Mrs. Ada’s thoughts were always extreme and biased, making hasty judgments. Even if she wanted to help, she wouldn’t feel good about it.
“Grandmother, you’ve misunderstood. Aria and I grew up together. How could I enjoy her misfortune? I feel sorry for her. Grandmother, now is not the time for arguments or blame. We need to find a solution for Aria.”
“And what solution do you propose?”
“Aunt Charlotte, since you introduced Aria and Idris, you’re best suited to mediate.”
“Me?” Charlotte’s eyes darted around, showing signs of unease. “I’m not even Aria’s direct elder. I wouldn’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. Just ask Idris about his intentions. Does he want to live happily with Aria, or does he want an amicable separation?” Isabella replied succinctly.
Charlotte hesitated, mentally cursing Isabella. She was pushing her out to be the scapegoat. Why should she stand up for Aria? This was clearly a thankless task.
But now, whether she wanted to or not, she had to agree. She was truly caught in a difficult position. That wretched Isabella clearly didn’t want her to have an easy time.
“What kind of life is this?” Mrs. Ada shouted angrily, pointing at Charlotte and scolding, “You go tell that beast Idris to quickly finalize the divorce with Aria. Even if I have to support Aria for the rest of her life, I will never let her continue living with such a beast.”
“Mom, calm down. Marriage and divorce are serious matters; we should also ask Aria’s opinion,” Charlotte wiped her tears and said.
“Of course, we should ask Cousin Aria’s opinion,” Isabella added, “Even if they divorce, it’s not something that can be done lightly. Idris caused her severe injuries leading to a miscarriage, and he could face legal consequences for intentional harm.”
Mrs. Ada was all bark and no bite, lacking insight. It was only after Isabella’s reminder that she realized the crux of the matter. Pointing at Charlotte, she yelled, “You, go to the Hayes family right now and tell that beast to prepare for jail.”
Under the pressured gazes of Mrs. Ada and David, Charlotte was forced to leave.
After consoling Mrs. Ada for a bit, Isabella returned to her room. Lily followed, speaking out of concern, “Ma’am, why are you meddling in Aria’s affairs? They won’t be grateful. If things go well, that’s fine, but if not, you’ll be the one they blame.”
Listening to Lily, Isabella gave a faint smile.
“I didn’t help them expecting gratitude. Firstly, I feel sorry for Aria. Secondly, I wanted to give Charlotte something to do, to divert her attention so she won’t vent her frustration on Grandma and turn against me. I don’t have time to deal with her nonsense.”
Lily was sharp and, after hearing Isabella’s words, nodded in agreement. She then asked, “Ma’am, do you think Aria will really divorce? They’ve been married for less than half a year.”
Isabella sighed and said, “If it were me, I’d definitely divorce. Leopards don’t change their spots; can we really expect Idris to change his ways? Now, with evidence of his intentional harm, we can demand more alimony and live comfortably in the future. But my cousin might not think the same way. She’s timid, weak, and greedy; whether she’ll divorce or not is hard to say.”
She sat in front of her dressing table, removing the pearl earrings from her ears and undoing the ribbon in her hair.
“After rushing around on the plane for so long, I’m exhausted. I’ll take a shower and nap for a bit. When Charlotte returns, wake me up so I won’t miss the drama,” she instructed.