The food and wine were brought up, Gillian poured a full cup of wine for him, said sadly, “with my usual observation, Bella really leads a miserable life. Kevin got married for seven times. How cruel he is! He beats and scolds Bella. His family hates her and let her eat the rest of their food. They treat her as a servant. They several famous brand cars, but she is not allowed to use them. She takes the bus to and from work every day. I can’t bear to go on. It’s so pitiful.”
Armand drank one cup after another, looking so bad. He didn’t expect his niece to live such a life. No wonder she was angry at him last time, saying that her life was already messy enough, and asked him not to cause her any more trouble.
“That beast can’t torture her for much longer.”
“Why?”
Gillian took advantage of the situation and tried to fish Bella’s secret.
“She’ll get a divorce soon, and then marry Braxton.”
“No way, Braxton is a fool.”
“A fool is better than that madman. A fool at least knows how to love her. Bella had no intention of living with that madman Kevin for long. She will return to the Cottons as soon as she finishes using him. They have an agreement. Not to mention, Richard and his wife have long treated Bella as their daughter.”
Armand was clearly drunk, and the anger within him caused him to start saying things he shouldn’t.
“Using him? Use him for what?”
“She uses his money, power and influence, and then… deals with your father and your mother!!!”
Gillian’s face fell. This malicious woman really had a plan from the beginning to deal with her family. Well, let’s see!
Bella had just finished her work and saw Gillian when she left the school, leaning on the side of her sports car and waving at her proudly. She walked over and asked in a bad mood, “What do you want again?”
“Let’s talk.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
“Shall we find a place? It isn’t the right place to talk about that fool.”
Bella frowned, “If you’re here to pick holes, forgive me that I don’t have time for this.”
She turned and headed down the road, and Gillian shouted proudly, “If you don’t have time, then I can talk to my brother-in-law?”
As soon as she heard that she was looking for Kevin, Bella stopped her pace.
“Fine, let’s go.”
She would like to see what this punk who had been doing nothing all day wanted to do this time.
Gillian drove the car to the cafe where they met last time, and once she was seated, she said directly, “Leave Kevin.”
Bella scowled and smiled, “You’re crazy, aren’t you? Why should I leave him?”
“If you don’t want him to know your sordid intentions in approaching him, then leave knowingly, or you will die like a dog.”
“Do you think that’s the first time I’ve heard a threat from you?”
“Last time I had no proof, but this time it’s different. I have enough evidence to expose your lies.”
“Yeah? Then take it out and let me see it.”
Gillian snorted coldly and nonchalantly took out a tape recorder from her bag, which quickly brought out Armand’s voice. A processed recording could better reflect how uncomplicated Bella’s original purpose of marrying Kevin was.
Her face fell abruptly, and Gillian smiled in satisfaction.
“What if I take this to my brother-in-law and your loving in-laws? Would it be funny?”
“Despicable.”
Bella gritted her teeth and said.
“I also learned from you. Last time you played me and my father for a fool and caused our family to lose so much money for nothing. I’m just tit for tat.”
“Is it enough to threaten me with a tape recorder? You’re dreaming!”
“Then we’ll see what happens. I’ll give you a week to think about it, and if you haven’t left of your own accord by today of next week, all the truth will be exposed.”
“Whatever.”
Bella elegantly went out of the cafe. With the sun shining on her face, she looked despaired and pale.
She came to her uncle’s house. Her aunt was lying on the bed. Her uncle seemed to be a little guilty, and asked timidly, “Bella, what are you doing here?”
She put the nourishment on the table and asked quietly, “How does aunt feel?”
“Pretty good. It was found early. And it’s under control now.”
“You come out with me for a moment.”
She gave her uncle an indifferent glance and left the house. Armand followed her to an acacia tree.
“Have you met with Gillian?”
“Well, she asked me out last time.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I didn’t say anything to her, but she came over to ask me because she knew about Braxton.”
“So did you tell her everything?”
The robin in the locust tree was screaming hysterically, making an ear-splitting noise.
“Did I say something wrong?” Armand asked timidly.
“Don’t you know what did you say? I only married Kevin to take revenge on the Burne-Browns. As soon as I finish taking revenge, I’ll leave him and love another man who is a fool, but is better than that madman Kevin.”
Her voice trembled, “Now, Gillian recorded everything you said and threatened me just like Richard. If I don’t leave Kevin, she will immediately play the recording to him.”
Armand threw himself on his knees in front of her, “Bella, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I was drinking a lot of wine. I really didn’t know I had said such things. Gillian told me that you were being mistreated at your in-laws. That’s why I drowned my sorrows in wine and said everything. I also feel sorry for you …”
“That’s enough. Do you believe what Gillian says? Aren’t you insane? If I didn’t have any standing at all in the Jones-Sharps, why would I want to stay there? You don’t know anything and you’re just causing me trouble!”
Bella angrily pushed her uncle, turned around and ran away. God was always so unfair to her, let her fight alone, and let her only family be her hindrance.
When she returned home listlessly, Kevin had returned and saw that she was a bit distracted, so he asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
She gave him a meaningful glance and shook her head weakly, “Nothing.”
Actually, she really wanted to ask him why he couldn’t just like her. If he could like her a bit, she wouldn’t be so distressed and frightened.
Pretending to be indifferent in front of Gillian, in fact, she was more afraid than anyone else that Kevin would not only not like her, but even hate her if he knew the truth.
She wanted to confess everything to him, but she helplessly gave up the moment he rejected her. Because if he didn’t like her, she had lost her leverage to be forgiven.
“Are you free tomorrow night?”
“What’s up?”
“There’s a business cocktail party and I’d like you to accompany me to it.”
“Oh good.”
Kevin smiled and nodded, “Then it’s settled. I’ll pick you up from school tomorrow afternoon to try on your dress and then go straight there.”
“Okay.”
The next afternoon, when Bella was packing up her things in her office, she received a call from Kevin, “Are you out yet?”
“Right away.”
She grabbed her bag and ran out, but was stopped by Louis outside the door, “Are you free tonight? Can you go with me…”
“Sorry, I have an appointment.”
She looked at him apologetically and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Kevin saw her out and promptly pulled the door open for her to get in. When the car started, Bella saw Louis in his car look sad.
The shop was located in the most prosperous area of the city center. Kevin brought her in. A middle-aged man dressed strangely greeted, “Mr. Jones-Sharp, what a rare guest.”
Kevin nodded slightly, “This is my wife. Please help her pick out a suitable dress. We’re going to an important reception later.”
“Okay, no problem.”
The middle-aged man, whose nick name was Peter, was a very classy stylist. He would make all women more beautiful.
Kevin sat in the hall and waited for twenty minutes or so, and Peter led her out, “How is it? Kevin, are you satisfied?”
Bella was a little too shy to look up. Although she also longed to let Kevin see her beautiful look, there would always be a little bit of embarrassment.
Kevin’s charming eyes flashed with a hint of surprise and satisfaction, “You’re so beautiful.”
When he moved closer to her and straightened the necklace on her neck, his slender fingers over her collarbone, Bella’s heart started beating fast.
“Let’s go.”
Kevin stretched out an arm, where she put her hand, and strode out of the dress shop. Peter looked at their backs and sighing, “What a lovely couple…”
At the reception site, Kevin parked the car, leading Bella into the hall. They became the focus of attention, and the people present then whispered.
Bella was very frankly facing such a scene. As early as the day of marriage with Kevin, she had been used to, following him, to become a special scenery in the eyes of others.