“I was with someone, naturally. But honestly, that’s none of your concern!” Isabella stated bluntly, her gaze locked onto Ethan’s with icy defiance.
“She had a body that could stop traffic, and as for the rest… let’s just say she knew exactly how to keep things interesting. Things got… heated. Hence the marks.”
Ethan choked on his fury, his words dissolving into nothingness. Her casual tone, paired with her complete lack of shame, only stoked the flames of his rage.
“And you know what? He was worth it. Absolutely one of the best. Maybe the best I’ve ever had,” Isabella mused quietly, a slow, deliberate smile curving her lips as she watched his expression twist. “But don’t lose sleep over it. We’re divorced, remember? You don’t get to care about your ex-wife’s love life anymore.”
Ethan gritted his teeth, the anger inside him boiling over. He couldn’t lash out—not when he was the one who had invited Sophia into their home, who had pushed for the divorce, who had severed the last ties between them. He had no right to feel this way, yet the jealousy gnawed at him like a relentless itch.
“You have some nerve, Isabella!” he finally snapped, bitterness lacing every syllable. “Three years, playing the perfect, devoted wife—and all this time, you were nothing but a fraud.”
The betrayal cut deeper than he wanted to admit.
“At least I waited until the divorce was final,” Isabella countered, her voice glacial. “Unlike you, I didn’t parade my lover through our home while we were still married.” The hypocrisy of his outrage was almost laughable. He had broken his vows first, yet now he dared to judge her for moving on?
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with cold amusement. “But looking at you now… you’ve got the heart of a playboy, but none of the skill to back it up. Must be frustrating.”
Ethan’s fury reached a breaking point. He had never felt such white-hot rage before. Sophia, ever the opportunist, placed a soothing hand on his arm, her voice dripping with false sympathy.
“Don’t be upset, Ethan,” she murmured. “Poor Isabella… she’s lost everything. No family, no money, no connections. What else can she do but find someone new to take care of her? We should—”
CRACK.
The sharp sound of a slap cut through the air. Sophia staggered back, her cheek already swelling, a trickle of blood at the corner of her lip. She stared at Isabella in shock, unable to believe she’d been struck—right in front of Ethan.
“If you had half a brain, you’d know when to shut up,” Isabella said coolly. “But I suppose that’s too much to ask. Keep talking, and the whole city will hear how you flew back from abroad just to crawl into a married man’s bed.”
Isabella pulled out her phone, snapping a photo of Sophia’s stunned face.
“A headline like ‘Scandal in Court: Mistress Gets What She Deserves!’ would certainly make for interesting reading,” she mused.
Sophia shrieked, hands flying up to cover her face—but when Isabella turned the screen toward her, she saw nothing but darkness.
“Relax,” Isabella smirked. “I wouldn’t let something that vile touch my phone. I prefer keeping things clean.”
Just as Sophia’s panic began to ease, Isabella’s voice sliced through her again, smooth as glass.
“Then again… security cameras here record in perfect HD. I’m sure they caught everything.”
Sophia’s composure shattered. “Shut up! Ethan and I did nothing wrong!” she cried, voice trembling. She turned to Ethan, tears welling in her eyes. “Even if he made mistakes, he has no right to destroy my reputation like this! Slapping me is one thing, but threatening my entire life? That’s too far!”
Ethan’s anger wavered as he took in Sophia’s tear-streaked face. His jaw clenched as he glared at Isabella. “If you have a problem, take it up with me. Why drag Sophia into this? I still don’t understand why my grandfather—”
“You act like a saint in public,” Isabella cut in, voice dripping with disdain, “but behind closed doors, you’re nothing but a—”
SMACK.
Another slap rang out—this time, Ethan was the one reeling, his cheek burning. Now, with Sophia’s left cheek swollen and Ethan’s right, they made a perfect, pitiful pair.
Ethan blinked, stunned. “You—”
“That was for all the lies between us,” Isabella said, eerily calm. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, meticulously wiping her fingers. “Oh, and my sincerest wishes to you both. Truly. You deserve each other.”
Ethan’s shock melted into fury, his jaw clenching hard enough to crack teeth.
