Return, My Love: Wooing the Neglected Ex-Wife

Chapter 38:

Joelle’s brief outburst of anger subsided as she realized she still had to make the call. It took a long time before the call was connected. Joelle got straight to the point. “Adrian, when are you available? We need to…”

“Joelle.”

It was Rebecca. The sickly sweetness in her tone made Joelle’s words catch in her throat. “Are you looking for Adie? He’s in the shower right now. But if it’s important, you can tell me.”

Joelle almost laughed aloud. Who was the wife here, and who was the mistress? Rebecca’s implications were as clear as day. So Adrian was in the shower. The distant sound of running water filled the silence, confirming Joelle’s suspicions. Adrian was with Rebecca, in the very home she once shared with him. Perhaps they had even engaged in the same intimacies they used to share in the bed that was once theirs.noveldrama

Joelle’s voice turned cold. “Rebecca, it’s one thing to eat someone’s leftovers, but you’re making such a mess of it, it’s making me sick.”

“Huh?” Rebecca feigned innocence. “What do you mean, Joelle? Leftovers?”

Joelle sneered, “What do you think would happen if I call Amara right now?” Anyone with a guilty conscience would naturally fear someone as righteous as Amara.

Rebecca dropped the act quickly. “Well, since you’re divorcing Adie anyway, I suppose I should thank you for stepping aside. If it weren’t for you, Joelle, I would have married him three years ago.”

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Joelle could only marvel at how effortlessly repulsive Rebecca could be. There was no point in arguing with someone devoid of decency; it would only drag her down to their level. “Put Adrian on the phone,” Joelle said.

“Joelle, I already told you—he’s in the shower.”

“So? Feel free to start a video call. We can all enjoy the show together.”

Rebecca faltered, her bravado momentarily shaken. But after a pause, she swallowed her pride and knocked on the bathroom’s glass door. “Adie, Joelle’s on the phone.”

The sound of running water ceased, and a moment later, Adrian emerged, fully dressed in a shirt and trousers. The showerhead had malfunctioned, so he had come in to check it out and had gotten a bit wet in the process. As he took the phone, Rebecca fussed over him with a towel.

“Why didn’t you dry off before coming out?” Joelle heard every word, and disgust twisted in her stomach. “Joelle, are you still there?” Adrian’s voice came through the line.

A chill spread through Joelle’s hands and feet. Why couldn’t she make him feel as miserable as she did?

“So, when are you planning to marry Rebecca? I’ll be sure to send a generous gift. Three years of sneaking around—who could top that?”

Rebecca’s haphazard attempt to dry Adrian with the towel left him squirming uncomfortably. His attention drifted as he tried to wrestle the towel away from her, barely catching what Joelle was saying.

“Do you need something?” he asked.

Joelle didn’t mince words. “Since you’ve got your beloved in your arms, I’ll step aside sooner rather than later. I never got any credit while we were together, so I might as well do one good deed before we part. How about tomorrow? Let’s go get the divorce.”

Adrian’s response was immediate and firm. “Not gonna happen!”

Joelle blinked, taken aback. “Why not?”

“You haven’t given me a baby yet.”

Both women froze, stunned by his words. Joelle’s shock quickly turned to anger. “Why don’t you ask Rebecca to give you one?”

Adrian’s tone was cool, almost detached. “Grandma only wants yours.”

“Why on earth would I give a bastard like you a baby, Adrian? What’s wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?”

Joelle’s voice rang through the bathroom, and even Rebecca, standing nearby, heard her outburst. Rebecca flinched. Joelle was probably the only person who dared to speak to Adrian like that. Sure enough, the boldness that came from a life of privilege was something Rebecca couldn’t help but envy. She lowered her head, staring at her toes as the resentment within her deepened.

Adrian’s voice turned colder as he spoke Joelle’s name. He could tolerate Joelle calling him names in private, but to be insulted in front of Rebecca struck a blow to his pride. “Joelle, you’re my wife. If you don’t have my baby, who will?”

Joelle inhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. “You’re insane!”

“Who did you call insane?”

Joelle didn’t answer and abruptly ended the call. Later that night, just as she was about to drift off to sleep, her phone began vibrating insistently. Joelle glanced at the caller ID and frowned.

At that same moment, she heard the front door of the apartment open. Leah’s voice followed. “Mr. Miller, what brings you here? Are you looking for Mrs. Miller?”

Joelle shot up, a realization dawning on her—she hadn’t locked her bedroom door. Her heart pounded as the footsteps outside her room grew closer. The door suddenly flew open, and Adrian strode in, shutting it behind him, leaving Leah in the hallway. Panic surged through Joelle. “Leah! Call the police!”

Adrian ignored her plea, yanking the blanket off the bed and pulling her toward him. “Who were you calling insane, huh?” Joelle was dumbfounded by the absurdity of it all. This man had been with Rebecca just moments ago, yet here he was, having driven all this way just to confront her.

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