Chapter 125 The War Has Begun
Maybe I was lost in my own head for too long and forgot to respond to Edward's kiss. He pulled back, smacking his lips in frustration. One hand was clutching his stomach like he was in serious pain, while the other was gently playing with my earlobe. That soft touch made my heart race, and I couldn't help but blush.
Edward chuckled, "Now you look all flustered. What were you thinking about?" His tone was teasing, but I could sense a bit of annoyance, like he was ticked off by my distraction.
His question made me feel a bit upset, but I figured it was a good chance to bring something up. I cautiously said, "I heard Mr. Hayden Howard is in the hospital. I want to go see him." I watched his face closely, feeling both nervous and hopeful.
Suddenly, Edward's hand tightened around my neck, his eyes blazing with anger. "Diana, how dare you say that? If it weren't for you, my dad wouldn't be in the hospital! He's my only family left. Do you want to drive him to his grave?"
His words were sharp and cutting, each one like a dagger. Hearing him say "only family" made my heart sink. What did I mean to him? My voice turned cold. "You keep blaming me for his hospitalization, but I honestly don't know what I did wrong."
I looked straight at Edward, my eyes full of sincerity, hoping he'd believe me.
Edward hesitated for a moment. "You really don't know?" His voice had a hint of doubt, his brows furrowed, and his eyes showed confusion. Then he roughly rummaged through my handbag for my phone and quickly opened a webpage.
That's when I saw it—recordings of my conversations with Anne had been leaked online. The recordings included Anne's explicit comments about wanting to sleep with Edward and her blatant desire to become Mrs. Howard. No wonder Hayden was furious.
"Do you dare say you didn't record these?" Edward's face twisted with rage, his eyes wide and bulging, veins throbbing on his forehead.
He was right; I had recorded those conversations with Anne. As a lawyer, I wanted to gather evidence in case she tried to smear me online again. But I never expected them to be leaked and cause such a stir. I tried to remember: could I have accidentally posted them while drunk last night?
I reviewed the leaked chats again, relieved that there was no mention of Anne and Clara planning to have a child for Edward. As long as the public didn't know the Howard family was looking for a surrogate, I still had a chance to fix this.
I shoved the phone back into my bag, a mocking smile on my lips as I looked at Edward. "Is this all you can handle? I have even more explosive content that could really push your dad over the edge." I never thought I'd become so ruthless.
Edward had never seen me talk to him like this. He stared at me warily, his eyes full of caution. "What else do you want?" he asked.
I leaned back, relaxing a bit. "I want a divorce. If you divorce me, I'll leave the Howard family alone," I said. Edward's voice was firm and unyielding. "No way."
I crossed my arms over my chest, lifting my chin defiantly. "Fine, then we'll see about that," I shot back.
Maybe Edward hadn't fully grasped what I meant about pushing Hayden to the edge. He looked at me nervously, "Diana, what are you planning? Do you really want to destroy my family?"
His eyes showed a flicker of panic and worry. A pang of pain hit my heart. "If it weren't for your constant pressure, my mom wouldn't have died from a sudden stroke. And now you talk to me about family? Where were you when I needed you the most?" I demanded.
Mentioning Mia made my emotions unravel. My voice grew sharp, my eyes filled with tears, and my breathing became erratic.
"You think Mia's death was my fault? Wasn't it you who drove her to it?" Edward looked surprised, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
"Shut up! If it weren't for you and the Howard Group causing trouble behind the scenes, my mom wouldn't have had to beg you, and I wouldn't have been forced to marry you. Edward, you owe me, and I will make you pay for everything." My eyes blazed with anger, my voice trembled, and my body shook with rage and resentment toward Edward.
For the first time, I felt the freedom of selling the Cooper Group. Without that burden, I was fearless, even if it meant risking everything. Edward suddenly pressed the intercom button and told the driver, "Stop the car."
The driver smoothly pulled over. I had no idea what Edward was planning, so I just stared at him coldly. Edward leaned over, opened the car door, then sat back and said, "Get out."
I was stunned, not reacting at first. Seeing me frozen, Edward raised his voice. "Didn't you hear me? I said get out!" His tone was filled with impatience and decisiveness, his eyes showing a hint of disgust.
Seeing Edward so heartless, I didn't say another word. Anger and sorrow surged within me, but I forced myself to stay composed. I stepped out of the car, slamming the door so hard the whole vehicle shook. The driver restarted the car, and it quickly disappeared from sight.
Even though I couldn't see Edward's expression, a sense of revenge welled up inside me. Despite being thrown out on the roadside, I stubbornly refused to feel sad, but deep down, I felt a faint pain, mixed with resentment towards Edward and helplessness about my situation.
I looked around and realized the hospital wasn't far. I wandered aimlessly down the street, planning to visit Hayden. Despite the Howard family's actions, Edward and I were still married. Visiting Hayden as his daughter-in-law seemed reasonable.
On one hand, I never truly wanted to harm anyone; those were just angry words under Edward's pressure. On the other hand, I needed to know Hayden's condition and the Howard family's stance on this matter.
I couldn't let them defeat me so easily. I had to be strong; my battle with the Howard family had just begun. I knew this road would be long, but I believed my life would still have many wonderful moments.
As I wandered, a group of handsome men in uniform appeared before me. The leader called out, "Diana."
I looked closely and realized it was Joshua, someone I hadn't seen in a long time.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
