Chapter 221 She Won't Be Bullied Anymore
Stuart learned that Rex was having dinner with Josephine and rushed over, only to find that Josephine was the only one left at the table.
Looking at the tableware, he saw that it was set for four people, which brought him a small sense of relief.
The reason Josephine was still sitting there was because she had promised Rex to be friends.
She could tell that Rex was the kind of person who couldn't be controlled by anyone; he had a roguish charm that Stuart lacked.
While Josephine was confident and unafraid to confront Stuart, she felt a sense of trepidation around Rex. She preferred to maintain a friendly relationship rather than risk antagonizing him.
Once she finished her business, she would bring Jeffery back to the lab and work on experiments for months without coming out.
She wouldn't see any friends.
Rex naturally wouldn't have to cling to her.
Josephine thought about this as she looked up and saw Stuart entering. One had left, and now another had arrived. Facing Rex, she felt a pang of guilt, but with Stuart, she felt no inclination to be polite.
She grabbed her phone and didn't even say hello, just got up and left.
Stuart didn't plan to stop her and followed directly. "Josephine, did you have dinner with Rex? Did he force you?"
Josephine replied coldly, "It's none of your business."
"Josephine!" Stuart said, "Whatever he wants to do to you, just tell me, and I'll handle him!"
Josephine laughed. "Handle him? How? Fight him? Then call the police to arrest both of you and lock you up?"
Stuart's face turned a bit red. "I won't fight anymore. If he really bullies you, I'll definitely find a way!"
"No need," Josephine said, "He and I are just working together."
"You might see it that way, but he clearly doesn’t," Stuart said, "For your safety, I'll stay with you."
Josephine stopped and looked back at him. "What do I have to say for you to understand? What's the point of what you're doing?"
Stuart was silent for a few seconds before speaking, "I like you. I made mistakes before and lost you. Now I realize my feelings. If I don't win you back, I don't know how I'll live the rest of my life."
Josephine said, "As long as you don't interfere with my life, whatever you do is none of my concern."
After saying that, Josephine didn't look at him again and walked away.
Half an hour later, Stuart was sitting in a restaurant, across from Vincent.
Vincent poured him a cup of water. "Don't be like this. When I was chasing my wife, it took me more than half a year. How long has it been for you? Don't get discouraged. Honestly, you were a bit over the top back then."
Stuart looked up at him.
Vincent said, "My family background isn't as good as yours or Robin's. What you say and do, it's not my place to comment. Robin has been too harsh to Josephine."
Stuart said, "I know. From now on, I won't let anyone bully her."
Vincent shook his head. "In front of you, he holds back a bit. Several times, I've caught him saying really nasty things to Josephine when you weren't around."
Stuart frowned. "Really?"
"Of course!" Vincent said, "Even if you said you didn't like Josephine, with our status, most of us have arranged marriages. I've never heard of anyone persuading someone to divorce for no reason. Robin's words implied that you didn't like Josephine and that she should leave, not occupy the Haustia Family's Mrs. Haustia position."
In front of Stuart, Robin had held back his words.
But Stuart could tell that Robin had belittled Josephine and elevated Angela countless times.
The issues between Stuart and Josephine were their own, but Robin's actions were undeniably excessive and seemed to stem from Stuart’s perceived indifference.
Vincent said, "Girls have strong self-esteem. Hearing those disparaging comments can be deeply hurtful. So Josephine's anger is understandable. It’s challenging to pursue her, but don’t give up. Those with firm will and determination will eventually achieve their goals. You understand these principles better than I do."
Stuart said, "I'm not discouraged, nor have I thought about giving up. I came to you to ask for advice on how to pursue someone."
"You've come to the right person," Vincent said, "I don't claim to be an expert, but I’ve put together some strategies for winning women over."
Meanwhile, Robin was unaware that Stuart was now actively avoiding him. Robin had been preoccupied with contacting Angela and initially thought that after five years, Stuart would have moved on.
But as soon as Josephine came back, Stuart began pursuing her once more.
Robin didn't even have a chance to do anything.
He was afraid that Stuart would be persistent and that Josephine might forgive Stuart, leaving him with nothing.
But he felt it wasn't over yet; he believed he still had a trump card, Angela.
He didn't believe Stuart only had Josephine in his heart.
He was convinced that when Angela returned, if Stuart showed any interest, Josephine would likely give up on him without any further interference from Robin.
Angela was Stuart's lifesaver, and Robin was certain that Stuart’s attitude towards Angela would be notably different.
There would be a good show to watch then.
Thinking this, Robin continued to contact Angela.
Angela hadn't planned to come back at this time; she had an important competition she had yet to qualify for.
It was a world-class competition, and participants needed recommendation letters.
Her teacher was very capable but eccentric and didn't have the qualifications to provide a recommendation.
Angela was now working hard to gain the trust of a qualified recommender.
"I'll do my best," she said in a soft and kind voice, "This competition is very important to me."
Robin said, "If you marry Stuart, you'll have everything."
Angela said, "Love and marriage have never been my whole life."
Robin said, "Alright, I'll wait for your news."
Now Stuart had become almost inseparable from Josephine, making it difficult for Robin to find a chance to approach her.
Hearing that Josephine was at Celestia Springs, he came over and indirectly asked Vincent for information.
What he found out was that Rex really liked Josephine.
Rex had appeared at Emily's birthday before, but few people knew him, so the news didn't spread.
Hearing this from Vincent made Robin uneasy. He realized that Stuart wasn’t currently keeping a close watch on him, which provided him with some maneuverability.
Robin pondered his next move, then an idea struck him. He quickly made a call, his eyes lighting up with a new plan.
At this moment, Josephine didn't know that Robin was thinking about her again.
She had signed the contract and had nothing else to do, so she packed up and prepared to return to Auroravale City.
She called Laura and asked if she had gone to the Bailey family.
Laura said, "Wait for me, I'll come to find you right away."
