Chapter 783 Isabella Instigates Stephanie
Stephanie had stayed in the hospital for barely three days before Olivia took her back to the Clinton residence. Noah and Carol brought a lot of things to visit her, but the Clintons shut them out. Needless to say, Carol was in an utterly bad mood.
Temper flaring, she stomped out of the Clinton residence and lashed out at Noah. “Noah, what the heck are you thinking? I have been advising you to cut ties with Emma Garcia, but you disregard my words. Look at what you’ve done. How could you have the audacity to get on Stephanie’s nerves? If she insists on divorcing you, the Walker family will be doomed!”
Wearing a grim look, Noah tried to tamp down his surging fury. “Mom, I’ll coax her into coming back. Don’t worry. I won’t let that happen to the Walker family.”
Carol snapped at him, “Since you claim that you’ll coax her into coming back, prove it to me then! You’d better stop getting in touch with Emma now. The Clintons are not ones to be trifled with. After this incident, I bet they will look into your matters discreetly. You shouldn’t put the Walker family in deep waters just because of your love affairs.”
Noah only pursed his lips in silence.
“Did you hear what I said?”
Noah lifted his hands to massage his throbbing temples and responded wearily, “Mom, Emma has been by my side throughout the years. Since I can’t give her a proper title, I won’t abandon her either. I can’t be an ungrateful man.”
At the peak of her fury, Carol sniggered and scoffed, “You can’t be an ungrateful man? Noah, there’ll surely be countless women falling head over heels for you when you’re successful. If you continue to be indecisive, I bet the Walker family’s future will be ruined in your hands. Try to think it through, okay?”
Noah was rendered speechless.
Seeing that, Carol almost burst a blood vessel. With that, there was an intense atmosphere between the duo for the first time.
Once Carol was back in the Walker residence, Isabella stepped forward and mocked, “Mom, another failure, right?”
Carol shot daggers at her and snapped somberly, “Isabella, don’t forget that you’re a part of the Walker family, too. If something happens to the family’s assets, it won’t do you any good too.”
“Mom, Noah’s the one who should be responsible for that. He shouldn’t be a two-timer. Anyway, I have an idea to coax Stephanie into coming back.” Isabella chuckled, not the slightest bit irked by her words.
“Really? You have one?” Carol asked in disbelief.
Isabella was buoyed up with confidence. “Mom, it’s actually not hard to fulfil a woman’s needs. Stephanie might seem to be capricious, but it’s easy as snapping fingers to win her back as long as we can talk things out with her. You can count on me on this. I’m convinced I’ll be able to talk her into coming back.”
“Isabella, if you can talk Stephanie into coming back, I’ll surely increase your pocket money.”
“Mom, don’t worry. Apart from talking Stephanie into coming back, I vow to be Oscar’s woman. I can assure you it won’t take long for me to become the woman alongside him.”
Carol threw a glance at her, thinking that she must be building castles in the air.
Oblivious to Carol’s doubtful gaze, Isabella headed to the Clinton residence confidently.
“Aunt Olivia,” she greeted Olivia demurely.
Olivia flashed her a glance and replied, “Ah! Isabella, you’re here! Come over here and have a chat with me.”
Isabella walked toward her and took a seat. “Aunt Olivia, how’s Stephanie? I heard from my mom that Stephanie is still reluctant to meet her and Noah.”
“She’s shutting herself in her room and throwing a tantrum now. I’m worried sick about her. Noah is undoubtedly in the wrong for having an affair with another woman. However, she should still be mindful of her own health!”
“Aunt Olivia, I can sense that Stephanie still has feelings toward Noah. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so upset. Noah seems frustrated these few days too. Evidently, they have feelings toward each other. Let me go up and try to appease her,” Isabella pointed out gently.
Olivia cast a glance at her and patted the back of her hand. “Please talk to her then, Isabella.”
“Aunt Olivia, there’s no need for the formality. After all, Stephanie is also a part of my family.”
Olivia nodded in relief.
Shortly after that, Isabella went upstairs and knocked on the door lightly before she pushed it open to enter Stephanie’s room.
“Stephanie,” she called out.
Stephanie snorted in exasperation. “Why’re you here?”
Isabella could not help feeling amused as she shook her head and advanced toward her. “Stephanie, are you going to cut ties with me too just because you had a falling-out with Noah?”
Stephanie turned crimson with fury with her arms crossed over her chest.
Isabella sat at the edge of her bed and cut to the chase, “Stephanie, look at how you’re throwing a tantrum and shutting yourself in the room now. Are you planning to divorce Noah?”
Stephanie glared at her and retorted, “Had I ever said so?”
“Stephanie, since you don’t intend to divorce Noah, I think you shouldn’t act irrationally by kicking up a fuss now. Let me put it this way—you and Noah have not been meeting each other for quite a while. Where do you think he’ll feel like going the most when he’s frustrated? Of course, he’ll be easily drawn toward Emma Garcia to seek solace from her,” Isabella deliberately provoked her.
“If he has the gall to do so, I’ll ask Oscar to stop supporting the Walker family financially!”
“Stephanie, have you forgotten that Oscar is not as good to you as before?”
Hearing that, Stephanie was at a loss for words.
Isabella grabbed Stephanie’s hands, playing the role of a caring sister-in-law well by stating earnestly, “Stephanie, I have to comment that you’re being foolish by throwing a tantrum. If I were you, I would try my best to get along with Oscar. After all, he’s considered the current patriarch of the Clinton family. But of course, he’ll only stand up for you if he has a soft spot for you. Otherwise, no one will speak up for you when you’re at odds with Noah again.”
“That’s not true. I’m the apple of my parents’ eyes. They won’t let anyone pick on me without doing anything.”
“But you can’t expect them to back you up forever too. Sooner or later, there will be the very day when they will be gone forever. By then, if you have a dispute with Noah again, who will back you up?”
Stephanie fell silent.
“Stephanie, you’re Noah’s legal wife. If you divorce him now impulsively, the other woman will be the one to stand to benefit. If I were you, I would give it my all to have him in my hands so that he would not have the chance to set his eyes on other women.”
Stephanie cast her eyes down. After much contemplation, she stated agreeably, “You have a point.”
“Regardless, you should heed my advice and try to patch things up with Oscar soonest possible. The Walker family’s company will surely flourish with Oscar’s support. If so, don’t you think Noah will look highly upon you?” There was a flicker of heinousness in Isabella’s eyes as she added, “By then, the decision will lie in your hands when it comes to the woman he is having an affair with. Don’t you think it’s common for heirs from prominent families to have mistresses tucked away somewhere? Most importantly, a legal wife should know how to exert control over her spouse’s properties. Regardless of how her husband flirts with other women elsewhere, he’ll still be back by her side.”
The next second, Stephanie fell into a trance.
Isabella added insult to injury by saying, “Stephanie, you shouldn’t waste time making a fuss now. In fact, you should grab the opportunity to reconcile with Oscar while staying at your parents’ residence. Don’t let anyone instigate Oscar while in bed with him. If not, I’m afraid it would exacerbate the misunderstanding between Oscar and you.”
Stephanie lifted her blanket and stopped feigning weakness. “Hmph! I don’t think Amelia Winters has the guts to do so! I’ll call Oscar and ask him to come back soon.”
Isabella grabbed her hand to stop her. “Stephanie, try to cool your head off. We need proper discussion before you can patch things up with Oscar. If you are too desperate, I’m afraid Amelia will assume that you have something up your sleeve. Thus, we should go step by step. If not, the situation might escalate if things go south.”
“Do you have any idea in mind, Isabella?”
Isabella whispered near Stephanie’s ear right away. The latter pondered for a while and nodded fervently.
After discussing for quite a while in the room, they finally went downstairs.
“Mom,” Stephanie called out softly.
Olivia stepped forward and held her hands. “Stephanie, you’re finally willing to step out of your room!”
“Mom, I’m sorry for making you worry by throwing tantrums these few days because of Noah’s scandal,” Stephanie uttered sheepishly.
In an instant, a hint of surprise flickered in Olivia’s eyes. “Stephanie, I’m relieved to hear that.”
Stephanie moved to sit next to Olivia. “Mom, after I’ve gotten married, it’s been quite a while since I last had a meal with everyone. Realization finally dawned on me of my wrongdoings during pregnancy, and I regret the things I’d done to Amelia. Now that Noah had an affair with another woman, I realize that family should come first. I’m regretful for hitting Amelia with a pillow in the hospital previously. That’s why I thought of asking if you can help to call Oscar and her to come back for a meal.”
Olivia shot her a glance in suspicion.
Plastering a bitter smile, Stephanie mumbled piteously, “Mom, I’m sincere about that. I didn’t realize the importance of family before I was married, so I ended up infuriating Oscar and Amelia with my impulsiveness. I now know that my family members are the most important in my life. Thus, I wish to patch things up with Oscar. I hope we won’t be like arch-enemies when we meet again.”
After contemplating for a while, Olivia felt that her words made sense. “Okay! I’ll give Oscar a call. It’s a great idea for us to have a family gathering.”
“Mom, thank you.”
Isabella chimed in, “Aunt Olivia, why not I stay over tonight? I feel bad knowing that Oscar and Amelia have misunderstood me because of the picture. Hence, I feel like apologizing to Amelia. Undeniably, I have feelings toward Oscar, but I would never be a homewrecker.”
Olivia could not help but hesitate.
“Mom, please let Isabella stay over. I hope she can spend the night and chat with me tonight, as I’m curious to know when Noah got to know his mistress. I can’t refrain from feeling indignant, and I want to have a clear insight of it.”
Olivia heaved a sigh before replying approvingly, “Just stay over then.”
Isabella beamed sweetly. “Thank you.”
