Return, My Love: Wooing the Neglected Ex-Wife

Chapter 20:

Adrian let out a heavy sigh of frustration, pulled out his phone, and transferred a sum of money to her. “Buy whatever you like.” Joelle tried to remain calm. “I’m not asking for money, Adrian. Don’t you get it? I don’t want your money. I want to leave you, to be as far away from you as possible. The farther, the better.” After her words hung in the air, Adrian’s gaze darkened, and his grip shifted from her chin to her neck. “Say that again if you want to die.”

He exerted less than thirty percent of his strength, but the neck is delicate. Even his minor warning made it hard for Joelle to breathe. Joelle clasped his hand with both of hers. However, Adrian sneered, “You think you can just divorce me like that? Joelle, have I been too soft on you lately that you’ve forgotten how you ended up in my bed?”

Joelle’s eyebrows knitted together, and the veins on her forehead throbbed. She frantically shook her head and countered, “I admit I made a mistake three years ago. I regret it now. Can you let me go?”

“You wish.” Adrian let go of her and caught her body by the waist. His breath caressed her ear as he murmured, “You owe me, and you’ll spend the rest of your life repaying that debt.” His voice carried a sinister tone that made Joelle shiver.

That evening, Adrian stayed over as usual. He asked whether Joelle had eaten enough, but she did not respond. Annoyed, he lifted her in his arms and stated, “If you’re full, then it’s time for some exercise to aid digestion.” Joelle shuddered more intensely in his embrace. Adrian had nearly killed her the night before. She was not prepared for another round.

When Adrian placed her on the bed, she curled up in the corner, trembling. “I don’t want to.” “You don’t want to?” Adrian scoffed. “Who was I with last night then? She looked like she was enjoying it so much her eyes rolled back in pleasure.” Regardless of his words, Joelle remained resolute.

Adrian was not in a rush, though. He went to the bathroom to take a shower. Within those five minutes, the house was engulfed in darkness. A bolt of lightning revealed Joelle’s pale face, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. “Ah!” she shrieked. Adrian turned off the shower and grabbed a towel as he stepped out.

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Amid the sporadic flashes of light and the sound of heavy rain, he saw Joelle trembling under the covers. She had always been terrified of thunderstorms. Back then, she would cry and fling herself into Adrian’s arms. But over time, she had learned to endure them alone. On the night Shawn was hospitalized, she got through the storm by herself in the adjacent room.noveldrama

Despite knowing she was terrified, Adrian never came for her. “It’s okay now.” Adrian wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her head. Gradually, Joelle began to calm down in his embrace. Sometime later, Leah ascended the stairs with a flashlight. “Sir, the power is out in the neighborhood. If Madam is scared, you can turn on the small nightlight that doesn’t require electricity.” “Where is it?” Adrian asked.

“I believe it’s in the basement. I’ll go search for it.” “I’ll go. You should take a break.” “It’s too dark in the basement. I’ll accompany you,” Leah suggested. As the rain began to ease, Joelle picked up her phone and impulsively opened Twitter. It turned out that while she was sleeping, Rebecca had posted an update.

“Oh my God. I was tricked by a little kid! A few days ago, a little girl approached me, asking for a photo. She said she didn’t have a mother and begged me to pose as her mom for a school project. Today, I learned from the police that it was a scam by an organized crime ring, and the girl’s father has been arrested. Thankfully, that criminal hasn’t come after me yet. My boyfriend thinks I am rather fortunate.”

Feeling a mix of emotions, Joelle scrolled further to discover another typical video of Rebecca showcasing her relationship. “I don’t like shrimp because I hate peeling them. But ever since I met him, he would peel shrimp for me.” Just then, Joelle heard Adrian’s footsteps on the stairs. She quickly turned off her phone.

She wanted to ask Adrian how he could be so affectionate toward Rebecca while still incessantly demanding a baby from her. Adrian came back holding the small nightlight. It was a moon-shaped one that Joelle had won at a school music competition many years ago. He, too, knew its history. Nevertheless, they avoided discussing their past. As they lay in bed, the only noise was the rain’s persistent dripping outside. Just as Joelle was about to drift off to sleep, Adrian’s phone rang.

He answered, and a soft, tearful voice spoke up. “Adie, my head hurts so bad. I’m so scared.” “Did you take your medicine?” Adrian asked. “Yes, but the rain seems to be exacerbating it. Could you come over and stay with me?” Adrian glanced at Joelle. “Where’s Erick?” “Erick’s unreliable. You know that,” Rebecca answered, her sobs growing harder. Adrian was silent for a moment. Joelle waited anxiously. Eventually, she heard Adrian agree to come over. “Adrian, don’t go.”

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