Chapter 6

Bella was shocked to see Justin’s name on Asher’s caller ID. “Should I answer?” Asher asked. “Yup!” Asher put the call on the speaker. “Mr. Thompson, is my wife with you?” Justin asked in a hoarse voice. Bella was infuriated because she was annoyed that Justin called her his wife. “Mr. Salvador, please watch your words. I am your EX-wife now.” “Anna Brown! So you really are with him!” Justin’s voice became deeper. “Where else can I be? Should I stay in your house and wait for you to kick me out?” How mean of him! Justin’s expression was gloomy. “Stop being so impatient. We haven’t finalized the divorce yet, so you are still my wife in name. You should at least care about Salvador Corporation’s image and your own reputation!” “You carried Rosalind into Tideview Manor while we were still married and forced me to sign the divorce papers. Justin, did you even care about my feelings?” Bella sneered. “I always treat people as they treat me. Why should I care about your company’s image now? After all, I have given up my title as the CEO’s wife to your beloved Rosalind. Go to her if you’re so worried about the company’s reputation!” Asher raised his eyebrows and took a sip of tea. This was the real Bella Thompson. The well-behaved and docile wife who never complained about anything during the three years of her marriage was just a persona she created exclusively for Justin. Although Asher loved his sister no matter what, he still preferred it when she was a force to be reckoned with. Fortunately, that bold and fearless Bella was back. “I don’t have time to argue with you now.” Justin’s voice sounded a little tired. “Grandpa is hospitalized, and he has been asking to see you. He refuses to take his medicine until he sees you.” Bella’s heart trembled. Even though she and Justin had parted ways, Nigel had been nice to her during the three years she stayed with the Salvadors. When Bella left, she gave up everything. The only person she missed was Nigel. “He’s in KS Hospital, right? I’ll go over to see Grandpa later.” After hanging up the phone, Bella sighed deeply with a heavy heart. “Bella, I’ll take you there,” Asher offered. “It’s fine. I’m going to see Grandpa, not to provoke Justin. If you send me there, the conflict will only intensify.” Bella waved her hands in distress. “I’ll just drive there myself.” * At the hospital, Justin and Ian stood guard in front of Nigel’s ward. Bella hurriedly walked over. She had not seen Justin for a few days, but she could tell at a glance that he had lost weight. She thought, ‘Damn it! Why should I care? It has nothing to do with me whether he lost or gained weight! I don’t care if he dies!’ The two men only looked up when they heard the clicking of her high heels against the floor. They were both startled, especially Justin. He almost did not recognize that the woman in front of him had been his wife for three years. “Mr. Harris, how is Grandpa doing?” Bella did not even look at Justin and only spoke to Ian. “Young Madam, is that you?” Ian was dumbfounded and asked a particularly dumb question. The lady in front of him was stunning, with exquisite makeup. Her red lips were incredibly sexy, and her slim black suit made her legs look so long. She looked like a hotshot lady boss. The butterfly ruby brooch on her chest was also extremely dazzling, but it did not outshine her bright eyes. Only then did Bella realize that she had forgotten to change into a white dress and sneakers—the typical attire for the docile Anna Brown—because she was in such a hurry. “Yes, in the flesh. Why are you so shocked? Do you not like my new look?” “No, no… You look much prettier than before! You also look more confident and energetic dressed like this.” Ian voiced his thoughts. “Really? That might be because I just got divorced.” Bella smirked and added, “I climbed out of a hellhole and saw the light of day again, so of course I’d look more energetic.” Justin’s handsome face darkened for a moment. He felt frustrated. “If you thought my house was a hellhole, why did you stay with me for three years? I’ve told you more than once that you’re free to break the contract. I could’ve taken you to see Grandpa at any time. You didn’t need to stick around like you’re serving a three-year sentence.” Bella’s heart ached. This was Justin Salvador. No one could sway him from his decisions. If he liked someone, he would treat them like a treasure. If he disliked someone, he would ignore them, no matter what they did for him. Bella fell head over heels in love with this cold and aloof man. The price she paid for this love was also unforgettable. “I promised Grandpa that I would stay with you for three years, so I wanted to keep my word. But you’re finally free, Mr. Salvador. From now on, you can bring any woman home, and you no longer have to sneak out to meet your lover.” Bella sneered, but she still looked gorgeous. Justin felt his throat tighten. He thought, ‘Why was this woman so two-faced? Did she think that she could be reckless after our divorce? But I have to admit that she’s much more eye-catching with this fierce personality than her meek look before.’ Justin’s eyes shone with admiration. “Justin!” Bella looked back to see Rosalind and Shannon walking over in a hurry. Seeing that Bella was there, Rosalind looked a little hostile, but she quickly hid it behind a lovely smile. “Why are you here?” Justin asked in surprise. As soon as he finished speaking, Rosalind threw herself into his arms and hugged his waist. “Justin, why didn’t you tell me about such a big incident? Do you not think of me as your family?” “Justin, you didn’t see how worried Rose was when she heard that your grandfather was admitted to the hospital. She even puked some of her lunch…” Shannon looked at her niece with distress. “Why did you throw up? Is everything okay?” Justin’s eyes were filled with concern. “Rose always had stomach issues. She gets nauseous whenever she’s afraid or nervous. She has gone to many doctors, and they all said it’s not a serious problem. There’s no cure for it, though.” Shannon sighed. “I will find a doctor to treat Rose. If there are no results, I will take her abroad to see a specialist.” Justin’s voice was soft. He put his arms around Rosalind’s waist. Bella sneered and recalled the time that she had gone to the hospital alone due to the stomach flu. She was sweating profusely and looked very weak and pale. But Justin did not even ask about her. It turned out that Justin knew how to care for people. But to him, Bella just did not deserve his attention. Rosalind leaned closer to Justin and looked at Bella with a sly smile. She thought, ‘Wait a second! Why does Anna look like this now? How did she become so beautiful? That butterfly brooch was the latest work of Alexa, the best jewelry designer in Orbia. It was worth $5 million! How could this poor country girl afford such luxurious jewelry? How could this bitch be so rich?!’ “Justin, let Rose accompany you to see your grandfather. Rose cried once on the way here because she was so worried.” Shannon encouraged her stepson to be with her niece and completely disregarded her ex-daughter-in-law, who had taken care of them for three years. Bella’s face was cold. She did not care about Justin anymore, let alone the rest of the Salvador family. At this time, the door to the ward opened. Nigel’s secretary, Matt Upton, came out. “Mr. Salvador asked me to check if his granddaughter-in-law had arrived.” When Rosalind heard this, her expression stiffened, and she could not hide her jealousy. “I’m here, Uncle Matt.” Bella stepped forward anxiously. She was worried about Nigel, so she did not bother to correct Matt’s address for her. “Young Madam.” Matt gestured politely toward the ward. “Please come in with Young Master Justin.” Bella walked into the ward without saying a word. Justin pursed his thin lips and followed her in. “Justin, wait for me…” Rosalind wanted to follow, but Matt stopped her. “I’m sorry. Mr. Salvador only invited his grandson and granddaughter-in-law inside. He won’t see anyone else. You may leave.”