Chapter 726: Chapter 726: She Loved Him So, So Much
Butler Thorne, "Since Mrs. Willow has already guessed, just head back, don’t humiliate yourself."
Zelda Willow knew that Isabelle Willow had returned, but she didn’t know that Isabelle had already gotten together with Jude Crawford so quickly. Now that it was so dark, with Isabelle spending the night here, Zelda wasn’t foolish enough to think they were just having tea and chatting.
What were they doing in there now?
Zelda was boiling with rage. The thought of them possibly having a great time in bed together made her heart twist in torment. "What do you mean I’m bringing embarrassment upon myself? I’m Mrs. Crawford! Isabelle Willow dares to seduce my husband, she’s nothing but a shameless homewrecker. Butler Thorne, step aside and let me in!"
Zelda was ready to barge in and start a fight.
"Mrs. Willow, I respectfully call you Mrs., but do you really consider yourself as such?" Butler Thorne said.
Zelda froze, what?
Butler Thorne had worked for the Crawford family for decades, and he carried a certain dignity. He looked at Zelda with detachment, "Mrs. Willow, sir and madam have not yet divorced. This shameless mistress you speak of sounds very much like... you’re scolding yourself."
Zelda’s face turned deathly pale. The fact that she and Jude Crawford hadn’t gotten a marriage certificate was a thorn in her heart. Without a certificate, her status was unrecognized, so the term "homewrecker" was biting and ironic, as if she were insulting herself.
Jude Crawford had not divorced Isabelle Willow, and as of now, Isabelle was still Mrs. Crawford, while she was merely a substitute.
Now that the rightful owner had returned, she, as a substitute, was to be kicked aside and revert to her original state.
Zelda felt a deep sense of crisis, but she was wise enough to know that causing a scene now would gain her nothing, and Jude Crawford would ensure she suffered the repercussions!
Jude was an intensely deep and terrifying man, and ordinarily, Zelda would never dare to think of scheming against him, but she had a sage behind the scenes advising her!
"Mrs. Willow, take care of yourself." At this moment, Butler Thorne closed the villa’s door.
Zelda fumed, digging her nails into her palms. For years, Butler Thorne’s attitude towards her was ever indifferent, but his respect for Isabelle Willow was evident, clearly seeing her as the rightful mistress.
Of course, Butler Thorne couldn’t be blamed, since Jude Crawford lavished all his affection on Isabelle Willow.
Back when so much happened within the Crawford family, Isabelle Willow remained unequivocally favored, and Madame Crawford acknowledged Isabelle as her daughter-in-law in her heart.
Isabelle Willow!
Isabelle Willow!
Zelda never hated someone so much before. She wished for nothing more than Isabelle Willow to vanish from this world.
Zelda turned and got into the car, instructing the driver up front, "Drive to Iris’s place."
She was going to see Iris Crawford.
That mysterious benefactor from years ago schemed hand-in-glove with her, setting a series of traps, and it all started with Iris Crawford.
Iris Crawford was truly such a useful pawn and always listened to her, so she intended to make good use of this now.
...
Zelda soon arrived at Iris Crawford’s place. Iris hadn’t gone to bed yet; she looked pale and frail, "Sister-in-law, what brings you here?"
"Iris, I just went to look for your brother but he turned me away. He’s with Isabelle now, she’s even staying over with him." Zelda held Iris’s hand, her face full of grievance.
Iris paused, then let out a disdainful snort, "Sister-in-law, is that really so surprising? My brother has always been infatuated with Isabelle Willow’s beauty. They’ve been apart for so many years; it’s only natural things would ignite quickly upon their reunion."
"Iris, what should we do now? Isabelle has enchanted your brother, as if he’s under her spell. We must find a way to stop them!" Zelda wanted to push Iris forward.
Normally, Iris would have rushed ahead, but now she paused for a few seconds, then withdrew her hand from Zelda’s grasp.
Zelda was stunned, sensing something off with Iris, "Iris, what’s wrong? Have you forgotten the harm Isabelle caused you? It was all her doing that ruined your life, your child, and the whole Crawford family. She’s superfluous. If only she disappeared from this world, now she’s even harming your brother!"
"Isabelle Willow did hurt me, but she won’t harm my brother, because she... loves him very much." Iris suddenly said.
Zelda was frozen on the spot, shocked, "Iris, what are you saying?"
Iris stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, wrapping her arms around herself as if feeling cold. She looked at Zelda’s shocked expression and faintly curled her lips, "Isabelle Willow loves my brother deeply. I only realized it later. Back then, my brother forcibly possessed her and locked her in Jill’s room for his pleasure. For the sake of her first love, she submitted to my brother over and over. I thought she didn’t love him at all, not even a bit, until that day..."
"That day I found her and said many things, I told Isabelle Willow, as long as you’re around, my brother won’t be alright. If you stay here, he’ll definitely die. It’s all your fault; you’re nothing but a sinner, just let my brother go. If you just disappeared from this world..."
Iris recalled the scene from that day, her eyes somewhat vacant, she sounded like she was talking to herself, "I said many venomous things to her. I remember her face was pale then, but she didn’t say a word, just turned and left."
"I thought she wouldn’t leave my brother, but soon I heard she brought her first love, Chase Sullivan, into Jill’s room to have an affair and was caught by my brother. Not long after, I heard Isabelle was pregnant. My brother always believed the child in her womb was Chase’s. No matter how he tormented Isabelle, she never spoke a word."
"Later..." Iris hugged herself tighter, trying to keep warm, "Later my brother wanted to get rid of the child in Isabelle’s womb, but she couldn’t bear it. She gritted her teeth and held on until premature labor. I didn’t go that day, but I heard... I heard she took a knife herself and cut open her abdomen to get that baby out... but the baby didn’t make it. It was a girl..."
Iris gazed at the bleak autumn scene outside the window, speaking in a daze, "When I heard of this, I was truly shocked. I never imagined the cold-hearted Isabelle Willow to have such a brave and resolute core. It wasn’t that she didn’t love; her love grew wildly in silence, flourishing like summer flowers, vibrant and splendid."