Can't Win Me Back (Isabella and Nathan)

Isabella couldn't help but chuckle, "I'll come over once I finish what I need to do."

Theodore was overjoyed. "Sis, I'll wait for you."

The rest of the banquet went very smoothly.

In the past, the Sanchez family's gatherings mainly involved people from the business circles. However, this time, prominent figures from the elite social and cultural circles were also invited. These big shots, who were usually out of reach for the business crowd, held the power to control the economic lifeblood of the business world.

As the saying goes, "refined and popular tastes can coexist," and their presence seemed to cleanse the air of the usual commercial vulgarity.

The businessmen at the venue scrambled to flatter these influential figures. Guillermo's invited guests, it seemed, had all turned against him and were now fawning over Theodore.

Guillermo and Mrs. Sanchez were left out in the cold, seething with anger.

In a corner, the Sanchez family patriarch and his son stood among the crowd, with the father wearing a grim expression, saying nothing.

With a beaming smile, Mr. Sanchez remarked, "Guillermo went to great lengths to make things difficult for Theodore, but it seems Theodore has found himself some powerful backing. Guillermo's scheming has come to nothing. I wonder if he'll ever learn from this." Sanchez's father snorted dismissively, "Theodore is not only a child of the Sanchez family but also the grandson of the Brown family. His resources naturally surpass Guillermo's. But if we're talking about personal talent, Guillermo is not necessarily inferior to Theodore. When the talent show begins, I'm sure Guillermo will turn the tables."

"We'll see about that," Mr. Sanchez replied.

During the talent showcase, Guillermo poured all his efforts into performing a piano solo, which was met with great success.

However, throughout the event, Theodore never took the stage.

Disappointed and furious, Guillermo grabbed Theodore in a corner and demanded, "Why didn't you perform on stage?"

Theodore looked down at him arrogantly. "Why should I go up there? So I can look like a circus monkey, performing to entertain people like you? Big brother, if you enjoy being a monkey, that's your thing, but I'm not interested."

Guillermo's face turned ashen, as if he had been utterly humiliated by Theodore's words, his pride completely crushed.

At the end of the birthday banquet, the three generations of the Sanchez family stood at the entrance, bidding farewell to the guests. Every guest praised the young master of the Sanchez family:

"Mr. Sanchez, your little grandson is so poised, calm, and unassuming. He's truly someone to watch in the future."

"Young Master Theodore is so young, yet he has managed to invite so many big shots from the elite social circles. Truly an impressive talent."

"Mr. Sanchez, with a grandson like Theodore, you can now retire in peace."

Mr. Sanchez's friends were full of admiration.

...

Mr. Sanchez smiled and said, "I'll gradually transfer all my responsibilities to Theodore, and he will officially take on the family business. I hope you all will continue to support him."

Mr. Sanchez was clearly laying the groundwork for Theodore's future, which made Sanchez's father feel uncomfortable, and Guillermo's face darkened even further.

...

Isabella had handed over the divorce agreement to Nathan days ago, but he had yet to give any response.

This left Isabella feeling uneasy.

She had a feeling that Nathan wouldn't easily agree to her request for a divorce.

Ava, confused, asked, "Sis, do you think he won't divorce you because he still has some feelings for you?"

Isabella sighed and replied, "It's not that he has feelings for me. It's just that he doesn't respect me. To him, I'm nothing but a beggar with nothing to my name. He's giving me shelter, allowing me to go to school. To him, that's already an enormous favor. He thinks I should be grateful and indebted to him. My efforts are just my duty, and I have no right to leave him."

Ava snorted, "This man is truly a businessman. Even when he does something kind, he calculates it all clearly. Had I known he was this type of person, I wouldn't have cared about the little favors he offered."

Isabella thought for a moment, then said, "If he won't divorce me, then I'll have to resort to legal means."

Ava replied, "But a divorce lawsuit is a long battle. You hate him so much, but you'll have to face him every day. Won't that be torturous?"

Isabella thought about it, then endured the immense physical and emotional discomfort and said, "Then I'll just have a good talk with him."

Isabella chose to call Nathan after 9 PM, knowing that this was the time he would likely be free.

The phone rang twice before someone picked up.

"Hello, who is this?"

A soft, coquettish voice-it was none other than Victoria.

Isabella froze for a moment. "Put Nathan on the phone."

Hearing her younger Sis's voice, Victoria was clearly startled. She couldn't speak for a while.

After a long pause, she finally found her voice. "Bella, why are you calling Nathan?"

Isabella sneered, "I'm calling my husband. Do I need to report this to you, Sis? Aren't you meddling a bit too much?"

Victoria took a shallow breath. "Bella, I was just asking. Why are you so jealous? Sorry, Nathan is taking a shower right now. I'll have him call you back later." Isabella said coldly, "Victoria, if I don't get a call back from Nathan, tomorrow I'll upload the recording of you and him in bed to the internet." With that, Isabella hung up the phone.

Perhaps it was the threat that worked, because within fifteen minutes, Nathan called back.

The moment Isabella answered, she heard Nathan's enraged voice: "Isabella, have you lost your mind? How dare you make your Sis cry?" Isabella held the phone away from her ear, letting him vent his anger. When he finally stopped shouting, she put the phone back to her ear.

"Nathan, I received the divorce agreement. When you're free, let's go to the civil affairs bureau and get the divorce finalized."

Her voice was as calm as ever, unaffected by his rage or the sorrow of the divorce.

Nathan was stunned. Before this, he had been certain that Isabella's request for divorce was just a pretext to get his attention. He didn't believe she was serious.

"Are you really serious about this?" he asked, his voice still incredulous.

Isabella furrowed her brow. "Nathan, I'm busy. I don't have time for your little game of teasing me."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

Finally, Nathan spoke, his voice tinged with frustration. "Isabella, I left you out for two years, thinking you'd suffer enough and come back to live a good life with me. But instead, you've gone too far. You actually want to divorce me?" "You need to think this through. After divorcing me, who else would want you?"

Isabella's voice was firm and unwavering. "Nathan, someone who truly loves me will never hold my past against me. Besides, I have nothing to regret about this marriage. If anyone is at fault, it's you. You should be the one who feels guilty."

"If heaven has eyes, it's you who should be punished, not me. Why do you think I don't deserve happiness?"

Nathan fell silent, unable to retort.

"Isabella, if you divorce me, you'll have nothing left. I'll never give you a single cent," he gritted out.

Isabella laughed softly. "Nathan, once upon a time, I thought I couldn't live without you. But now I see that I can thrive even without your few crumbs. The past two years, I've lived well. I don't have to keep looking at your face or serve your family. Those two years have been the freest and most fulfilling years of my life."