Chapter 3
Isabelle wasn't about to give up living the high life as a high-society princess.
You can't have freedom without cash.
As a certain movie said, love without material support is like loose sand; it falls apart easily without any wind, just by taking a few steps.
Isabelle was clever enough to make sure William was always in her corner.
"William, we said we'd fight for freedom. If we're not welcome here, then let's just walk out together," Isabelle said.
With that, Isabelle yanked up her suitcase and headed straight for the door.
But I stepped in front of them, blocking their way.
I said coldly, "You can leave, but you're not taking any of this with you.
"All of this was bought with the Carter family's money."
Isabelle was stunned, clearly not expecting me to be this cutthroat.
I said coldly, "That bag you're holding is Hermes, right? Must've cost at least a million bucks."
William quickly cut in, eager to defend Isabelle.
"It's just a bag. Next time, I'll get you something even pricier," William said.
Without a second thought, Isabelle set the bag down.
"And the jewelry, too," I said.
Isabelle's face twisted with reluctance as she slowly took off her designer ring, earrings, and the gold necklace around her neck.
"Shoes," I added, not letting up.
Isabelle kicked off her red-bottomed heels with a scowl.
"Clothes," I said, not backing down.
"Charlotte, this is too much. Are you really going to kick Isabelle out with nothing at all?" William snapped.
William pulled a card out of his wallet and slapped it down on the table.
"There's 30 thousand bucks on this card. That should cover all these things, right?" he said.
I shook my head.
I said coldly, "The dress she's wearing is a private haute couture piece.
"Go ahead, ask her how much that thing costs."
Diamonds all over that dress? Please, 30 thousand wouldn't even scratch the surface.
"Dad bought all this for me. It's mine now," Isabelle retorted.
Funny how she was all set to elope for freedom a second ago, but now she can't bear to walk out with nothing.
Isabelle wanted it both ways.
But William fell for her act.
William said, "I'm going to marry Isabelle. So now that Mr. Carter has teamed up with the Lucas family, does that mean he's just going to cut ties with the Foster family?
"The Foster family and the Carter family have always been close; we've always been like family!"
I almost laughed out loud at how ridiculous he was.
Oh, now he wanted to play the family card?
But after all that drama, William still ended up running off with Isabelle.
Back in my previous life, when my family was falling apart, the Foster family didn't even bother to help us out.
He got the best of both worlds, while my family was left to pay the price for it all.
Dad, who'd been silent this whole time, finally spoke up.
"So when Mr. Lucas comes knocking, should I just tell him you stole his grandson's bride?" Dad said.
William's retort died in his throat.
Just as I was about to kick them out, a man in a black suit strode right through our front door.
"The Foster family? Is that supposed to be some big deal?" he asked, with a bossy, take-no-prisoners attitude.
Isabelle's eyes were instantly glued to him, totally starstruck.
Honestly, it was all because he was just stupidly handsome.
If William was the sunny, boy-next-door type, this guy was the classic cold, dominant alpha male, mature, self-controlled, and totally out of everyone's league.
Isabelle jumped up right away, fussing with her hair and straightening her clothes, trying her best to look presentable.
"Who are you? I'm just fighting for my freedom; why do you even care?" Isabelle said.
I reached out and slipped my arm through his.
I said, "This is Andrew, the one you left hanging at the altar in front of the public.
"But now, he's my husband."
Isabelle froze, her brain working overtime. After a second, she played it cool and casually moved closer to William.
Isabelle pretended to keep her distance, but her eyes were locked on Andrew.
Andrew was clearly uncomfortable with Isabelle's staring, so he instinctively took my hand.
My heart thumped a little faster.
Only after I died in my previous life did I realize Andrew desperately needed this marriage alliance, too.
He had a secret half-brother, an illegitimate son, competing with him for the Lucas inheritance.
Jack had been raising that guy as well.
And because Andrew got left at the altar, Jack basically cast him aside like he didn't matter anymore.
Later, when I was working myself to death trying to pay off the debts, Andrew actually reached out and lent me a hand.
But before I could even claw my way back up, Isabelle set some thugs on me; they ruined me, and I died a miserable death. In the end, everyone just brushed it off as me working myself to death.
Isabelle kept chasing after her so-called freedom, never satisfied, always looking for something better.
Little did she know that she just let the most dazzling diamond slip right through her fingers.