Chapter 3 I Will Always Hold My Head High

Adrian's frustration crackled in the air like static. "If your brother needs money, tell him to march straight to Miller Group."

"That's not what this is about!" Joelle retorted.

He misunderstood her completely.

Joelle hurried after him, her heart pounding with urgency. "Adrian, I want a divorce!"

At those words, Adrian stopped going upstairs and turned his head; the phone in his hand fell silent too.

At six feet three inches, Adrian towered over Joelle.

His gaze was cold, and when he spoke, his voice dripped with mockery. "Joelle, can't you come up with a better game than this endless push-and-pull? If you're serious about a divorce, why don't you tell Grandma yourself? If not, don't ever let me hear that word from you again!"

The door slammed shut behind him, the finality of it echoing. Joelle leaned against the wall, her legs giving out beneath her until she slid to the floor.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

Their marriage had been crafted by Irene. Adrian had been forced into it, and Joelle knew it all too well.

If she truly wanted a divorce, she knew talking to Irene would be the most effective route.

But a small, foolish part of her had clung to the hope that she and Adrian were a real couple.

That was why she had brought it up with him first-she saw him as her husband.

But she had forgotten one crucial detail: Adrian had never been willing to marry her.

From the start, his reluctance had been clear, though she had tried to overlook it. His last words to her weren't just dismissive-they were a command. If she was serious, she should confront Irene herself.

Joelle took a shower, dressed in fresh clothes, and steeled herself to visit Irene.

Irene was strict, authoritative, and feared by the entire family. She ruled with an iron fist, and disobedience was not tolerated. But Joelle shared a unique bond with her.

Part of the reason Joelle had agreed to marry Adrian was to fulfill Irene's expectations. She had wanted to care for Adrian, build a home, and ensure that Irene could pass away without regret.

But now, she couldn't hold on any longer.

Watching Adrian lavish attention on another woman filled Joelle with a wave of bitterness that threatened to consume her.

She knew Adrian didn't love her. He never had, and he never would!

Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang. It was her brother, Shawn Watson.

"Shawn? What's wrong?"

"Mrs. Miller!"

It was Shawn's assistant, and his voice was panicked-something Joelle had never heard before.

Her blood ran cold, and she gripped the phone tighter as she stood at the bottom of the staircase.

"Where's Shawn? What happened to him?"

"Last night, Mr. Watson attended a business meeting where he was pressured to drink heavily. He was supposed to come home, but Erick Lloyd insisted on taking him to a hot spring."

Joelle froze, fury surging through her veins. "Did Erick not realize that could kill him?"

"Erick is a loose cannon! He's been throwing his weight around ever since his father and brother were chauffeurs for the Miller family. Mrs. Miller, you need to come quickly! Mr. Watson is still in surgery, and the doctors have issued two critical condition notices. I couldn't hold out any longer before calling you!"

His voice cracked as he neared the brink of tears. Joelle knew he wouldn't have reached out unless the situation was truly desperate.

Shawn had always protected her from bad news, no matter how grim the circumstances.

If the assistant was this shaken, Shawn's life must be teetering on the edge.

Joelle felt as if the world was closing in around her, her voice strangled in her throat.

She missed the last step and tumbled hard, her ankle twisting sharply. The searing pain snapped her back to reality, tears instantly welling up in her eyes.

"Oh no! Mrs. Miller, how could you not be watching your steps?"

Leah rushed over and helped Joelle to her feet.

Joelle clutched Leah's arm, her vision blurred by tears. She tried to speak, but the words came out choked and broken between sobs.

"My brother... I have to see him at the hospital!"

Sensing the urgency in her voice, Leah didn't hesitate. "Alright, don't worry. I'll get the driver to take you right away!"

Leah was a seasoned and dependable maid who had served the Miller family for years. Within five minutes, the car was parked before the villa.

As Joelle was about to step into the car, she turned to Leah. "Please, don't tell Irene about this. I don't want to worry her."

Leah's heart softened at Joelle's words.

Even in her pale, tear-streaked state, Joelle was thinking of Irene's well-being.

What a rare and remarkable girl she was!

"Don't worry, Mrs. Miller. I know what to do. Go see your brother."

When Joelle arrived at the hospital, Shawn had just been wheeled out of surgery.

Seeing Shawn hooked up to tubes and wires, the assistant nearly crumpled to the floor.

As Joelle approached, she found him kneeling against the wall, his eyes bloodshot and hollow.

She held back the urge to scold him for not protecting Shawn better. There would be time for that later.

Once Shawn's condition stabilized, Joelle pulled the assistant aside.

"Tell me everything-how did this happen?"

The assistant hesitated, his face drawn with worry. "Mrs. Miller, Mr. Watson specifically instructed us not to involve you in business matters."

"This is a matter of life and death. Do you still think keeping me in the dark is an option?"

Joelle's patience snapped, and she turned to walk away.

"Mrs. Miller, it's no use." The assistant's voice was heavy with despair. "You know that ever since your father passed, Watson Group has rested entirely on Mr. Watson's shoulders. He's been fighting to uphold the family's dignity so that your life in the Miller family would be easier."

For three years, Shawn had fought valiantly to keep the family afloat. However, without Adrian's financial backing, their efforts would have crumbled long ago.

Shawn's deepest wish was for Joelle to live comfortably, but despite his relentless efforts, he could never win her the respect she deserved from her husband. No matter how much Shawn sacrificed, Joelle would remain undervalued in the Miller family.

Joelle's anger simmered, yet she knew she couldn't change her reality.

Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Did you mention my relationship with Adrian?"

She hoped that aligning herself with the Miller family could help Shawn stand his ground.

"Mr. Watson refuses to bring it up. He's afraid it will only make things harder for you."

Joelle let out a bitter laugh.

From the beginning, she had never been able to stand on equal footing with Adrian.

No wonder he despised her-she could barely tolerate herself.

Just an hour ago, she had resolved to ask for a divorce. Now, she found herself clinging to Adrian's name, desperate to make life easier for Shawn.

"Tell Shawn I'm Adrian Miller's wife, the one Irene handpicked. As long as I'm Mrs. Miller, I will hold my head high in the Miller family!"

Footsteps echoed behind her.

Joelle turned and locked eyes with Adrian's cold gaze.

Beside him stood a frail-looking girl with wide, innocent eyes, clinging to Adrian openly.

Adrian's glance at Joelle was filled with cold disdain, as if even acknowledging her presence was an effort.

He had seen through her-Joelle didn't truly want a divorce.

The woman who had spoken so resolutely about leaving now stood there, proudly flaunting her title as Mrs. Miller.

Her threat of divorce had been nothing more than a ploy, like a lover's quarrel that ended in empty threats.

This cunning woman had drugged him into marriage. With such deceitful tactics, how could she easily walk away from this union? The same marriage served as a lifeline for her struggling family.

He had given Watson Group a hundred million each year. Joelle would be a fool to risk losing that by actually divorcing him.