368 The Origin of the Ruby Ring

Isabella did not expect that Joseph, this abnormal guy, could be like an excited child, holding her, shoving her into the bath, and helping her bathe seriously.

Isabella did not want to think too much and simply leaned into Joseph’s arms, pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed, saving her strength.

Joseph smiled and said, “I think you won’t be able to go anywhere today. I’ll send you back to the manor later and get the head chef to make you a lot of delicious food. Charlie has missed you for a long time. He will be very happy to hear the news of us making up.”

Isabella recalled Charlie’s kind face and said happily, “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

“What kind of ring do you want?”

Joseph asked carefully, “You choose the wedding ring. I will choose the engagement ring because it is a surprise.”

“Ring...”

Stella’s face flashed past Isabella’s eyes. Isabella raised her hand, picked up Joseph’s hand, and looked at his little finger.

Sure enough, his gemstone ring was still there.

.....

Joseph was stunned. Then he continued to splash water on Isabella and said in a low voice, “If you mind this ring, I will take it off after our wedding.”

Isabella lowered her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. You can wear it. I have thought it through. As long as you say that you will only like me, then I will believe you... I don’t want to mess around anymore. Let’s do it this way. I am tired. No matter how hard I try, I can’t drive the woman who has been with you for more than 20 years from your heart away completely. I know.”

Joseph made Isabella look at him. “I’ve decided to send Stella abroad. Although she doesn’t want to leave yet, I won’t meet her again after we get married.”

Isabella didn’t say much.

Joseph frowned. “Isabella, since we have decided to be together, I hope that there is no misunderstanding between us. What do you want to say? Why don’t you say it all at once?”

Isabella looked up. “I have no other requests. I just hope that my husband will only love me and give me a warm family. It’s that simple.”

“I said I only love you,” Joseph said seriously.

“It doesn’t matter if you know why Stella left back then.”

“I will help her expand her future, give her more support in her career, and help her do a lot of things. This is what I owe her, but I will not be with her anymore... Sometimes, in life, if one misses it, he misses it.”

Isabella was instantly irritated. “But this isn’t something that can be said easily. While you say that you love me, you wear a couple ring with Stella’s name engraved on it. Even though we are going to get married, you feel reluctant to remove it. Don’t think that I don’t know that the ruby you and Stella are wearing is cut off from a source stone!”

Joseph was startled and his eyes darkened. “Who told you this? Cedric or Stella?”

Isabella rolled her eyes. “Are you not going to tell me about it? Are you tricking me?”

Joseph looked at Isabella but he wasn’t annoyed at all. He lowered his eyes, “No matter who said it, it is true. Stella’s name is indeed engraved in this ring. There is nothing to hide, but do you really know why I have been wearing it all the time?”

Isabella snorted coldly. “Are there other secrets behind a couple rings?”

“Yes, there is.”

Joseph thought for a moment, “Because this is a relic left behind by my mother, I decided not to take it off for the rest of my life... Just like how you often like to sleep with photos of your father. Although I am a grown man, there will be times when I miss my mother. I do not want to forget her.”

Isabella was stunned. “But...”

“But why is Stella’s name on my mother’s gift?”

Joseph smiled bitterly, “Because this ruby was my father’s birthday gift to my mother. The raw gemstone was more than 20 carats and was one of the best in the world. It was prepared to be made into a necklace. But Stella and I were so naughty that we broke the raw gemstone, causing it to split in half when cutting it. My father was so angry that he wanted to kick my ass, but my mother gently stopped him and said that it was better to make it a present for us.”

Joseph tried to recall, “At that time, Stella and I were childhood sweethearts. We had a good relationship and played together every day. My mother often teased us that we would be husband and wife in the future, so she made two rings. The big one was given to me, and the small one was given to Stella. Stella liked it very much. When making rings, she begged me to engrave each other’s names on them. I was young at that time and yearned for romance. I thought it was good, so I did it.”

Isabella was shocked and embarrassed. “I see... It turns out to be so...”

“Otherwise, what would it be like?”

Joseph tapped on Isabella’s nose, “If you didn’t say it, I wouldn’t have known that you were still angry over such a small matter. I, Joseph, am a man of my word. Since I have decided to break up with Stella, why would I continue to wear the couple ring that I matched with her? It’s nonsense, right? Why do you think that? You are really a fool.”

Moved, Isabella immediately leaned into Joseph’s arms. “I’m sorry. I was too petty and jealous. Don’t take it off.”

Joseph smiled and patted Isabella on the head. “After all, Stella’s name is on it. I won’t wear it. My mother is in heaven and will be glad to see me happy.”

“Don’t. I don’t mind it.”

Isabella smiled, “I really don’t mind it. At worst, I’ll just engrave my name on her.”

“But how?”

Joseph shook her head seriously. “Engrave the word ‘Smith’. But that is not your real surname. If I engrave the word ‘White’, people who don’t know what happens will think that I have changed my love. If I engrave the word ‘Isabella’, people will think that I love dogs.”

“Joseph!”

“Let me tell you since we’ve talked about marriage, you have to respect me in the future!” Isabella gave Joseph a hammer.

Joseph held Isabella’s small fist and smiled. “Alright, I’ll respect you. Tell me, what are you going to engrave?”

“Of course ‘Isabella’!”

Isabella said proudly, “My mother said that I would have a domineering name like ‘Bella’, which means ‘beauty’. However, she was weak back then. When she gave birth to me, she had a premature delivery. So when I was born, I was especially small, like a pitiful little mouse. My dad saw me and named me Isabella. It means that I would be as strong as the famous Queen Isabella.”

Joseph laughed. “So Isabella doesn’t mean ‘idiot’. I misunderstood it!”

“Joseph! I’ll kick your ass!”

They started to buffet. Joseph hugged Isabella and let her sit on his belly, smiling happily.

Although Isabella had had such a close relationship with Joseph as a “negative distance”, she was still very shy when she realized what posture they had. However, she also felt that it was especially safe and happy to be sitting on him, so she did not move. She simply rested her head on his chest and muttered.

“Joseph, I’m so happy to hear you talk so much to me. I feel like I’ve finally found my own happiness. I really like you very much. So from now on, you have to like me very much. Can you do that? If I make you unhappy, just tell me. I will correct it. Don’t abandon me, okay?”