Thirty one

Belle’s Pov

Not able to hold it in any longer, the tears spilled over my made up face. As I cried, I heard footsteps approaching, and I looked up to see my father standing in front of me. His face was filled with concern, but also with a frustration that he didn’t bother to hide.

“Belle,” he said softly, sitting down beside me. “I didn’t mean to bring up the past. I just wanted you to see and understand what’s at stake here. Everything the Scott family did for you—they did it because they wanted you to be their daughter-in-law. They didn’t have to, but they did it because they care about you.”

I couldn’t look at him. The tears kept falling, and I wiped them away angrily, hating how weak and pathetic I felt. But his words cut deep, and I couldn’t ignore them.

“Despite everything, despite your PTSD, your struggles, Dave has stood by your side,” my father continued, his voice gentle but firm. “He has been there for you through it all, and now you want to act like an ungrateful person and