All her life, Isabella had lived in a pleasant fictional world. She was a writer. She could ensure that the characters she created would have a happy ending, or the opposite. Living in such a comfortable world left Isabella shocked by the reality she now had to face. Losing her twin sister, disguising herself as a personal secretary, entering a contract marriage, and now being cheated on—this situation had completely drained Isabella of ideas.She stopped the car after arriving at her parents' house. Taking several deep breaths to compose herself, Isabella finally summoned the courage to get out of the car and walk toward the front door."Okay, I know this is a bad decision, but... it's the only choice I have."Isabella stood, walked toward the front door, and knocked on her parents’ house late at night. It wasn’t even the right time for a “parental visit,” but Isabella felt she couldn’t handle this on her own.Ben stood in the doorway, his eyes softening the moment he saw Isabella's
Isabella sat on the neatly made bed, trying to calm herself in her childhood room. The room still felt the same as it always had—warm and cozy, as if time had never moved here. But her mind was spinning, unable to find peace.Feelings of loss, confusion, and betrayal swirled together, forming a heavy weight on her chest.She took a deep breath, trying to soothe her heart. I can face this, she thought. She had always managed to get through difficult times, and this would be no different.But the comforting silence was suddenly broken by the sound of the doorbell echoing throughout the house. Isabella lifted her head, sensing something wrong. Who could be here at this hour?In the living room, Ben and Rose exchanged worried glances. They knew who was standing outside before they even opened the door. Felix.Ben approached the door, his face tense. Behind the door, Felix stood with an expression full of regret and exhaustion. “I want to speak with Isabella,” he said, his voice hoarse, as
Sophia closed the kitchen door with a slight slam, leaning her back against the wooden table and crossing her arms. Michael sat at the dining table, holding a cup of coffee that had already cooled. He looked at Sophia with a disapproving gaze."It seems like Felix and Irene are getting divorced," said Sophia with a thin smile, as if the statement brought her some satisfaction. "I always knew their marriage wouldn’t last long. I never liked that secretary, Michael."Michael frowned, feeling uncomfortable with Sophia’s cheerful tone. "Sophia, that’s not something to celebrate," he said quietly but firmly. "Felix is in serious trouble, and Irene... she’s our friend too. You can’t be so pleased about their downfall."Sophia scoffed softly, shrugging as if it didn’t matter. "Maybe so. But honestly, Michael, wasn’t it obvious from the start that their relationship wouldn’t work? They were just caught up in some workplace romance or a one-night stand or whatever it was. There’s no real love
CHAPTER 58Felix opened his front door, overwhelmed by deep exhaustion. The long day and his meeting with Isabella still swirled in his mind. But as he stepped inside, something immediately struck him as odd—the house felt eerily empty. Every corner of the living room seemed lifeless, as though everything that usually filled the space had been removed.He walked toward the dining table, deciding to eat dinner alone. The loneliness that haunted him felt even stronger, making the meal feel even more quiet. The sound of the spoon and plate clinking was the only noise in the room.Suddenly, a loud knock on the door broke the silence. Felix set down his spoon and hurried to the door, his hopes rising instantly. Could it be Isabella? After their meeting earlier, he had a small hope that she might come to talk further.However, when Felix opened the door, it wasn’t Isabella he saw. Standing in the doorway was Louis, a man with a furious expression. Before Felix could say anything, Louis punc
Isabella sat on Ben's porch, enjoying the quiet night. Beside her, Felix sat with folded arms, his expression filled with regret. They had been through a lot together, and although their relationship was based on a contract marriage, deeper feelings had started to grow between them. Yet, all of that felt like a fading shadow amidst the conflicts that had arisen.Felix took a deep breath before finally starting a difficult conversation. "Isabella, I... I want to apologize," he said, his voice heavy. "About Sarah... I know it's complicated and confusing, but I never wanted to hurt you."Isabella looked at him coldly, waiting for further explanation. She had heard Sarah's name many times, and although she tried to close her heart, jealousy and disappointment always seeped in whenever that name came up.Felix continued, "My relationship with Sarah is very complicated. We have a long history before all of this, and I know how messy this situation is. But what you need to know is that I nev
Isabella sat at the bar in a fancy restaurant, several empty wine bottles lined up on the table in front of her. Her face was flushed, and her smile grew thinner as time passed, but Nicholas, sitting beside her, was becoming more worried. Isabella wasn’t the type to get drunk often, and this time, she had gone way beyond her limit."Isabella, that’s enough," Nicholas said gently but firmly, trying to take the wine bottle from her hand. "You've had too much to drink."Isabella chuckled softly, though her laugh sounded bitter. "Not enough, Nicholas. I... still want to forget, even if it’s just for tonight."Nicholas quickly grabbed the bottle before Isabella could pour more wine into her glass. "You're not going to solve anything by getting drunk," Nicholas said patiently. "Come on, I’ll take you home."Isabella shook her head slowly, her face looking tired and disheveled. "I don’t want to go home. I don’t know what I’ll do if I go home."Nicholas looked at her with concern. He understo
CHAPTER 61Ben looked at Nicholas with a serious yet warm expression. After the events of that day, although he trusted Nicholas, Ben felt the need to protect Isabella and ensure there were no misunderstandings. "Nicholas," Ben said, gently patting his shoulder, "if you want, you can stay the night. But it's better if you sleep on the couch. I don't want anything to be misinterpreted or misunderstood."Nicholas nodded, fully understanding the situation Ben was referring to. "Of course, Ben. I'll be here if Isabella needs anything. Thank you for trusting me."Ben nodded before heading to his room, leaving Nicholas alone in the living room. Nicholas sighed deeply, his eyes drifting toward Isabella's bedroom, where the door was slightly ajar. Quietly, he walked closer to check on her before settling down on the couch, as Ben had suggested.As Nicholas peeked inside, he saw Isabella asleep in her bed. However, her expression showed deep concern. Occasionally, her body moved restlessly, an
CHAPTER 62Isabella woke up feeling still tired. Although the night had passed, her mind was still shrouded in fog from all the chaos that had occurred recently—Felix, Nicholas, and most importantly, Irene. She slowly rose from her bed, feeling a dull throbbing in her head, and walked out of her room.In the kitchen, the aroma of tomato egg soup greeted her. Rose, as usual, had woken up early and prepared a warm breakfast. "Good morning, Bella," Rose greeted with a friendly smile as Isabella entered the kitchen."Good morning, Mom," Isabella replied with a weak smile, then sat down at the dining table with Ben, who was already waiting for her.Rose placed a bowl of soup in front of her, a look of concern on her face. "I made you tomato egg soup, your favorite. Hopefully, this will help you feel a bit better."Isabella smiled softly, though her heart still felt heavy. "Thank you, Mom. You're the best."They began to have breakfast in a comfortable silence, but Isabella felt that it was