Mia opened the door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was expecting it to be a delivery person or maybe a neighbor, but instead, she was surprised to see Isabella standing on her porch, tears streaming down her face."Mia, I'm so sorry to come over so early," Isabella sobbed, her voice shaking with emotion.Mia's expression changed from sleepy to concerned in an instant. "Isabella, what's wrong?" she asked, stepping aside to let Isabella in.Isabella walked into the house, collapsing onto the couch as Mia followed close behind. "I'm so sorry, Mia," Isabella sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know what to do."Mia sat down beside Isabella, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Hey, it's okay," she said softly. "Just calm down and tell me what's going on."Isabella took a deep breath, trying to compose herself."I regret agreeing to this contract, Mia," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I'm realizing now that James is a cheat, and I don't know how muc
Isabella turned to Mia, who was rounding up her tea. "Mia, I just thought of something," Isabella said, her eyes narrowing in thought.Mia looked up, curious. "What is it?" she asked.Isabella hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I think I'm going to go to the hospital," she said.Mia's eyes widened slightly. "Are you going to see Miranda?" she asked.Isabella shook her head. "No, I'm going to see Dr. Smith," she explained.Mia's expression changed to one of curiosity. "Who is Dr. Smith and why do you want to see him?" she asked.Isabella took a deep breath before launching into the story. "The other day, when James and I went to the hospital to see his father, I saw Steve leaving the hospital," she said.Mia's eyes narrowed slightly. "So?" she asked.Isabella's eyes locked onto Mia's. "It got me thinking, what was Steve doing at the hospital?" she asked. "He wasn't there to see Mr. Reed, because James and I were the only ones who visited him that day."Mia's expression changed to
Isabella stood in front of the mirror, styling her hair with precision. She had a busy day ahead, and she wanted to look perfect."First things first," she muttered to herself, pulling out her phone. She drafted a text message: "Meet me at Café Downtown at 2 pm. Come alone." She hesitated for a moment before sending it to Steve.James watched from the bed, his eyes fixed on Isabella's reflection. He wanted to speak, to ask where she was going, but his voice caught in his throat. Emily's threats still lingered, making him cautious.Isabella turned, catching James's gaze. "I'll be home late," she said, her voice neutral. "Have a nice day."James nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. He wanted to tell her everything – about Emily, the blackmail, and his infidelity. But fear held him back."Be careful," James managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.Isabella raised an eyebrow. "I always am," she replied, her expression unreadable.With that, she turned and left the room, leaving Jame
Isabella quickly dialed Mia's number, her fingers drumming on the table."Mia, it's me," Isabella said, her voice laced with frustration.Mia's warm tone filled the line. "Hey, girl! How did it go with Steve?"Isabella sighed. "Not going to lie, It wasn't a success at all. He clammed up, avoided my questions, and practically denied everything."Mia's curiosity piqued. "What do you mean he denied everything? What did he say exactly?"Isabella recounted the conversation. "He claimed he didn't know what I was talking about, then said he went to the hospital for a check-up. When I pressed him, he panicked and left."Mia's skepticism echoed through the phone. "A check-up at mid-day? That's suspicious."Isabella's agreement was vehement. "I know, right? I sense he's hiding something, but I can't quite put my finger on it."Mia's thoughtful pause hung in the air. "So what are you planning on doing next?"Before Isabella could respond, a gentle touch grazed her shoulder.Isabella spun around,
Isabella stepped out of her bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, to find Mr. Reed by the door, fully dressed."Mr. Reed, you're leaving already?" Isabella asked, surprised."Yes darling, I've got a few things to attend to," Mr. Reed replied with a smile. "Can't stay idle, even after a hospital stint."James chuckled. "Dad's always on the go."Isabella's eyes sparkled. "We'll miss you so much."Mr. Reed winked. "Next time I visit, I expect to see a grandchild! You two better get to work!"The trio erupted into laughter.James grinned. "We'll work on it, Dad."Isabella playfully rolled her eyes. "No pressure."Mr. Reed's expression turned serious. "I'm proud of you both, you two take care of each other.""Let's see Dad off," James said, offering his arm to Isabella.As they walked Mr. Reed to the door, he quickly mentioned, "A quick one, there will be a small celebration soon—to toast my recovery and James' contract."Isabella's eyes sparkled. "We will be expecting it, sir."James
Mia trudged up the walkway, exhausted from her hectic day at work. As she approached her apartment, she noticed a figure huddled on the steps. Her curiosity piqued, and she quickened her pace.As she got closer, her eyes widened. "Babes! What's wrong? How long have you been out here?" Mia asked her etched on her face.Isabella's pale face lifted, her eyes sunken. "Mia...I'm so sorry. I've been trying to reach you. What kept you so long today?"Mia's concern deepened. "Girl, it's a long story, but right now I'm fucking exhausted and tired; enough about me, over to you, what happened? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost or lost someone?"Isabella's voice trembled. "I've been out here for hours. I called, texted...you didn't respond nor did you return any of my calls."Mia's eyes narrowed. "I'm so sorry, babe; I was at work. What's going on?"Isabella gestured weakly. "C'mon Mia, easy on me with the questions, let's go inside. I need to sit."As they entered the apartment, Mia's gaz
Isabella's eyes sparkled as she sipped her coffee, her smile radiant. Mia's apartment was cozy, filled with warm light and comforting aromas.Mia settled beside her, curiosity etched on her face. "So, Isabella, what are your plans?"Isabella's expression turned skeptical. "Plans? I'm still figuring things out. Not gonna lie, I don't want to be idle."Mia nodded encouragingly. "You deserve a break, but I know you're itching to do something."Isabella's thoughts drifted to her finances. "The partial payment from that crazy contract helped with my sister's medical bills, but he still owes me. Besides, my job isn't complete yet, and I haven't given him a child."Mia's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't rely on him, you know. You need stability."Isabella sighed. "I know. I’m desperately in need of a job. Something meaningful."Mia grinned mischievously. "What if I found you a job and coincidentally, it came with a marriage contract attached? Would you accept?"Isabella's laughter filled the ro
Mia flung open the door, her expression fierce, expecting to see Alex's smirking face. But instead, she was met with James' pale and sad visage. His eyes, once bright and confident, now seemed sunken and desperate.Mia's aggressive stance faltered, her expression softening. "James...what are you doing here?" She stuttered, taken aback by his unexpected visit.James' voice cracked as he spoke. "Sorry to disturb you, Is ... .Isabella here?" His eyes scanned the hallway behind Mia as if hoping to catch a glimpse of his estranged wife.Mia's face contorted in a mixture of pity and guilt. "Uhm, not at all, I….I haven't seen her. I've been trying to reach her, but she's not responding to my calls." She hesitated, unsure how much to reveal.James' face fell, his eyes welling up with tears. "Oh...okay." His voice was barely above a whisper.Mia's expression turned sympathetic. "Hey, are you okay? I was actually about to come to check on her soon. I've been worried sick."James' eyes locked on
Emily? Isn't that Emily? Mr. Reed said, his eyes fixed on the woman standing at the door."Good evening, Mr. Reed," she replied, a bright smile spreading across her face. "It's such a pleasure seeing you here."Mr. Reed welcomed her warmly, his face lighting up with a smile. "Ah, Emily, you're welcome. You came at the right time. We're just about to have dinner. Please, join us."Her face lit up with delight as she accepted the invitation. "Thank you, Mr. Reed. I'd love to join you."As she sat down at the table, Mr. Reed made an introduction, “This is beautiful Bella, James's wife, I'm sure you both might have met at my birthday party and also at the wedding.”“Welcome Emily,” giving a polite smile. James, who had been quiet until now, spoke up, his voice friendly. "So Emily. What brings you here tonight?"Emily's smile faltered for a moment before she recovered. "Oh, I just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing. I haven't seen you for a couple of days. I was around the neigh
James finally got discharged from the hospital, accompanied by his wife and Steve. As they pulled into the driveway, James smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.“Home sweet home," he said, his voice filled with gratitude.Bella smiled, helping James out of the car. "Welcome home, I know how much you've missed it," she said, her voice soft. "Let's get you settled in."Steve nodded, grabbing James's bag from the trunk. "Bella, why don't you take the bag upstairs, while I assist him inside.”James nodded, smiling weakly. "Thanks, Steve. I appreciate it."As they all tried to settle in, Bella excused herself, “I'm gonna take the bag upstairs, then come prepare something for us to eat," she said, her voice distracted.James thanked her, mentioning that he was really starving. "Thank Goodness cuz I'm famished already. What's for dinner?"Bella smiled, winking at him. "You'll just have to wait and see, baby. But trust me, it'll be worth it."James grinned, feeling a sense of antic
"Hey babes, that reminds me, have you heard anything from the police concerning James's accident?" Mia asked Isabella as they both prepared to step out.She shook her head, her expression somber. "Not really," she replied, her voice soft. "They've carried out all necessary investigation but I hope they find out who did it and apprehend the culprit. It's just so frustrating not knowing what happened."Mia nodded sympathetically, her eyes filled with concern. "I know, Bella. It's terrible. But I'm sure the police are doing everything they can to investigate. They'll find out who did it, don't worry, you need to take a break from all of this and allow them to do their job."Isabella smiled weakly, her eyes welling up with tears. "Thanks, Mia. Just talking to you makes me feel a little better. But I'm still so worried about my husband, he's been through so much already, and now this...it's just too much."Mia hugged Isabella tightly, trying to offer what little comfort she could. "I know
"What are you doing here, Alex?" Bella asked, not smiling and looking around if anyone was watching,"C’mon, you don't have to be hostile towards me. I was worried about you, Bella. After James came to my place to look for you, I thought he must have hurt you or done something to you."Mia, standing next to Bella, didn't give him a second glance, her expression cold and unyielding. "You need to leave now, Alex," she said, her voice firm. "Or I'll call the cops on you.”Bella's eyes narrowed, her expression suspicious. "Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice firm.Alex looked confused, his expression innocent. "Do what?" he asked, his voice soft. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bella."Bella's eyes flashed with anger, her expression furious. "Don't play dumb with me, Alex," she said, her voice firm. "I know you're involved in James' accident. And I want you to tell me why."Alex's expression changed, his eyes narrowing, his face twisting in anger. "How dare you lay such accu
"Emily? What are you doing here?" Steve asked, his voice gruff.Emily's smile never wavered. "Really? C’mon, have you forgotten I'm also a close friend and also a business associate with James? Anyways, I heard about his accident and I just had to come and see how he's doing," she said, her voice dripping with insincerity.Mia raised an eyebrow. "That's very kind of you, Emily. But I'm sure James would rather not have you here right now."Emily's smile faltered for a moment before she regained her composure. "Oh, I'm sure James would want me to be here for him. We're old friends, after all, and we have a lot of things in common."Isabella's eyes flashed with anger. "You're not his friend, Emily. You're just someone who's been trying to sabotage our marriage from the beginning, someone who has been forcing herself on a man who doesn't want her and will never want her "Emily's smile turned icy. "That's not true, Isabella. I'm just someone who cares about James and wants to see him happ
Steve burst through the hospital doors, his face etched with concern. He had just heard the news about James' accident and had rushed to the hospital to see his best friend. As he entered the waiting room, he spotted Isabella and Mia sitting, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.Steve rushed to them, his voice urgent. "Bella, what happened? I just heard about James' accident. Is he okay?"Isabella looked up at Steve, her eyes confused. "I...I don't know. I was just as shocked as you. I don't know what happened; immediately I got the news, I rushed down here."Steve's eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. "You don't know? But he left the office saying he was going to look for you at Mia's place just a few hours ago. Did you not see him?"Isabella stuttered, her eyes darting around the room. "N-no...I didn't see him. I swear, Steve. I have no idea what happened."Steve's expression turned dark, his voice low and menacing. "You know you're the cause of all of these, if you hadn't left the
Isabella burst through the hospital doors, her eyes scanning the hospital frantically. She rushed to the reception desk, her voice shaking with urgency. "I need to see my husband, James Reed. He's a patient here."The nurse behind the desk looked up, her expression calm. "Ma'am, please, you need to calm down. Can you please tell me what's wrong?"Isabella's eyes flashed, her voice rising. "What's wrong? Seriously? I just received a call saying my husband was rushed down here and you stand here asking me what's wrong? My husband is here, and I need to see him right now."The nurse's expression turned sympathetic. "Ma'am, I understand. But you need to calm down, let's wait for the doctor attending to your husband to come."Isabella's face twisted in frustration. "No, I won't calm down. I need to see him. Now." Her voice echoed through the hospital lobby.A doctor approached, his expression firm. "Ma'am, I need to ask you to comfort yourself. You're in a hospital for God's sake, and not
Mia flung open the door, her expression fierce, expecting to see Alex's smirking face. But instead, she was met with James' pale and sad visage. His eyes, once bright and confident, now seemed sunken and desperate.Mia's aggressive stance faltered, her expression softening. "James...what are you doing here?" She stuttered, taken aback by his unexpected visit.James' voice cracked as he spoke. "Sorry to disturb you, Is ... .Isabella here?" His eyes scanned the hallway behind Mia as if hoping to catch a glimpse of his estranged wife.Mia's face contorted in a mixture of pity and guilt. "Uhm, not at all, I….I haven't seen her. I've been trying to reach her, but she's not responding to my calls." She hesitated, unsure how much to reveal.James' face fell, his eyes welling up with tears. "Oh...okay." His voice was barely above a whisper.Mia's expression turned sympathetic. "Hey, are you okay? I was actually about to come to check on her soon. I've been worried sick."James' eyes locked on
Isabella's eyes sparkled as she sipped her coffee, her smile radiant. Mia's apartment was cozy, filled with warm light and comforting aromas.Mia settled beside her, curiosity etched on her face. "So, Isabella, what are your plans?"Isabella's expression turned skeptical. "Plans? I'm still figuring things out. Not gonna lie, I don't want to be idle."Mia nodded encouragingly. "You deserve a break, but I know you're itching to do something."Isabella's thoughts drifted to her finances. "The partial payment from that crazy contract helped with my sister's medical bills, but he still owes me. Besides, my job isn't complete yet, and I haven't given him a child."Mia's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't rely on him, you know. You need stability."Isabella sighed. "I know. I’m desperately in need of a job. Something meaningful."Mia grinned mischievously. "What if I found you a job and coincidentally, it came with a marriage contract attached? Would you accept?"Isabella's laughter filled the ro