Freedom While It Lasts

Westbridge Academy of Music and Arts was one of the most well-known universities in the country. It boasted a large number of celebrity graduates each year, including some of the most famous artists in the world. It was the place to be for anyone seeking connections or looking to boost their fame further.

It was safe to say that the school's criteria were very high, and it was extremely difficult to gain admission. For someone like Bella, who had no talent in art, it would have been nearly impossible to be accepted. But here she was, a first-year student of music and dance, something she didn't even have an interest in.

But it was alright because she wasn't actually here to study. Bella had enrolled at Westbridge because it was the only way she could meet a certain person without raising Vaughn's suspicion. This person would be her key to escaping her abusive marriage and exacting revenge on her husband.

Bella had to move out of the mansion due to her new college being a three-hour drive away. Vaughn might be difficult, but he was meticulous when it came to certain things, like getting her a good apartment close to school. He had insisted she take security with her, but Bella had convinced him that she wanted to keep a low profile. Vaughn didn’t care, as long as she didn’t get herself into any trouble that might affect him indirectly. It was all about him.

"Thank God. At least now I'll have some time away from that beast," Bella said as she began unpacking her things. She knew Vaughn would still have someone keeping an eye on her, but for the meantime, she could enjoy the little freedom she had.

Once she finished arranging her clothes, she felt hungry and decided to go out for a quick bite. Elthon was a beautiful town. Though it was rather small and densely populated, its charm came from its lovely scenery. Most of the people she encountered were students from Westbridge.

The air was filled with the scent of fast food. Although she had initially wanted to stroll to a café, she was drawn to a street food stand by the roadside selling Korean food, mostly ramen. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten something that wasn’t prepared by a star chef—especially something considered "unhealthy" by Vaughn’s standards and likely to make her gain weight. The bastard.

"Hello, madam, what would you like?" The woman who owned the food stand was a middle-aged Asian lady with a kind smile. When Bella asked for a recommendation, the lady gladly offered one. Soon, Bella was engaged in a pleasant conversation with her while slurping her spicy noodles. Life had never felt so easy before.

"Are you famous?"

"Uh, not really. Why do you think so?"

"I swear your face looks familiar," the lady said, watching Bella carefully. "But then again, most of the people around here are celebrities. Those kids from Westbridge—they always come into town causing trouble. They all act so high and mighty."

"I can imagine. You must have had to deal with them a lot."

"Exactly. Most of the time..." Their conversation was interrupted by loud screams. The lady snorted. "Speak of the devil, here comes one of those entitled boys now."

Bella looked in the direction where a crowd of girls was surrounding a tall figure. The person was bundled in a thick jacket, hat, and scarf, making it impossible to see his features as his back was turned. Even in disguise, he seemed to be famous, as the fans still recognized him.

The man signed a few autographs and then turned to walk away, ignoring the women who continued to follow him. Bella happened to be standing along his path, and as she loudly slurped her noodles, his gaze briefly turned to her. His scarf slipped below his jaw, giving her a glimpse of his handsome face. She gasped!

No way! They hadn’t seen each other in years, but she would never forget that face—not when he bore a slight resemblance to her husband. Who would have guessed she wouldn’t even need to be at Westbridge to run into Damien Beriosova, Vaughn’s famous first cousin, the one he couldn’t stand.

"Thank you for the noodles, ma'am." Bella quickly discarded her ramen and said a hurried goodbye to the kind lady. She hurried after Damien, but it wasn’t easy to catch up; he had such long legs. Even though he wasn’t walking quickly, she had to run, battling the other women trying to follow him.

"Damien, wait!" Bella called out as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She wasn’t lucky; a girl she tried to overtake yanked her by the hair.

"Yo, bitch, we’re all here to see Damien! Don’t try to overtake me!"

"Wait, no, I know him!"

"Like hell you do!"

Bella was pulled back, losing her balance and falling onto the rough pavement, bruising her knees. She was in too much pain to continue. She looked at Damien, who was about to disappear into the black Rolls-Royce that had pulled up. She felt mournful.

To her surprise, Damien seemed to glance her way—or at least she thought he did. She couldn’t tell due to the women crowding around him. The eye contact didn’t last long; he got into his car and drove off, leaving Bella with her bruised knee.

"This was so not how I imagined things would go," she muttered to herself with a sigh. She’d have to hope it would be easier to see him at school.

---

The next day, Bella arrived at Westbridge Academy of Music and Fine Arts. She was amazed by its beauty. The main building, shaped like a violin, gleamed in the sunlight, its white and beige stone façade looking elegant. Large windows gave her a glimpse inside. A beautiful garden was on full display in front of the school, and she spent a long time admiring the flowers.

She recognized some faces. As a full-time housewife who didn’t work, she had spent much of her time surfing the internet—Instagram, Twitter, TikTok—and was familiar with the talented celebrities who attended Westbridge Academy. But she hadn’t realized there would be so many of them here.

To her embarrassment, almost everyone was dressed in designer clothing. She had opted for casual wear that day, not wanting to attract attention, but now she felt like she looked homeless compared to everyone else. She bowed her head in embarrassment as she walked, avoiding eye contact. Unfortunately, she ran into someone.

"Hey! Watch where the hell you’re going, lady!"

"I’m sorry, I... I didn’t see you there."

"Right, how could you with those stupid sunglasses?" The blonde woman glared at her. She had short hair and was dressed in a fashionable vintage shirt and crop top. She narrowed her gaze at Bella, who shamefully pushed her glasses up. "You look familiar."

"Be real, Eve. It’s Westbridge—everyone here is basically famous," said the brunette beside her. "But yeah, you do kinda look familiar."

"Wait, hold on," Eve snapped her fingers, realization dawning on her face. "You’re Isabella Page! I’ve seen your face in every magazine. You’re Vaughn McCoy’s wife!"

"No way, are you serious?"

"Of course, Becky. Look at her!"

"I... I need to go. Sorry again."

"Hey, wait!"

Bella hurried off without looking back. Her heart raced. She hadn’t expected to be recognized so easily—especially without all the fancy clothes and makeup Vaughn forced her to wear. She’d need to try harder to stay low-key.

But Westbridge was so big. How was she going to find Damien? Maybe she should have gotten his contact information before coming.

An excited cry echoed behind her, catching her attention. "Oh my God! Is that who I think it is?"

Bella turned toward the cause of the commotion. A red Bugatti Chiron had parked in front of the main building, not far from her. Two hefty men in suits stepped out of the car, and one of them opened the passenger door. A very handsome man, draped in an expensive suit, stepped out. He put on his sunglasses, ignoring the stir he caused.

"Vaughn McCoy!"

Some idiot had to shout Vaughn’s name right next to her. And, of course, because Bella was so unlucky today, Vaughn looked directly at her.

Bella bolted. She ran as fast as she could because, damn, why was he here?