Chapter 0004

Bella’s eyes well up with tears as she recalls those events. It took her two years to forget everything, but it's all coming back to her and bothering her again.

Even though she didn't want to, she keeps thinking about Evan's angry comments. She felt ashamed of herself, and she hated herself since she killed her unborn child with her own hands, which was not her fault.

Her thoughts were racing through her head, telling her that she ought to have killed herself a long time ago. Suddenly, she gets out of bed and heads for the bathroom.

Before entering the bathroom, he takes out a blade from the first aid box.

She glances at herself in the mirror. She hates herself. She feels ashamed of herself. With that, she cuts her wrists because she no longer has a reason to live.

********************************

Evelyn was making dinner for Bella when the doorbell rang. She goes to open the door. Her boyfriend, Jackson, was in front of her. Jackson smiles at her, but Evelyn simply have a worried expression on her face. Jackson: Is Bella okay? Evelyn: I do not think so.

Jackson said, “We need to talk to her.”

Evelyn said, “She’s resting right now, and I'm cooking for her. She probably did not eat anything last night.”

“Okay, I will have a look,” he said.

Okay..

As soon as Jackson enters the room, he notices that Bella is not on the bed, which surprises him, and then he notices that the light is coming from the bathroom, implying that she is inside. Jackson knocks twice or three times. He knocks on the door again, but there is no response from inside, so he becomes concerned. He then turns the doorknob, and the door opens.

If Bella needed to use the restroom, why didn't she close the door?

Jackson opened the door swiftly and discovered Bella lying on the floor, her wrist bleeding.

He screams and runs towards her. Evelyn arrives, hears his voice, and is terrified when she sees Bella's condition. She holds a handkerchief against her wrist to prevent bleeding.

Jackson picks up Bella and leaves for the hospital.

***********************

Bella wakes up in a hospital ward. Both Evelyn and Jackson were close to her. They were both looking at her as well. Bella becomes incredibly sorry after seeing them, since she understands how much her friends must have suffered as a result of her actions. She was unable to establish eye contact with them. Evelyn holds her hand.

Evelyn asked, “Why did you take such a big step? We are your friends, and we are always here for you. You should not have done this.”

Bella cried and said,” I'm so useless that I can't even take my own life. I can't do anything well. Why did you guys save me? I should die. I don't deserve to live. I'm a whore, as my husband claimed.”

As soon as she says this, Jackson comes toward her and slaps her hard. She brushes her cheeks and glances at Jackson. Jackson had rage in his eyes.

Jackson angrily said, “Who do you think you are? Are you so weak that you can think to this extent? Why do you give people a chance to insult you? Do you not believe in yourself? Believe in yourself, Bella. You must put yourself first. You must believe who you are in your own eyes; you give people chances, which are why they disrespect you; learn to respect yourself first, and then expect respect from others. Giving up or committing suicide does not fix the situation. Will you be able to erase your scars after you die? Will it make a difference to anyone?”

Jackson leaves from there, and Bella begins crying.

Evelyn consoles her, pats her back, and attempts to calm her down. When she calms down, she tells Bella,

Evelyn told her,” Jackson once had a sister. When she was in high school, some boys bullied her and made filthy comments about her, which caused her to get distraught and commit suicide. Jackson lost his lone family member, his sister. Jackson often says you remind him of his sister. When we were driving you to the hospital, I watched Jackson cry for the first time. He was concerned about you. You triggered him. That is why he was so hurt and acted out.”

“Look, times have changed; you must move beyond your past. Whatever occurred to you was bad, but you don't need to think about it right now. We are your friends, and we are all a family. You should forget everything. You should make a new start. God has given you a second chance; do not waste it,” she said.

Bella hugged Evelyn.

******************************

After two years of marriage,

Bella was eagerly waiting for her husband to arrive; it was 11 p.m.; Evan never arrives late; his phone had been switched off; and when Bella contacted the office, his secretary informed her that he had already left abruptly; he left early today. She is suddenly concerned about him.

The doorbell rings, and Bella dashes to the door and opens it. When she opens the door, she is taken aback since she never expected to see Adrian standing in front of her. She is both surprised and upset. Before she can say anything to him, she turns back to her husband, who smiles at her, and Bella smiles at him while ignoring Adrian.

They all come into the house, and he kisses her on the forehead.

Bella: Where have you gone? I called your office, and they informed me that you had departed early today and that your phone was also switched off.

Evan said,” Adrian returned from America today and wanted to meet you and me. We haven't seen each other in several years. He lived in America for many years but never had the opportunity to visit here. His studies have been done. And he is shortly going to assist me with my business. Dad has gone on a trip, so he will be here for a few days. You have no problems, right?”

Bella said, “No, I don't mind; he can stay here as long as he wants. She glances at Adrian and smiles awkwardly.”

Evan smiles and heads to his room. In the living room, only Adrian and Bella were looking at each other. As soon as Evan enters the room, Adrian moves towards Bella. She takes a step back, but Adrian grabs her waist and pulls her to him. He whispers into her ear.

Adrian playfully said to her, “Are you not happy to meet me, sister-in-law? Believe me, I'm excited to see you, and we're going to have a great time. Just keep watching.”

Bella stares at him with wide eyes. After that, she tries to remove his hand from her waist, but his grip is too tight. Despite this, she pushes Adrian and heads to her room. Adrian smiles at her. Probably many wicked plans were flowing through his head, which is why he came here.

Bella cooks dinner, and both brothers come down to sit at the dining table. Bella serves meals to everyone; after that, she sits next to Evan, but Adrian sits directly in front of her.

Evan was chatting with Adrian about his business, and he was paying close attention, as if he were learning a lot. Bella was now entirely focused on her eating when she felt something near her leg. When she stooped down to look, she noticed Adrian's foot rubbing against hers.

She is terribly uncomfortable. She slides her chair back slightly, but Adrian's feet reach hers nonetheless. He was repeatedly caressing her feet, and she didn't feel comfortable. She wanted to get up from the table as soon as possible. She wanted to reveal all of this to her husband, but she knows Evan loves his brother.

It is only a matter of days before Adrian leaves this place and everything returns to normal, so she cannot turn the love that the two brothers share into hatred in this way, so she stays silent.

When her food is finished, she swiftly gets up from her table and takes her plate to the kitchen. Following this, the meal for both brothers is finished. She gets up and places all the cutlery in the sink.

Evan was sitting in the living room, watching television. When Bella went to the kitchen to wash the utensils, she felt someone standing behind her. As she turned, she collided with Adrian's chest.

Adrian was looking at her weirdly, and Bella was annoyed to see him like this. She could see her husband, but he was back facing her. That's why Evan had no idea what was going on in the kitchen.

Adrian: I just came to get some water. Can I get a glass? Bella extends a glass toward him. Thank you.

He gets a bottle from the fridge, opens the cap, and pours water into the glass, then drinks it and moves slowly towards her.

Bella was uneasy in his presence, but she couldn't do anything. It was only a few days, and she would have to deal with everything until then. She knew exactly why Adrian was doing this.

Bella ignores him and focuses on her work. She was washing the utensils when Adrian approached her. She could feel his chest against her back. He purposefully pressed his chest against her back.

After that, he puts the glass in the sink. Bella could feel his heated breath against her shoulders. It was quite uncomfortable, giving her shivers. Bella did not want to turn towards him because he was standing quite near her, and turning would put her right in front of him, which she did not want. She felt disgusted by Adrian's touch. Her grasp on the utensils tightened. She was concealing her uneasiness.

She shuts her eyes, hoping that this will all stop soon. Why doesn't he leave from here? Adrian had no intention of abandoning her so quickly. He just stands there.

He carefully moves his hands over hers. He clutches her hand. It was too much. She couldn't stand it any longer, so she pushed him slightly and backed away, causing the plate to slip from her hands. It falls and breaks, and there is a loud noise. He hears the sound and rushes to the kitchen, where he discovers the broken plate. After that, he glances at his wife, who is visibly nervous.

"What happened here? Are you okay? Are you hurt? So, how did this plate break here?"

Bella remained mute; she couldn't find the words to explain to Evan.

Adrian said, “I came into the kitchen to get some water, and she spotted me and dropped the plate in fear. It's my fault that I probably startled your wife, Bro."

Evan smiles upon hearing Adrian’s words, as do Adrian, while Bella remains silent.

Evan said, "Maybe my wife isn't used to people, but that's okay; she'll get used to it over time; you should go rest, Bella; maybe you're tired, which is why I'll wash the utensils; don't worry about it; and Adrian is a little naughty. You will get used to it."

Bella walks out of the kitchen without saying anything, heading to her room.

*******************************