"What?" Theodore was shocked, his anger flaring. He had not thought this was coming. "You know I don’t like Gina. This will be a disaster for both of us. Why do you want to do this?" He struggled to comprehend her twisted logic. "Gina is your favorite. Don’t you think she deserves someone who truly loves her? Tying her to a loveless marriage isn’t fair!"
Claudia regarded him with disdain, her expression unyielding. Love had never been a priority for her; she had married into the Reid family to secure a fortune. When Theodore married Gina and had his child, they would inherit everything he owned.
"It doesn’t matter whether you like her or not," she replied coldly. "Gina likes you and wants to marry you. Fulfilling her wish is my job. Love is irrelevant right now. You’ll grow to like each other eventually."
"That’s impossible," Theodore snarled dangerously. "Bella is the only one I love. No one can replace her in my heart."
Claudia crossed her arms, her expression triumphant. "I get it. Since you can’t get rid of her, I’ll hand the video to the cops. And..."
"Wait!" Theodore interrupted her, his fists trembling on his sides. Right now, he realized he had no choice but to play along. He needed time to figure out how to erase the threat looming over him. "I agree to divorce Bella," he said, suppressing the ache in his heart. "But I need some time before marrying Gina."
An uncanny glint appeared in Claudia’s eyes. She knew why he wanted time. She was okay with it. Once he was free of Bella, she would maneuver him into marrying Gina.
"No problem," she replied smoothly. "Just don’t try to be smart. You know I can ruin everything." With that final warning, she turned on her heel and strode out of the ward, leaving Theodore alone with his turmoil.
Theodore sagged on the chair as the door clicked shut, a wave of despair crashing over him. He felt trapped, caught in a web of manipulation and deceit. But deep down, he vowed to protect his family from this scheming Claudia at all costs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Theodore came to find Gary, who had just returned to his cabin after two long hours of surgery.
"Theodore!" Gary was surprised to find his friend waiting for him. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long," Theodore replied, his voice weary and strained.
Gary’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched his friend’s red puffy eyes. He could tell Theodore had not slept the whole night. "Why didn’t you go home and get some rest?"
Theodore pinched the bridge of his nose, grimacing as he fought back the tide of emotion. Facing Bella right now felt impossible; so he was avoiding going home. His mind was consumed with worry for his grandfather.
"Tell me about Grandpa," he murmured, desperation lacing his words. "Why isn’t he waking up? It’s been twenty-four hours. He is still unconscious. This hospital is the best in the city with experienced doctors. Can’t you do anything to wake him up?"
Gary held his gaze, feeling the pain of his friend. His own heart was heavy with empathy. "Look – I understand how you are feeling. We are doing our best, but not everything is in our hands."
He took a breath, trying to steady himself. "He is growing older. At this stage, a heart attack is fatal. But he is alive and fighting. There is hope that he will wake up soon, but we can’t predict when. It could be hours or even days. You should be concerned about how you will keep him after he wakes up. Stress and anxiety will be harmful to him. It would be best if you focused on keeping him calm. He can’t take another attack."
Theodore felt a chill of fear at Gary’s words. His fragile hope of explaining everything to his grandfather once he regained consciousness shattered in an instant. He realized that for now, he had no choice but to comply with Claudia’s demands.
"I understand," he murmured dejectedly. "I’ll be careful." He stood up slowly and walked out with heavy steps, burdened by anxiety and the looming shadows of uncertainty.
Gary sighed in dismay as he watched him leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella waited for the whole day for Theodore, but he didn’t return home. There were no calls or texts from him either. Her anxiety grew, and his silence only intensified her worries. She looked at her phone, her finger hovering over his number.
’Should I call him?’ she debated inwardly.
The memory of his harsh dismissal from the day before played in a painful loop. Bella hesitated. She was afraid he would get angry with her and yell at her again.
After debating for some time, she finally dialed his number. The phone rang for a long time before finally connected.
"Hello?" Theodore’s voice was cold and distant, sending a chill down her spine.
"How is the situation there?" she asked cautiously, her heart racing as she braced for his reaction.
There was a tense silence on the line. "You don’t have to worry about that," he replied, his tone icier than before.
Bella felt a twinge of pain in her heart. His words felt like a slap, and she could sense the wall he was building between them. Tears pricked her eyes as she struggled to maintain her composure.
"I only want him to get well soon," she murmured, choking with emotions. "I know things are difficult right now. But you have to stay strong."
"I am strong enough," he snapped, cutting her short, "to withstand any storm. I don’t need anyone’s concern, especially yours."
His calloused words struck her heart ruthlessly. It turned out that he suspected her of being unfaithful in their marriage.
"Why are you saying this?" she crocked out. "I am your wife. I’ll always stand by your side."
Theodore’s own heart ached when he heard her sobbing. He longed to reach out, to wrap her in his arms and shield her from the pain. His fist on the right trembled as he struggled to suppress his mounting emotions.
"I don’t need you." He could only manage to say those words before ending the call.
The words tasted bitter in his mouth. He breathed out a shaky sigh, blinking his tears away. "I am sorry, Bella," he whispered, his heart heavy with guilt and regret. He knew he was pushing her away, but he felt it was the only way to protect her from the turmoil surrounding him. "I can’t let you entangle with this. Just give me some time."
He resolved to make it up to her once he navigated through the web of deceit Claudia had woven around him and resolved the issue. For now, maintaining distance seemed necessary. It was painful, but it might keep Bella protected from Claudia and her evil plans.
Bella sat in stunned silence, the phone still pressed to her ear, feeling utterly alone and heartbroken. Tears streamed down her face.
"Why can’t you trust me?" she cried out with desperation.
Later that day...
Zack and Gina sat in a quiet café, a world away from the city’s chaos.
A grimace etched on his face as he regarded Gina with skepticism. "Why did you want to meet me?" he asked, his tone flat.
"We are friends now, aren’t we?" Gina smirked.
Zack’s eyes turned cold. He wouldn’t get involved with a cunning woman like Gina if he hadn’t his personal agenda. "Come to the point," he grumbled, his impatience evident.
"I wanted to share some good news with you." Gina’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she reached into her bag and produced several photographs, sliding them across the table with a flourish. "These photographs have stirred quite a dispute between Theodore and Bella." She pushed the photos across the table toward him.
Zack narrowed his eyes as he took in the photos of himself and Bella. It was from the bakery, where they had met that day. He realized Gina had sent someone after him and sneakily snapped their pictures. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
"Because of these, Theodore is upset with Bella," she continued, her voice low and conspiratorial. "They triggered his grandfather’s heart attack. Now, he suspects Bella of cheating and blames her for causing misery to Granpa Malcolm."
Zack’s frown deepened as he absorbed her words.
"This is your chance to get close to Bella," Gina said, leaning forward. "She is heartbroken and alone—especially since Theodore hasn’t returned home since the day before. I am confident he’ll be looking to divorce her soon."
Hope ignited in Zack’s eyes as Gina’s words sank in. If this was true, he wouldn’t miss his chance to win Bella over; fate had finally handed him an opportunity, and he was determined to seize it.
"Thanks," he murmured, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Thank me later. "You need to act quickly before they patch things up and get back together. Make sure the divide between them deepens."
Zack nodded, his resolve firm. He appreciated her help but bristled at the thought of taking orders. "I know what I need to do," he said with a hint of defiance. "I’ll handle it my way. Focus on yourself; Theodore is tough. Winning his heart won’t be easy."
With that warning hanging in the air, Zack walked out of the café with confident strides.
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