Bella stormed into the mansion, hoping to find Theodore, her heart pounding. But she encountered Claudia and Gina in the hall, comfortably seated on the sofa, sipping coffee and laughing.
The moment they saw her, their laughter died, replaced by icy silence.
"Bella! What are you doing here?" Gina snapped instantly, jumping to her feet. "You are not welcome here. Get lost."
Bella’s resolve stiffened. She wasn’t going to back down now. "This is my husband’s house," she said firmly, standing her ground. "I have every right to be here. I’ll come whenever I want."
Gina’s lips curled into a sneer. "Your so-called marriage is nothing but a contract. It won’t last long. Soon, I’ll be the one standing by Theodore’s side as his wife. You have no place here anymore. Leave." She jabbed her finger toward the door.
Bella’s heart clenched, but she remained defiant. "I’m here to see my husband," she said resolutely. "I won’t leave until I’ve spoken to him."
"Enough!" Claudia, who had been silently watching, finally spoke. "Father-in-law has just been discharged from the hospital. He is resting. Your presence will only upset him. Leave, before you make things worse."
But Bella stood her ground, her eyes flashing with determination. "I am Theodore’s wife," she repeated. "I have every right to be here, and to see Grandpa. If he is upset with me, I’ll talk to him. I’ll clear up whatever misunderstandings there are. Neither of you can stop me from seeing him."
"Bella!" Theodore’s voice boomed from behind, catching everyone’s attention.
Theodore had driven there crazily, crossing several red signals. And finally, he had arrived in less than half an hour.
He let out a small sigh of relief when he didn’t notice his grandfather in the hall. It seemed that he was resting in his room.
Theodore approached her with a cold intensity, tugging at her arm. "Why did you come here?"
"I came to find you," Bella hissed, her eyes full of hurt.
"You could have called me."
"Really?" she sneered, tears brimming in her eyes. "Would you have answered my calls?" she asked quietly, choking in the end.
Theodore’s hand twitched, instinctively wanting to wipe her tears, to offer comfort. But with Claudia and Gina watching, he fought against the impulse. His fingers curled into a tight fist, his grip on her arm tightening.
"You know Grandpa is not well," he said in a cold tone. "He can get anxious seeing you. You shouldn’t be here." He tried to lead her out, hoping to avoid more drama.
Bella, with a fierce determination, wrenched free from his grasp. "I’m not going anywhere," she declared with fiery conviction. "If Gina can stay here, then why can’t I? I’m your wife—the daughter-in-law of this family. It’s my duty to take care of your grandfather."
"Have you lost your mind?" Theodore frowned, confused as to what she was up to. How could she forget that Malcolm despised her after the photos of her and Zack surfaced?
"He is furious with you?" he added. "I don’t know how he will react when he sees you. I can’t let you stay here. You are coming with me." He stretched his hand to hold hers.
Bella stepped back, pulling her hands to her back. "I’m not leaving," she asserted, her gaze unwavering. "If he is angry, I’ll calm him down. I’ll explain everything and clear up the misunderstandings. He won’t stay mad at me for long." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
Her defiance was unyielding.
Theodore grimaced, feeling helpless under her insistence. He could sense the situation spiraling out of control and feared his grandfather might hear the escalating tension.
"Bella, you are not understanding the situation." He softened his tone, trying to reason with her. Grandpa can’t handle stress right now and seeing you might make things worse for him."
Before Bella could respond, Claudia cut in sharply. "Why are you still talking? Can’t you see she is not welcome here? Get her out. Or do I need to remind you what I’m capable of?"
Theodore clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing with fury as he locked gazes with Claudia. The power she wielded over him had only grown, and now, she didn’t hesitate to order him around. Anger simmered inside him, but he bit it back. He couldn’t afford a confrontation—not yet. He had to swallow the humiliation and anger for the time being.
"Enough already, Bella," he hissed. "You’re not staying here. Not another minute." His hand shot out, gripping her wrist firmly.
Bella was quick. She shoved his hand away, yanking her arm free. "I’m not leaving without talking to Grandpa," she declared, spinning on her heel, determined to head toward Malcolm’s room.
Suddenly, her steps faltered. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she stumbled. Her vision blurred, and she collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
"Bella!" Theodore exclaimed, panicking. He rushed over to her in an instant and dropped to his knees. "What happened to you?" He cradled her in his arms and tapped her cheeks. "Open your eyes, please..."
Bella was limp in his arms, her head lolling lifelessly against his chest.
His steps were swift and purposeful as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the house.
"Theo, wait!" Gina called out with urgency as she hurried after him. But before she could take more than a few steps, Claudia reached out, gripping her arm firmly and pulling her back.
"Why did you stop me?" Gina barked, furiously turning to her. "Can’t you see? He left with Bella! I’m telling you; he still has feelings for her."
"Don’t worry, sweetheart. He is all yours." Claudia gave her a reassuring smile, caressing her hair soothingly. "He will be back to you. Have faith in me."
Gina opened her mouth to protest, to vent her growing fury, but before she could utter another word, Malcolm’s deep, raspy voice cut through the tension.
"What’s all the noise about?" he asked, slowly making his way toward them, leaning heavily on his walking stick. His brow furrowed deeply as he glanced toward the door. "I thought I heard Theodore’s voice. Has he returned?"
"Grandpa..." Gina began, ready to expose Bella’s sudden appearance, but Claudia’s firm tug on her arm silenced her.
"Yes, he came by," Claudia quickly interjected, stepping forward. "But he had to leave again. He got an urgent call from the office."
Malcolm nodded understandingly, blissfully unaware of the tension that had just unfolded. "Alright. Send him to my room when he gets back." With that, he walked back to his room.
As soon as he was out of sight, Gina glared at Claudia, clearly displeased. "Why didn’t you let me tell him about Bella?" she whined. "That was our chance! He could’ve hated her even more after hearing about Bella making a ruckus here."
"There is no need for that," Claudia soothed her. "He already hates Bella. He won’t let Theodore stay in this marriage."
"But what about Theodore? He is still in love with Bella." Gina’s worry was palpable. Claudia’s words didn’t soothe her.
"Gina, you are worrying too much." Claudia put her hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "Theodore will leave Bella, no matter how much he likes her. He won’t go against his grandfather’s wishes."
It was only at that point Gina’s worry dissipated. Her smile returned. "You are right. He can’t upset his grandpa."
"Exactly. Now, go home and get some rest. I have a few things to take care of."
Feeling much lighter, Gina waved her goodbye and left.
Claudia smirked, her mind already planning the next move.
At the hospital...
Theodore paced anxiously outside the emergency room, his heart pounding with dread. His mind raced with questions—why had Bella fainted so suddenly? Was it because of the wound on her back from O’Neil’s attack? Or was there something else, something he hadn’t noticed?
The door swung open and the doctor emerged.
"Doctor!" Theodore rushed over to him. "How is she?"
The doctor sighed, shaking his head. "Her blood sugar dropped severely. She hasn’t eaten in days. How did you not know about this?"
Theodore felt as if the ground beneath his feet disappeared. Regret struck him like a tidal wave. He hadn’t been home in a week, too caught up in his own turmoil to realize what Bella was going through. Had his neglect driven her to this point?
He was sorry.
"You need to pay better attention to your wife," the doctor warned him. "She miscarried just a few days ago, and though her physical wounds have healed, her body is still weak. She needs care, both physically and emotionally. If she continues to neglect her health, it could lead to severe complications."
Theodore felt even more guilty. He hadn’t been there for Bella when she needed him most, but he had neglected her. If anything happened to Bella, he would never forgive himself.
"I understand," he murmured, hanging his head down in shame and guilt.
"She will be moved to the ward in a while." Having said that, the doctor left.
Theodore sagged in the nearby chair, feeling dejected. He was trapped in a situation where he could either choose his grandpa or Bella. He didn’t want to lose anyone of them. But he couldn’t let Claudia win either. He had to make the decision, no matter how painful it was.
"I have to let her go," he murmured, his eyes hardening with resolve. "It’s for her betterment."
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