Isabella~
"Hey Xavier, congratulations, buddy." I turned around after hearing James' voice. He was standing at the kitchen's entrance. His tightened jaw and white knuckles indicated that he was not pleased to see James here.
"Why are you congratulating me? I should be the one to congratulate you on your achievement, James." He approached us, his every move deliberate and slow, as if he were trying to control his anger.
"What are you saying?" James looked at him with confusion.
"You understand clearly what I mean, am I right, Bella?" Xavier's doubt-filled eyes made me his target.
In an attempt to gain his trust, I gazed intently into his lovely blue eyes, but all I could see were anger and jealousy.
"Xavier, listen, you misunderstood our relationship; we are just friends." James attempted to clarify his misunderstanding after noticing the tension between us.
"Do you think I'm a fool, James? Do you think I am not aware of your late-night conversations and the fact that you two spent the entire day together in the office? You took great advantage of my trust and friendship." James became the object of Xavier's resentful remarks.
"No, Xavier, it's not like that. Our connection is solely professional." James made every effort to dispel Xavier's misunderstanding, but he didn't seem to be interested in hearing anything right now.
"So you were almost engaged with your colleague to establish a more stable professional relationship." He made fun of us for the phony engagement drama.
"Xavier, that's enough. I already told you a thousand times that the engagement was a fake drama so that I could find you." His constant accusations infuriated me. I made an effort to remain cool to ease his rage, but I found it difficult to suppress my anger when I realized he was not listening to me.
Why is he always jumping to conclusions? I watched Xavier glare at James. My heart ached at his refusal to trust me. His suspicion was suffocating, and yet, a part of me couldn't help but wonder if I had unknowingly given him reasons to doubt.
"That may have been a dramatic moment, but I believe you two will soon make it a reality." He gestured toward the closeness of me and James.
I glanced at James's physique and became aware of his proximity to me.
I was so upset about Xavier's behavior today that I locked myself in my room for two hours. And crying over my situation, I came out of my room to make coffee for myself. James was sitting in the hall, waiting for Xavier to come down the stairs so he could have a conversation with him. However, when he noticed my upset, he came over to me.
I was telling James about my today's encounter with Jordan, so I kept my tone low because I didn't want to ruin Dad or Victor's happiness by mentioning Jordan. James advised me to speak with Xavier and share the entire story with him as soon as possible.
Just as I was trying to figure out how to explain Uncle Jorawr's compulsion to him, Xavier came into the kitchen.
"Bella, I apologize; I did my best to clarify his confusion, but I believe he lacked trust in his friend." James gave Xavier a fierce glare, then turned to face me, filled with regret.
"Xavier, you should at least have faith in your wife."
"Oh my god, do you still remember that she is my wife?" Xavier pulled me toward him while holding my hand in a possessive manner. His grip was firm, almost as if he feared letting go would mean losing me.
"What happened to him? Why has he behaved so strangely nowadays?" I asked myself as his behavior left me both confused and unsettled.
"Xavier, you are not doing well." Disappointingly, James shook his head and walked out of the kitchen.
"James, please listen to me." I tried to follow James to apologize for Xavier's actions, but Xavier grasped my hand tightly to stop me.
"Where are you going? Come with me; I want to talk with you." His tone softened suddenly, and his hold on my hand loosened.
I followed him quietly to his room, and he locked it from inside when we reached there.
"Bella, Alan had expressed his desire for a sibling, and I was eager to grant his wish."
After hearing him, my eyes widened in surprise. How could he say such a thing?
On one hand, he doesn't trust me, but on the other hand, he wants to have a child with me.
"I am sorry, Bella; it's all my fault, but I realized my mistake."
He forced me to sit on the couch and made me kneel in front of him.
Xavier's words caught me off guard. His soft, regretful tone seemed genuine, but my mind kept replaying his earlier accusations. Why is he apologizing now? Does he even understand what he's apologizing for?
"Xavier, it's okay; I don't have any grudges." I gently stroked his hair. Seeing his wrath subside calms me.
"I am aware, Bella, that you were drawn to James because I neglected to give you my whole attention. James flirts better than me, so I should try harder to show my love. However, I promise you that I will make an effort to become the man of your dreams."
He lifted his head from my lap and gazed hopefully into my eyes.
After listening to him, my finger instinctively stopped caressing his hair. What did he just say?
"What did you just say, Xavier? Do you believe that my attraction to James stems from my enjoyment of his flirtation with me?" I blinked my eyes, trying to process his words.
I believed that he loved me, but after hearing what he had to say, I understood that he did not value my feelings for him. He only wants to rule over me.
"Tell me, Bella, why you shared everything with James but didn't feel the same connection with me."
His voice clearly showed his jealousy and desperation for me, but I couldn't accept his desperation as love for me.
"I need to prepare dinner, Xavier, so we'll continue our conversation later." I didn't want to argue with him, so I got up from the couch.
"Bella, please don't leave me; I love you."
He gave me a firm hug. His arms tightened around me as if trying to keep me from slipping away.
Seeing his obsession, I felt suffocated, so I broke the hug and pushed him away.
"Xavier, that's not love; that's your obsession. I am sorry I am not ready to accept this type of love. Your possessiveness and jealousy have distorted your understanding of true love."
Before he could stop me, I dried my tears and left his room.
When I went downstairs, I found Dad sitting alone in the living room. My chest felt heavy as I approached him.
"Dad," I said, my voice steady despite the storm brewing in my heart. "I need to postpone my engagement with Xavier."
Dad's eyes widened, and though he didn't speak, his silence asked the question I dreaded most: Why?
I glanced back at the staircase, half-expecting Xavier to come rushing down after me. He didn't, but I could feel his shadow looming over my decision.