The scene before Bella's eyes felt unreal. It was Rick. Her Rick, making out with that Leila witch. Her vision blurred with unshed tears.
She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. She simply stood there, rooted to the spot, watching her world collapse.
They finally separated, and Leila looked straight at her with a mocking smirk.
Bella's heart shattered.
She looked again at the man. It was Rick. And he was staring right at her, calm, expressionless.
No guilt. No remorse. No explanation.
Bella didn't waste another second. She didn't even think about the books that had slipped from her hands. She turned and ran, wiping her tears with trembling fingers.
Meg's apartment
Bella broke down completely as she recounted everything. Meg pulled her into a firm, comforting hug, gently rubbing her back. A deep frown settled on Meg's face, her instincts told her that something wasn't right.
"I should've guessed something was wrong the moment you refused to come with us to the military camp," Meg murmured.
Bella nodded weakly. "I didn't want my brother to know I'm here."
Meg let out a long sigh. "Is that the reason, Bella baby?"
Another nod.
"You know your brother didn't do anything wrong, right?"
Bella nodded again but her eyes flashed with hurt. "But he's still friends with that man," she said, anger slipping into her voice.
Meg sat beside her, speaking gently. "Look at me, Bella dear. I'm not taking anyone's side, and I'm definitely not asking you to trust someone blindly. But…"
Bella looked at her expectantly through glossy eyes.
"The man you mentioned is Mr. Filsch. And as an investigative journalist, I can assure you, he is not someone who cheats."
Bella's eyebrows knitted together. "Are you saying I'm wrong? Meg, I saw it with my own eyes. It's not like I believed some random rumor and ran away!" Her voice quivered with emotion.
"Calm down, dear. Listen." Meg squeezed her hand. "There are many situations where even our own eyes can deceive us."
Bella's frown deepened.
Meg continued softly, "Tell me, have you heard about Leila Thimothee ever again?" Bella thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"That's what I thought. I can investigate her if you want. But before that… you know what kind of girl she is. She would do anything to take revenge on you. Why didn't you consider the possibility that she pulled some dirty trick?"
Bella blinked, clearly thrown by the thought.
"You know, technology has advanced a lot. People can create things that look real enough to fool anyone. Sometimes your eyes are not the most reliable thing," Meg said gently.
Bella slowly nodded as the idea began to sink in.
Meg grabbed her tablet, searched quickly, and handed it to Bella. "Look at this. That bitch practically vanished the day you ran away. If Mr. Filsch loved her, don't you think he'd be with her now?"
She swiped to another article.
"See this? He's still aloof, cold, brooding… and single. Bella, I strongly believe there's much more to this story. I think you should talk to him."
Bella shook her head immediately, tears brimming again. "I… can't."
"Alright," Meg said softly. "At least talk to your brother."
Bella bit her lip, eyes misty, but finally nodded.
"That's my girl." Meg kissed her forehead. "I'll call Lieutenant Smith. To Butterscotch."
Bella gave a small, tearful nod.
Cafe Butterscotch
Ben arrived at the café after receiving Meg's call, she had contacted him in the name of "journalistic inquiry." They exchanged a brief handshake.
"Thank you for coming, sir," Meg said politely.
Ben nodded. "May I know why you called me, ma'am?"
Meg smiled lightly. "Actually… it's not me who wants to speak with you. It's my friend. Let me call her."
Ben raised a brow. "If this is some proposal scene, I'm sorry, Miss. I already have someone."
Meg chuckled. "Relax, sir. It's nothing like that. I promise, you'll be glad to meet her."
A small frown of confusion appeared on Ben's face.
"There she is," Meg said, looking past him. Ben turned around and froze. His eyes widened instantly.
"Bella…" he whispered, voice trembling. His eyes glistened.
"Brother…" Bella breathed, tears streaming freely.
They ran to each other and embraced tightly, holding on as though afraid the other might disappear again.
Meg smiled softly at the reunion. "Alright, you two. I'll leave you now. Clear everything up."
With that, she slipped away quietly.
After a long emotional hug, they finally sat down.
"Where were you all this time, little Bella?" Ben asked, his voice thick.
"I came here that very day, brother. Look, this café… it's mine." Bella said, showing it off with a proud, shy smile.
"It's wonderful, dear. But…" Ben hesitated.
"But what, brother…?" Bella's voice wavered.
She lowered her gaze, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap.
"There's something, brother. I…" she began, but Ben gently took her hands.
"I know, baby. I know everything. You should've contacted me earlier. We could've cleared everything."
Bella frowned in confusion. "What do you mean, brother?"
"I know what happened between you and Rick," he said softly.
Her eyes widened. "You… know?"
"Everything was that bitch's plan," Ben said, jaw tightening.
"Tell me clearly, brother," she whispered desperately.
"Of course. I still have the CCTV footage from that day."
He unlocked his phone, pulled up a video clip, and handed it over.
Bella watched it and her eyes widened in sheer shock.
"What… is this?" she whispered, voice breaking.
"You saw it, right?" Ben squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Bella burst into tears, unable to hold back. She nodded again and again.
"Let me explain what actually happened," Ben said gently.
Bella wiped her tears and nodded, bracing herself.