Chapter Twenty-Eight

Breath and bodies intertwined, Bella tried to relax her body to adapt to this situation. In her mind, she couldn't think of anything else; she just wanted to be close to the man she loved. That was more than enough.

In this moment, it seemed like Bella had forgotten the bitterness and betrayal her current husband had subjected her to. Or perhaps, she was too permissive because she still loved the man who betrayed her.

"Bella, for your first time, I'll be gentle... it'll be quick, I'll make you feel good. Bella, I love you so much..." Max whispered words of love into his wife's ear, wanting to quickly become one with her.

Max still believed Bella was a pure virgin, so his firmness below was causing him discomfort, yet he endured it. He wanted tonight to be a wonderful night with his wife, so a little patience would be worthwhile.

But just as Max withdrew his finger from Bella's intimate area, preparing for the main event, the phone rang. The sound startled both of them. Max frowned, annoyed that their moment was interrupted. He intentionally tried to ignore it, but the persistent ringing suggested the caller had something important to discuss.

Bella quickly pulled away, grabbing a thin blanket to cover her exposed body and huddling in one corner. She glanced at the brightly lit phone and said, "It's your phone. You should answer it."

"You don't need to worry about it; let's just continue," Max insisted. The lower part of Max was painfully erect, waiting to be united with Bella, and he had no intention of picking up the phone.

The ringing not only startled them but also made Bella more alert. Just a moment ago, she saw the caller number on the phone screen was Pearl's number. So, her mood immediately shifted. She spoke, "I think the caller has something very important. You should answer it; don't let this affect your important work." Bella said, appearing obedient and very concerned about her husband's work.

Hearing Bella say that Max could only angrily get out of bed. When he saw a familiar phone number on the screen, Max quickly picked it up as if he was afraid that Bella would see it.

“I'll answer the phone for a moment, wait for me.” Max finished speaking, put on his dressing gown, and left the room to answer the phone. In the room, only Bella remained, wrapped in a thin blanket, contemplating her options. "Should I wait for Max to come back, or should I get dressed and put an end to this?"

This should have been a natural progression for a couple. Bella and Max had been married for three years, but today was the first time they truly reached this point, yet it wasn't the final step. Bella couldn't understand how she could sustain this deceptive marriage for how much longer.

Should she continue pretending not to know what was happening between Max and her best friend, Pearl, and until when?

Bella chuckled mockingly, whether she liked it or not, she had to continue maintaining this deceitful marriage. It wasn't just Max who had betrayed her, Bella had become someone similar to her husband.

Bella delved into her thoughts. Since she decided to handle everything without her father's help, she knew she couldn't go back to the way things were with Max and Pearl.

Max hung up the phone and returned to the bedroom, expressing regret and concern for Bella. "Bella, I'm sorry. There are some urgent issues at the company that I need to handle... You understand, right? I don't want this to disrupt us, but I have no other choice."

Bella looked at Max's insincere and apologetic face. She had lost interest, but still, she wanted to try. "Max, can't you stay? I just want to be with you." She grabbed Max's arm, looking at him with tearful eyes, as if pleading.

But reality shattered Bella's dream. Max pushed her away, saying, "Bella, we have plenty of time. I'll make it up to you later and won't let anyone interfere with us." Max smiled and quickly got dressed, leaving the house.

Bella, in her nightgown, stood on the bedroom balcony, watching Max's car drive away. She sighed softly, "In the end, you chose that way. I've never been your final choice, right, Max?" Despite the glaring truth, Bella could only bitterly laugh. She felt foolish for still trying to believe that Max would turn away from Pearl and choose her.

After today, Bella also knew Max's choice, and she made her final decision as well. Bella didn't cry, didn't feel pain, and certainly didn't get angry. She only felt scorn and disgust. More accurately, she had cried enough, there were no more tears to shed for a man unworthy of her.

Max didn't come back all night, and Bella didn't text or call him. Instead, she happily slept soundly, finding solace in her sleep from the troubles of those vile beings. She wasn't the type to meddle in other people's joys and had no desire to hold onto a man as terrible as Max.

Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, Bella noticed a few purple-red marks on her neck, making her uncomfortable and disgusted. Bella wanted to use concealer to hide them, but then she thought of something, smiled, and continued to shower.

With Max not at home, Bella felt incredibly comfortable. Perhaps it was because she didn't need to pretend to be an obedient and caring wife. Bella thought maybe Max truly believed she didn't know anything, hence her bold demeanor. Regardless, her best friend and husband's clandestine affair had been going on for years, and they were so adept at it that they didn't flinch when facing Bella.

Bella continued to work diligently as usual. She had neglected herself for too long, so now it was time to invest in herself multiple times over.

Lauriel emerged from Diana's office, her face dissatisfied as if she had just been scolded. Bella noticed and went to ask, "What's wrong? You seem unhappy."

"Of course, I'm not happy. Diana always tells me to deliver documents to Pearl. I really hate that arrogant secretary. Why does everything have to go through her? She have to approve it before it reaches the director? She's just a small secretary, what right does she have to evaluate Diana's documents!" Lauriel expressed her discontent, but in the office, no one else had the time to help Diana with documents besides her.

Bella, hearing this, smiled and said, "I can help you."

"Last time, you helped me already, and have you finished your own work?" Lauriel hesitated, as she disliked Pearl, but this was the task assigned by her superior, and she couldn't pass it on to someone else.

Bella didn't say much, taking the documents from Lauriel. She said, "It's okay. Coincidentally, I just finished my work. If you don't like her, you don't have to force yourself."

Without waiting for Lauriel's response, Bella took the documents away.

Bella stood in front of Pearl's private office. Pearl, being a secretary, had an exceptionally spacious and comfortable office. Because she was the director's secretary, Pearl enjoyed perks beyond the company's regulations.

"Come in," Pearl said.

This time, Pearl wasn't as condescending as before. She was seriously working, and when she saw Bella, she said, "You brought the documents, right? Leave them on that table; I'll review them later."

Bella did not put the documents on the table that Pearl pointed to, she placed them on Pearl's desk.

“I told you to bring the documents to that table, didn't you hear clearly?” Pearl saw that Bella did not listen to her and immediately expressed her displeasure and spoke loudly.

But Pearl forgot that the person standing in front of her was not Lauriel but Bella. Bella, unlike Lauriel, would be humble and listen. Bella said seriously, "This is the document that department head Diana compiled and evaluated. It is a very important document at the director's next meeting, so these documents need to be prioritized."

Pearl raised her eyebrows, not paying attention to Bella's words and said loudly, "So are you the secretary or am I the director's secretary? I told you to leave it on the table there, I'll look at it when I want. Have you ever seen me delay anything?” Because Pearl is the secretary, she is in charge of arranging meetings and documents needed for the director's meetings.

Seeing Pearl's serious and professional attitude, Bella found it amusing. She knew Pearl was trying to appear superior to her after yesterday's incident. Bella wasn't surprised by Pearl's arrogance, but her intention in helping Lauriel wasn't to exchange meaningless words with Pearl.

"Okay, but I have to remind you that these are important documents. I want you to confirm that I brought them here." Bella bowed, and her shirt accidentally came undone.

Pearl noticed the hidden meaning in Bella's words, "What do you mean?"

"Because I don't know if you'll forget these important documents. I just have good intentions to care about you." Bella smiled, her words full of mockery without any attempt to hide it, and, of course, she intentionally let Pearl recognize it.

Pearl, angered, clenched her fists. Knowing Bella's identity, she didn't dare to retort or scold as she would with other employees. Suddenly, Pearl saw the purple-red marks on Bella's neck, and she froze for a moment before immediately asking, "Bella, why do you have marks on your neck..."