Chapter Eighty-Two
Chapter Eighty-Two
Returning to work, Bella felt much more at ease, though she often found herself pondering Levi's words from that night. Levi's words weren't difficult to understand, but what confused her was his gradually changing attitude. The thing was, Bella couldn't determine in which direction his attitude was shifting.
Bella thought she should be the one feeling anxious and urgent, not Levi. This was why she couldn't grasp Levi's behavior. Whenever she thought about it, she wondered if Levi was perhaps misunderstanding their relationship.
Bringing those thoughts and feelings home, Bella didn't expect Max to already be there since she thought she had returned early. Thinking about how Max didn't discover what happened the previous night, Bella's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anxiety, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Why are you home early today?” Bella asked, trying to sound casual.
Bella arrived just as Max was finishing cooking dinner. Seeing her, he cheerfully said, “It's rare for me to finish work early, so I wanted to come home and have dinner with you.”
Looking at the steaming dishes on the table and Max's radiant expression, Bella evaluated the situation internally but didn't show her thoughts. Max's current actions didn't move her; instead, they made her more suspicious and wary.
Every time Max acted like a good husband, things afterward were never good for Bella, but this was entirely based on her past experiences.
Dinner went on very normally, both acting as if nothing had happened, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. However, Bella felt that she and Max no longer conversed as intimately as before, as if a wall stood between them. Bella could understand why she was like this, but Max's unusual demeanor made her more cautious every time she looked at him.
After her bath, Bella sighed and sat on the bed, her mind constantly drifting back to Levi and his words.
“Could it be that this has gone on for too long, and Levi is getting bored and wants to end it?” Bella murmured to herself. Yet, she felt very happy and comfortable, especially the thrill of this clandestine affair which excited and drove her crazy.
Though she knew infidelity was wrong, Bella couldn't deny she was deeply engrossed in the excitement and temptation.
Lost in thought, a knock on the door interrupted her.
“Bella, are you in there? Can you open the door for me?” Max's voice was unusually gentle and patient, unlike his usual self.
Bella frowned slightly, fearing that Max wanted to sleep in the same room with her, but it was too early to sleep. She approached the door and opened it slightly, not intending to let Max in.
“What's the matter? I'm working,” Bella said.
Max, noticing Bella's reluctance to let him in, didn't push the issue. Instead, he handed her a cup of hot milk, speaking with great concern.
“I noticed you didn't look well today. Even if you're working, don't overdo it; it's not good for your health. I made some hot milk, drink it before it gets cold.”
Bella raised an eyebrow skeptically. Since when did her husband care about her health like this? But Bella didn't want to continue getting involved with Max, so she immediately accepted the cup of hot milk.
“I'll drink it while working. You should go rest,” Bella said with a light smile, closing the door as soon as she received the milk to prevent Max from entering.
Max stared at the closed door, his smile gradually fading.
Bella placed the milk on her desk, muttering to herself, “Why is he suddenly so concerned about me? He feel guilty about that trip? Maybe…”
Max had always played the role of a good husband, but it was just a facade he put on for others to see. Occasionally, Max would show concern for Bella, but it was always in a superficial and perfunctory manner. He had never shown real care through his actions.
Max's way of portraying himself as a good husband was through his sweet-talking to Bella.
Bella sees that clearly, but she mistakenly believes that because Max says he loves her, it means he really cares and loves her.
Seeing Max diligently cooking dinner and bringing her hot milk made Bella suspicious about whether Max had any ulterior motives toward her. However, she still drank the milk while working.
The next morning, Bella was awakened by a knock on the door, frowning at her phone because it was still too early to wake up.
“Why are you knocking on my door so early? If you have to go to work, just go ahead; I can go by myself,” Bella said gently, but her face clearly showed her annoyance at being woken up.
Max didn’t look at Bella but rather straight into her room as if searching for something before he replied, “Today, neither of us is going to work. Your father just called and wants us to visit his place because he has something to discuss with us.”
“Huh? What does my father want to talk about?” Bella was a bit surprised because her father had never directly called Max before.
Max shook his head slightly, as he was also surprised that his father-in-law had called him just to arrange a meeting. Their relationship wasn’t bad, but they were never comfortable around each other. He knew his father-in-law was never fully satisfied with him but had to accept him because Bella loved him.
On the way there, Max felt a bit tense, unsure of what his father-in-law intended to discuss. He turned to Bella, grumbling, “Didn’t your father say anything to you? He should have called me a few days ago so I could arrange my work. Such an unexpected call caused me to miss work and the meeting this morning.”
Bella smirked inwardly, not irritated but replying gently, “Besides being your father-in-law, he’s also your superior. Isn’t the word of a superior more important than your work? If so, I can ask him to reduce your workload to make you more comfortable.”
Realizing his words were problematic, Max forced a smile, “You know that’s not what I meant. I was just surprised by your father’s sudden call.”
Bella’s words were like a cold bucket of water thrown directly at Max, making him aware of her position and his own status in the family.
Max’s male pride was hurt, but he didn’t dare show it in front of Bella.
Mr. James’s residence was a villa, not very large but classic, elegant, and filled with the essence of nature. Besides Bella’s father, there were a few elderly servants.
“Miss Bella, welcome home. I really missed you,” Mrs. Lari exclaimed excitedly upon seeing Bella.
It was always like this; whenever Bella returned, everyone warmly welcomed her, eagerly asking about her. Bella hadn’t felt such a warm and enthusiastic reception in a long time.
Before Bella could greet the friendly servants, Max interrupted.
“That’s enough greetings. Since when can servants hug their employers like that? You were hired to work, not to befriend your employer. Bella, you should understand the difference between your status and theirs.”
Max’s words immediately silenced the servants, who had been too excited to see Bella return after a long time.
Not wanting to cause a scene, Bella smiled at the servants, “Please continue with your work. I’ll be staying for dinner tonight. Mrs. Lari, I really miss your grilled ribs.”
After the servants left, Max looked at their backs with disdain and said, “These servants are really disrespectful, not knowing their place. They’ll get fired sooner or later. Bella, you shouldn’t get too close to them. We need to know our place and value.”
Bella raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t responded earlier to avoid a commotion but was taken aback that the man who always seemed kind could say such degrading things.
“You’re right, we should know our place and value. You’re not much different from those servants,” Bella said nonchalantly, shrugging.
Max, angered by her calm demeanor, shouted, “I’m like them? Bella, are you out of your mind?”
In the past, if Max raised his voice, Bella would act like a submissive puppy, trying to soothe his anger. But now, Bella found his indignation amusing.
“Am I wrong? They’re hired by my father, just like you are. There’s no difference. You’re all employees of the same boss. Ah… except you’re also his son-in-law. Maybe you’re relying on that to feel superior?” Bella looked him in the eye, her voice gentle but dripping with sarcasm.
Max clenched his fists. Though furious, he couldn’t do anything because he was standing in his president’s house, facing his president’s only daughter.
Unable to refute Bella’s truthful words, Max tightened his grip and said, “I’m different from them; don’t compare me to mere cleaners.”
