Isabella~
"Victor, please return my phone to me." I pleaded with him as he disconnected Xavier's call on my phone.
"Bella, don't request anything that I can't fulfill. You already broke your promise two times, first kissing him and second accompanying him to his hotel in his drunken state." Anger burns in Victor's eyes.
"Please let me talk to him once; maybe he has to discuss something urgent with me." I know my request had no impact on him, but still, I tried to take my phone back.
My heart yearned to speak with Xavier after the events of yesterday night. Victor forbade me from speaking to Xavier again after he discovered that I had helped him get to his hotel the previous evening, even though I had already forgiven him for his actions and understood that the events between us were a result of his intoxication.
I didn't deliberately offend Victor, but after seeing Xavier's vulnerable state, I can't hold myself from accompanying him to his hotel. He needed my help at that time, and as a good human being, I assisted him. Therefore, I'm not sure why Victor is so angry with me after seeing me return from Xavier's hotel.
I secretly ran from the party when I noticed Xavier was tumbling on the road. He was so intoxicated that numerous taxis and cars passed by him nearby. Perhaps Xavier could have been involved in an accident if the drivers had failed to break in time. In his intoxicated state, he was continuously confessing his feelings to me.
He expressed regret for every error, his severe demeanor toward me, and every insult he inflicted upon me. Once I arrived at his hotel, I asked a staff member to accompany him to his room and gave her his belongings. Although I don't want to abandon him in this state, I secretly fear that I will develop feelings for him that I have long suppressed. I hurried back to my house without giving him another glance, as the impact of the kiss was still burning my lips.
When I got back from his hotel, those dumb media reporters followed me like a shadow and took pictures of me. After seeing me on television, Victor and my father-in-law were enraged with me that they didn't want to talk with me. When I attempted to respond to Xavier's SMS, Victor grabbed my phone and locked me in a room.
Alan didn't speak to any of us, as his anger stemmed from what had happened with Xavier at the party. He believes that I am solely to blame for this. I could stop Victor from beating Xavier if I wanted to, but Alan isn't aware of my pressure or the vow I made to Victor. Both my feelings for Xavier and my promise to Victor conflict.
I buried my face on the pillow, sobbed at my convoluted fate, and went to sleep. I opened my eyes as I felt a light touch on my head.
"Bella, please wake up. You didn't eat anything last night, so let's have lunch." His compassion for me caused tears to well up in my eyes.
"Dad, why don't you ask Victor to stop torturing me?" I cast a beseeching glance at him.
"He is not hurting you, Bella; rather, he is protecting you from the torment that awaits you once you return to Xavier. Xavier is indeed my son, but it's also true that he will harm you again if he finds out the truth." He cupped my face and used his thumb to wipe away my tears.
"But why did he take Alan away from me, Dad? He liked him and wanted to see him happy." I made another attempt to persuade him.
"Bella, you were so overcome by his fake love that you were unable to recognize his brutality." As he spoke of Xavier, the warmth in his eyes became icy.
"Can you forgive him, Dad? Xavier has already received punishment for his wrongdoings, and he sincerely regrets them. Give him a chance to demonstrate that he has changed, please." Seeing anger for Xavier in his father's eyes disturbed me.
I feel guilty when I contemplate the underlying cause of this intense animosity between father and son, knowing that I bear the responsibility. Victor, who adored his older brother, harbored such intense hatred for Xavier due to my actions that he was unable to stand beside him.
"Bella, that's enough. I invited you to join us for lunch; you don't need to advocate for your ex-husband. If you don't want to eat anything, it's fine; you can stay in this room as long as you want." He reprimanded me and walked away.
"Dad, Xavier is not my ex-husband; at least we have to accept the truth by ourselves." Every time someone refers to him as my ex-husband, my heart aches.
"We have already come to terms with reality and progressed in our lives, but you remain mired in the past, refusing to acknowledge him as your ex-husband, even though he hasn't missed a single chance to offend you." As I heard Victor's venomous voice, my eyes landed on my room's entrance.
"How can you expect me to forget about Xavier when he has always been a part of my life within my child?" I can't hold myself back from questioning him about the difficulties I've faced over the years in moving on from Xavier.
"Bella, that's enough. Don't dare to say this ever again. Alan is my child, and no one has any rights to him." Victor's eyes glowed with fear upon hearing the truth.
"Victor is right, Bella; you will never share this secret with anyone." Dad's face filled with seriousness.
"But I want to give him a second chance." My love for Xavier overcame me after witnessing his suffering, and I couldn't help but argue with those who had always been there for me throughout my darkest moments.
"Okay, I won't stop you from giving him another chance if you want to, but if he harms you again, I'll sever all of our connections for good." After hearing his decision, I was shocked to see Dad's expression, but I decided to give him another chance after seeing his transformed self.
"Dad, what are you doing? Why don't you stop her from committing such a mistake?" Victor looked at both of us with irritation.
"I want her to be content at all costs, so let her do anything she wants. Let's have lunch now." Although he pretended to be aloof and uncaring, he was quite worried about me.
"Thank you, dad." I gave him a joyful embrace.
We sat at the dining table, eating our lunch in peace and watching television. I am happy that Dad allowed me to keep my friendship with Xavier. Victor apologized to Alan and assured him that he could hang out with Xavier anywhere other than this place.
"Breaking news: James William is going to defend Jordan Lucas." Our attention was drawn to the television's continuous headline.
"James William? How is this even possible? How could James William, who has been best friends with Xavier since school days, fight against you when he is aware of Xavier's connection to this case?" Victor regarded my face with a puzzled expression.
"I don't believe Xavier is deserving of your trust, Bella; this is probably a new trick to make you feel weak." I started to second-guess my choice to give Xavier another chance after Dad's remarks cast doubt on his motivations.