“I never thought that crying girl would grow to be so beautiful,” Eric commented with a charming smile.
Arabella instantly blushed. “Nahhh…stop joking around.” She replied chuckling. “Look who’s talking, that boy was now a successful billionaire. I am proud of you, brother.”
“Brother?” Eric frowned hearing Arabella.
Arabella smirked cutely and nodded. “You are my soul’s brother. Just like the brave boy I have known before.”
Eric smiled charmingly as he remembered the cute little girl before now grew up to be a beautiful refined woman who got his heart from the first time, he laid his eyes on her.
Now he understood why he could not forget the girl so easily that even after so many long years, he still wanted to find and see her.
“When I first saw you at the charity dinner, you already got my attention. I didn’t know you back then.” Eric confessed.
“Thank you for what you have done for me back there.” She muttered sincerely.
When Bill tricked her, Eric helped her find the necklace and she knew he joined the bidding to save her from the pervert old billionaires who wanted to take her out.
“Don’t mention it. If I have known that you are that girl I’m looking for, you would not suffer such humiliation.” Eric’s voice turned stern.
He seemed displeased remembering that night in the charity.
If he only found it earlier, he would never allow Bill Sky to bully her.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Arabella muttered.
Deep silence invaded the air in a few seconds.
“What’s your relationship with Bill Sky? Are the rumors true?” Finally, Eric asked. His expression was sincerely worried.
“Hmmm…” Arabella was stunned by Eric’s question.
She didn’t know what to answer so she heaved a heavy sigh.
Then, she started to tell Eric everything.
For some reason, she felt at ease with him and she felt secure with his company.
That night, in the garden, Arabella and Eric had a long catching-up talk until Arabella’s phone rang.
Bill Sky.
She instantly felt panic as she strode away from Eric to answer Bill’s call.
Arabella quickly answered the call or Bill would call Adam.
That would cause more chaos.
“Do you miss me?” With a melodious tone, she answered but deep inside she was nervous.
“How do you know?” Bill on the other line, sounded tired but was still in for some romance.
“Because… because I miss you.” Arabella used all her wits to allure Bill’s all attention to her.
After her words, Bill chuckled on the other line. He seemed pleased and satisfied with her.
“You made me love you even more,” Bill commented on the other line sweetly.
“Where are you?” Arabella asked before Bill could.
“Well, I’m still here in the office. Still preparing for the revisions of documents for the bidding.” She could sense Bill was exhausted.
The bidding was set the day after tomorrow.
It was too close already.
“Don’t work too hard. Have you eaten?” Arabella kept on asking him giving him no time to ask her whereabouts for today.
How could she possibly say that she’s with Eric right now?
Had eaten the dinner that Eric cooked for her?
If Bill would know, he would be enraged and sure enough, he would be there like a lightning bolt.
“Lira arranged for my meal,” Bill reported.
“Oh, well, I’m relief that you have Lira there,” Arabella answered.
“Where are you?” Bill suddenly asked.
Arabella’s hand had become stiff.
That was the question that she avoided.
“Hmmm... I picked up Adam and was going to go home now.” Using all her wits left, she answered feeling intense nervous.
She just hoped that Bill would not sense something.
“Mr. Sky, we added this to the clause….”
Arabella heard another person’s voice on the other line.
“One second,” Bill answered the person.
“I have to go now. I’ll be home after I finished here. I love you.” Bill sounded like an ideal loving husband to his wife.
“I love you too.” Arabella was very thankful to that other person. He was a savior.
When the call ended, she went back to Eric who was still sitting and looking afar.
“Sorry. Bill called.” She explained lifting her phone.
Eric smiled and nodded.
He didn’t say anything and his expression was gloomy.
“Are you, okay?” Arabella asked worriedly.
Eric smirked handsomely.
“I am just thinking…” Eric muttered while his eyes were staring afar. “What if I found you earlier? What if I found you before you had met Bill… Would it make a difference?” Eric asked melancholy like he was just talking to himself.
Arabella looked at Eric then her stare traveled afar just like him.
“Maybe…” Arabella muttered. “I believe anyone we meet in our life is fate. Some would just want to say hi and go. Some would stay and some would just enter our lives to teach us a lesson or to make us strong. C’est la vie!”
“You’re right, but you know what? Now that I found you, I would be that someone who will stay in your life forever and I hope you will do the same.” Eric’s eyes were now with her.
Arabella met Eric’s eyes.
She could see all his sincerity.
“We meet again for a purpose and I also hope that it’s for good.” She answered looking into his eyes. From their stares, it seemed their souls were talking.
After they talked, Arabella and Adam went home.
As usual, Kelly was there but they were not in a good term.
She went upstairs leaving Adam with his grandma.
Bill was still not home. She decided to call Farrah.
Even though Farrah was far away from Capital Z they never lost contact.
“Wazzup friend!” Farrah said excitedly.
“How are you and Gab?” Arabella asked.
“We are good. Is there any problem?” Farrah asked worriedly.
Arabella heaved a deep sigh.
“Whatever happened, take care of your family. Okay?” With a serious tone, Arabella uttered.
“Bestie… Why do I get this feeling that something bad would happen?” Farrah asked worriedly. “Please tell me what’s the problem.” Farrah pleaded.
At this moment, she hoped that she was just near to Arabella so she could just go and see her and know her real situation just like before.
“Nothing…” Arabella answered. “I love you.” Arabella's words were sentimental.
Her words should be music to Farrah’s ears but it was the opposite.
It gave her a creep.
“Come on! What’s the problem? I can listen the whole night. Just tell me!” Farrah knew her best friend very well and she refused to accept her lies.
Arabella chuckled on the other line. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing…” She answered.
Farrah heaved a heavy sigh. “Okay. If you say so…” Hearing Arabella’s laugh, Farrah gave up but she knew Arabella had something in mind that she couldn't say.
She trusted her friend and whatever it is, Farrah was confident that Arabella could conquer and be responsible for everything.
After she called Farrah, she closed her eyes and breathed in silence when someone banged on her door.
Before she stood up, Arabella released a heavy breath then jumped out of the bed to open.
Kelly stormed inside with a dangerous expression.
Before Arabella could react, Kelly slapped her hard.
“How dare you cheated on my son?” Kelly’s eyes were full of hatred.
Arabella felt the sting on her cheek.
She was not prepared for Kelly’s sudden attack.
She moved her jaw and touched her painful cheek for a while feeling the ache then Arabella laughed.
Hearing Arabella’s laugh, Kelly got more irritated.
She lifted her arm to slap Arabella again but she caught her wrist again.
“Ops!!! You don’t have to right to hurt me. Once is enough!” Arabella said firmly like she was lecturing Kelly.
“Are you denying that you have many men?” Kelly’s eyeballs bulged in anger as she tried to free her wrist from Arabella’s grip. “Let go!” She roared.
Hearing Kelly, she let go of her arm harshly.
“From the start, I know what you want from my son. And I know what kind of girl you are! You use your beauty to allure men! You can’t live without them.!You can’t live with even one man. You are more than a prostitute Arabella!” Kelly’s eyes were killers.
If only her stare could kill, Arabella would be definitely dead by now. “I know how you think. Because my son is so busy, you started to flirt with that Eric Grant using your son. Do you think I am stupid? I have my men following you everywhere! Even Adam had confirmed it!”
No wonder, Kelly was still awake at this time and she was obviously waiting for them.
If she was not mistaken Kelly interrogated Adam earlier while she was already in Bill’s room.
“Do you really think you can mess up with my family?” Kelly met Arabella’s eyes. “You are wrong! Very wrong! You don’t know what this family can do to you!” Kelly’s smile carried great threats.
“Rest assured, Bill, your husband will know this!” Suddenly, Kelly roughly threw pictures on Arabella’s face then they spread on the floor.
Arabella looked at the scattered pictures on the floor.
She saw her with Damien from different angles in the restaurant. There were also pictures of her and Eric in the garden.
Arabella heaved a heavy breath and met Kelly’s eyes.
Then, Arabella smiled.
“Bravo!”
“Bravo!”
“Bravo!”
Arabella clapped her hands while her smile never left her face.
Kelly was taken aback.
She had thought with the evidence she had, Arabella would panic.
Kelly expected Arabella to beg her then be opened for her settlement but she was wrong.
The girl was worse than she thought.
“You really think you can scare me of these pictures?” Arabella chuckled menacingly. “Trust me, aunt Kelly, I really tried to be nicer to you but you always pushed me to my limits.” Arabella walked in a circle.
“By the way, you should fire your men because their shots were incomplete,” Arabella added with a provoking tone.
Kelly was stunned. She breathed anger while she was rooted on her spot. Her eyes were cursing Arabella.
“Oh, how pity they didn’t see me with Jayson Hansen. I’m sure you know him. Should I tell you? I went to his house too before I went to Eric’s house.” Arabella laughed. “Come to think of it… Bill...” Arabella was counting on her finger.” … Jayson …. Eric… Wow! Maybe you want to congratulate me for hooking up with these three billionaires?” Arabella stopped walking in front of her and met Kelly’s hateful eyes.
“Now tell me, aunt Kelly, Are you proud of me?” Arabella smiled proudly.
“You! You! You are really a slut!” Kelly stormed to slap her again but Arabella had caught her wrist again.
“You can’t hurt me again!” Arabella pushed Kelly’s hand with all force. Kelly was taken aback.
Arabella was stronger than her and she didn’t expect her to fight back.
Driven with anger and vengeance, Kelly picked the porcelain vase and threw it to Arabella.
The vase created a resounding cracking sound and the vase shattered on the ground.
“What happened here?” Suddenly, Bill’s voice sounded. “Mom, what have you done?” Bill rushed to Arabella on the floor. Blood was dripping on her leg.
“Honey, You’re here. It’s nothing.” Arabella sounded low. Her expression was dispirited.
“Mom, please explain this,” Bill demanded to Kelly who was in a panic.
“She deserved that! You know what your wife was doing behind your back?” Kelly was no stopping. She was determined to reveal Arabella’s cheating.
“That woman is a cheater! Bill your wife is not contented with one man. She was dating other men when you are not around.” Kelly pointed the girl on the floor.
After Kelly, Arabella struggled to stand up but she was shoved back to the ground with her blood dripping.
Bill quickly got the first aid and put a bandage on her wound.
“My son, listen to me. That woman is not deserving with your love. She was just toying with you! Listen to me son.” Kelly went to snatch the box of the first aid.
“Honey, I think your mom doesn’t like me at all. I had tried my best to be a good daughter-in-law.” Arabella muttered while her head was low. She looked so pity sitting on the ground. “I don’t think I can stay here with your mom anymore.” She added with a very disheartened tone.
“Honey. I will fix this. Okay? Trust me.” Bill tapped her shoulder.
“No, Bill. I love you but I can’t live with your mom.” Arabella declared firmly shaking her head.
“And I don’t want to see your thick face too!” Kelly roared.
“You heard that, Hon. Your mom just hurt me with the face. I want you to choose now!” Arabella demanded firmly while she met Bill’s deep eyes.
“How dare you!” Kelly roared angrily. "You think my son would choose you over me, his own mother?"
“Mom! Stop!” Bill shouted dangerously.
Kelly was taken aback. Her son was shouting at her because of Arabella.
Losing her control, Kelly strode toward Bill and gave him a heavy slap. “Look how that woman had influenced you!” Kelly angrily shouted at his face.
Bill stood still. He looked at her mom with disdain.
“If you can’t accept my wife. Please leave.” Bill said putting emphasis on his every word.
Disheartened and insulted by her son’s choice, Kelly looked at Arabella full of hatred.
Arabella met her eyes with a smile.