novelnext Chapter 19
Chapter 19
"I'll be away on a business trip for a few days. If you need anything, just message me," Mark said before pausing to add,
"Whenever you're ready to give me an answer, just let me know. I'll wait for you."After taking a long, hot shower to clear her head, Bella finally felt the alcohol's fog lifting. Thinking back on everything that had just happened, she still found it hard to believe.The steam still lingered in her room when Mark's message arrived at the perfect time.
"Rest early. Goodnight."His words gently filled the empty spaces in my heart. I replied softly, "Goodnight."I had barely settled into bed when my phone rang again. Thinking it was Mark, I grabbed it, only to see an unfamiliar number."Hello? Who's this?" I called out, but all I heard on the other end was heavy breathing. The uneasy silence made my skin crawl.
"Hello?" I asked again. Just when I was about to hang up, the caller finally spoke, "Bella, I'm at your apartment complex gate.The sound was so familiar. He was Sonny. My mood turned black."How did you even find out where I live?" I demanded.
"I'm not coming out."Without any hesitation, I immediately ended and blocked his number. The complex had tight security and I was sure the security would not let Sonny in. I would not have to worry he would look for me.I turned off my cell phone and went to bed for a peaceful night.
However, when I left for work in the morning, Sonny was still waiting for me by the gate.It had rained nonstop the previous night, so he looked disheveled and miserable. His clothes were crumpled and hung loosely on his now-thin frame, marked with dried rainwater. His face was unshaven and pale. He looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes. The man who once prided himself on his impeccable appearance now looked utterly defeated.Sonny stepped forward, grabbed my hand and pleaded with a desperate and raspy voice, "Bella, please … talk to me."
I never thought he would be like this. Back then, he had always appeared perfectly put together, no matter how little he had. Now, he seemed a ghost of his former self.
I easily pulled my hand free and stepped back to put distance from him."What kind of game are you playing this time, Sonny?" My patience had worn thin and I was tired of his constant harassment."I know you hate me," he said, his voice strained and heavy. "You think I let you down, that I constantly neglected you and didn't take our marriage seriously.""I admit I was unfair," he continued, his Adam's apple bobbing as he struggled to speak. "I knew how much it hurt you, but I still chose to prioritize Nicole. I wasted all the love you had for me.""I won't do it anymore. I'll put all my focus on you from now on. So, please … can you come back to me?""So you knew all along," I laughed bitterly, my laugh sounded so hollow. I looked at him with a sense of relief I hadn't expected.
Sonny wasn't oblivious. He simply chose to ignore what was right and wrong, making decisions that broke my heart even though he knew the truth.Once, we had loved each other deeply. Our feelings had been real, every moment genuine. Yet that love had eroded over time, leaving nothing behind.Sonny's world revolved around work and Nicole never around me. That was the reality I had come to accept, even if he still couldn't let go.