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Chapter 4

Penulis: Leaf
The next morning, after Damian had gone to work, Bella showed up at his home.

The house was pretty empty, save for the ragdoll cat that had curled into itself on the couch. It happily ran toward Bella and rubbed against her feet in welcome.

She picked the cat up and ran her fingers through its soft, fluffy fur. "Come on. Time to get you a new home now that I've made up my mind."

She brought the cat back to her place and started browsing Amazon for some pet supplies and a house for the new owner. The cat rested on her lap, occasionally looking up at her, as though it suspected something.

After a while, Bella thought she should just buy those things from a pet store. She took the cat with her and drove to a nearby pet store.

A board was erected outside. Curious, Bella approached it to take a good look.

One of the pictures immediately grabbed her attention. It showed none other than Dakota and Damian standing close to each other, their smiles as natural and cheery as they could possibly be, with a cat nestling in her arm. It was the picture of a happy family.

Bella squeezed her arms a little. The cat cried out a little, sensing the change in her mood.

The shopkeeper noticed her standing outside and came to greet her. "Good morning, ma'am. Oh, fancy seeing you again, kitty-cat!"

Bella reeled. "Huh? I mean, when was this photo taken?"

"Hmm… Probably last summer. They were here to get something for Lil' Buddy over here. The man said this was their cat and the family's most precious little baby."

Bella's heart sank. She hung her head, deep in thought.

She was abroad last summer. The days were always so back-breakingly busy, and yet the nights stubbornly stayed sleepless for hours.

She had missed home. She had missed Damian.

She had asked if he could take a picture of himself with the cat. He replied, "For real?! I don't have the time for childish things like this, Bella! Please respect my time!"

He was impatient. "Would it kill you to be a little more mature, Bella? I really have no time for this juvenile request."

As it turned out, he did take that picture with the cat. He could not send it over because he took that picture with Dakota.

Bella felt a pang in her chest.

"Um, ma'am? Are you alright?"

The shopkeeper's voice snapped her out of her trance. Bella shook her head and forced a smile. "Sorry. I spaced out there. I'm fine."

She left the store and drove to visit a friend who had been clamoring to keep a cat as her pet. Seeing the ragdoll sent her over the moon. "Really, Bella?! I can keep it?! It's sooooo cute!"

Belal grinned and patted the cat's head. "Please take good care of it."

The cat burrowed itself into her chest. It did not want to leave Bella yet…

But this was it—Bella had made up her mind. She gave the cat one last, longing look before placing it on her friend's arms.

She left.

Bella buried herself on the couch as she cried wordlessly. Tears broke out of her closed eyes like water from broken dams.

It took her this long to realize that the sweet, cherished memories of two had always just been the dreams and delusions of one all along.
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  • After Love   Chapter 24

    Bella was about to leave the country. She had bought her plane tickets and packed her things.Before she left, her mother asked tentatively, "Are you sure you don't want to let him know? He's been with you for years, after all…"Bella paused a little while tidying her luggage. Rodrigue shot a glance and sighed. He waved, signaling to his wife to give up.While boarding, Bella looked at her phone and stared at Damian's name in her contact list. Finally, just when it was almost time, she called. Damian picked up quickly enough. He sounded tired and reserved, "Bella?"She gripped her phone hard but said nothing. A long silence later, Damian asked with visible worry, "What's up?"She said nothing. The silence went on longer until an announcement rang through the hall, "Boarding gate for Flight AB987, bound to London, has opened."Damian's breathing audibly quickened. He seemed to have deduced something. "You're at the airport? Where are you going?"Bella looked at the boarding g

  • After Love   Chapter 23

    The Valdezes and the Foxes worked together to gather evidence of the Stelters' wrongdoing before handing it to the cops. They then hired the best attorneys in the business to help speed up the case in court.Dakota and Daryl's crimes were laid bare. Abduction, attempted murder, property damage, and another case of attempted murder by a car—their crimes were irrefutable.Bella and Damian attended the hearing to testify. Their lawyers spared no quarters and crushed the Stelters. When it was over, Dakota blew up. Not even being the cops could make her shut up. "The only reason you're winning is because you're lucky to be born rich and near him! You are just lucky to be his childhood friend!"You don't even love him! And he doesn't even love you! He's only obsessed with you because he's been conditioned to it by his family and everything else!" she shrieked. "To him, you're just a responsibility he was saddled with since you were born!"She shot daggers at Damian. "Wake up, Damian! A

  • After Love   Chapter 22

    Claire offered to drive Bella home after the event. She shook her head and declined. "I've already hired someone to drive for me. They will be here soon."She bade Claire farewell and went to the parking lot alone. Her echoing footsteps made her feel just a little anxious.Then, suddenly, she heard a shrill sound of an engine. A car was charging toward her just as she turned to the source of the sound.She almost fell and got run over, but someone yanked her away from danger at the last minute. The momentum pulled her into that figure's embrace, who had a brush with the car as it brushed past them. He fell onto the floor and groaned. The sound attracted a crowd. "What happened?! Was that driver trying to kill her or what?!"Bella quickly ran to help the figure up, only to realize it was Damian. "It's you!"His face was pale. There was blood on his forehead. Nevertheless, he shielded her behind himself. "Don't worry. I'm here for you," he cooed lowly.The police arrived and dr

  • After Love   Chapter 21

    One day, while Bella was working on a work document, her phone vibrated. Claire's name popped up. "Hey, Bella! There's a reunion tomorrow evening. Wanna go? Everyone's dying to see you."Bella massaged her temples. "No. I'm busy lately. I'm not in the mood.""Oh, stop selling your soul to work," Claire replied. She sounded like she was begging her to reconsider. "How long has it been since you've gone out to any event? It's just a gathering. Everyone keeps saying they haven't seen you in forever.""But I—""Okay, I think that settles it! I'm coming to pick you up tomorrow. Don't even think about getting away like a dirty coward!" she cut Bella short. "Fine." Bella relented. "I'll show up, but just for a while."-That evening, Bella chose an unassuming dress and put on a simple but elegant makeup. She entered the banquet room. Soft lighting illuminated a long table filled with food and wine. Some of her old schoolmates were chatting among themselves."Bella!" someone calle

  • After Love   Chapter 20

    Bella entered Damian's ward, her eyes lingering on his pale face and shut eyes. He was so skinny, it almost looked like his body was caving in. He used to be such a looker…Claire had told her that the odds of Damian waking up were very slim. Even his doctors were not optimistic. Nevertheless, Bella still came to visit him every day. Sometimes, she would just sit next to him. Other times, she would tell him about what happened in her life, much like she used to do back in those good old days.His pale, almost bloodless face often triggered her childhood memories…She had a high fever during winter when she was five. It gave her quite the brain fog, and yet she had refused to get any injections. Damian had stood next to her bed, frowning. "Don't even think about getting out of this one, Bella! Get the shot now before your brain is seriously fried!"She was only three youngers than him, but he managed to carry her and set her down on a couch before wiping the sweat on her forehead

  • After Love   Chapter 19

    When Bella regained consciousness, she found herself in a brightly lit hospital ward. Her head felt heavy, as though it was filled with lead. Her throat felt dry."Bella!" A frantic cry snapped her out of her stupor. Her parents were flanking the sides of her bed. Her mother's eyes were filled with tears. Her father's face was stricken with worry and anger.They looked exhausted and tormented. New streaks of gray stood out in their hair."M-Mom… Dad…" Her voice came out a dry rasp.Stella clutched her hand like a lifeline, fresh tears spilling over. "You scared us half to death, baby! What would we do if..." Her voice broke.Rodrigue glared toward the hallway. "We've filed charges against that lunatic. She won't get away with this!"Bella gave a weak head shake. "I'm sorry... for worrying you..."Memories flooded back—using herself as bait to expose Dakota, nearly dying in the process. Seeing her parents' anguish filled her with regret.She held onto her mom's hand. "If I kne

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