CHAPTER 2

ISABELLA’S POV 

“Isabella?” Ryan noticed me.

I gasped  when I saw the emotion in his eyes. He wasn’t frightened or surprised that I had caught them together. Instead, he looked annoyed. Oh God… I thought I had finally calmed the storm in his heart during our year of marriage. I was terribly wrong.

What are you doing here?” he repeated as he straightened his long-sleeved polo, the polo I bought for him last month.

I ignored him and looked at his mistress instead. Serena, the popular actress and model, was standing right in front of me, glaring at me with disgust when she was the one who should be ashamed. I balled my fists and went after her without a word.

Ouch!” she screamed after I yanked her hair. I scratched her arm and tried to grab her neck, but she quickly pulled away.

“F*ck! Stop it, Isabella!”

I ignored Ryan and kept dragging Serena’s hair.

I said stop, Bella! Just stop it!”

Ryan, help me! Get her off me, you crazy bitch!

I laugh bitterly. “You  shameless mistress..”

I was shoved to the floor. A whimper escaped my lips when I twisted my right wrist. Tears rolled down my cheeks again because of the pain, but what hurt more was the fact that Ryan had pushed me away. He looked at me with fury while hugging his mistress 

I cried as I looked up at him.

What the fuck, Isabella?!” he shouted, his face burning red with anger. He pointed at me furiously. Get out! You’re the disgusting one here. You make me sick! 

I slowly raised my injured wrist, hoping he still cared. “I’m hurt,Ryan.

“I don't freaking care! Leave before I throw  you out myself!.

My heart breaks into pieces. I sobbed even harder as I watched him gently cup Serena’s cheeks.

Slowly, I tried to pull myself up. Johnson helped me. I saw the staff of Mitchell Group looking  at us through the open door. I bit my lower lip as I was overwhelmed in shame. I slowly walked toward the door . For the last time, I glanced back at Ryan, hoping he would change his mind and choose me, but he was too busy taking care of his  love.

I drew in a sharp breath as I took in the situation. I pitied myself, so helpless and broken. I swallowed hard and broke down in tears again. He had completely shattered me. 

Why did he have to treat me like this?

“You shouldn’t have left the hospital, Bella. Look at what happened to you. Why did you hurt your wrist?

Aunt Evelyn continued fussing over me  while looking at the bandage on my left wrist. I couldn’t answer her. I lay there, staring at the ceiling with my lips pressed together. My mind felt empty. I didn’t understand what Aunt Evelyn was saying. I couldn’t fully process everything that had happened. It wasn’t clear, because my mind wouldn’t accept it.

Three days later, I still hadn’t gone back to Ryan’s mansion. I remained at Aunt Evelyn’s house with her three sons, my cousins.

I was watching television when the news suddenly flashed across the screen. A photo of two familiar people appeared. It looked like it had been taken secretly, but their faces were as clear as day.

Is that Ryan?” Aunt Evelyn asked sharply, pointing at the television while staring at me.

I glanced away, avoiding her gaze.

“Tell me what actually happened, Isabella. Is that the reason you’ve been acting strange? Is that why you’re not going back home?

I bit down  my bottom lip as I saw one of my cousins walking down the stairs. His gaze landed on the television, and his brow furrowed.

Ryan is having an affair? What the heck, Bella!”

I stood up from the couch and flinched when my injured wrist bumped against it. The doctor said I needed surgery, but I couldn’t bring myself to focus on anything.

Isabella!” Aunt Evelyn called out, 

 annoyed. That was when I quietly broke down in tears. I wasn’t going back home because I didn’t want to accept the fact that Ryan was divorcing me. Now that their relationship has been made public, I don't know what to do next.

Unable to bear the pain and humiliation, I ran upstairs and locked myself inside my bedroom. I cried endlessly. I cried from the pain, from the heartbreak, from everything. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep, hoping I would feel better when I woke up. But nothing changed. The next morning, shocking news hit me. Ryan had been rushed to the hospital after someone beat him up yesterday. I had a feeling I knew who did it, but I am scared to confront him about it. 

I was running downstairs when Damian, one of my cousins, stopped me in my tracks. He looked at me with fury in his eyes. “Where do you think you’re going, Isabella? To him?”

I looked at him. “I know it was you who beat him up, Damian.”

He gritted his teeth. “He deserved every bit of it, Isabella.

“Why would you do something like that, Damian?” I asked, raising my voice at him.

I saw Aunt Evelyn,Damon, and Dominic  looking our way. I gritted my teeth as I glared angrily at Damian. “You shouldn’t have beaten him up!”

“I know you’re so damn in love with that asshole, but think about yourself too. He humiliated you.. He broke your heart. How foolish can you be? It’s time to let him go!”

I shook my head and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I pushed him aside and ran out of the house. I heard them calling me , but I didn't answer them. I hailed a taxi and went straight to the hospital where Ryan was admitted.

 My heart pounded with worry as I opened the door, but for the nth time, it broke down all over again. Seeing him kissing Serena and holding her down on the bed as though he wasn’t even injured made me realize something.

Damian was right. Ryan had humiliated me and kept hurting me again and again. This was the end of our story. I was ready to accept it now. I gave up. I… surrendered.