Five

As Ella walked out of the mansion, she felt as though the last piece of happiness in her life had disappeared. Richard had been the only person who made her feel loved after her mother, but now he belonged to someone else. She dragged her suitcase behind her, her steps heavy and uncertain, while the image of him with another woman replayed in her mind.

Her phone rang. When she answered and heard Jessica’s voice, the little control she had left began to crumble.

“Jessica…”

“Hey, girl. What’s wrong with your voice?”

“I just got divorced. Richard just divorced me.” Ella rushed the words out, and hearing someone ask about her made the pain even harder to contain.

“Oh, dear. I wanted to call you about something important, but you don’t sound like you’re in the right state of mind to hear it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m not at the hospital today, so I’m free. Let me come and pick you up. Just tell me where you are.”

Ella sniffed, preparing to answer, but the call suddenly ended. She glanced at her phone. The battery had died.

“Oh, gosh. What am I going to do now?”

She gripped her suitcase and looked back at the mansion one last time before walking through the gate. She wanted to call her mother, but she couldn’t bear to explain what had happened—not the divorce, not the humiliation, and certainly not the pregnancy she had yet to reveal.

She walked down the street, lost in thought, until a car stopped abruptly beside her.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

Ella jolted and stepped back. She had been so distracted that she hadn’t noticed how close she was to the vehicle.

“I’m so sorry, sir.”

“I almost hit you. You need to be more careful.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, lowering her gaze.

Before the man could say anything else, another voice interrupted.

“Hey, do you cause trouble everywhere you go?”

Ella turned at the familiar voice.

Jessica was stepping out of her car.

Relief washed over her. For the first time since leaving the mansion, she felt as though she wasn’t completely alone.

“I almost got hit by his car,” Ella explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry about that. She’s been under a lot of stress lately. I’ll take her with me now. Thank you.”

“No problem. Just make sure she’s careful next time.”

“I will.”

Jessica hurried over, took Ella’s suitcase, and guided her toward the car.

“Come on. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”

Jessica’s Apartment

“Will you stop crying for a moment?” Jessica pleaded as she placed a glass of water in front of Ella. “You’ve been crying since we left.”

Ella shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“I loved him with all my heart. How could he do this to me? He hurt me, Jessica. He made me feel like I was worth nothing.”

Jessica sat beside her and sighed. “I know you’re hurting, but you can’t keep working yourself up like this. You need to think about your health—and the baby.”

Ella’s expression changed at the reminder. She looked down at her stomach, her lips trembling.

“I don’t even know how I’m supposed to face my mother,” she whispered. “I haven’t told her anything.”

“You don’t have to solve everything tonight,” Jessica said more gently. “First, you need to rest. We’ll figure out what to do next.”

Ella leaned back against the couch, exhausted from the emotional strain. Jessica brought her a blanket and helped her settle down.

“Try to sleep for a while. I’ll make you something to eat when you wake up.”

Ella closed her eyes, but her mind remained filled with Richard’s words and the memory of the divorce. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.

Jessica watched her for a moment before quietly taking the suitcase into the bedroom.

“I can’t believe that man treated her like that,” she muttered. “He really needs to learn that actions have consequences.”

She returned to the sitting room and opened her laptop, determined to distract herself with the important matter she had wanted to discuss earlier.

…

Ella woke several hours later. It was already late in the evening, and her body felt heavy as she sat up. For a moment, she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling before remembering where she was.

Jessica’s room.

She had lived with Jessica before marrying Richard. Now, after everything had fallen apart, she was back where her life had once felt simple.

A delicious aroma drifted from the kitchen, drawing her out of bed. When she entered the sitting room, she found Jessica carrying a plate of spicy pasta toward the table.

“Oh, girl, you’re awake,” Jessica said.

Ella’s eyes immediately went to the food. “Can I eat that?”

Jessica chuckled. “Yes, you can. But only if you promise to stop thinking about that jerk for a few minutes.”

“Who are you talking about? I don’t know any jerk.”

Ella hurried toward the table, and Jessica stared at her in disbelief.

“I can’t believe my friend forgot about her first love so quickly because of spicy pasta.”

“Food is powerful,” Ella replied, already reaching for a fork.

For the first time that day, Jessica saw a small smile on her face.

While Ella ate, a notification appeared on Jessica’s laptop.

“You can continue eating. I need to check something.”

Ella barely looked up. “Go ahead.”

Jessica opened the message. Her expression changed almost immediately.

“Oh my goodness…”

Ella paused and glanced at her. “What happened?”

“Come and look at this.”

Ella wiped her mouth with a tissue and walked over.

“What exactly is the problem? Did someone send you a love message? Finally, my friend is getting married while I got divorced. That’s fine. I can be your marriage counselor from experience.”

“Marriage, my foot!” Jessica scoffed. “After what that jerk did to you, you think I’m interested in marriage?”

“Don’t talk like that. You can’t judge every book by its cover.”

“Mrs. Counselor, please look at the screen and stop giving me a lecture.”

Ella leaned closer to the laptop. Her playful expression slowly faded as she read the message.

“An investor?”

Jessica nodded.

“Yes. And not just any investor.”