PART- 3

 Five years later…

[ Isabella ]

“God! What am I supposed to do now? It was the tenth interview that I failed.” I clutched my hairs in frustration.

“Hey, chill. There are still three companies who are hiring freshers. You can try your luck there.”

Windy, the waitress in my favourite café tried to cheer me up by placing my favourite chocolate mousse cake in front of me.

“Thanks, Windy but I can’t help this low feeling and rejections. They won’t help me to pay my bills. My landlord will throw me out of my apartment very soon if I don’t pay my three months’ rent.” I shared my predicament with her.

I was fired from my last job. I worked in a hotel as assistant manager, the salary was good since my grades both at college and university but one day, I was told that they replaced me with someone.

It was one on the recommendation of a rich family.

Although I had potential and I worked really hard but everything is useless.

“Stay positive. You know you’re always welcome to come here to work with me. Besides, your parents will support you. You still have a home.” She winked at me and went to serve other customers.

“I didn’t study my ass off to work as a waitress but I think I’ll have to pick this job if I don’t want to live with my parents and become a burden for them.” I murmured to myself and looked out of the window at the never tiring city.

“No! I want only chocolate mousse cake. I want it now.”

I heard a cute baby voice yelling and it forced me to look at the source of distraction. It forced me out of my predicament.

I saw two small kids, a boy and a girl standing before the counter with grumpy face, especially the girl. It was her who yelled.

“I am sorry, sweetie but they are finished. Please, give us some time to bake a fresh one for you.” The café owner said to her with a nervous smile.

“My sister wants it now.” The boy spoke, he had a frown on his face and when I took a closer look at him, my heart skipped a beat. He reminded me of someone but it was impossible.

I shook my head but again my gaze shifted on those beautiful kids.

“I want chocolate mousse cake. I will tell my dad. He will punish you.” The girl started crying.

The café owner’s face turned pale and it confused me why a baby’s cute threat left a serious impact on him. I looked at my untouched cake and then at the weeping girl whose brother was rubbing her back but the girl didn’t calm down.

“Do you want to eat my cake?” I asked the girl softly.

She stopped crying and looked at me and then at the cake which I held out for her. Her big green eyes brightened up.

“I haven’t eaten it. You can take it if you want. I will wait for fresh one.” I said and then she looked at her brother.

“We shouldn’t take anything from strangers, Ari.” The boy said like a mature person to his sister and I was in an awe seeing those adorable kids but where were their mother or father?

“You’re right. I am giving it back on the counter. You can buy it from there. Are you happy now?” I suggested and the boy seemed to think hard.

“Austin, Ariel, you both are here already. I told you to wait for me but you never listen. I was panicked when I didn’t find you where I told you two to stand.”

I froze when I heard a familiar voice I hadn’t heard in years. The kids giggled and turned to the person.

“Isabella?”

I gulped my storming emotions and I turned to face the person whom I missed terribly. The memories from our past flooded back, the last one too. I left the city quietly. I vividly remember Celeste calling me countless times and even visited my parents to know where I was gone.

I didn’t deserve her or her brother.

“Hey, Celeste.” I smiled weakly at my best friend whom I was seeing after five years. It felt like a dream.

Her face was contoured with shock.

“Auntie, see, this nice lady gave me her cake.” The small girl nudged a surprised Celeste and it was my turn to get shocked.

She called Celeste her auntie. The boy’s striking resemblance with Christopher only means….

“Take the kids back in the car. I’ll be there shortly.” Celeste looked away to command a man in black suit whom I didn’t notice before.

“But we just came here, Auntie. You know Dad. He will not allow us to come out again.” The boy named Austin pouted at her.

He was a cute kid with her.

“We’ll go to the park, I promise. Please, give me five minutes. I’ll join you.” Celeste smiled lovingly at them and their driver took them with him.

“Bye, nice lady for the cake.” Ariel waved at me with a wide smile before they went out of the café and I was left alone with Celeste.

“I can’t believe I am seeing you, Bella.” She said in a hoarse voice and I had a very hard time controlling my emotions.

I shut her out of my life after the incident at the party as per Lydia Salvatore’s ultimatum.

“I am sorry. You know it wasn’t easy for me.” I said. I felt short of excuses because I was at fault but I didn’t expect her to hug me.

“I missed you a lot, Bella. I called you many times, I even went to your house but you weren’t there. Why did you disappear without telling me? I thought we were best friends.” She complained with teary eyes.

I was ashamed. How could I tell her the reason of my biggest sacrifice?

“I am sorry, the circumstances forced me to leave after what Chris…” I paused, “Your brother did at the party that night. I couldn’t stay here or the betrayal would destroy me.” I said the truth.

“I punished him by not talking to him until the kids were born. I reconciled with him only for my little niece and nephew. I know he was wrong but you should have stayed.” She said and I remained silent.

“So, Christopher is married and they are his kids?” I said with a smile but the dull pain I felt in my heart couldn’t be hidden.

“Yes, the kids are my brother’s but he isn’t married.” She said and I looked up at her in shock.

“What? What are you saying? Isn’t he married to Rachel?” I couldn’t believe what I heard. Wasn’t it the reason that his mother told me?

She shook her head negatively.

“No, he didn’t marry her. Rachel got pregnant after…” She paused when she saw my pained face.

I couldn’t erase those scenes from my memory.

“She gave birth to the twins but refused to marry Christopher because my mother wanted her to devote her life to Chris and the kids. She signed the parental rights to him and since then he raised them alone until now. It’s getting hard for him to divide his time.” She said.

I didn’t know how to feel. Christoher is the father of two adorable kids but still unmarried. How would he feel about me if we meet again?

“We have been looking for a trustworthy nanny but the kids don’t approve any of the hundred candidates we shortlisted till now. I could see Ariel likes you and Austin will approve his sister’s preference. The salary is very good.” Celeste kept saying but I couldn’t catch her meaning.

“Why are you telling me this, Celeste?” I asked her.

She held my shoulders.

“Do you want to be their nanny, Bella?”