Debbie stood up and blocked her face. "No, you got it wrong. I'm not Bella." She said and ran away. Thankfully, the teens did not follow her anymore. She grunted, realizing she would not even have a peaceful time in the park. Debbie continued with her walk and ended up in a café.
The cafe was not isolated, but the view was impeccable. This was the first time she saw this cafe, and most probably the last time, too. It was quaint and quiet, just like what she liked. Debbie hoped that this time, she would have a more peaceful time alone. The café staff walked towards her to get her order. Debbie avoided eye contact with the staff. She is not sure about the extent of her exposure as the viral "Bella Moore" and the truth is, she is also too afraid to turn on her phone to check on it.
She seamlessly ordered her food, and no one seemed to recognize her here. Debbie took a sip of her coffee; she needed the peace of mind that she usually gets from a hot cup. She reflected on how her life has been in a complete downward spiral in the past few days and the answer to ending it all is just a call away and she can't seem to find the courage to do it.
When her orders came, the waitress moved closer to Debbie. "You are the famous love guru, right, Bella Moore? Right?" She took out her phone and asked for a selfie with her.
"I'm sorry, I'm not her." Debbie said as she stood up and tried to leave. She can't believe how much Bella's popularity can ruin her life. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Her initial purpose was to simply payback their debt and not destroy everything that they had built just like that.
The waitress looked upset and mumbled, "She's not even that pretty. The audacity of her to turn down a simple request."
Debbie walked out and ignored the ranting against her. On her way out, she finally turned on her phone and instantly her phone was flooded with alerts.
"Ring, ring." She saw an unknown number calling her again. "What do you want from me?" She angrily answered her phone. Debbie did not want this confrontation, but she felt like she needed to get this off of her chest.
"You know what we want from you." The person on the other side calmly answered Debbie. "Bella, it is such a simple request and the rewards are high. I can't really understand why you keep turning us down," He chuckled.
"How many times should I tell you that I am not Bella Moore before you believe me?" She shouted on the phone. This is really getting on her nerves.
She heard the other person laugh mirthlessly, which further provoked her." Nice try, but if you are tired of all this bad luck happening to you… then you know what to do." The caller said and ended the call.
Debbie tried to calm herself down. She walked her way back to her home. She breathed heavily as she opened the door of the apartment that they were about to be evicted from. She looked around and saw her sister's things. Isa did her best to establish her life here, alone. How can she turn her back on her? Debbie's conscience is eating her for even thinking that squealing on Isa is even an option for her. Debbie went for the door once more and left the house. She went to see that one person that she trusts and turned off her phone again.
Meanwhile, Isa and Jack were in her bookstore. They started packing their books into boxes.Jack came up with an idea of selling the books online just to dispose all of their stocks. Their patrons felt sad that they would no longer have this special place they could hang out in. The family they built in this place is gone just like that. But more than anything else, what actually caught her eye was that Jack seemed to take everything rather too easily.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but, you knew this would happen, right?" Isa asked Jack, who was busy packing their things.
Jack looked away from Isa as if he was avoiding confrontations. "It's okay; we're going to get through with it." He mumbled, not directly answering Isa's question. Jack continued with his work and walked away.
Isa, as stubborn as she is, followed Jack around. "Come on, I'm your original friend here. I know there is something going on between you and my sister." She said in a straight face.
"If it was up to me, I would have said it to you already." Jack's tone was sympathetic.
His answer was triggering the curiosity in her all the more. "Come on, Jack! Are you throwing away all we have for this?" Isa was using her relationship with Jack to come clean to him.
He sat down and was thinking it through. Jack held Isa's hand tightly. "If you truly know what is going on with your sister, then help her out. Agree with her." He said and wiped away his tears.
***
Isa went home, and Debbie was still not home. Jack somehow knew that Debbie has not been home since he volunteered to come with Isa. She took a deep sigh and went straight to their studio to start the show.
"Good evening Lovies, I am deeply saddened about the rumors going around since yesterday." Bella paused and sighed. "The truth is, the woman in the photos circulating online is not me." Jack saw the comments and showed them to Bella's second monitor. Most of the comments are about her fan's non-acceptance of the truth she just revealed.
"Well, Lovies, I am seeing your comments, and it seems like you really are not buying my explanation." Bella sounded exasperated. "This blunder about the false expose cost some trouble to a private person's life." Bella swallowed hard, not wanting to cry in front of everyone but her emotions is taking over her. "She lost her work, her privacy and even her relationship with her family. And the worst part is she's not even me." Her voice cracked and her listeners felt empathetic to her.
"The truth is, the woman in those photos is my sister. We are going to lose the most important thing our father left us because of this." Bella blurted out to put some senses to her listeners. "Please stop spreading false rumors about her. Let her live in peace and privacy." Bella begged her listeners. Reading the comments, her listeners want definitive proof. They want her to show herself to prove them wrong. "Why is it important for you guys to see me?" Bella raised her voice. "Isn't it enough for you to see how this destroyed my sister's life?" She asked for more leniencies.
Jack decided to cut the show before Bella spills more words. She would not be able to take back and completely destroy whatever is left of the brand of Bella Moore. "Lovies, this day has been hard for my family. I hope you guys understand. I will be back when I'm ready to prove myself to everyone. For the meantime, please spare my sister." She said in a low voice
"Again, this is me Bella Moore, signing off." ------"Toooooot" the empty static sound drowned her ears. Just like that, their show that hyped the entire nation was off air in a snap of a finger.
Jack went beside Isa. to comfort her as she wiped her tears. "I'm sorry, girl. It is really not up to me. But I will help you no matter what." He said and kissed Isa's forehead. At that point, it was clear for Isa that Jack knows more than what he was willing to tell her. This could only mean that her sister is in a much greater trouble than she initially thought she was. Jack is not the type who would let her suffer purposefuly.
***
Isa patiently waited for her sister to come back. She was worried sick as her phone was turned off. She even plans on reporting to the police station if she won't show up for the night. Fortunately, she came in their front door in silence.
Isa stood up and went up to Debbie. She wrapped her arms around her, showing her that she was not alone in this battle. "You have me sis, don't dwell on your problems alone." She said in a low voice. Isa knows very well that her words are not enough to save her sister, but it is the least that she could do.
Debbie broke down and slowly went down to her knees. Her eyes were welling up in tears as she cried her heart out. Debbie has been pretending to be strong for so long that her defenses just dropped to the ground just like her. Debbie could not put in words how much she's feeling right now. Isa is the only family she's got, and she initially thought she could do this for her, but no she is crumbling down like a weakling.
"I'm sorry." Debbie said while crying that there was almost no voice coming out of her mouth.
Isa hugged her much tighter. "No, sis, don't say that. I'm the one that's sorry." She did not want her sister to get the blame entirely. "There is someone bigger behind all this. I'm sure of that." Isa said, trying to reason out to Debbie.
"I don't know what to do anymore." Debbie replied as she rested her head on Isa's chest.
Isa patted Debbie's shoulders. "I will help you, sis. Just tell me what I can do." She said without thinking.
Debbie was silent, as if she was honestly unsure if she could share the burden with her sister. Isa held her sister's face and looked directly into her eyes. "You are not okay, come on, sis. I am old enough I can bear some of whatever is troubling you." She could see the pain in Debbie's eyes and it was killing her that she can't do anything for her.
"Are you sure?" Debbie muttered.
Isa bobbed her head unhesitatingly.
"Then show yourself as Bella." Debbie answered instantaneously.