Bella's POV
I sit up on my bed in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. I know what's keeping me awake, I just don't want to admit it.
Guilt.
Jameson has been good to me ever since I met him. He has treated me better than my family has ever done. It makes no sense that I am rejecting his offer to get back at the people who despise me to the point they don't want me sitting at the same table to eat with them.
Or allow me to voice out my frustrations.
On hearing my screams after dinner, my father came back down. For the first time in forever, I saw a glint of concern in his eyes. But he had gone ahead to disappoint me when he began asking my mom about it, instead of me, the actual person feeling the frustrations.
My jaw clenches on remembering how mom had waved me off like some crazy person that needs to be locked up in an asylum as soon as possible.
He had in turn called his bodyguards to come carry me to my room. I have been here since then, with no idea if they had locked me up from the outside.
I decide to go check the locks. On getting there, I find out that they hadn't locked it. A huge relief washes over me. I move to my bathroom, splashing some water on my face on getting to the sink.
The cold chills from the water drip through my skin. My emerald green eyes look back at me in the mirror. I have never seen them this dull and aching. It's like they are pleading with me to make the right choice. To choose myself this time around.
"It's time to make things right," I tell my reflection before going to the room to pick up my phone where I left it on my nightstand.
I inhale deeply while dialing Jameson's number.
He picks up almost immediately, his sexy sleepy voice filling my ears.
"Hey," he mutters.
"Have you already gone to bed? I'm so sorry for waking you up."
"It's nothing. Tell me what it is?"
"I have… I have already made up my mind on what I want."
I can hear some shuffling in the background. The noise stops after a while, making me suspect that he has already ended the call.
"Hello? Are you there?"
"Yes, I'm still here. Tell me what your decision is."
"I'm in, Jameson. I can no longer take it anymore from them."
"Good. Come in tomorrow, let's see how it goes."
I frown at his tone.
"Is there a problem, Jameson? You sound rather strange."
"None I can think of. I'm just tired. Good night, Bella."
He ends the call right before I had the chance to tell him to have a good night's rest, making me suspect that something is definitely wrong.
Have I done something to offend him?
I don't allow my thoughts to wallow in that direction. Whatever it is that is bothering him will be resolved when I see him in a few hours from now.
I relax back on my headboard and imagine what it will be like having my face all over the city. The scandal it will create when the media finds out that I had accepted to work for a brand my family is in rivalry with will be shocking. I fall asleep at some point.
When I wake up the next morning, it was Matt's angry face and voice. I thought I was dreaming about his thunderous voice booming over my head until I open my eyes, only to see him holding some shredded papers up at me.
"Explain to me the business you have with the Pentagon. What were you thinking of accepting to be their brand ambassador?"
I stare back at him, not bothering to either say hi to him or try to think of an answer to his ridiculous question.
"Ever since I did your family a favour by marrying you, it has been from one problem to the other. It's either you are running away, or you are making a ridiculous request to get a divorce. And now this?! All this has to stop!"
"You do realize you are shouting, right?"
He ignores my comment, going right ahead to raise his baritone even higher. "Did you hear what I just said?! This madness is coming to an end right now!"
I try to get off the bed. As far as I am concerned, he has been bluffing and will not stop unless I do something about it.
"Go gather all your things, we are going home right this minute."
My feet, which are about to climb off the bed, hang in the air. "What?"
"I wanted to wait until our home is fully renovated before you move in, but I will no longer wait."
"Wait for what, Matt? We are getting a divorce in less than six months."
The back of his right hand meets my face in a thunderous slap, which makes my head fall back on the pillows. The pain slashes across my face.
"Don't you ever mention divorce to me. Your father gave you to me and not the other way around. Go get your things! You are coming home with me today."
I become speechless. Whether my lack of words is as a result of the shocking slap, or because I genuinely don't know what to say to him, I have no idea. I simply sit there, my face expressionless as I stare out of the window.
"I will be waiting for you downstairs. Don't make me wait too long."
He bangs the door after him.
What am I going to do? I wonder as my eyes continue going from my closet door to the room door.
There is no way in hell I will be following Matt back to his home. That will be like intentionally following the devil to his spot in hellfire and expecting not to be burned.
The only option left for me is to escape through one of the back doors.
I rush to my closet to find the most comfortable thing I can wear. After finally settling for leggings paired with a crop top, I set out to the door. I will have to find a way to explain to Jameson about my plain choice of outfit.
Holding my breath, I find my way down the stairs, ignoring most of the househelps I meet along my way. I can feel their eyes at the back of my head as I continue down the hallway, opposite to the living room where I guess Matt would be waiting for me.
However, my breath catches in my throat when I hear his voice down the hall.
"Shit…" I mutter, contemplating between turning back or trying to sneak past my dad's study where both men are.
Already guessing that the door at the end of the hall will be the easiest to sneak out from without getting noticed, I continue my escape route, only to slow back down when I notice that my dad left his door a little bit open. And given that his chair is facing the door directly, I can't zoom past it without his sharp eyes getting a glimpse of me.
I slowly turn and start heading back to the central hallway where I had been coming from.
I get to the living room in no time, letting out a tensed breath when I didn't see any of my family down there.
Silently thanking the stars, I rush to the front door, opening it and slipping outside. Not sparing a second glance at Matt's Bentley, I walk past it, only to hear some voice calling for me.
It happens to be Matt's driver.
"Are your luggage ready, little miss?"
"Little miss?" I blurt out at him, surprised at the name.
He shrugs nonchalantly at me, "That was what boss instructed me to be calling you."
Cursing both him and Matt in my mind, I spin around on my heels to continue my escape plan.
"But where are you going, miss? Where is your luggage?"
I stop when my mind tells me that he might suspect my plan and create a scene. I turn again to him, now with a fake smile.
"They are right inside. I am just going to take a walk to clear my head until Matt… my husband comes out."
He nods obediently at me and heads to go pick up the luggage, while I continue my trip to the gate.
"Miss?" the security guard by the gate asks me in a suspicious tone.
"I need to take a walk. Can you open the gate for me, please?"
His eyes slowly trail down my body, "Does your husband know about this emergency walk of yours?"
I want to ask him which husband but on realizing that my attempted sarcasm will add to his suspicion, I simply nod at him with an expectant look.
"Are you sure about this, miss? I'm asking because from the intel I gathered, you are supposed to be moving to his place as we speak."
Do words spread like wildfire in this place? I wonder.
"Tell me the truth, miss, there is an ulterior motive to this walk of yours."