Bella's hand trembled as she ended the call, her face flushed as she felt angry and embarrassed. The silence in the living room was thick and oppressive, everyone still reeling from the shock of revelation.
Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she clutched her phone tightly. "Married?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mind raced, struggling to reconcile Ethan's rejection with the harsh reality of her situation. "He's really married?"
Her heart pounded with frustration, and she slammed her phone down on the coffee table. The sound seemed to echo in the room, piercing the uncomfortable silence. "How could he do this to me? How could he?"
"Bella…" Anastasia tried to calm her down, but before she could continue, Bella's finger was already pointing a few inches from her eyes.
"You!" Bella shouted, her voice trembling with anger. "It's you, isn't it? Don't tell me you lied all this time and got married behind my back! That day, I'm sure that was Ethan's car." Bella's breath came in heavy, ragged bursts as her anger boiled over. "You really…" She bit her lower lip, her tears suddenly breaking through. "You really…"
Her voice cracked, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. Her hands trembled as she struggled to control her emotions, the weight of her frustrations and the betrayal she felt crashing down on her. She stood there, the picture of raw hurt and anger, unable to process the whirlwind of emotions she was experiencing.
Anastasia took a step back, her expression showed that she was shocked and sympathetic. "Bella, I'm not married to Ethan. I didn't know he was even married until now. I assure you, I'm not hiding anything from you."
"Lie…" Bella muttered, her voice shaking with disbelief. "I'm sure he was the one, dropping you off the other day. You're lying. Daniel—or whatever his name is—was just a lie you came up with to cover up your dirty little secret. I shouldn't have let you in…" Her lips trembled as she recalled every memory they had shared.
"I am not lying, Bella!" Anastasia's frustration boiled over. "If you insist, I can call him here. I'm not married to Ethan. I'm married to Daniel!"
Marleen stood up, her eyes wide with shock. "Did you just say… you're married to him?"
"Mom…" Realising she had just revealed the secret she had been keeping, Anastasia's eyes widened with worry. "I can explain…"
"You're telling me…" Marleen's voice trembled with hurt and disbelief. "You got married to him without even asking for my opinion?" Her words faltered, unable to fully express her pain. "How could you…?"
Marleen's eyes portrayed betrayal and confusion as she struggled to understand Anastasia's actions. The room fell into an even deeper silence, Samuel, who was supposed to read the will was also stuck in this family's drama.
"Bring him here," Bella demanded as she wiped her tears away, her voice sharp and distrustful. "I won't believe it until I see him myself. Daniel… tchh…" Her eyes narrowed as she recalled every coincidence and moment that made her believe Anastasia was hiding something. Her heart was set on the belief that Anastasia was lying.
Marleen looked between Bella and Anastasia, her emotions a storm of anger and confusion. "Is this really happening?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Anastasia, now more determined than ever, took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll call him here. You'll see for yourself." Her frustration was evident, but she knew she had to clear the air, no matter how painful the process would be.
"No, no, no, you can't…" Marleen stammered, still struggling to process everything unfolding before her. "You can't, Anna."
Bella's smirk widened. "See? I knew it. Both of you planned this." Her voice was laced with satisfaction, convinced that this was all part of a scheme.
"I'm not lying!" Anastasia, reaching her breaking point, shouted before grabbing her phone to dial Daniel's number. The first attempt didn't connect, but she tried again. After a tense moment, the call finally went through.
"Hello?" Anastasia gathered her courage but received no reply from the other end. "Daniel?" she called, deliberately leaving out 'Mr.' to make it believable that they were in a relationship.
There was silence on the line, and Anastasia's heart sank as she waited for a response. Then, without warning, the call disconnected. Confusion and frustration washed over her as she stared at the screen. 'Why did he hang up?'
Bella, who had been watching the entire embarrassing scene unfold, couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "Pfft… poor Anastasia," she sneered, her smirk growing wider. "This is what you get for all the evil deeds you've done. Daniel? I don't know who the hell that is, but sometimes, all your plans just don't work out, do they?"
Biting her lip, Anastasia's face flushed red with humiliation. "I clearly told you that I'm not lying!"
"Oh, really?" Bella's tone dripped with sarcasm. "So, if I said I'm the one married to Ethan, would you believe me? Anyone can spout complete nonsense without proof, Anna." She widened her eyes, flashing a jokester's smile.
"That is completely different!" Anastasia snapped, her patience finally breaking. "Proof? You want proof? Fine. I'll show you."
"Bring it on," Bella taunted, still provoking her.
Sighing, Anastasia glanced at Marleen, whose face was a picture of confusion and distress. "Wait." Without another word, she rushed upstairs. This time, she was determined, no one would accuse her of lying. And as for Ethan, she was ready to push him out of her life for good. Ever since his name had entered her world, everything had turned upside down.
After a few minutes, Anastasia rushed down the stairs, clutching a small red book in her hand. She flipped to a specific page and shoved it in front of Bella's face. "Satisfied?"
Bella's face contorted as she read the name. "Ethan Daniel Harrington?" She quickly looked up at Anastasia, searching for an explanation.
Anastasia, startled by the name herself, immediately turned the book back to her. The name of the spouse was indeed 'Ethan Daniel Harrington.'