Bella quicky drank a glass of water in one go, then slammed it down onto the table with a loud clink. Lala watched her in quiet shock, unable to look away. Since Bella's arrival, the tension had been palpable in her every movement. In the brief span of time, she had consumed three glasses of water, each one in quick succession. Like a frightened kitten, she trembled with a nervous energy that was impossible to ignore. Bella pressed her palms to the table, her face sinking into her hands as she stared vacantly at a single, distant point.
"This is worse than death," she muttered, the words laced with a deep despair that clouded her expression. The weight of hopelessness seemed to settle over her, filling the room with an unspoken heaviness.
"Stop scaring people and tell me what's going on," Lala said impatiently.
"He's back," Bella replied, her lips trembling as she glanced at her.
"Who?" Lala asked, taking a sip of juice.
"Hanley," Bella said abruptly. The moment Lala heard the name, she choked on her juice, spitting it out in shock. Bella wiped the juice off her face, still staring at her.
"Are you kidding me?" Lala asked, disbelief written all over her face.
"It's not a joke," Bella paused for a moment. Lala, still stunned, stared at her in confusion.
"He's my boss now," Bella added quietly.
"Boss? Hanley, the same Hanley Sam Matthew?" Lala asked, struggling to believe what she was hearing. Bella said nothing, just pressed her hand to her forehead in frustration, her lips trembling as she revealed her sorrow.
"So, what did he say?" Lala asked after a pause.
Bella's mind flashed back to the moments she had spent with Hanley. The silence, the way she had avoided him, running and hiding from his gaze.
"I couldn't face him, Lala. He didn't see me. Before he could, I ran away," Bella said, her voice heavy with despair.
"You ran away? Why? What did you do wrong? Shouldn't it have been him running and hiding?" Lala said, growing angry.
"I just can't do this. I don't want anything anymore. I can't handle it," Bella said with a long sigh, her voice heavy with frustration. Her words, filled with a deep sense of self-doubt, only made Lala more annoyed.
"This is exactly why I taught you life hacks. If you'd followed my advice, you would've been able to face any situation with ease," Lala replied sharply. It was then that Bella's mind replayed everything that had happened since the morning, and her anger boiled over as she clenched her fists.
"Your life hacks are the reason I ended up in that office today. How many other places could you have selected?!" Bella snapped, her frustration clear.
"Alright, alright. I admit it's on me. But I thought it through before I made the choice. If you wanted more details, you could have looked it up online. What's the point of arguing about it now?" Lala responded, trying to explain herself.
"Yeah, I should've known better when I heard about his mother's ridiculous name. And I should've remembered that Hanley's mom is named Victoria," Bella muttered under her breath, nervously biting her nails.
"Well, it's not just Hanley's mother who has that name. Anyway, calm down, Bella. We'll figure it out," Lala said, patting Bella's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. She then turned toward the guy at the counter and called out to him.
"Bobby, bring me an iced coffee," she said, turning to Bella. "My dear Bella... don't let fear take over. Think of this as an opportunity. Show him that you can live happily, even without him. Let him see that your life is complete, with or without him."
Lala's words stirred something deep within Bella. She was right. Perhaps this was an opportunity that fate had sent her way. She needed to stand tall in front of him, confident and unbroken. Bella had to show Sebastian that she was not a failure—that was the true form of revenge. Yes... Bella nodded slowly, her thoughts aligning. Lala, seeing the shift, gently shook her, calling her back to the moment.
"You're right," Bella said proudly. "Why should I hide when I see him? I'm a famous webtoonist, BS. No matter what, I have value. I have my own identity, something I've created myself."
"Exactly! That's the spirit, my girl," Lala said, giving her a high five.
"Cold coffee," Bobby said, bringing the coffee and handing it to Lala. She took it and passed it to Bella.
"Lala handed Bobby the bike keys and said, "Bobby, it's time to pick anna from school. Go and get her.."
"Of course," Bobby replied, took the keys, waved at both of them, and left. Lala turned back to Bella.
""Drink this and just relax. Don't worry, I'll teach you a few more life hacks," she said with a wink.
"That's what I'm most worried about," Bella thought, taking a slow sip from the straw. The cold coffee eased her nerves, but in her eyes, a flicker of worry remained—a shadow of uncertainty that refused to fade.
Hanley and Sanjay sat in the office, quietly reviewing some files.
"What happened to her?" Hanley asked, breaking the silence.
"Who?" Sanjay asked, looking puzzled.
"Your B.S.? Wasn't she behaving strangely?" Hanley pressed.
"Oh, she? It seems like a dust allergy. You know how sensitive she is," Sanjay replied, leaning back on the sofa.
"Really? I feel like you've gotten to know her pretty well now," Hanley remarked with a slight smile, pouring coffee into two cups.
He placed them gently on the table in front of Sanjay, then sat down opposite him.
"Well, yeah. But before we met here, we had a chance encounter. And trust me, she's nothing like the others," Sanjay added with a hint of enthusiasm. Hanley couldn't help but smile, placing his cup on the tray.
"Listening to you, I'm even more curious to meet her. But... why do I get the feeling she's running away from me?" Hanley asked, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
"Don't worry, bro. She's just like that. When I first met her, she did the same—just ran off. Maybe it's just the fear of meeting new people," Sanjay explained, trying to shed light on Bella's behavior.
"Whatever it is, I should have told you earlier. You were right about one thing. I don't know much about webtoonists, but now I can say this was the right decision," Hanley said, his tone becoming more serious.
"How did you fall for my words so easily? I'm having trouble believing it," Sanjay teased, a playful smirk crossing his face as he glanced at Hanley. Hanley smiled faintly, pretending to find it amusing, before standing up, grabbing a file, and returning to his seat.
"There's a team interested in adapting your B.S. into a webtoon series. And this is a major project," Hanley said, pausing for effect before tossing the file gently onto Sanjay's lap. Sanjay caught it smoothly, his eyes immediately scanning the contents.
"Wow... this is fantastic news! I knew it. I didn't just randomly praise B.S.'s webtoons. The buzz around this has been growing for a while now. We're lucky B.S. chose our company. And the news is spreading faster than I expected in the entertainment world," Sanjay said, his voice filled with pride and excitement.
"Yes, I must admit, I truly underestimated you and your B.S.," Hanley said, pointing at him with a smile, his tone teasing yet admiring.
"It's only natural, right? How many more times are you going to underestimate me? You still have so much to learn about the entertainment industry. Anyway, today's your first day, and you already have a massive project in your hands. Congratulations," Sanjay added, his face radiating pride for his colleague.
"And that's all thanks to you," Hanley said, pressing his lips together, his gaze softening. His expression grew serious for a moment before he added, "And I don't want to take any of your credit."
"Okay, then, let's celebrate today!" Sanjay said, his excitement bubbling over as he grabbed Hanley's arm and pulled him up from his seat. Hanley hesitated for a moment, appearing disinterested, but when Sanjay insisted, he finally laughed and stood up.
"Let's go, then!"
That night, they spent the entire evening at the club. Hanley had little interest in drinking, but Sanjay couldn't have been more different. Nonetheless, Hanley kept him company, sipping on a soft drink while Sanjay indulged in his own. As they sat there, the eyes of nearly every woman in the club seemed drawn to the two young men.
Sanjay pulled Hanley away from the bar counter and led him to a more secluded spot, a quiet family room with comfortable seating.
"So, brother, tell me about your life in Canada," Sanjay asked, casually taking a sip from his glass of wine.
Hanley's eyes drifted toward the dance floor just outside, the pulsating lights adding a bit of color to the dim space. He smiled faintly, raising his drink. "Well, if I start sharing military stories, people will think I'm just showing off," he replied with a touch of humor.
Sanjay chuckled, his expression light. "What's the formality between us? I want to hear your legendary stories. Trust me, everyone wants to hear them."
Hanley could tell from Sanjay's body language that he had already had a few drinks, and he could see the excitement in his eyes. Yet Hanley only smiled faintly, putting his drink down and leaning back slightly.
"Forget about me, you go ahead," Hanley said with a teasing smile, gesturing for Sanjay to continue and asked.
"Actually, are you this happy because of the big project or because of B.S.? I want the truth," he asked, a sly smile curling on his lips.
Sanjay's expression softened. "Both," Sanjay replied without hesitation, pausing for a brief moment before continuing. "But honestly, I'm more happy for her. She's got incredible talent. She deserves so much more success."
"I hope so," Hanley said, nodding in agreement. Though he could see Sanjay's passion, Hanley himself wasn't so invested in the entertainment industry or in the world of webtoons. For him, it all felt temporary—just a small part in a larger, ever-changing story.
Sanjay wasn't ready to let the conversation end just yet. "Don't avoid my question, bro," he said, his tone turning more earnest. "What really brought you here after all these years?"