Aria's mother was so angry that she fainted on the spot.
The whole situation was just a huge misunderstanding, but the consequences were worse than she could have imagined.
For the next three days, her mother wouldn't speak to her.
Her blood pressure rose dangerously, and she ended up in the hospital.
Aria felt horrible.
That afternoon, after making some soup for her mother, Aria sat down next to her bed, patiently explaining everything from the very beginning:
"Mom, please don't be angry anymore! I really had no connection with him. It was an accidental meeting… I didn't even say a word to him. Bella is his girlfriend now! How can you believe what she says? We need to stay away from them, okay? I promise I won't have anything to do with him again. Please eat something, your health is the most important thing!"
Her parents had never really been the type to punish her, and the few times they had, it was all because of Ryder.
Even now, she couldn't understand it.
Why had he chased her so intensely and then abandoned her without a word?
Their love had been passionate once, like something out of a storybook. They were the campus legend.
The pain of that abandonment had lingered in her heart for three long years, and she still couldn't let go.
But now, as she sat next to her mother, it didn't feel as important anymore.
The thought of it only brought sharp pain that pierced right to her bones.
"Are you telling the truth?" Her mother's voice trembled slightly.
"I swear," Aria replied firmly, her voice full of conviction.
After thinking for a moment, her mother finally took the bowl of soup, and Aria allowed herself a small smile.
It was the first one in days.
Seeing how exhausted Aria looked, her mother's face softened a little. "I'm fine. Go ahead and get discharged from here. It's too expensive, and staying here any longer will just rack up more bills."
"It's okay! Let me talk to the doctor first and figure it out…" Aria said, standing up to leave.
As she turned down the corridor, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her:
"Aria? What a coincidence!"
The tone was so unpleasant that it sent a chill down her spine.
Instinctively, Aria quickened her pace, but before she could get away, she was blocked by Bella at the end of the hallway.
"Why are you running away from me? Are you still mad at me?" Bella asked with a fake, sweet smile.
Aria turned around, ready to ignore her, but Bella followed her every step.
Each time Aria tried to turn away, Bella quickly blocked her again, her voice oozing with insincerity:
"Aria, don't be so petty! I've always treated you like a sister. Don't let Ryder affect our friendship."
How much more shameless could she get?
Frowning, Aria stared at her coldly. "I'm busy. Go find someone else to play these games with."
Before she could move away, Bella suddenly grabbed her arm, a look of feigned innocence crossing her face. "Don't be upset! I didn't hide anything from you on purpose. Aria, trust me, Ryder isn't as bad as you think. He's never forgotten you. He values friendship so much. He's been suffering for the past two years, I've seen him looking at..."
How could her tone shift so suddenly? Aria felt a sick feeling in her stomach.
"Enough!" Aria snapped, trying to pull her arm away.
But before she could react, Bella suddenly collapsed onto the floor, clutching her stomach in apparent pain. "It hurts!"
Aria's eyes widened in confusion. She hadn't touched Bella, so why was she acting like this?
"Ryder…" Bella whimpered.
That was when it hit Aria—Bella was faking it.
As if on cue, Ryder appeared, his face dark with anger. The moment he saw Bella on the floor, he rushed to her side and scooped her up.
"Are you okay?" Ryder asked, his voice full of concern.
Bella played the role perfectly, looking up at him with a sweet smile. "It's nothing… I was just careless. Don't worry too much."
"I'll take you to see a doctor."
---
Aria stood there, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing.
Watching them pretend to care about each other made her stomach turn. Her lips twitched as she couldn't hold back anymore:
"Next time, wear some high heels before you pretend to be hurt!"
It was almost laughable! How could they think they were fooling anyone with this act?
Ryder's eyes flashed with anger as he glared at Aria. "If something happens to Bella, I won't let you off the hook!"
Aria felt a cold shiver run down her spine. His words sent a wave of nausea through her.
"Ugh—" She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
She wanted to scream, to let it all out.
But instead, all she could do was stare at Ryder, her voice barely a whisper as her mind reeled:
"Are you... Are you pregnant?"
Before leaving, Bella dropped a bombshell.