“You’re such a good girl, Bella. I’m leaving, then. It’s about time for the meeting, and I can’t keep them waiting.”
Was he in a rush to not keep “them” waiting, or to not keep “her” waiting?
Samuel hurried out.
The tablet on the couch began vibrating again. They were in touch once more.
Samuel: Are you ready?
Jennifer sent a picture. This time, she was in a nurse’s uniform.
Of course, not the proper kind—what should be exposed was, and what shouldn’t was also exposed.
Samuel: I’ll make sure you scream tonight.
Isabella turned off the tablet and began gathering her things. Her clothes, her purse, her shoes—everything Samuel had ever given her over the years.
Then, she went into the closet and continued pulling things out.
Her hand paused for a moment when she touched a metal box.
Inside the box were the letters Samuel had written to her—there was a thick stack of them.
When they first got together, he wrote, [From today, Bella is my one true love.]
On his birthday, he wrote, [My birthday wish is to spend a lifetime loving Bella and growing old together.]
For Isabella’s 20th birthday, he wrote, [My darling Bella is of legal age now, I can’t wait to marry you.]
On their wedding day, he wrote, [To the most beautiful and lovable Princess Bella, welcome to my world.]
Isabella didn’t care to look at the rest. She took all the letters outside and burned them, letting the fire consume them completely.
The next morning, she was woken by the sound of Samuel entering the room.
He sounded angry.
“Bella, our wedding ring was stolen by a beggar, and he sold it at a pawn shop!”
Isabella felt a pang of disappointment.
How did he find it?
“And he sold it for only 10,000! It’s such an insult to our ring!”
He came over, took her hand, and tried to put the ring back on her finger. “Now, let’s return it to its rightful owner…”
Isabella pulled her hand back, refusing to wear the ring again.
Samuel seemed confused. “Bella, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, I just… I’ve gained a bit of weight recently, and the ring doesn’t fit anymore.”
Samuel laughed. “That’s okay. I’ll take it to the jeweler to resize it for you.”
“Whatever,” Isabella replied, then asked, “You didn’t do anything to that beggar, did you?”
Samuel came closer and hugged her. “Don’t worry. I know how kind-hearted you are, Bella. You wouldn’t want to see the beggar suffer. I didn’t hold him accountable.”
“Maybe we should give him some more money. He’s pitiful.”
“Alright, I’ll give him another 10,000 later.”
Just then, Isabella’s phone rang, and she answered it.
“Hello, Ms. Jones, this is Fauxlife Solutions. We’ve completed the new identification documents as per your request. Are you available to pick them up?”
“Sure, send me the address.”
“I’ll send the location to your phone shortly.”
“By the way, will the new documents allow me to purchase flight tickets?”
“Don’t worry, they will be fully valid for that.”
“Okay, thank you.”
After Isabella hung up the call, Samuel suddenly seemed anxious and wrapped his arms around her. “Bella, what’s this about new documents? Flight tickets? Are you leaving? Where are you going?”
