Bella's test results came back clean. Tatiana assured her there was nothing to worry about, and both she and Vera breathed a sigh of relief. Bella hugged her aunt tightly, gratitude shining in her eyes.
On the way home, Bella decided to call Bianca.
"Hey babe," Bella greeted, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Hi boo," Bianca replied, distracted but curious. "What's up?"
"Guess what."
"What?"
"I found out that I lost my memory few months ago and I've finally regained my lost memory." Bella's words tumbled out, her joy unmistakable.
There was silence on the other end. Bella frowned.
"B? Are you there?"
Bianca's voice came back small, almost broken. "Why are you just telling me now?"
Bella's face softened. "I'm sorry, B. I didn't want to stress you."
Bianca's next words cracked with insecurity. "You don't hate me now, do you? Or resent me and Austin?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Bella shook her head, smiling gently though her heart hurt for her friend. "You're being unreasonable. I could never hate or resent either of you. Even if I had never regained my memory, I still wouldn't have hated you."
Bianca went quiet.
Trying to lighten the mood, Bella laughed. "I even remembered sneaking Chris out of the event centre. Now that I think about it, it's hilarious."
Bianca chuckled, tension breaking. "You were such a naughty teenager."
"You can say that again." Bella's grin widened.
"How's Austin and the baby?" she asked.
"The two babies are fine. The big baby is in his office, while the little one is busy kicking mummy's stomach and demanding endless plates of eba with egusi soup."
Bella laughed. "Oh wow, I miss egusi soup. Do you cook it yourself, or Aunt Ana spoils you?"
"I cook it. Turns out the bigger baby likes egusi too."
"Like father, like child," Bella teased.
They laughed together, the bond between them warm and unbreakable.
"Have you checked the baby's gender yet?" Bella asked.
"No. I want it to be special maybe a gender reveal dinner."
"Awwn, that sounds fun."
"It will be. But enough about me how are you really doing?" Bianca asked, her voice soft with concern.
"Honestly? I'm fine." Bella smiled.
"So what's up with you and Chris?" Bianca pressed.
Bella hesitated, then gave in, cheeks warming. "We're good. Official, actually."
"Official?" Bianca's gasp rang through the phone.
"Yes. He asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes."
Bianca laughed in disbelief. "Wow. And what happened to 'I won't date until I'm twenty-five'? Should I call the old Bella to confirm?"
Bella rolled her eyes playfully. "Go ahead. I'm almost 25 anyways"
"No, scratch that. Please tell the old Bella to stay gone. We love this new Bella much more."
Bella chuckled. "Message received."
Just then, Vera leaned closer. "Is that Bianca?"
"Yes, Mum."
"How are her husband and the baby?" Vera asked.
Bella grinned into the phone. "B, Mum says how's your husband and the baby. Apparently, she doesn't care about you anymore."
"Please! I'm sure Mum cares about me. Shut your crap, woman!" Bianca shot back, making them all laugh. "Good evening, Mum."
"Evening, baby. How are you, my darling?" Vera asked warmly.
"I'm doing great, Mum. And you?"
"Doing well, thank you."
"Congratulations on your engagement. Sorry I couldn't make it," Bianca said sincerely.
"It's fine, darling. You outdid yourself, even from afar."
"I'm glad I could help," Bianca said, smiling.
At the Frederick Residence
Thelma burst through the door, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her parents, Leonard and Cindy, sat in the living room.
"Oh my goodness, Thelma, what's wrong?" Cindy rushed forward, gathering her daughter into her arms.
"Baby, what happened?" Leonard asked, motioning for her to sit.
Thelma sobbed bitterly. "It's Chris, Mum. He won't even look at me. He cares more about his secretary than me. Am I that bad, Dad? Am I such a terrible choice?"
Cindy stroked her daughter's hair, her own face tightening with anger. "I'll talk to Cassandra. She'll know how to fix this."
"But, Mum every scheme we tried to break Chris and Bella apart has failed." Thelma's voice shook with venom. "I hate that girl. I'll make her pay."
Leonard leaned back in his chair, his jaw set. The storm brewing in his daughter's eyes told him one thing: Thelma was not going to let go of Chris without a fight.
At the Frederick Residence
"What is Neil even doing about the scandal? Why is he so quiet? Do I have to teach him everything?" Cindy snapped, her irritation filling the room.
Leonard leaned back in his chair, calm but calculating. "Chris hasn't made any official statement about his relationship with that girl. The scandal only died down because of those glowing reviews about Ella or whatever her name is. If Neil declares he's dating her now, it might not break them apart immediately. But if Chris later confirms their relationship, then we lose. The trick is simple: we need Chris to be the one to announce it. That way, one picture... just one picture, is enough to ruin everything."
"But our daughter is suffering while we sit here scheming," Cindy said, glaring at her husband. "How much longer do we let her hurt?"
Leonard's voice stayed cool. "It's only for a short time. If we play this game well, Thelma will have him all to herself. She just needs patience."
"Call Neil," Thelma said, wiping her eyes angrily. "I want to hear what he has to say."
Cindy pulled out her phone and dialed. Neil picked up on the second ring.
"Hello, ma'am."
"Hello, Neil," Cindy said in her most composed voice. "What exactly are you doing about Bella?"
Neil's tone was careful. "I decided to lay low for now. She's already starting to suspect me said I was acting like a stalker. If I'm seen with her again too soon, it'll look suspicious. It's better if I step back for the time being."
"That's perfect," Cindy said with satisfaction. "And Clinton? Is he doing his job?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Don't call me on this number again I'll be getting rid of this phone. Wait for my call."
"Yes, ma'am." Neil replied, and the line went dead.
Cindy turned back to her daughter. "Thelma, listen to me. You don't need to cry. Chris already knows you, and he won't want to lose a client as important as your father. Keep attending those project meetings until the design is finalized. Prolong the project as much as possible. That way, you'll spend more time around him. Sooner or later, he'll give in. He'll forget all about that Bella girl."
Thelma's lips curved into a determined smile. "That... sounds like a brilliant plan." She wiped the last of her tears and hugged her parents.
At the Walter Residence
Joe and Raquel were already at Vera's house when she and Bella returned from the hospital. Bella's advice lingered in Vera's mind, and she knew it was time to talk to the twins about selling the house.
She shared her thoughts with Joe, who agreed, so they decided to gather everyone together.
Bella, Raquel, Kayden, and Jayden were sprawled in the living room watching Mr. Queen, their laughter filling the house. They laughed so hard that tears ran down their cheeks. Vera and Joe exchanged a glance before taking a seat on one of the couches.
"Guys," Joe began, "can we have your attention?"
Bella quickly paused the drama. "Okay. What's this about?"
Raquel tilted her head mischievously. "Can I guess?"
"Yes, baby, go ahead," Vera said.
"You two are getting married next week?" Raquel asked with a wide grin. Everyone burst into laughter.
"Oh my God, you're too much," Vera said, shaking her head.
"So what's this serious meeting for? Don't tell me... Mum's pregnant?" Raquel said, narrowing her eyes. The room fell silent at her question.
"No! I'm not pregnant." Vera's cheeks flushed pink.
"So why the serious faces earlier?" Raquel pressed.
Vera exhaled. "Well, your dad and I are planning to get married in the first quarter of next year."
Kayden shrugged. "That makes sense."
"No, it doesn't," Jayden countered. "That's during school. We might not even be able to attend properly."
"That's true, Mum. Why so far away?" Raquel asked.
Joe cleared his throat. "Because we were planning to sell the houses this one and mine."
"What?" Raquel and the twins said at once.
"Because we can't live separately anymore," Vera explained gently. "We want to buy a new place big enough for all of us."
"And we'll choose it together, so everyone loves it," Joe added.
Bella smiled. "Honestly, I'm glad you included us in the decision. Personally, I'm excited. A new dad, a new sister, a new room I'm all in."
"I don't mind either," Jayden said. "As long as we're all under one roof as a family."
"Same here," Kayden said.
Everyone turned to Raquel. Her face had fallen, her eyes sad.
"What's wrong, baby?" Bella asked softly.
Raquel's voice trembled. "I grew up in our house. Now we have to sell it? But... since everyone else is okay with it, I don't want to be the bad guy."
Jayden leaned closer. "Raquel, you matter too. Mum and Dad are thinking of us, not just themselves. But if it makes you unhappy, we'll rethink this."
"Yeah," Kayden agreed. "We'd go against them if it keeps you happy."
Bella's tone sharpened. "So what, we sell this house and keep the other?"
Joe hesitated. "I don't think we have that option. It's both, or none."
"Then we sell none," Bella said firmly, her jaw tight. "Thank God this house is in my name."
The room went silent, shocked by her sudden intensity.
"Bella, why this outburst? You were fine with it minutes ago," Vera said, confused.
Bella's eyes flashed with pain. "That was before Raquel spoke up. I won't let her feel what we felt years ago. I won't allow any man to leave us stranded ever again."
Her voice cracked at the last word. Before anyone could respond, Bella stormed off to her room, leaving the family frozen in stunned silence.