Husband With Benefits -
Chapter 412: Isabella’s Pain
Chapter 412: Isabella’s Pain
Isabella returned home, utterly exhausted. She had always been aware that the Frosts could be as chilling as their surname suggested, but today she had felt it firsthand. Without uttering a single word, his presence alone had pierced her as though she’d been stabbed a thousand times.
As she peeled off her jacket, a profound sense of emptiness engulfed her, her emotions a tangled mess of indecision and hurt. When she’d handed her resignation, she didn’t know what she’d expected or feared but that biting sting of cold indifference, she had not been prepared for. He’d questioned her, sure. But nothing else.
Tears brimmed in her eyes as she whispered to herself in a voice laced with despair, "What were you expecting, Isi? That he would desperately beg you to stay? Or somehow force you to remain by his side? You’re dealing with Ian Frost. To him, women are just a multitude, endlessly adoring at his feet. Just because he made you feel like you were the exception doesn’t mean you truly were anything special to him."
"Also, aren’t you being a hypocrite, Isi? If you really want him to be with you, shouldn’t you have been truthful to him? Tell him that you loved him and needed him for everything? Why lie to him about boundaries and sh*t like that?" Her inner voice seemed to have no sympathy for herself
Her hands trembled as she wiped away the tears that now freely streamed down her cheeks. The room felt colder, the isolation wrapping around her like a shroud. "I had no choice, Ian. I’m sorry," she whispered into the emptiness, her voice a broken mix of defiance and sorrow. "I did it to protect my mother. I never would have thought that Emerald would go to these lengths."
She closed her eyes, thinking back to the confrontation which she had with Emerald in the hospital last night.
"Emerald, what are you talking about?" Isabella asked cautiously, her unease growing with each passing moment.
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, ominous whisper. "You see, Isabella, there are some things that your boyfriend cannot shield you from. The pain of losing your mother is one of them. Isn’t it?"
Her eyes widened with a mix of confusion and dread as she attempted to grasp the gravity of his insinuation.
"What are you saying, Emerald? What does my mother have to do with any of this?" Her voice quivered, the uncertainty adding an edge to her tone.
A malevolent smirk played on his lips as he reveled in the discomfort he was causing. "Your mother, dear Isabella, is at the heart of it all. You see, our dear father’s hatred for you isn’t entirely natural. I’ve been carefully cultivating it with misinformation about you.But your mother, bless her heart, always tried to reason with him, but always failed miserably. However, she’d started to see through me so she started making things difficult. However, I knew she wouldn’t go against me outright so I was letting her do what she wanted.
But then Ian Frost interfered. Your precious Ian posed a threat to my plans. Your mother was finally standing firm against our father’s irrational hatred, thanks to him. I couldn’t allow that to happen. She actually threatened to leave him if he did not put aside his prejudice. And you know father. He would never do that since he loves your mother so much."
Isabella’s breath caught in her throat, a mixture of shock and disbelief contorting her features as she heard his words.
As he spoke, Isabella’s fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. "Tsk tsk. Don’t worry. I don’t hate Aunt Eliza. So, I thought hard about a solution that would be suitable for her well being."So, I’m giving you a choice," Emerald continued, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Leave Ian Frost, and your job, and disappear from their lives forever, or watch them suffer the consequences of your defiance. The thing is I just want Gio Ruffalo to suffer for losing his child. He did not value me and let me go while keeping you close to him. Now, it has to be the other way round. Okay?"
"I can’t... I can’t just leave them without an explanation. Nora is getting married..."
"Don’t worry, I’ll give you a week. Resign first and leave that man. And pack your bags. The moment your friend is wedded, you will be gone. Clear?"
All night, she’d been staring at that phone, of picking it up and calling Ian, telling him everything. But she dared not. Emerald had already proven that he could harm mama and...
Finally, Isabella wiped her eyes with determination. No. She’d done what Emerald had told her, but she would find a way to get back at him, to protect her parents. She was not going to abandon everything without a fight. As for Ian, she would hold her love for him deep in her heart.
Just then, the ringing of a phone broke through the silence of the night. She looked down at the name on the phone and hugged it to herself. Isabella hesitated, her thumb hovering over the answer button. With a deep breath, she let the call ring out, allowing the room to return to the heavy silence that enveloped her. She dared not talk to Ian. Decisively, she turned off her cell phone and closed her eyes against the thoughts that were torturing her, shutting out the world.
Curled up on the couch, she hugged herself, and her breathing gradually steadied as she succumbed to the fatigue that weighed heavy on her shoulders. While she remained unaware of the world, Ian stood outside her house with his phone in his hand. With a resolute exhale, he typed a message for her and pocketed his phone before heading towards his car. He had things to do before he could be with his Isabella peacefully.
"I’ll be back soon, doll." he murmured before driving away.
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