Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Bella said she wanted to chat, so we headed back to the villa. I made her a cup of hot coffee, and we settled on the sofa.

It felt like ages since we just sat and talked like this.

"What's up? Is Zachary not treating you right?"

Bella leaned back, holding her cup. "Him? He's great!"

I didn't know their private life, but from her surgery and hospital stay, Zachary seemed to treat her well.

In marriage, the one who loves more often ends up more humble. It's a two-way street; you can't make it work alone.

People aren't perfect; they get tired, worn out, and disappointed. Eventually, they might want to give up.

I said, "As long as he treats you well, Bella. It's hard to find a guy who genuinely cares. Don't neglect him too much, or he might feel left out. Just because something's hard to get doesn't mean it's the best, and what's easy to get isn't necessarily cheap."

Bella stared at the steam from her cup, unusually quiet. "I get what you're saying. Oliver is great, but Zachary isn't bad either. The best isn't always the right fit. I'm not perfect, so why demand perfection? Fate's a tricky thing. No one wants to hurt anyone."

Bella seemed calmer talking about Oliver now.

"But Zachary is so mysterious. I realized I don't know him at all," Bella said.

I could relate. Wasn't Ethan mysterious too? Even after six months of marriage, he still felt like an enigma sometimes.

Bella put down her cup. "I asked him, 'Zachary, who are you really?' He said, 'I wasn't a good person before, but now I have a wife, and I want to be a good man.""

I laughed. "That's not bad. It shows he's serious about treating you well."

"But he said he wasn't a good person before."

"Bella, don't overthink it. Everyone has a past. Even if he was bad before, he's trying to change for you now. You should feel proud; you're the reason he's changing."

Bella thought for a moment and then laughed, "Emily, that actually makes sense."

Seeing her relieved, I got serious. "Bella, Zachary has a place in your heart now."

She looked startled.

I continued, "When you married him, you didn't care if he was good or bad, right? It was a release for you. But now, you care about these things, which means you care about him, even if you haven't realized it yet." Bella was silent, looking confused. "Really?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"Both Oliver and Zachary love you. You chose Zachary, and no matter the reason, marriage isn't a game. Life involves getting hurt and hurting others. Since you and Oliver can't be together, be with Zachary wholeheartedly. Don't let all three of you get hurt."

I could be this blunt with Bella because she could handle it.

Bella laughed. "You were so naive when you married Arthur. Now, with a new husband, you seem so experienced."

I smiled wryly. "Failing taught me a lot. Being hurt made me cherish the present more and understand tolerance and compromise better."

"That makes sense." Bella laughed heartily.

She suddenly remembered something. "Did Oliver and Ethan fight that day? Why?"

That night, Bella was drunk and probably just vaguely remembered the fight.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Must've been a misunderstanding."

Bella pouted. "Oliver loves to act crazy. Just ignore him."

She seemed more at ease now.

No matter how big the pain, it eventually passes. I hoped the same for Oliver.

I invited Bella to stay for dinner.

Ethan came back on time, and Bella teased him. "Coming home on time, you're such a good husband."

Ethan laughed. "Of course. Can you understand missing your wife after a day apart? Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Emily, watch out. Your husband is quite the sweet talker," Bella said with a smile.

I smiled, knowing he had always been good with words.

After dinner, Ethan mentioned the company was planning an annual party. They had a few locations in mind, and most folks wanted a hot spring resort. He asked if I wanted to come along.

Bella laughed, "You guys sure know how to live it up."

Ethan, lighting a cigarette, smiled. "You should come too, bring your husband."

Bella didn't hesitate and agreed right away.

After Bella left that night, the doorbell rang again. It was Faye's agent. She said Faye had locked herself in her room since that night, losing all her confidence. Her career was just taking off, and this could ruin it. She hoped we could talk to her. I figured that incident must've been a huge blow to Faye, especially with her dark past being exposed in front of me, shattering her confidence and pride.

After the agent left, I suggested, "How about inviting Faye to the annual party? Let her relax a bit."

Ethan thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright."

The annual party was set for two days before New Year.

We drove up the mountain road and parked at the resort. As we got out, I saw Jason. He looked a bit pale and was coughing.

"Got a cold?" I asked.

He smiled, "I said I wouldn't come, but Ethan insisted you guys needed a doctor for safety."

"But the doctor is sick," I teased.

He laughed, "I'll be fine."

I also saw Lacey and Richard. I wasn't thrilled to see Richard, but since he was now part of Skyline International Corporation and held a high position, he couldn't miss this event.

Bella arrived with Zachary, who exchanged polite words with Ethan. Bella pulled me aside and nudged my arm. "Why is that bitch here too?"

Following her gaze, I saw Faye getting out of a car, dressed in a long down coat, hat, and large sunglasses, looking very low-key.

"You can recognize her even like this?" I was surprised.

Bella snorted, "A bitch's aura is hard to miss."

We all put our luggage in our rooms. Bella shared a room with Zachary, probably not wanting to embarrass him in front of everyone. The resort manager invited Ethan for coffee. After putting away my luggage, I came out and saw Richard blocking Faye at her door. "Please move, this is my room," Faye said coldly.

Richard, leaning casually against the door, took off Faye's sunglasses, smirking. "Why hide your beautiful eyes, gorgeous? You look familiar."

Faye reached for her sunglasses, but Richard raised his hand, keeping them out of reach. Tired of the game, Faye pulled him aside and walked into her room, slamming the door. Richard wasn't angry; he knocked on the door. "Didn't expect a beautiful star to have such a temper."

Before he could finish, he yelped in pain, turning his head. Lacey was pulling his ear. "If you're here, behave, or go back."

"Let go, Lacey, let go," Richard yelped.

Lacey let go, and Richard, rubbing his ear, saw me standing nearby, watching and laughing. Not wanting to look bad, he straightened up.

"Lacey, you might have forgotten, but I'm your boss now. With so many employees around, give me some respect. If you don't, don't blame me for giving you a hard time." Richard's words were strong, but he was clearly afraid of Lacey. He quickly tried to slip away after speaking.

Lacey grabbed him. "Do you need a beating?"

Richard broke free, ran a short distance, and then, not fearing for his life, turned back. "Lacey, don't think I can't beat you. I'm just letting you win."

The resort was different from a big hotel with a large venue to accommodate everyone at once, so people chose their own activities.

That night, the resort planned an outdoor party. Despite the cold, a bonfire in the middle kept it warm. Besides music and food, there were several barbecue grills for self-service grilling. Bella and I were at one grill, and halfway through, we ran out of pepper. I went to the kitchen to get some.

I didn't expect to see Richard in the kitchen, seemingly putting something into the drinks.

"What are you doing?" I glared at him.

Startled, he turned around. Caught red-handed, he pulled me in and shut the kitchen door.

"What did you put in those drinks?" I pointed at the glasses.

Before he could answer, footsteps approached. He shoved me into the pantry and covered my mouth as I saw waiters come in and place glasses on trays.