Chapter 3 Mother

A girl was sitting on a table near the window facing the street. Holding a cup of her favorite java chocolate drink, while writing something in a small notebook. It was still half an hour before the meeting. She came early, determined to eat all the things she missed, and promised herself never to go hungry again.

Someone opens the door and the bell chimes. A middle-aged man entered and made his way to her table.

"Hello, Ms. Chen."

"Hi, Mr. Huang." sits down in front of her while smiling brightly. He had clean-cut black hair with some whites too. His eyes were pointy and black. In a suite, slightly intimidating.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but first, let me give you your mom's letter before I read the will." He gave the letter to Isabella and she reached for it while quivering. Trying to hold her tears.

❁❁❁❁ My Baby Bella,

If you're reading this letter, it means that I couldn't return to you immediately. I'm very sorry I had to leave you because I found news about your father. Yes, baby, Benedict is not your father, but his younger brother Stefano.

When I left Benedict, Stefano got the news and felt very sorry for what his brother had done. He was a year younger than him and was with us in the university together with Belden, your father's best friend. We were inseparable. During that time, Stefano was with your great grandfather in Shoda Country. Because of his health, he accompanied him to recuperate. 

Between me and Benedict, grandfather was against our marriage but was not a bad person. Although he did not defend me, he didn't tolerate his son's wrongs. So he let Stefano find me and give me compensation for all the help I did to make the company prosper.

He found me in the countryside, but I refused the money. I was hurt, heartbroken, disappointed, and didn't want to talk to anybody, but he never gave up. After months of resistance, I gave in, and so was my heart. I never thought I could forgive Benedict and move on in a short time. Stefano called your great-grandfather and supported us. We used the money and bought the house and some farmland in Anji Village. We got married without your great-grandmother's knowledge. Maybe that's why she was angrier when she found out after he went missing.

A month after you were born, he received a call from Shoda telling grandfather was very ill and could die at any moment. Even if he didn't want to, he left us. I knew how much he wanted to stay but I was also grateful to grandpa, so I let him go. He and Benedict went there but then the nightmare began. 

The last call he made was your great-grandpa died of poison and they were on the track of finding the culprit. Then days after was a call from Benedict, bringing the bad news. As they were returning from the police station, suddenly shots were heard. The car fell on the roadside rotating until it reached the foot of a mountain. He fell unconscious and when he woke up, Stefano was nowhere to be found together with the bodyguards who were supposed to be with them.

You were just a baby back then and I didn't want to leave you, nor want to bring you, knowing there's danger hiding in the shadows. So I let Belden and Benedict search for him. But he was never found....

I was devastated and couldn't accept it knowing in my heart he's somewhere. But I never lost hope. Five years later, Benedict came and took us in and told us about the lead. We stayed at grandma's house for this sole purpose. I was powerless at that time and needed their help, so I endured everything. Grandma's tantrums and your cousin's white lotus dramas, even Monique's b***y face, imagine how much torment it was, trying not to vomit every time I see her.

I was an orphan, and the necklace was the only thing I had when I was left at the orphanage. I worked so hard to have a better future. And then I met Benedict and your father.

I'm sorry baby that you suffered too. I didn't want to take the risk because I didn’t trust Benedict, even if they are blood-related. There are things he could not explain and remained a mystery until now, so I kept it from you, to protect you. Well, that's how I believed it. Right now, I’m not sure anymore.  So please forgive us and please don't be mad. I'm going to Aster Continent where he was last seen. I promise you we will be complete in the future.

I love to draw but I majored in business. So when we started to live with the Chen's, Belden and I secretly put up a small company, Isabella. Yes, baby, Isabella Apparel is ours and now I'm giving it to you. I ask your Uncle Belden to manage it for us and ask him to hand it over when you finish college.

Baby, I will miss you. We will be apart for now but this will not be permanent. We will return and be a family again. We love you so much. take care always.

Love, Mommy ❁❁❁❁

Tears were falling on the letter but she did not notice it until she heard her Uncle.

"Cough, Cough" She lifted her head and saw the customers around were looking at her. She wipes her face with the tissue her Uncle gave her.

"I'm sorry I'm four years late..."

"????"

When she was kicked out of the house after high school, Uncle Belden didn't know because he was detained in Shoda Country. 

When he had news of Alexandria, went there right away but he couldn't find her in the end. Then he was accused of a crime and imprisoned. He was only able to return to the country two months ago and got her contact number from Benedict. The strange thing was, he didn't inform him when she was kicked out of the house. He was very angry.

While in prison, every month he called him to know her situation. He wanted to make sure she was fine. When he wanted to talk to her, Belden had a lot of excuses. 

Although he couldn't say anything about the company because it was a secret, he ordered his secretary to find a way to send her money for college before his trip. In a hurry at that time, he left without much preparation. The night his secretary sent the money, he had an accident and died on the way to the hospital. Because he was in prison, he was helpless. The company went into the wrong hands. He was also worried that there was a conspiracy to what had happened. 

After years of waiting he was released and came back, he discovered that the company almost went bankrupt and it took him two months to retrieve the lost money that his ex-friend embezzled when he was absent.

"Bella, I'm so sorry..."

"Uncle, don't worry, it's not your fault. Look at me, I'm fine, although I worked hard these years, I gained so much knowledge. I'm rarely sick, I eat more than three times a day, so my life is really good." Seeing his Uncle's pained expression, she was really helpless. She doesn't know how to comfort him and understands he also suffered a lot.

" I hope I can make amends. She left you with 5 billion $ of money and 1 billion $ assets and shares. I was thankful I convinced your mom to send half of the revenue to an overseas bank account and I was able to retrieve the lost.

Her jaw dropped, heartbeat fast, stuttering...."Uuu...uncle, I don't know how to run a company, so I will still need to bother you about this and I’ll just count the money, oh boy this makes me dizzy."

"Of course, of course, leave it to me. Right, your mom left you apartments, houses that are currently rented, and a villa in Anji Village. Would you like to see them?"

"The villa, thanks."

After they talked, he gave her a bunch of things, reminded her to eat well and they went separate ways. She went back to her apartment. Only god knows how she got home. Still, in a daze, she pulled out of her bag, the bank cards, a new cell phone, cars, and house keys....

'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA", I'm rich!!!!!' She was shouting while jumping on her bed. After a minute, breathless, she sat down. ' Mom, Dad, I will find you, please wait for me....'

She went out again, went to work, and handed her resignation. Can't waste any minute. The money problem is solved, so it's time to prepare. But before that, it's time to eat!

On the kitchen counter were vegetables and some fruits. She was so happy. Her parents didn't abandon her, she returned a year before the apocalypse, and there's still hope they are alive.

Well honestly, she didn't feel any affection from Benedict and the Chen's. Her mother filled her with attention and love so she felt contented about it. They never mentioned her father Stefano and great-grandfather, which was odd. Maybe her mother can explain when they meet.

So her stepsister is her cousin and Uncle Benedict is not her father...'Hah! Too many blessings, my heart can't take this.' Like a clown smiling while cutting, imagining their reunion, she cuts her fingers. She was angry because of her carelessness. Blood fell on the knife, cutting board, on her shirt.

"Argh." She walks toward the bedroom to look for band-aids but her eyes were on the wounds, ignoring the surroundings and the bag laid on the floor.

"Bam!” She lost consciousness.