Chapter 158 A Photo
But who the heck put Beck in the nursing home? Could there be someone else behind this?
Bella was tossing and turning, her mind racing. She was pretty sure that guy was actually Beck Garcia, but now what?
Her head was spinning with memories of Lucas's plane crash, all the pain and humiliation she had to go through. It was like a weight on her chest.
Living with Sterling all those years just made her feel even more trapped.
She couldn't sleep, just lying there, restless. Then her phone buzzed. It was a message from Anna.
Anna had sent a screenshot of a photo showing Debra and Sterling together. Bella shot up in bed, flicking on the bedside lamp.
The photo was taken at some fancy restaurant. They were all cozy, and even though she could only see half of Sterling's face, it was definitely him.
Bella stared at the photo, Debra leaning into Sterling, looking all happy. Debra's Facebook caption read: [Hanging out with him always makes my day.]
Bella's grip on her phone tightened, her knuckles turning white.
'Didn't he say he was on a business trip? Didn't he promise he wouldn't see Debra again? And now he's with her behind my back?'
Bella wondered if Sterling would really lie to her. She looked at her phone, remembering the sweet moments with Sterling before he left. Tears fell onto her phone, blurring the screen.
In a fit of frustration, Bella turned off her phone and tossed it aside, hoping it would make her feel better.
Anna called in the middle of the night. Before Bella could say anything, Anna was already fuming, "I knew Debra was trouble! Trying to seduce your husband, and Sterling is such a jerk for falling for her. I thought he was good to you. Why marry you if he's still hung up on Debra? What a jerk."
Bella's head was pounding from Anna's rant, and she didn't want to talk about Sterling right now.
Bella quickly changed the subject, "Anna, I found out tonight that Beck Campbell in the nursing home is Beck Garcia. I asked Zoey and some of the old servants from The Windsor Villa, and it turns out that Beck used to be Sterling's dad's driver. We've all been played. Let's go to the nursing home again tomorrow. Get some sleep."
Anna's focus shifted. "What? That jerk lied to me. I should've just asked Zoey instead of wasting money on a private investigator. What a waste."
Bella couldn't help but laugh, then agreed with her.
Bella said, "This is more important now. We'll deal with Sterling when he gets back."
After hanging up, Bella was wide awake. The thought of Sterling and Debra together was gnawing at her.
She couldn't take it anymore. She needed to hear Sterling's voice, even if it was just for a moment.
Without thinking, she dialed his number. The phone rang for what felt like forever before Sterling finally picked up.
He sounded groggy, like he had just been woken up. "Hello."
"Where are you?" Bella tried to keep her emotions in check, not wanting to sound hysterical.
Sterling's voice was still thick with sleep. "I'm on a business trip, at the hotel. What's wrong? I'll be back in a couple of days. Why are you calling so late? Are you okay?"
Bella found his concerned tone almost laughable. It was the first time she truly felt the sting of betrayal.
She kept her voice steady and said, "Nothing, I'm hanging up."
Bella ended the call abruptly, afraid she might start yelling or cursing if she continued.
She despised herself for it. She thought she had outgrown being the meek, submissive person she used to be, but when it came to Sterling, she couldn't bring herself to confront him.
Maybe deep down, Bella felt she had no right to question Sterling.
She finally managed to get a couple of hours of sleep just before dawn.
In the morning, Sterling's call came right on time, even before her alarm. Bella, already in a foul mood from lack of sleep and the events of the previous night, hung up on him without a second thought.
When she went downstairs for breakfast, Zoey hurried over and said, "Mrs. Windsor, Mr. Windsor mentioned that he tried calling you but you didn't answer, and he was wondering why your phone is turned off."
Bella, still groggy, had forgotten about Sterling's call. Feeling defiant, she said, "I just didn't want to answer. Do I have to pick up every time he calls? I'm hungry, and I'm going to eat."
Zoey, taken aback by Bella's irritated tone, said softly, "Mrs. Windsor, Mr. Windsor's call is still connected."
Bella saw the phone in Zoey's hand and suddenly froze.
She hadn't expected Sterling to be so persistent; when she didn't answer, he called Zoey.
But she couldn't back down now. She said stubbornly, "So what if he heard? I don't want to answer."
Zoey was amused. What were Bella and Sterling arguing about now?
Bella walked to the dining room and almost tripped over Sunny. She picked up the cat, and Zoey almost laughed out loud.
Zoey picked up the phone and said a few words to Sterling before hanging up.
Bella sat at the table, pushing her food around without much interest. Soon, Zoey came over, and Bella couldn't help but ask, "Zoey, what did he say?"
Zoey smiled and said, "Mr. Windsor said to wait for him to come back and settle this with you."
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