Chapter 464 Emotional Breakdown
Looking back, Sterling had to admit he wasn't someone who liked small animals, especially furry pets. When Sunny first came into the house, he was really disgusted, thinking it would only bring trouble and mess.
But for Bella's sake, he slowly tried to accept Sunny, and even began to genuinely like it. Whenever he saw Sunny running happily around the room or rubbing against his feet, he would think of Bella.
At this moment, Sterling felt somewhat annoyed and guilty about why he hadn't brought Sunny along when he came here.
If Sunny had been with him, maybe this accident wouldn't have happened, and Bella would have had a chance to see Sunny one last time.
Although objectively speaking, this wasn't really his fault, he still felt incredibly guilty and blamed himself, unable to confidently claim he had no responsibility.
Seeing Sterling's silence, Bella's emotions grew more intense. Her eyes were already red, tears welling up but stubbornly refusing to fall. She stared at Sterling, her voice carrying a sob and determination: "Why aren't you saying anything! Are you lying? You're lying to me! How did Sunny really die? It's already dead, can't you just tell me the truth?"
Sterling looked at her eyes full of doubt and sadness, his heart a mix of emotions. He took a deep breath, slowly put out his cigarette, turned his gaze to Bella, his voice low but firm: "I'm not lying to you. Right after you got out of the car, Owen called to tell me. If you don't believe me, you can call back and ask. I really have no reason to lie to you."
Sterling paused, as if choosing his next words carefully, then continued: "I admit I didn't do things right in this situation. I didn't take care of it carefully enough, didn't anticipate that last night's heavy rain would affect it."
Sterling's tone carried sincerity and self-blame. He understood he couldn't completely ease Bella's pain, but at least hoped she would believe he wasn't lying. He was willing to take responsibility, even if that responsibility couldn't change what had already happened.
Listening to Sterling's explanation, the anger and doubt in Bella's heart gradually subsided somewhat. She knew Sterling's character—if he were really lying, he would choose to avoid the issue or argue back forcefully, not face his mistakes honestly like this.
However, the pain of losing Sunny still felt like a sharp knife stabbing deep into her heart. She closed her eyes, and tears finally fell uncontrollably, dropping onto the floor with a clear sound.
Bella noticed that Sterling, who hadn't smoked in front of her for a long time, had quietly lit a cigarette the moment he walked in.
Through the swirling smoke, his eyes seemed especially deep and complex, an expression Bella had never seen before, filled with indescribable sorrow and self-blame.
Bella had always thought Sterling never really liked Sunny. That fluffy little life was emotional comfort for her, but for Sterling, perhaps just an occasional source of amusement.
So when Sterling sat on the sofa, a slowly burning cigarette between his fingers, Bella didn't realize the deeper meaning behind this small gesture—that he was also extremely upset and troubled inside.
Sterling lowered his eyes and chose silence. He knew that at this moment, whatever he said couldn't lessen Bella's grief or change the fact that Sunny was gone. His silence was more like a wordless apology, a self-reproach for failing to protect Sunny.
However, Bella's sadness and anger had reached their peak. She couldn't understand why Sterling could sit there so calmly, as if Sunny's death meant nothing to him.
Bella's heart was breaking, every second was torture. Finally, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere any longer, she suddenly lunged forward and threw the soft cushion from the sofa hard at Sterling's chest, tears bursting out with her crying: "I hate you so much!"
"I wanted to take it with me back then, but you wouldn't let me. If Sunny had been with me, this never would have happened."
Before she could finish, Bella was already sobbing uncontrollably. Her anger, sadness, disappointment, and helplessness wove together into a powerful flood, crashing against Sterling's heart.
Sterling sat there motionless, letting Bella's emotions pour out like a flood, venting her grief and anger.
He understood that at this moment, any rebuttal or explanation would only make things worse, so he chose silence.
Finally, Bella's crying gradually weakened, leaving only occasional sobs. Only then did Sterling slowly reach out his hand, trying to comfort her: "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't take good care of Sunny."
Bella angrily pushed his hand away and stubbornly sat at the other end of the sofa, clutching the cushion tightly, tears falling again, her voice heavy with crying: "I don't want to hear you talk, shut up! It's all your fault! All because of you!"
Sterling sighed helplessly. He understood that what Bella needed right now wasn't just an apology, but an outlet to express herself and vent. So he obediently shut his mouth, said nothing more, and simply reached for a tissue and held it out to Bella.
Bella took the tissue but didn't immediately use it to wipe her tears, instead letting it get soaked with tears in her hand.
Bella's crying started again, even more intense than before: "I'm never getting a cat again! And you—I don't want to see you anymore either!"
Sterling's heart was stung by Bella's words. He knew he bore responsibility in this matter that he couldn't escape. He silently endured Bella's accusations and anger, neither refuting nor defending himself, just sitting there quietly.
However, for Sterling, Bella's crying and outburst actually made him feel a bit more at ease.
In contrast, if she had chosen to say nothing at all, that would have truly frightened him. The moment he learned of Sunny's death, he instinctively felt everything was over. What he feared most was that Bella would completely hate him from the bottom of her heart—that kind of silent despair would be heavier than any words.
After crying for a while, Bella's emotions gradually calmed down. Sniffling, she reached out her hand toward him, her voice hoarse: "You have videos of Sunny on your phone, right? I want to see them."
Sterling obediently picked up his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Bella. He didn't usually take selfies, so his photo album was mostly work-related pictures. But photos and videos of Sunny made up a significant portion.
Bella took the phone, her finger sliding across the screen. Each picture, each video reminded her of the wonderful times she'd spent with Sunny. Her eyes welled up again, but this time, the tears held more nostalgia and reluctance to let go.
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