Chapter 122: The long-hidden truth
The words hit Bella like bombshells, scattering her thoughts. Her mind went blank. "Stop!" she screamed, her voice filled with shock and disbelief.
The two policemen halted at the doorstep, their attention drawn to the commotion.
Bella dragged her aching body towards them. "What did you say?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Lionel.
Sensing Lionel was about to reveal a painful truth about Bella’s father, Theodore intervened. "Stop spouting nonsense," he growled. "Officer, take this man away. He has caused enough damage."
Bella stopped them. "Wait a moment. I am not done with him."
"Bella!" Theodore panicked, grabbing her shoulders. "You are injured," he pleaded. "Let’s go to the hospital first, okay? You’ll have plenty of time to ask him anything later."
But Bella was determined. "I don’t want to wait," she insisted, shrugging off his hands. Turning her unwavering gaze to Lionel, she added fiercely, "You hate me so much that you’re now slandering my dead father. Do you have any shame?"
"Dead!" Lionel scoffed bitterly. "You believe in that lie your mother told you. He is not dead. He is very much alive – maybe having a good life with his family."
Bella’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding. She felt Theodore’s supportive hand on her shoulder, but her focus was entirely on Lionel.
"What do you mean?" she demanded, her voice barely a whisper, but filled with a desperate need for the truth.
Lionel smirked, sensing her turmoil. "Your so-called dead father is alive and well. Your mother lied to you. He abandoned you both, and now he is out there living his life, pretending you don’t exist."
Theodore’s grip tightened on Bella’s shoulder, trying to ground her amidst the emotional storm. "Bella, don’t listen to him. He is just trying to hurt you."