Chapter 141: Holding back tears
"Why did you postpone the reunion? You were the most excited about it," Orabela asked, her fingers idly tracing the rim of her coffee mug.
"It wouldn’t have been the same without you, Bella," Kylie replied, her gaze shifting to Orabela’s hand. "Speaking of which, where’s your ring? Did you forget to wear it?"
"We broke up," Orabela said flatly, lifting the mug to her lips.
"What?" Kylie feigned shock, though a smirk played on her lips. "You stole Roderick from Layla, and now he’s left you like this? How ironic," she taunted.
"What are you trying to say?" Orabela frowned, lowering her mug. "It was Roderick who kissed me at that party. He told me Layla would never find out and that he didn’t care about her. That jerk never even admitted he was in the wrong," she defended, her eyes turning warm because of tears.
"Even so, Bella, you shouldn’t have gotten involved with your sister’s boyfriend," Kylie said, her tone turning sharper now. "Look where it’s left you. You’ve lost everything—the Rosenzweig Family disowned you, your real identity is out in the open, and your beauty brand, the one you’ve been building since college, has been taken from you. You’re completely ruined," she finished, watching Orabela’s expression carefully.
"My mother is the real culprit," Orabela said, her voice trembling with suppressed anger as her grip on the mug tightened. "I hate her. And Roderick... he’s an absolute jerk. He toyed with my feelings and made me look like the villain in everyone’s eyes." Her gaze darkened as she added, "But I’m not innocent either. I made terrible choices, even turning against Lucius. If he hadn’t been with Layla, none of this would’ve happened."
"And now?" Kylie asked, tilting her head. "What are you going to do, Bella? Maybe you should beg Layla for forgiveness. Who knows, it might help you get everything back."
"I won’t do that," Orabela snapped, her tone firm with defiance. "Why should she have someone like Lucius—someone who defends her no matter what? It’s my family’s fault they poisoned me against her from the start. They filled my head with hatred, taught me to mimic their actions, their words... everything they did to Layla. How is it my fault that I ended up hating her?" Her voice cracked as she let out the frustration that had been building for a while.