Chapter 170: Far From a Happy Ending

Bella glanced at the line of waiting patients and said impatiently, "If you have something to say, make it quick. This is a hospital for treating patients. If you're not sick, you shouldn't be here." Simon lowered his head. "Alice is gone. You're my only daughter now"

Bella froze, tempted to ask for details but stopped herself. "Oh? So your daughter died, and now you somehow think it's my responsibility?"

Simon shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I just thought you should know. Her mother donated her kidney, but the transplant didn't go well. The kidney wasn't in great condition, and the rejection was severe She couldn't pull through." Bella said nothing. It felt like he was still blaming her, wasn't he? All because she hadn't agreed to donate her kidney. And now, he'd come to her after Alice's death. What good could possibly come of this?

Seeing her cold expression, Simon's eyes welled up. "I know I've let you and your mother down in so many ways. The only thing I want now is to make it up to you. I don't expect you to acknowledge me as your father Just let me do something for you"

Bella frowned, her voice icy. "Repeating that doesn't make it any less meaningless. You have no right to mention my mother. If you're not here for treatment, leave. Can't you see all the people waiting?"

Simon stood, gave her one last lingering look, and left a piece of paper with his phone number on it before leaving. Time had clearly taken its toll on him. Losing his daughter had aged him, leaving him looking worn and defeated. Watching him appear so pitiful felt like a blatant attempt to gain her sympathy. And although Bella felt a slight pang of pity, she clenched her fist so tightly that her nails left marks on her skin. She refused to soften. Simon didn't deserve her compassion. And yet, he still dared to show up, getting in her way.

Every time Bella closed her eyes, she was haunted by the image of Dorothy, skeletal and unrecognizable in her final days. Late realizations and half-hearted gestures of responsibility felt utterly pointless. [Remove the website advertisement]

She glanced briefly at the paper, then tossed it in the trash. She had already blocked several of his numbers; this was just another one she had no intention of keeping.

Chapter 170: Far From a Happy Ending

By lunchtime, she was too tired to go out, so she ordered takeout. As she ate, she ran into Ian, who sat down across from her. "Takeout again? If you're going to eat, at least get something decent. All you have is vegetables. What are you, a rabbit?"

Bella replied casually, "Can't a girl go on a diet? By the way did you see the news?"

Ian's expression froze. "What news?"

Bella noticed his reaction and found it strange. "The news about Amber getting married."

He relaxed almost instantly. "Oh, that Yeah, I saw it. Not surprising. Any thoughts?"

Bella shook her head. "Not really. If I said I felt sorry for her, you'd probably think I'm being a hypocrite."

Ian laughed. "Heh Nothing to feel sorry about. If she had stuck to their agreement and left Dominic alone after they broke up, none of this would have happened. You know Dominic almost died because of her. Saving him at the last minute, risking everything—that was the least she could do. Adults have to be accountable for their actions. Thinking about it that way, maybe you don't need to feel any sympathy for her at all." Ian was good at reframing things, and he summed up the situation well. But in the end, it was still far from a happy ending.

That afternoon, when Bella got home from work, she happened to walk by Dominic's room and overheard him on the phone. She wouldn't have paused, except she caught the name "Amber" and found herself stopping, almost against her will.