Chapter 9: Homeless
Bella hesitated at the entrance, unsure whether to go inside, until Sylvia noticed her. "Ms. Jones, why are you standing out here?"
Bella, feeling anxious, quickly shook her head. "I just remembered something I need to handle at the hospital. I'll be on duty tonight, so I won't be coming back. Can you tell Dominic for me? I have to leave now." Before Sylvia could respond, Bella turned and walked away.
Back at the hospital, a nurse looked surprised. "Dr. Jones, didn't you already clock out? Are you volunteering for extra work? You're really dedicated!"
Unable to admit she had nowhere else to go, Bella forced a smile. "A patient mentioned they might come in late I'm just waiting to see if they show up."
As the night wore on, more people inquired about her continued presence. Although their intentions were friendly, their questions made her increasingly uncomfortable, highlighting her feeling of displacement.
Unable to face going home, and finding lingering at the hospital awkward, Bella decided to drive to Lia's. Lia's friendship provided a crucial buffer against complete loneliness.
Lia's studio was swamped with a large project, and she was working late. Her small team was exhausted from the heavy workload.
Seeing Lia's fatigue, Bella hesitated to burden her with her own problems. She sat quietly, observing the beautiful wooden carvings around the studio. Lia took a quick water break and vented, "I don't know who ordered this huge project, but it's draining me! If it weren't for my studio's reputation, I'd just use a machine. My hands are a mess!" Bella empathized. "Didn't you meet the client when you signed the contract?"
Lia shook her head. "No, I never met them. They sent an assistant who looked like bad news. If I'd met the client, I probably wouldn't have taken the job. It's the most expensive and complicated carving we've ever done, and it's taken up all our time for the last three months." Bella tried to reassure her friend, "Don't worry. I'm here to make sure you don't overwork yourself. You just focus on your work, and I'll handle everything else."
Lia chuckled, though she seemed half-annoyed. "Are you guarding me? Or did you just come here because you had another fight with Dominic?"
Lia always seemed to intuit Bella's troubles. Bella's silence only heightened Lia's concern. "Did I guess right? What happened this time?" Bella shook her head. "It's nothing. Just keep working. I'll stay over at your place tonight."
Seeing Bella's mood, Lia decided not to press further and returned to her work.
By 11:00 pm, after the other workers had left and the studio was quiet, Lia finished up. "Let's go. If Dominic's being a pain, you're welcome to stay with me." Bella attempted a laugh, but it faltered. "Stop joking. I'm so tired—let's just go home and get some rest."
As Lia locked the door, she muttered something about Dominic under her breath. "I'm not joking. You know exactly what kind of person Dominic is. Even if you don't say it, it's written all over your face that he's upset you again. I swear, I just want to" [The sentence is incomplete and the following promotional text should be removed.]
Lia's voice trailed off as she spotted a black Rolls-Royce parked outside. She froze, pressing herself against the door. "Oh my gosh! When did he get here?" Bella's heart raced. It was definitely Dominic's car. Why was he here? She had told Sylvia she wouldn't be coming home that night.