Chapter 2 A Living Hell

"Why didn't you answer me when I called you? We..."

Bella caught up with him in no time and grabbed him by the suit. She begged him to give her some time to explain what had happened in the past.

Quickly and unexpectedly, Russell took off his suit, which left him only wearing a black, slim fit shirt. He remained silent but his eyes were full of disgust. It was as though he was looking at a steamy pile of garbage.

"Russell, please!"

"Excuse me! Do I know you?" His response clearly meant that he had cut off any ties with her.

Bella was still holding onto his coat when tears streamed down her cheeks. She was left motionless as she watched him hastily leave the venue.

"Russell, I really want to explain everything to you. Why can't you just give me a chance?" she murmured in between sobs. Bella slowly couched down on the floor. She felt weak and dejected.

She noticed that her phone was ringing so she picked up the call. Randy was on the other end of the line. He quickly blasted, "Bella, where are you? I'm warning you, if you don't come back here, I'll be very rude to you the next time we meet."

Randy quickly hung up the call. Bella didn't have the opportunity to respond.

She dragged herself to the washroom and tidied herself up, then hurried back to the banquet. Mr. Wang couldn't help but feel sorry when he saw her dispirited and fragile appearance. He held her hand and said, "Miss Song, did you drink too much? Anyway, just drink this glass of excellent wine. I promise, this will be your last drink for tonight. I won't allow anyone else to give you a toast."

Bella felt disgusted and was about to shake him off when she caught Randy's glare. She had no choice but to keep her emotions at bay. The pain and bitterness that she felt would have to wait.

"Just drink this glass of wine!" Mr. Wang insisted. Bella pulled herself together and picked up the wine glass. She shoved the clear, amber liquid down her throat without uttering a word. Then, her body felt like it was on fire. She worried she might explode from the intense heat inside her.

She sat in a daze. Mr. Wang seemed like he had melted into the background. She squinted hard, but the faces surrounding her remained blurred. She could still hear their voices as they were discussing the business plan. Just like what Mr. Wang promised, none dared to approach her for a toast. They seemed to totally ignore her presence.

After a long time, they finished the discussion. A sigh of relief escaped Bella's lips.

Randy helped her get up. He looked at her and produced a card key from his pocket, and abruptly said, "Go upstairs and wash yourself. People might say that I bullied you if you went home in this state. Remember, don't enter the wrong room!"

"Don't worry, I remember. It's Room 886!" she replied. Bella appreciated Randy's effort to be considerate. Everyone knew that he was stingy, but he was surprisingly generous tonight. The party was held in the most prestigious hotels in the city. Normally, she couldn't afford to stay in one of its luxury suites.

Bella was just relieved that she could tidy up and wash the scent of alcohol off. She didn't want to look like a mess in front of Louise and her son.

She stumbled and bumped into other hotel guests on her way to the elevator. She got off on the eighth floor and searched frantically for the room. Her mind was a mess. When she saw one that had two 8s, she quickly went inside.

Her temples were throbbing and everything was swaying. As soon as she entered the room, she threw herself on the luxurious bed. Her face was very pink and she felt hot all over. She undid the sash that wrapped around her waist and undressed completely. She felt that she would die if she hadn't removed her clothes.

"I feel so sick! Too much wine is not a good thing. Oh Russell, why can't you listen to my explanation? Back then, I was..." With a hiccup, Bella forgot what she was mumbling about. All she wanted, that instant, was to vent out her anger and grievances. She had already suffered for the past five years.

When he heard the noise outside, Russell turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He was still dripping wet when he got out of the shower. His fair skin glowed attractively.

'Was that a woman's voice?' he thought. He didn't remember asking for room service that evening.

"Whoever you are, get out!" he shouted harshly.

"Why should I get out? You're an awful person for disturbing my conversation with Russell. I'm going to get you for this..."

The woman's drunken response filled the room. The voice struck a sensitive cord in Russell's heart, and he recognized its owner. 'Damn it! She followed me here on purpose, ' he thought.

He walked straight to the bedside. He saw the clothes sprawled on the floor carpet, and couldn't help but smirk. He cleared his throat and his deep voice boomed across the room. "Bella, even after all these years, you're still as cunning as I remember!"

Russell found her lounged on the bed and with her eyes closed. Without any signs of sympathy, he carried her to the bathroom and dumped her in the tub. He turned on the faucet and ice-cold water gushed out. His voice was just as cold when he said, "Bella, you and your manager got the wrong target. You're a really vile and self-destructive being!"

Bella, who was just in her undergarments, felt the freezing water as it filled the bathtub. "It's so cold! Let me out!" she screamed. Russell pinned her by the neck to prevent her from getting up. Bella could feel his strong grip around her throat. She could hardly breathe. It was getting more and more painful. The icy water didn't help; it felt like needles were stabbing her.

Russell realized that her face had turned purple so he loosened his hold. As soon as he relaxed his grip, the woman managed to wrap herself around him.

Bella grabbed his hand and whispered with a smile, "You smell so nice and reassuring." She was clearly delirious.

"How dare you get close and pretend that nothing's wrong! Bella, I warn you, you can't get away with this even if you sprout wings this instant!" Russell was trying to shake the drunk woman off him when his bath towel fell. She clung tighter to his cold body.

Russell felt the warmth of her body, yet he felt revolted at the thought of their situation. This woman was really a slut!

"You make me feel comfortable..." Bella stared at the blurry vision of the man, and suddenly asked him, "Do you know Russell? You look just like him. Can you help me apologize to him?"

"Apologize? It's too late for your apology. You should have died back then..."

Russell cried out in agony. Once again, he grabbed her neck. The force of his grip made the woman gasp for air. Her breathing got short and irregular, and her lips got pale.

Russell saw the pained look on Bella's face, and felt his anger boil. This time, his rage was directed at himself. He hated himself for not teaching her a good lesson back then. He regret letting her go. He shouldn't have been easy on her!

"It's not my fault!" Bella managed to cry out. She somehow imagined herself in her nightmare again. She thought she was talking to the bloody lady, but only this time it was a man. It was Russell. She tried her best to defend herself from his accusing glare. She kept on screaming that it was not her fault.

"How dare you say that it was not your fault!" he blurted out. Russell let go of his grip. He didn't want to touch this shameless woman any longer. He became disgruntled at the thought that they were in the same room, alone.

With little effort, he pushed her away and she fell on the floor.

Standing over her, he said, "Bella, I will never stop until I make your life a living hell!"