Chapter 8 Eight

The corner of Julianna's lips curved into a slow, bitter smirk as she stared Ella down like a stain she couldn't scrub out. Even the sound of Ella's breathing seemed to offend her.

Disgust. Resentment. Pure venom.

If there was a word worse than hatred, Julianna would've used it for Ella.

She stopped in front of her and, with the grace of a queen addressing a beggar, dropped herself onto the pristine white couch in the middle of the lavish living room. She crossed her legs elegantly, her cold eyes never leaving Ella's face.

"You think you can run off with the money my son gave to your pathetic mother?" Julianna asked with a hiss, her voice like poison laced with honey. "Hell no. That's not happening not in this lifetime."

Ella lifted her head slowly, the pain in her chest flaring like wildfire. Her cheeks were soaked with silent tears, but the sorrow had now twisted into rage. She had endured enough too much from Richard, and now this woman dared drag her mother into their bitter war?

"What was my mom doing here?" she asked, her voice low but trembling with suppressed fury. Her fists clenched at her sides, nails biting into her palms.

Julianna raised a manicured brow and shrugged with feigned boredom. "I don't have the patience to answer your stupid questions. I heard my son foolishly donated money to your mother's orphanage. Since you're no longer his wife, I expect the money to be returned. Every last dime."

Ella's breath caught in her throat. She could feel her blood boiling.

"I didn't force your son to donate anything," she snapped. "He did that on his own, without even telling me."

Julianna chuckled low, cruel, and sharp. "Oh please, spare me your act. Don't pretend you had no idea. You Owens girls are nothing but opportunists. I didn't invite your mother here to exchange pleasantries. Here's the bottom line if you can't return the money, then let your mother work here. She can serve as a housemaid. Unlike you, at least she looks like someone who can do something useful."

Her words landed like a slap to the face. Ella staggered slightly, her heart feeling like it had been ripped out, stomped on, and handed back to her in pieces. The room blurred for a moment, the air suddenly heavier.

But before she could say anything, her phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking through the thick silence. The screen lit up with a name that instantly grounded her: Jessica.

She swiped the screen and tried her best to hide the tremor in her voice. "Hi, Jessy."

Jessica's voice exploded through the speaker, full of energy. "Oh my God, Ella! This is huge! I can't believe it the investor just sent a message!"

Ella closed her eyes, bracing herself for another blow. After what had happened with Richard and his fiancée barging into her business meeting, she expected the worst.

"They're not backing out, right?" she asked in a near-whisper, afraid of the answer.

"No, no, no! That's the crazy part," Jessica said breathlessly. "They didn't pull out. Ella, they sent the money. A huge amount. Enough to restart the entire company. They were impressed with your proposal. They believe in you."

Ella stood frozen. Her fingers gripped the phone tightly. The world slowed, then spun.

For the first time in a long while, something inside her flickered. Hope. Power. Resolve.

She turned her gaze slowly toward Julianna. The woman was still sitting like she owned the world. But something shifted in Ella's eyes a flame had been lit. And it wasn't going out anytime soon.

"Ella? Hello? Are you still there? Why aren't you saying anything?" Jessica asked, confused by the silence.

"I'm fine," Ella said at last, drawing in a deep breath. "I'll call you later. I have some bills to settle."

She ended the call, her mind sharp now, her sadness drying into something else a steel-edged purpose.

She turned to Julianna and spoke with an eerie calm. "Calculate the total amount your son donated. I'll return every penny within a month. If I fail, I'll do as you say I'll work here as a maid."

Halsey, who had stood quietly in the corner, suddenly spun toward her daughter. "What? Ella, no! What are you talking about?" she exclaimed. "Where would we get that kind of money? You don't have to agree to this!"

Ella looked at her with gentle eyes, but there was something new in them a quiet strength.

"Don't worry, Mom. Everything's going to be okay," she said as she helped her mother up. "Let's get out of here."

Julianna leaned forward, clapping slowly in mock admiration. "Wow. Impressive. I love your courage, Ella. You actually sound determined for once. Fine then, let's see what you can pull off in a month. Just remember if you fail, you belong to us."

Ella didn't respond. She simply walked out with her mother, head held high, fire in her eyes.

---

Some minutes later...

The taxi pulled up in front of the orphanage. Laughter from the children echoed in the air like fragile bells, blissfully unaware of the storm in Ella's heart.

Halsey stepped out first, and Ella followed.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about all this," Ella said quietly, her voice taut with emotion. "I didn't want to burden you."

Halsey gave her a weary smile. "I understand, Ella. You've always tried to carry everything on your own. But you don't have to anymore."

Her smile faltered, and tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you the life you deserved. I never should've let you marry into that family. I didn't know how cold they truly were. I failed you."

Ella moved forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her mother. "No, Mom. You didn't fail me. This is life it throws what it wants at us. But we don't have to keep accepting it. I'm done being the victim. I'm going to change everything for us. Just trust me."

She pulled back and gently wiped her mother's tears. "We're going to be okay. I promise."

They held each other for a long moment, and Halsey finally whispered, "I believe in you, Ella. I always have."

Ella smiled faintly and kissed her mother's forehead. Then she climbed into the taxi and gave the driver the next address.

---

Jessica paced back and forth in her apartment like a woman waiting for exam results. When she finally heard the door creak open, she practically ran to greet Ella.

"What happened?" she asked in a rush. "Did you talk to Richard? Did he explain why he sent the money? What-"

"I didn't see Richard," Ella interrupted, walking straight to the couch and sinking into it. "I saw his mother."

Jessica froze. "His mother?"

Ella nodded. "She told me my mom has to work as a maid to pay off the money. She doesn't even care that it was Richard's decision."

Jessica blinked. "That woman is... wow. Just... wow. Do you think Richard even knows about this?"

Ella shrugged. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter anymore."

She looked up at her best friend with fire in her voice. "This time, Jessy, I'm not just surviving. I'm going to fight back. I'm going to take back everything they stole from me. And when I do... they'll regret ever crossing me."