5
I coughed, and the glass of water tipped over with a sharp clink.
Miguel’s attention snapped to me. He rushed forward, steadying me with both hands.
“Careful, don’t burn yourself.”
He gently wiped the water off the table, then leaned in, his voice brushing against my lips.
“Sweetheart, do you want some water?”
“Hmm..”
I gave a faint nod, and he immediately picked up the cup and left the room.
As soon as his figure disappeared down the hallway, I turned to the doctor and pleaded in a whisper, “He’s in love with someone else. Please don’t tell him.”
The doctor stood still, eyes flicking toward the door, then back to me.
After a long sigh, he finally said, “Alright, such a pity for the child, though.”
He placed a sonogram gently on the edge of the bed. “This was taken just before surgery. The nurse saved it for you. The baby already had tiny hands and feet.”
I glanced at it once, just once, before I clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle the cry building in my throat.
The little one curled up in the image, so small, so soft, its tiny limbs folded close, its face
scrunched in the faintest frown.
I’m sorry, baby…
My heart whispered the apology as I carefully folded the ultrasound and pressed it against my
chest.
My final gift to Miguel had quietly grown by one more.
He soon returned with the water, warm to just the right degree.
He held the cup patiently, letting me sip bit by bit. The doctor said nothing more and silently stepped out.
Watching his back fade through the door, Miguel seemed to pause as if a whisper of something vital had slipped right past him. “What did the doctor say just now-”
“I’m hungry,” I said calmly.
He dismissed the unease rising in his chest as nothing more than a passing illusion.
For the next two days, he took care of me with gentleness and patience, just as he had done so many times before.
The more tender he was, the more my heart ached. It felt like someone was tearing it apart with bare hands.
One night, he said in a voice heavy with guilt, “Belle, come with me to the banquet tomorrow…” Even though I had already handed in my resignation to Director Evan, the transition hadn’t been finalized.
I gave a faint nod. “Alright. I’ll be there.”
When I arrived at the venue, I immediately noticed Saoirse seated right beside Miguel.
The host chuckled into the mic, teasing playfully, “Miss Belle seems a bit nervous. Shouldn’t our movie king comfort his little girlfriend?”
I forced a smile, even though I could feel how pale and terrible I must have looked.
Sitting beside Miguel under the spotlight had been a dream I clung to for years.
When our eyes met, a flicker of guilt flashed across his face. After a slight hesitation, he reached over and held Saoirse’s hand.
The crowd below erupted in cheers.
“Kiss! Kiss!”
As the two leaned in closer and closer, my heart, one I thought had long since gone numb, suddenly clenched in pain.
I couldn’t bear another second. I stood up and rushed out of the venue.
Soon after, the product launch began.
Inside the velvet box lay a new piece from the collaboration, a blue diamond necklace worth millions, shining under the lights.
Saoirse opened the box with feigned shyness, gesturing sweetly for Miguel to put it on himself.
The flashes flared wildly.
Then, a reporter shouted, “Is that necklace fake? There’s no sparkle at all under the lights!”
The designer rushed over, took a close look, and his face darkened.
“This is a fake. It’s not the necklace we gave your team.”
When I glanced up, I caught Saoirse flashing me a venomous smile.
She turned pitiful, her voice soft. “I saw Assistant Belle backstage with the box… maybe she…”
Without thinking, I blurted out, “No! That’s not true-”
The venue’s security guards surged forward and slammed me to the ground with force.
Miguel’s face turned ashen. “She wouldn’t do something like that…”
“Ow! My foot!”
Saoirse dropped to the floor with a dramatic cry. Miguel froze, then immediately knelt to help her.
Within minutes, the police stormed in.
I faced them head-on, my voice unwavering. “I didn’t do it. It’s my job to inspect the box…”
Saoirse added lightly, “Maybe she hid it in her clothes?”
The designer’s face darkened, fury burning in his eyes. “Search her!”
The guards lunged at me, yanking at my clothes and tearing into my bag with brutal force.
My lower back burned, and the reopened wound soaked my clothes in blood.
Bruises quickly bloomed across my arms.
“I didn’t steal it! I’m innocent!” I shouted through clenched teeth, struggling helplessly.
5
313
My clothing was ripped to shreds. Only scraps and my undergarments clung to me.
A guard suddenly held up a torn piece of fabric, the stolen blue diamond glittering within.
“We found the necklace! It was in this lady’s inner pocket!”
The entire venue erupted in chaos, and Miguel stared at me in disbelief.
He took a step forward instinctively, but Saoirse clung to his sleeve.
“Miss Belle, How could you steal something so important? You’re treating Miguel’s career like a joke!”
Miguel’s face darkened, his gaze heavy with doubt, “Belle, if you admit your mistake now, I might still be able to save-”
“No need.”
I bit down hard, holding back my tears.
“I didn’t know the necklace was in my pocket. Miguel, do you believe me?”
The staff snickered openly, mockery dancing in their eyes.
Some lewd stares crawled over my half-exposed body, making my skin burn.
But I didn’t care. I looked straight at Miguel, my voice trembling.
“Miguel, I didn’t do it. Do you believe me?”
His dark eyes flickered, hesitation softening his features. “Belle… Assistant Belle has been with me for years. She’s never done anything like this…”
Just then, the assistant in charge of the brand’s handover rushed over.
His face drained of color after hearing what happened.
After a long pause, he finally spoke in a low voice, “I saw Assistant Belle switch the necklace…” My pupils widened instantly, my voice trembling.
“You’re lying!”
Miguel stepped toward me, each stride heavier than the last.
When his hand reached out, I thought he was finally going to pull me out of this nightmare.
Instead, he gripped my shoulder tightly.
“Kneel. Apologize.”
Those four words fell from his lips like stones, every syllable laced with cold fury.
1:58 pm
