Chapter 20: Secrets Revealed

“Eat it, it won't taste good if it's cooled down.” Richard picked up his chopsticks and said.

“Yes.”

I replied softly and did as he said. Today, I don't order crab and shrimp because I want to keep my image when eating in front of him.

I don't want him to see me when I have to peel crabs and shrimp by hand. I'm not sure Richard will peel them off for me as Brian did.

And even if Brian doesn't help me, I don't mind eating in front of him because we've lived together for a long time, each other's bad habits and vices are all displayed, and no shame.

Moreover, my body has also been seen by him, there is nothing left.

Our meal took place in silence. It wasn't until both of us let go of our chopsticks and ate the fruit that Richard spoke up.

However, I did not expect that he would tell me to quit my job at Brian's house to pursue my passion for fashion. Moreover, he also said that he would lend me money to pay for Mrs. Alina.

At this point, I can confirm that he really likes me. That is a huge number, not small.

“What's up? Don't you want to make your dream come true? Bella, time waits for no one if you just stand still.” Richard suddenly reached out, grabbed my hand, and softened his voice.

“Of course, I want to, but… but…”

“I love you, Bella.”

My ears were ringing when I heard him say he loves me. I'm not mentally prepared yet.

How can he confess when we've only met three times? Am I beautiful? Or do I speak gracefully?

No, how can I compare with the female employees in his company? A few days ago, I looked at the website of MK company and I saw him taking pictures with the female staff, each of them was as beautiful as a beauty queen.

“I've noticed you since the time I saw you taking the old man across the street. After that, I peeked at you more and my heart fluttered. It's just… when I mustered up the courage to go to you and tell you how I feel, the incident happened to my family. My father passed away, and I had to go to the city with my grandmother. When everything was stable, I had time to live for my own feelings and went back to look for you, but I couldn't see you anymore. Exactly two years later, I went there when the college entrance exam had long since ended.”

Richard's confessions made my tongue harden and my face numb. Turns out he realized there was an ugly, black, unremarkable girl who was always watching him among other girls.

Turns out, that year I did not love him unilaterally, but he also liked me.

Why is the fate between me and him so ironic? We both love each other, but we don't say it, letting time inadvertently erase my feelings.

I can't find the vibes that I gave to the good guy in the past.

At this moment, I realize, my heart is calling the name of another man, not him.

My heart didn't jump when I heard him say he loves me. It is not yet ready to receive new love. Not as easy as I thought.

At that time, communication was difficult, not everyone had a phone, and he was in trouble with family, study, and company matters, so it took him two years to return to that place to find me.

I understand that and I don't resent him. I didn't go looking for him either.

Events in life pushed me to leave that place and go to live in an orphanage to help the nuns take care of young children and try to learn a profession.

“Richard, in the past few years… have you not dated anyone?” My hand clenched the glass of water, trying to calm down and speak.

“No. I believe we are destined for each other and will meet again, so I have devoted all my time to my career so that I can give you a better life in the future. Do you see? We have met again.”

If I refuse him now, what will happen to him? Will he be sad? Or mad at me?

His eager and expectant face made me not want to refuse outright, but if I remained vague in this relationship, it wouldn't be good for either of us.

I used to think that I would cling to him, and if he confessed, I would nod after a few minutes of thinking, but why is it so difficult?

“Richard, I...”

“Oh, who is this? Mr. Richard and Bella, right?”

I was just trying to squeeze out a few words when the voice that I had forgotten for nearly seven years suddenly shouted, making both me and Richard startled and looked at the girl who had just approached.

Caily grinned, shook Richard's hand, then grabbed my hand, then pulled a chair, and sat down next to me, very natural.

This girl studied with me for three years in high school. We are also not very close, just in the same class, we talk and help each other in our studies, but she is very observant in matters of love between men and women, only half a year of school, she realized that I like Richard.

The day he left, I was really sad and was teased by her all the time.

Where did this girl come out of? How the hell did she come here?

I felt my whole body tremble and I silently prayed for this girl to keep her mouth shut, not to talk nonsense. If she told Richard about my feelings that year, I would probably faint. That secret needs to be buried in time.

“Are you two dating? Bella, did you go looking for him? When you finished high school, you disappeared because you were looking for him, right?”

“No… it's not like that at all. I…”

“What are you afraid of? When you were in the tenth grade, you fell in love with Mr. Richard. At that time, you were as black as coal, ugly as a demon, and just stood in a corner and looked at him. I remember it very well.”

When Caily finished speaking, she turned to look at Richard, smiled happily, and took a piece of apple from the plate, put it in her mouth, and chewed it.

I shivered, looked at him, and saw that he looked surprised. Then he changed from a surprised expression to a happy one, his eyes sparkling, full of emotion. Maybe he didn't expect me to secretly like him.

Oh my gosh, this little girl has revealed my secret already. Why didn't I put the apple in her mouth sooner?

However, how dare she insult my average beauty? She compares humans to demons, to coal. I'm going crazy. I wish she wouldn't recognize me, that would be better for me.

“Is it true, Bella?” Richard spoke up.

“Huh? What… what?”

“Do you know? When you suddenly disappeared, Bella was like a person who lost her soul, wandering around, almost being classified as a bad student. Fortunately, I have encouraged and comforted her. I was worried that she would commit suicide by jumping from upstairs.” Caily continued to drown me in the mud of shame.

The brighter Richard's eyes are, the darker my eyes are.

What is this crazy friend of mine saying? My academic decline was due to a family incident, she knows that well, but why is she saying these words now?

Besides, did I intend to jump down from the floor to end my life? I never had suicidal thoughts, even when my father and mother left me.

“Bella, I'm sorry.” Richard looked at me passionately and said in a low voice.

“No… don't listen to Caily's lies.” I shook my head repeatedly.

“I do not lie. She is ashamed.”

“Don't say more...”

My sentence cannot be complete when in front of me, which also means behind Richard's back at this moment, is Brian's emotionless face. Next to him is his hot girlfriend, Hellen.

Why am I so gluttonous that I don't realize that the person sitting opposite Richard is Brian?

I've washed that shirt for him countless times, but why doesn't it remind me of anything?

Just now, when I entered, I only saw the man's back, if only Hellen had been present at that time, I would have recognized her beautiful face.

I didn't see her and when I sat down; I didn't look around anymore, just looked at Richard and the food.

Perhaps Brian has heard everything. My doomsday is coming, right?

The relationship between me and him was gentle for not long, I thought I could maintain that pleasant atmosphere until the day he got married and his wife threw me out of the villa, but it seems that everything is already broken.

I don't want to suffer his unwarranted madness.

“Hello, Bella, did you come here for lunch?” Hellen spoke up and gave me a gentle smile.

“Hello… hello, Ms. Hellen. I am having lunch with my friend.” I stood up and answered.

At this time, Richard also left the chair and turned his head to look. When Richard recognized Brian, Richard politely greeted him and the girl next to him.

Caily stood close to me, grabbed my arm, and squeezed it, making me involuntarily turn to look at her. Perhaps this friend is in shock because she did not expect me to know supermodel Hellen.

But that's not too surprising because if she knew that I was living in the same house as the president of Sunshine Bank, her eyes would have popped out.

If she knew I climbed into his bed, she would faint. And if she knew that he gave me an expensive diamond ring and asked to marry me, she would be clinically dead.

“I recognized someone I knew, so I went over to say hello. It seems that me and Mr. Richard are very predestined, right?” Brian shook Richard's hand and smiled slightly.

I felt that smile was fake. At the moment that I guess only I noticed, Brian's sharp gaze swept over me. Very fast, extremely fast.

Maybe I should cling to Mrs. Alina every minute and every second if I don't want to be dragged onto the terrace by him and hear him laugh and cry.

My leg is about to no longer belong to me, it is as weak as if it has osteoporosis. I ate a lot of shrimp and crab.

“I think so, too. I am so lucky to have met Miss Hellen. I'm a big fan of you.”

Hellen grinned, and I don't know what kind of expression I have on my face right now.

If someone carried me to another planet right now, I would pour out all the money in the piggy bank to repay their kindness.