Its Too Late To Forgive

Chapter 77: 76. YOUR HATRED WAS UNREASONABLE

Deep in the night

On a luxurious double bed, one man and a woman are lying entangled with each other. The man was holding the petite woman tightly in his embrace.

Suddenly the woman opened her eyes. Bella looked at the man sleeping next to her.

He knew it?

He knew that it is not a vitamin tablet bottle. That explains his prior actions when angrily grabbed her and ran upstairs.

But if he knew, why did he compromise in the end?

She thought about it, she didn’t understand, shook her head and stopped thinking about it.

It’s just that his presence around her that makes her more and more upset everytime they are around. She don’t understand him more and more.

He makes her irritable, makes her hate and brings her pain. She never admits it, hatred starts with love. Otherwise, how should she face him, how should she face herself? Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

But this person has increasingly become her demon.

Bella got up from the bed, carefully, in order not to make the man awake. She slowly stretched out her hand, reaching for the fruit knife on the bedside, she grabbed it hard in her hand. In the dark, the tip of the knife shone with cold light. She regrabbed it and gradually approached for his neck. But her hand trembled.

Her eyes were wide open with tears rolling in the sockets. She was still trembling, holding the fruit knife, leaning against the sleeping man.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably and violently, the closer they were, the more they trembled.

Bella just stab and it will all be over!

Bella what are you still hesitating for?

Bella have you forgotten who caused your sufferings?

Who made you worse than a dog??

Who humiliated you to death???

Who raped you and got to raped n number of times????

Who made you loose everything, your unborn child, your dignity, your organs?????

Bella, hurry up, just stab! Stab!! Stab!!! Bella! You useless thing!

Thad ~~

The knife fell down and she immediately picked it up again but was in a panic. She then looked at the sleeping man again. She felt relieved that this did not wake him up.

Closing her eyes, Bella took a deep breath. Her right hand still gripped the handle of the fruit knife, as if to crush the knife. Big tears fell from the closed eyes “click”. She couldn’t control her tear ducts, just as she couldn’t control the hand that held the knife trembling desperately. What’s wrong Bella?

She knew what was wrong! She is already carrying a life on her back now she is afraid that by killing Henry, she will be putin the prison again and she can't afford it.

But then again she thought, she is already a murderer in everybody's point of view. So what's the big deal in actually becoming one! She has already lost everything so what's left to preserve. Why can’t she go on stabbing this man?

She is useless! She is useless! ! She is useless! ! !

The perseverance in her eyes was fleeting and she looked at the man around her again, no chance of reconciling.

The knife hung over the sleeping man’s neck again. Bella took a deep breath. She said she didn’t care. She said that she could relax if he died but she still couldn’t do it.

Shaking her hands, hating her own incompetence, the knife in her hand felt nothing less then a hot potato, she threw the knife far away in a panic.

She covered her face and cried silently. She hates herself, she hates her incompetence, she hates her perseverance. She hates that she can’t do it. The sound of the knife falling awakened the man beside her.

“What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

Henry quickly sat up and reached out to hug Bella. The latter reflexively waved his hand away. After swiping away she felt wrong and then she softly explained,

“I have a nightmare.”

The man breathed a sigh of relief,

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

He hugged her and stuffed her into the sheet, coaxing Bella like a child. Soon the woman in his arms him started falling asleep. After a while, there was a slight snoring sound. This was the first time she really fell asleep in the same bed with this man.

Henry wanted to be happy feeling that Bella had started trusting him but the man’s dark eyes landed exactly on the fruit knife in the corner of the wall. The black eyes shone, lowered his eyelids, turned off the light, lay down and held the woman in his arms closer together. He was awake the minute Bella got up from the bed to grab the knife. All this time, he was actually pretending to be asleep all through out.

Days passed by. Everything was back to what is was like before. Henry seldom came home. Bella did not complain about it. Infact she was happy in his absence.

But she still continued to take her vitamin tablets everytime they made out. Henry did not object.

He had lot going around him. He was busy with his men investigating about Bella's life in the prison and about the incident that happened 5 years back. Daily they would bring some or other news regarding it. As soon as he will feel that he had reached the end, then within minutes there lead will end up without any results. Now Henry was sure that things are not that simple as it seemed to be.

Henry was distracted now a days. Taking advantage of Henry's distraction, Jason and Morris industries were hitting his business again and again. Each hit was harder then before and for the first time in last ten years, Jackson enterprises was suffering. Henry knew about this but was in no strength to fight back. Bella was completely oblivious to all these things.

Bella, infact, asked Henry about that gangster who appeared in the city but Henry never gave her any satisfactory reply. Bella was disappointed with Henry. She then recollected that if her mother haven't informed her regarding that man's appearance in the city and about the only eye witness present that time, she would have never known about these important facts. It seems that Henry had no intentions

in telling her about any of these things and seeing his present attitude, it seemed as if he is not bothered about it either.

Bing ~~

Jackson Mansion hardly had any visitors since Bella was living here. Hearing the door bell ring twice, Bella, who was sitting in the lounge and watching TV, was little surprised. She switched offed the TV and walked towards the door.

As soon as she saw who was standing at the door, Bella was shocked. Once handsome and dignified man now looked haggered, thin and somewhat broken. She doesn't know why but she somehow felt that there was sympathy and pain in his eyes.

She walked up to him. Seeing her looking directly into his eyes, Leo smiled and bowed down a little. Bella was happy to see this gesture and she reciprocated equally.

"Leo.."

Bella called his name in her hoarse voice. Leo looked at with some uncomfort written all over his face. Bella understood that her voice had made him uncomfortable. Still she spoke again,

"I am sorry. My voice is still hoarse. Dr. Carson is working on it."

Hearing her apologize for something she didn't do made Leo more ashamed of himself.

"No, Miss Evans. It's not like that. It's just that we are meeting after a very long time."

"Ya"

Bella nodded. Leo Hank was always nice to her except on the day when Bella was raped by Henry. Thinking about that day, Bella clenched her fingers tightly but showed no emotions on her face.

"It's only Bella now Leo. How..."

Before she could finish. A heavy voice rang in their ears from behind,

"Leo....."

Bella and Leo turned together towards the source of the voice. Leo couldn't control his emotions and ran towards the man who was the owner of this heavy and magnificent voice. Standing infront of Henry, Leo kind off felt embarrassed and he lowered his gaze. Henry came forward and patted on his shoulder,

"Leo, my friend, where have you been for so many years?"

"Oh as you know master that I was with the eldest master for few years. It was little... hard for me to live here."

Leo spoke with hesitation and then looked at petite figure of Bella. She was so beautiful and attractive in the past, just like a moon goddess herself but it seems that she had suffered way more then what she deserved.

"I can understand."

Henry then looked at Bella who seemed to be very calm. She then met with Henry's eyes. It seems as if Bella had just now blushed slightly on meeting his eyes. Henry smiled at her gesture. He had not seen her for five days. He was too tied with his work.

What he wanted to do most just now was to carry her back to their room and make love to her over and over again.

"What made you come back?"

"Nothing specific really. Just wanted to return to my home and serve my real master. Nothing else really."

Henry didn't find anything suspicious in Leo's talks and he genuinely welcomed back Leo to Jackson Mansion whole heartedly. He then strolled towards Bella who was now standing a bit far from both the men, he held her hand and took her to their room.

Once entering the room, he locked at in his arms and placed her on the bed,

"I hope you are not angry with me for agreeing to keep Leo here?"

"No, not at all."

Bella said with truth in her eyes. She was actually not sad. She thought she has already crossed the barrier of being angry or sad and now these things doesn't matter anymore to her. She is only focused on one thing. 'HER freedom'.

Few days later -

Martin had just delivered some important files at Henry's study. They were important evidences of Cindy's case. Martin was well aware of this. Inspite of these documents being in a brown open envelope, Martin did not dare to open it before his master does. Hence he left them in the study and left.

Later in the afternoon, Leo suddenly banged into a hard chest, while he was sneaking out of Henry's study. He suddenly lost his balance and as soon as he fell down, a brown colored envelope fell from inside his court.

The content of the envelope suddenly scattered out of it. Ray looked at the panicked Leo and was little surprised to see his looks.

"What are you doing here? And why did you take this envelope from master's study?"

By the very first look at the envelope, Ray recognized it as he had seen it with Martin, while they came to deliver it at Master's study, in the morning. And the way the envelope fell from Leo's court, he was sure that Leo was trying to steal it from the study.

Initially Ray was just pretending to scare Leo so that he tells the truth but suddenly he glanced at the documents and a line of bold words flashed over the corner of his eye, and suddenly he became awe.

Regardless of the presence of Leo, Ray picked up the documents and quickly went through them. Suddenly, one of the diagonal spurs rushed towards Ray,

“No don't look at them! No don't!!!”

Leo was in a hurry and was sounding scared. Ray gently stretched out his hand and pushed Leo. Leo staggered backwards, turned his feet and fell down. The study's door opened accidentally by his weight and he feel inside the study.

“What is this Leo Hanks?

What is written in this is it true??”

Hearing his words, Leo was even more scared. Ray couldn’t believe what he just read. The corner of his eye gradually fell on another folder on the desk, remembering that he just saw similar one at the door. Yes, the folder that he was holding was exactly similar to the one kept on the desk.

Without hesitation, Ray took out the documents from the envelope which was on the table, opened it hurriedly and looked at it quickly.

Two documents of the same case but two completely different “facts.” Which one is true and which one is fals!!

Actually, you don’t need to ask more, Ray definitely understands this in his heart. If the document which were in Leo’s hand were false then why should he sneak into master's study secretly? He sneaked in to exchange documents! Ray was absolutely sure about this fact now.

Leo sat down on the ground decadently, suddenly moved a bit and knelt down towards Ray. He knelt down towards Ray and grabbed his pants very pitifully,

“Don’t tell this to anyone, please.”

Ray was shocked!

“You think I don’t know that you secretly loved Cindy. I also know what you did with Cindy. She even got pregnant by you. But she did not tell thus to anyone so that you can be safe. She was already Master's courted woman at that time. I know you truly loved her. And that was an act done under alcohol influence but still it can be noted as a rape but Cindy hid it.

I beg you, Ray. I am doing all thus for her only. Ray think about it, Cindy has always been kind, gentle, considerate, and courageous. How could she do this kind of thing that's mentioned in these documents?

Everything is because of Bella Evans!

Cindy was the only woman that master valued, everyone in the circle knew about this. However, as Cindy’s friend Bella Evans, that wicked woman still refused to give up, she continued to pester master everywhere.

Cindy always felt an inferiority complex infront of Bella. It’s my fault. As I am a mere servant in this villa, automatically my sister also was considered as a servant here. I didn’t give Cindy a noble status.

But what about Bella Evans? She was the daughter of the Evans family and the proud girl of the heavens in the eyes of people. Such an outstanding woman can only be devoted to her husband and launch a fierce pursuit.

Cindy was afraid, afraid that one day master will be chased away by a woman like Bella Evans. Cindy was in a hurry as Master's and Bella's engagement date was coming closer and she took a wrong step.

But Cindy was ruined by those animals because of Bella's lateness that night. Finally Cindy used her own life to pay for her impatience!

Is this not enough? No matter how big or small was Cindy's mistake , isn't it enough that she payed it with her life?"

Leo bursted into tears,

“Ray, Cindy did something wrong, but it was also because of Bella Evans. Now, master also married that woman just as she wished. This is exactly what the woman wanted. Isn't it? Then

why to dig up the past and study it? Why do we need to find out what happened in the past few years?

That woman became Mrs. Jackson whereas my Cindy only had a jar of ashes left.

She went to another world. I only hope to leave her a clean name in this world. In master's heart, Cindy will always be that gentle, kind-hearted, a little timid and simple girl. Ray, I beg you. I kowtow to you.

As long as you have never seen anything, you have never heard anything!

That woman, she also got what she wanted, didn’t she? Is this bad now? A happy situation for everyone, and the only thing I care about is to never let Cindy be humiliated and trampled by the world after her death!

Ray I know you. You liked Cindy since you first saw her. You certainly don’t want Cindy to be a vicious woman in the eyes of the world, right?

Also, she was just little anxious. She didn’t mean to harm others. That woman was her best friend. How could she deliberately viciously harm that woman?"

Ray nerves tightened. When Leo said that 'you have liked her since the first time you saw her.' Leo knew that his decision had been made.

“Leo give me an answer first. These facts, you knew the truth of the matter a long time ago, right?”

“I… Cindy mentioned to me once about this and I thought she was joking. She also said that she will just scare Bella and take her naked photos to leave evidence and will make sure that those people do nothing excessive to Bella. Basically what she wanted was just a hope that woman will have no face to haunt master, her boyfriend again.

I... I only thought it as a joke. Never thought that Cindy might really do this. But to say the truth she has been courageous since she was young. So I couldn't imagine it too."

Ray clenched his fists, closed his eyes and threw the documents in his hand in front of Leo,

“Remember, I didn’t hide it for you. I didn’t help you. I did it for Cindy’s innocent reputation and her purity in master's heart. I haven’t been here today nor have I seen you nor the documents.”

After speaking, he turned around and walked into the corridor. The light shone on Ray’s pale lips and the regret between his brows. While walking downstairs, he heard a conversation.

It’s that woman!

He glanced at the woman who had her back to him and she just turned sideways to look at him as she heard somebody coming down the steps. Seeing her Ray's heart beat stopped suddenly for a second. There was an unspeakable guilt on hid face and guilty conscience in his heart.

Ray saw that Bella was staring at him but suddenly withdrew her gaze indifferently, and just skimmed past the guilt on his face in such an indifferent way as if not caring at all about it.

Maybe, the paranoid cognition in his heart was suddenly broken. That piece of paper, every sentence, every word, all accused him that his dislike for this woman was all baseless.

A person who was plainly upright and disgusting, a person who was of course despised, a person who was secretly ridiculed from time to time for a sufficient reason, suddenly... everything changed for that person. Each and every piece of that evidence tells him, YOUR HATRED WAS UNREASONABLE!