ELLA.

I got discharged from the hospital, yet the triplets remained glued to my side the entire journey home. It was honestly exhausting.

Every single step I took seemed to attract their attention. Their eyes followed my movements constantly, as though they expected me to suddenly collapse without warning.

It was ridiculous.

The moment the car came to a stop in front of the mansion and I stepped out, I had finally reached my limit.

"Can you all stop this!" I said out loud, turning to face them with visible frustration. "I am not a baby, and my legs are perfectly fine," I added firmly, emphasizing every word so they would finally understand.

The three of them exchanged glances, but I wasn’t interested in hearing whatever response they had prepared.

I already knew it would be some variation of we’re worried about you or we’re just being careful.

I didn’t have the patience for it.

Without waiting for any of them to speak, I turned around and walked straight toward the mansion.

My steps were steady and confident.

See?

Perfectly fine.

I pushed open the door and entered the mansion, determined to ignore whatever lame excuses they would undoubtedly come up with behind me.

But I had barely crossed the entrance when a familiar voice reached my ears.

"You’re back, Theresa. I missed you."

The voice made me freeze instantly.

Bella.

Of course it was Bella.

The moment I lifted my gaze, I saw her standing there exactly as I expected, wearing that smug expression that always seemed to come so naturally to her. It lingered only for a brief second, just long enough for me to notice it clearly, before she quickly shifted it into something far softer, far sweeter.

Too sweet.

Painfully fake.

I hadn’t even fully recovered from that unsettling change when she suddenly started walking toward me with quick, eager steps. Before I could even decide how to react, she closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace, as though we were close enough for such familiarity.

And honestly.

Gosh.

I almost threw up right there.

The act was so obvious, so forced, that it made my stomach twist in discomfort. Every part of it felt wrong, like a performance she had rehearsed too many times in front of an audience she wanted to deceive.

What a bitch.

I held myself still for a moment, forcing my body not to react violently, though every nerve in me resisted her touch.

"Quit this, Bella," I said almost in a whisper, my voice low and controlled as her arms remained wrapped tightly around me. "It doesn’t suit you."

There was no warmth in my tone. No attempt to soften it. Just pure, restrained irritation barely held in check.

For a brief second, I felt her grip stiffen slightly around me, a subtle reaction that betrayed her. Then, instead of pulling away immediately, she leaned in closer, as though trying to hide whatever flicker of discomfort had just crossed her.

"I don’t want to do this either, Theresa," Bella muttered quietly, her voice lowered just enough that only I could hear her words clearly.

But then she added, even softer, almost like a poisonous whisper slipping through a smile.

"You stink."

The words hit me instantly and my expression darkened. Without even thinking about it, I pushed her away.

It was not a hard push, it wasn’t even close. It was nothing more than a simple shove meant to create some distance between us.

But somehow, Bella managed to turn it into something else entirely.

The moment my hands left her, she stumbled backward dramatically. Her body hit the floor with a soft thud and before anyone else could notice, she shot me a sly little smirk.

A victorious one.

My stomach dropped.

She had done that on purpose.

"Hey, Theresa, careful!" Lawrence yelled immediately.

He rushed forward without hesitation and crouched beside Bella, helping her up as concern filled his features.

"You are going to hurt her!" he added, his voice full of accusation.

Meanwhile, Bella lowered her gaze, looking every bit like an innocent victim as she allowed Lawrence to support her.

And that infuriating little smirk she had shown me seconds ago was already gone, as though it had never existed at all.

"Theresa, what’s wrong with you?" Leonard asked immediately, his voice filled with disapproval as he hurried toward Bella as well. His brows were furrowed as he looked between the two of us. "You shouldn’t act anyhow due to your stupid mood swings."

Stupid mood swings?

Wow.

I almost laughed.

The sudden change in their behavior was honestly amusing, and I didn’t know whether to be angry or impressed by how quickly it happened.

Just moments ago, they had been hovering around me like overprotective bodyguards, watching every step I took as though I would shatter if the wind blew too hard.

One minute, they were treating me like a fragile egg.

The next, they were yelling at me and throwing insults my way because of their pretentious stepsister.

The irony was almost unbelievable.

I folded my arms across my chest, staring at them as they fussed over Bella.

"Look, Theresa, I don’t know what’s going on in your head right now, but you need to apologize to Bella," Lawrence said, his hands still carefully supporting Bella as he helped her back up to her feet.

His tone carried the quiet confidence of someone who had already made up his mind, someone who had already chosen which side of the story he believed without bothering to ask for mine.

That alone irritated me more than I wanted to admit.

It wasn’t just what he said—it was how certain he sounded while saying it, as though the matter was already settled and my opinion didn’t matter at all.

"No way, Lawrence," I said firmly, refusing to back down even an inch. My voice remained steady and controlled, but there was a clear edge of determination beneath it that made my stance unmistakable.

"I did push her, but it wasn’t that hard," I continued, my gaze locked on him without wavering for a second.

Then, slowly, I shifted my attention toward Bella, my expression tightening slightly as I addressed her directly.

"Right, Bella?" I asked, my tone calm, but loaded with meaning, as I waited for her response.

For a brief moment, our eyes met.

Immediately, her expression softened.

"It’s okay, brothers. There is no need to force Theresa," Bella said quietly, her voice gentle and fragile, perfectly crafted to gain sympathy. "It wasn’t hard," she added, before lowering her gaze. "I probably haven’t eaten. That’s why a light push was that hard."

The victim act was flawless.

I rolled my eyes instantly.

Of course.

She wasn’t going to admit the truth.

Why would she when this performance was working perfectly in her favor?

Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood for any of this drama.

My head already felt heavy with everything else I had been dealing with.

The last thing I wanted was to stand there arguing over a fake fall that everyone seemed eager to believe.

"Well, I guess you should eat more, Bella," Lurgard said casually, his tone almost light, as though the tension in the room meant absolutely nothing to him.

His voice cut through the atmosphere and immediately drew my attention. Unlike everyone else who seemed weighed down by emotions, anger, or judgment, he sounded completely unaffected by the scene unfolding before him, as if he were merely commenting on something ordinary and unimportant.

Then, without hesitation, he strode toward me.

Before I could even register what he was doing, he reached for my hand and took it firmly in his. His grip was steady, not painful, but strong enough to make it clear he wasn’t going to let go easily.

"Theresa needs to rest, so if you would please excuse us," he added calmly, his eyes briefly sweeping across the room as he spoke.

Us?

The word struck me immediately, catching my attention like a sudden interruption in my thoughts.

For a second, I found myself staring at him, almost frozen in place.

Us?

Since when had there been an "us" between him and me?

I tightened slightly, not pulling away yet, but clearly confused by the choice of words.

I just want to be alone right now!

But before I could fully process what he meant, or even decide how to respond, he was already pulling me gently but firmly along with him.

My fingers remained trapped in his grasp as he guided me away, leading me toward the staircase without pausing or looking back.

The others didn’t stop us. No one spoke. No one interfered.

And honestly?

I was very glad they didn’t.

Because the longer I stayed in that room, the harder it would have been to keep my emotions under control. The irritation, the frustration, everything would have only grown sharper, more difficult to suppress.

I had no intention of standing there and listening to any more accusations, no matter how loudly they were thrown around or how justified they believed they were.

And most importantly, I wasn’t going to apologize to anyone.

Especially not Bella.