Destiny of the Substitute Bride
21. Public Holidays.

The sun was already rising, when Bella woke up from her sleep on the sofa. As soon as he opened his eyes, the pain in his head suddenly ambushed.

Bella tried to muffle while frowning staring around the room that still seemed empty and dark. What happened last night? Why is he on the couch? Doesn't it seem like he's contemplating fate on the balcony crying?

The pain in his head, made the girl reluctant to think deeper. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash himself.

Noah arrives at the apartment after a run in the morning. Not to forget he brought with him a pack of food for breakfast.

The man was surprised when he found Bella was busy struggling in the kitchen. His face looked fresh with wet unraveled hair. However, the focus of Noah's attention right now was the girl's lips.

Last night's memories swirled around Noah's head.

Noah hates Bella. Hugely. If examined more deeply, actually Noah's hatred began from the excessive love given by the father to Bella. Noah felt very isolated. However, what makes Noah's hatred last until now, is when Bella suddenly burned all the belongings of the late mother without rest.

Bella argues that she was just carrying out duties from Jessica, even though her stepmother was clearly not at home at that time.

Instead of apologizing, Bella rambled and compared her fate to that of Noah. From then on, Noah swore he would never consider Bella as a sister, and therefore, he turned a blind eye to Jessica's often torturing attitude towards the girl.

However, the incident last night really made Noah inexhaustible. All Bella's words and actions, making Noah's self-resilience faltered.

Luckily the man was able to wake up and immediately left Bella lying alone on the sofa of the television room.

"Sister!"

Noah's daydreams crumbled when he heard Bella's voice calling him. Bella throws an empty plate at him while making a thin smile. It's very different from what he saw last night.

"So, I'm going to get a plate, right?" Bella is making a sound again. The girl seemed to really not remember anything.

Whether consciously or not, instead of yelling or resisting, Noah actually received the plate.

Bella looks happy. This was the first time the husband had received his gift, even if it was just a plate. Do not want to disturb the girl was excused to pass Noah to continue his activities.

...**********...

Usually on holidays like this Noah will spend time with Tristan since morning blind, but this time it is not so. Because the friend was out of town to meet his client.

Noah is forced to spend time in the apartment with Bella who has been busy pacing things.

There was something the girl was doing there, but she thought it was unnecessary.

It was clearly making Noah was caught off guard because he had to see Bella's face.

"Can be quiet no!" snapped Noah to Bella who is now wiping the display in the television room, until it almost blocked Noah's view.

Understandably, since work Bella does not have time to clean the apartment. He had also asked Viola not to come there anymore, other than just when needed.

Bella deliberately forbids Viola so that her daily activities in the apartment do not just disappear.

The surprised Bella immediately apologized and stepped aside.

A second later, the sound of the apartment bell rang. Bella immediately approached the intercom to see who the guests were.

The girl's face immediately panicked, when she found the figure of her adoptive father and father-in-law standing at the door.

"Sir, there's Papa coming!" peeking Bella to Noah.

Noah jumped. Her eyes were staring giddily at Bella's appearance which was exactly like that of a housekeeper. The man pointed at Bella and told her to change clothes.

Bella according. While she was changing clothes in the bathroom, Noah rushed to open the door.

"Where's Bella?" asked Harold without further ado. His eyes peeked into the son's house.

"Bath, Pa," replied Noah.

Noah refrained from looking nervous. "Yes, he just finished washing clothes, and I helped him a little bit" she said.

Hearing this, Harold developed a smile. He went inside with Noah.

"Mama's not coming?" noah asked, when he realized that only the father had come alone.

"No. He's got an appointment and he said he'll come here." Answer Harold. The man looked around Noah's apartment as if he was looking for something.

"Why Pa?" asked Noah curiously.

"You've been living in an apartment for weeks, but it feels like this place just now" Harold replied.

Noah paused for a moment, as if looking for the right answer.

"Maybe it's because Brother Noah's a lot of work, and I'm busy helping out at the parlor, Pa." Noah breathed a sigh of relief, as Bella came out of the bathroom while answering Harold's question. The girl hugged the father and kissed him on the cheek.

"Replace? Which house?" ask Harold.

"When I'll get to live first. They're short on people and I volunteered to help there for a while." Bella smiled and offered the father a drink.

"Aren't you tired, son?" Harold seems unhappy with the news, but Bella assures herself that she is fine, and can take control of everything.

In order to divert the conversation, Bella began to invite the father to talk about the activities of the man's days after retirement.

"Ahh, Papa came here to say something."

Noah and Bella throw each other a glance. "What is Pa?" ask Noah.

"Papa intends to spend the year in Gargania."

Hearing Harold's reply, Bella's smile suddenly disappeared.

...**********...

A glamorous-looking woman was seen coming down from her luxury car, which was parked right in a large, shabby house.

When viewed from the outside, the house looks like it is uninhabited. However, Jessica casually opened the gate and entered into it.

As if he was used to it, without excuse Jessica opened the front door of the house, and,

"Hello, Jessica baby!" exclaimed an old woman who immediately welcomed his arrival with great enthusiasm. The two frail hands of the old woman even hugged Jessica as tightly as possible.

Jessica did not seem to reply. He put on a cold look while trying to let go of the woman's embrace.

"Ow, you've always been acting like this to your mother, son," said the woman, flaunting her slightly yellowed teeth.

Jessica did not answer. He took out a neatly stored wad of money in a brown envelope, and threw it on a small table behind the woman.

"Use it to clean the home page as well. I told you to do it over and over again, didn't I?" jessica was cold.

The woman let out a giggling laugh that was quite creepy. "It's not better that this is Jess, so people don't know that I'm actually alive."

Jessica was unmoved to answer. The woman was even preparing to leave the place after she felt her affairs had been completed.

"Jess, how's my daughter-in-law and granddaughter doing?" the old woman asked, when Jessica was on the doorstep.

"If I could just meet them, it would be so much fun, wouldn't it?" Reciprocity.

Jessica glanced cynically at the woman as she said, "don't dream, and remember, she's not your granddaughter!"

The woman's laughter suddenly blared with Jessica's footsteps.