"You're finally back?" Ben asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and something heavier, almost apprehension, as Ella stepped inside.
"Oh… you've changed. This isn't what you were wearing when you stepped out," he added, his eyes scanning her with unspoken questions.
Is he really that good that you couldn't even come back in your own clothes? What did he do to you? Ben thought, jealousy simmering quietly beneath his words. His questions kept coming, relentless and probing, but Ella said nothing, holding herself together despite the turmoil inside.
She watched him for a moment, the hurt welling up in her chest. She felt conflicted — pity, frustration, and a deep, aching sorrow. Yet she refused to accept the cruel truth: Rita was carrying his child. That revelation cut deeper than any insult or betrayal ever could.
Ella turned and made her way to her room. She freshened up, slipping into her nightwear, and lay on her bed, clutching a book. She tried to immerse herself in its pages, seeking a fragile reprieve from the storm of emotions swirling around her.
A knock interrupted the quiet, sharp and insistent.
"Ella, please… open the door. We need to talk," Ben called again, his voice carrying an urgency that was almost pleading.
Ella ignored it at first, allowing the tension to mount, but after several more persistent knocks, she reluctantly rose.
"Ben, what do you want?" she asked, her voice weary, threaded with exhaustion from all the drama and heartbreak she had endured.
"You know you have a pregnant woman in this house. You should be by her side every time… she needs you," Ella added, her tone tinged with hurt and frustration.
As she was about to sit and listen to what Ben had to say, she froze at the words that came out of his mouth.
"Let's get married again… but this time… a real one," Ben said, stepping forward. His words were heavy with both hope and desperation, the weight of truth and longing pressing down with each syllable.
"A real one? Why? Do you think you own my life or can do as you wish with it? You want to tie me down while you enjoy time with Rita? Never… I don't want to hear this again," Ella snapped, her voice sharp but restrained, laced with fatigue and lingering hurt.
"I have a few months left. Once this… this so-called marriage is done, you'll give me my reward, and I'll walk away for good. Please…" Ben added, his voice softening, imploring her to understand, desperation dripping from every word.
"No… now get out. I want to rest," Ella said firmly, her exhaustion outweighing any lingering feelings she might have held.
Ben stood silently for a moment, his chest rising and falling with restrained emotion, before he quietly turned and left the room, the tension in the house thick and unbroken.
He leaned against Ella's door, thinking of how to convince her that he truly wanted her.
Rita sat far away, silent but watching, her heart heavy with hurt. She could do nothing. All she wished for now was that Ella would not give in. Maybe, just maybe… Ben would realize that Rita was the only one for him. And with that hope, she silently clung to her fragile desire.
Days passed, and all Ben wanted was for Ella to agree to his proposal.
Overhearing the conversation about the fake marriage, Rita quickly called Ben's father to inform him of everything happening — including how Ben had faked his marriage to maintain his inheritance.
McDon was furious. Anger boiled through him as he realized that Ben had made a fool out of everyone, including his own father. The deception, the lies, the manipulation — it was all too much to ignore.