"Why would you have to stoop so low to warn a man who doesn't have a quarter of your net worth?" Ella's voice trembled with anger, her heart boiling as she glared at Ben.
"He has less, but he treats me like a queen, better than you ever did," she added, her words sharp and cutting.
"All you do is use people around you, toss them aside, and order them around because you have it all," she continued, frustration lacing each syllable. Fear gnawed at her. What if Ben ruined the one thing in her life that gave her joy and truly listened to her?
"You're just selfish," Lisa added quietly, her gaze flicking to Ben, who slumped on his bed. Darkness engulfed his room as he sat there, drunk into a stupor, drained of any strength to speak or defend himself.
Ella's heart softened at the sight. She flicked on the light, expecting resistance, thinking he might be ignoring her on purpose.
"Oh my God…" she whispered, rushing forward to his side.
A pang of pity and responsibility pierced her heart. Gently, she lifted him, cleaned him up, and helped him into neat, comfortable clothes.
"What happened?" she asked softly, adjusting the beddings with care, laying fresh, scented sheets over the ones he had soaked in alcohol.
"Ella… please… come to me," Ben murmured, his voice weak, raw with longing. All he wanted was her, yet the thought of Rita's pregnancy made her pause. She feared being the reason a child would be born into a broken home.
"It's better you fix things with Rita… I'm happy with Jasper," Ella said quietly, her words cutting through the fragile remnants of Ben's hope.
Those words hollowed him further, leaving him desolate and broken.
"I'm done for now… I'll have your food brought up here," she added, stepping back, her heart aching but firm in her decision.
"Ella… don't go… Ella!!!" Ben called faintly, desperation threading through his weak voice, the plea echoing the agony in his chest.
The room hung heavy with silence, tension, unspoken emotions, love, guilt, heartbreak, and fear interwoven, each second a reminder of fractured bonds and hearts left in turmoil.
At the corner, Rita watched quietly. Jealousy churned in her chest as she saw Ben in such a sorry state because of Ella.
"Hurry and do as you've been told," Rita muttered, picking up her phone to call an unknown person. What she planned remained her secret, a shadow looming over the unfolding drama.
Days passed. Ben, after drowning himself in alcohol and wallowing in frustration, decided to accept reality and move on. It wasn't easy, but he knew he had to for the sake of his child, whom Rita carried.
The more he tried, the more irritating Rita became, yet Ella's words about not wanting his child born into a loveless situation pierced his heart, reshaping his resolve.
Ben, having grown up in a home devoid of love, was determined to do things differently for his son.
As Rita's belly grew, Ben became more comfortable with the arrangement. He accepted the sacrifices required and prepared himself to dedicate his time and care to his child. Rita, on the other hand, felt a quiet joy, she had Ben, entirely, all to herself.
The house was quiet yet filled with unspoken emotions, the aftermath of shattered hearts, fragile hopes, and the slow reconstruction of priorities for the ones they truly cared about.
"I have to do this for him. I can't be selfish," Ben said to himself, steeling his heart. He could not neglect his unborn son for the sake of love or past regrets.