Twisted Ties of Love

Chapter 3 

Her phone was dead, and she had no idea how long she had slept Looking outside the window, it was still pitch black- 

trabella got up, put on her shoes, grabbed her bag, and left the room. As the walked by Kaley’s room, she saw the slightly open door and couldn’t help but stop 

Inside was Kaley, accompanied by Izabella’s husband in name, Brett 

Kaley possessed a pristine countenance that surpassed the confines of the hospital gown Her pure and elegant temperament radiated through, while her fair complexion accentuated the brillance of her almond shaped eyes Izabella couldn’t help but contemplate whether Brett was drawn to Kaley’s innate innocence Comparing herself to Kaley, Izabella couldn’t shake the feeling of being a malevolent force one that tore relationships apart. 

She couldn’t deny a tinge of jealousy at the attention Brett bestowed upon Kaley 

People who didn’t know Brett thought he was naturally cold and aloof, but Izabella knew that he reserved all his tenderness for Kaley, not willing to share it with anyone else 

Of course, he used to be nice to Izabella a long time ago, but now, there was nothing left 

Her “peeping” eventually caught the attention of the couple inside. Kaley glanced at her, then shrank back and hid behind Brett 

Fear etched across her face, with red rimmed eyes that betrayed witnessing an unforgivable villain. Brett tenderly patted Kaley’s shoulder, his gaze icy and unwavering as he locked eyes with Izabella Spotting her standing near the door, irritation welled up in his heart 

That irritation turned into undisguised disgust on his face, and he scolded her, “What are you doing standing there?” 

Izabella stood at the door, looking at the sweet couple inside, and felt quite blinded by them She didn’t want to watch, but she couldn’t help herself. Because this was a side of Brett she had never seen before the Brett she longed for 

Tears blurred her vision, and a profound ache gripped Izabella’s heart Brett positioned himself protectively in front of Kaley, his gaze filled with a mixture of emotions as he glared at Izabella. Observing her pale and lifeless face, his brows furrowed in a display of concern, anger, and perhaps even regret 

If you’re awake, just go back” he uttered, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration 

Izabella hesitated for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice, “Are you coming back tonight?” 

Seeing the guardedness in Brett’s expression, Izabella couldn’t be bothered to explain. She couldn’t understand what terrible thing she had done in these years that made Brett guard her as if she were a thief. 

No one would be so ironhearted Athough she did hinder him from being with Kaley, she had been taking care of Brett during their four years of marriage like a housekeeper. 

Though their marriage wasn’t perfect, she never interfered with his relationship with Kalny 

In the past, Brett used to engage in secret meetings with Kaley. However, after the Salotti family’s fortune plummeted, she was no longer perceived as a threat by him 

Despite being aware of Brett’s involvement with Kaley, Izabella chose not to confront him about it. But could she truly let it go? Absolutely not. 

Being with Brett had cost Izabella everything. She was battling stomach cancer, teetering on the brink of death, yet she still had to dedicate herself to helping others prolong ther lives. But who would consider extending a helping hand to her when her own life was hanging by a thread? 

Izabella’s heart suddenly felt as if it were being pricked by countless needles. The pain spread through her blood vessels to every part of her body, even making her fingertips tremble 

Over the years, Izabella had grown accustomed to Brett’s indifference and detachment. 

As she turned to leave, she heard Kaley’s voice from inside the room 

is Izabella okay after losing so much blood? Her face looks awful.” 

“Shell be fine, shes always had a strong body” 

Look, this was the man she loved Even his love rival could see that her face was not okay but he couldn’t 

Brett was not an inattentive individual. He possessed a keen ability to spot issues at work and could immediately discern if something was amiss with Kaley However, when it came to Izabella, with whom he had spent six years, he displayed a lack of patience and attentiveness. 

Taking a deep breath, Izabella made the difficult choice to depart without casting a backward glance. Outside, the rain intensified, pouring down heavily With her head bowed, she trudged along without an umbrella Before long her clothes became saturated, and the biting cold permeated her bones. Her pallid lips became chapped, and her dampened, curled eyelashes clung to droplets of water 

izabella fel dizzy from the cold and her stomachache. As she covered her stomach with her hand, she accidentally knocked the ring off her finger. 

Izabella stared blankly as the ring she had worn for four years lost its original luster, and the surface was covered in black. She remembered when she had signed a marriage contract with Brett, and casually mentioned that there should at least be a ring 

Brett had bought one for 30 dollars from a roadside stall and thrown it at her, sarcastically saying, “Take it, you’re only worth that much” 

In that moment, Izabella mustered a smile, although her eyes betrayed an indescribable sadness. The ring she held was too small, yet she persisted in slipping it onto her finger, enduring the discomfort and even the pain that accompanied it. She clung to the determination of wearing it, oblivious to the fact that it caused her finger to bleed 

Back then, she stubbornly believed that the ring would eventually fit, but little did she anticipate that it would ultimately become loose, leaving her feeling a profound sense of emptiness 

Just like her relationship with Brett, 

Izabella curled up in the pouring rain her stomach in turmoil and pain. She covered her mouth to suppress her gagging and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face 

The rain continued to fall, and one by one, passers by pulled out their umbrellas Izabella squatted on the ground, picked up the ring and pressed it to her chest. When her stomach pain subsided, she stood dp 

She looked like a ghost in the rain, bumping into a passer by in a daze. Realizing her mistake, she quickly apologized. The passer by was a young mother with her child. The woman held her childs hand and said gently. “It’s okay” 

The child, noticing Izabellas tear–stained eyes, looked up with innocence and asked in a gentle tone, “My lady, are you crying?” 

The woman, presumably the child’s mother, affectionately patted the child’s head, casting a apologetic glance towards Izabella, and quietly departed, walking away with her little one 

As they walked away, Izabella heard the kid ask his mom, “Why was the lady crying? Was she scared and thats why shecried?” 

“Adults don’t get scared like that. 

The sound of rain drizzling drowned out the rest of their conversation 

Izabella gently held her stomach, looked up, and forced the tears back in Scared? Of course, she was! She was terrified when she went to the hospital alone, when she had the endoscopy. when the doctor called her into the consultation room alone, and especially when they finally told her the terminal diagnosis, leaving her body feeling ice cold. 

But what Izabella feared even more was dying alone, with not a single person by her side 

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