CHAPTER 78: JAKE HAPPENED

The cab ride home blurred before Bella’s eyes. The city lights that usually felt alive and golden now looked harsh and mocking, each flicker a cruel reminder of what she had just seen.

She sat rigidly in the back seat, her fingers clutching her phone so tightly her knuckles had gone white. Jake’s name still glowed faintly on the screen. She wanted to throw the device out the window, to scream until the world stopped spinning — but all she could do was stare blankly, heart pounding, breath shallow.

How could he?

The question looped endlessly in her head.

By the time the car pulled up in front of Chloe’s apartment, her hands were trembling. She tossed some bills at the driver, stepped out, and walked toward the door with quick, unsteady steps.

Every step felt heavier than the last. Her throat burned with the effort of holding herself together.

Inside, the apartment was warm and softly lit. She could hear faint music — something low and jazzy — playing from Chloe’s speaker in the living room. The scent of coffee and fabric markers lingered in the air.

Chloe was on the couch, sketching designs across a large sheet of paper, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her locs were tied up messily, and she had that focused look she always wore when she was deep into a new concept.

She didn’t even look up when the door opened. "You’re home early. How did—"

The words died in her throat when she saw Bella.

Bella’s face was pale, her eyes red-rimmed and glistening but dry. Her lips trembled, and she moved stiffly, like someone trying not to shatter.

Chloe immediately set her pencil aside. "Bella?"

Bella didn’t answer at first. She threw her bag onto the couch with a thud and began pacing the room, her breaths uneven, her anger barely contained.

How could she have let herself get to the point of getting hurt and by Jake?

"Hey," Chloe said softly, rising to her feet. "What happened?"

Bella stopped, her chest rising and falling fast. "You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

Bella gave a broken laugh, sharp, and bitter. "Jake," she spat out his name like it burned her tongue. "That bastard."

Chloe froze. "What did he do?" she asked in confusion, wondering what he must have done to make Bella this mad and hurt at the same time.

Things were good between them a while ago so what could’ve gone wrong? Chloe wondered as she looked at Bella, waiting to hear what she had to say.

Bella looked at her, her eyes glinting with fury and heartbreak all at once. "That idiot... no. I’m the idiot, for falling for it," Bella said,trying to keep herself together.

"What are you saying, Bell?" Chloe asked. She was beginning to feel uneasy about it.

Isabella sniffled, determined not to cry for someone as heartless as Jake. "That Jake. He played me, Chloe. He played me."

Chloe’s brows knit together, confusion giving way to disbelief. "Wait—what? That doesn’t sound like—"

"Oh, it doesn’t sound like him?" Bella cut in, her voice cracking. "Because it isn’t supposed to, right? Because Jake’s supposed to be the good one. The dependable one. The man who makes promises and keeps them. The man who makes you think he’s different from every other lying man in this world!"

"Bella—"

"He texted me," Bella went on, pacing again. "Said we should meet at his place instead of the lounge. I went there, Chloe. I went. And do you know what I saw?"

Chloe swallowed hard, not liking the sound of that. "What?"

Bella’s laugh was sharp, almost manic. "Helena. On top of him. In his bed. They were making—" She broke off, her voice splintering. "He was just there, totally forgetting he asked me to come there!"

Chloe’s face hardened instantly. "What?! You got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was."

For a long second, Chloe said nothing as she tried to process and understand how Bella must be feeling. Then her jaw clenched.

"That son of a—" She caught herself, fists curling at her sides. "After everything you’ve been through, Bella? After all those nights you doubted yourself, thinking maybe you were too trusting—"

"Exactly!" Bella shouted, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. "I let him in, Chloe. I trusted him. I thought maybe this time, I could finally have something real. And that Timothy could be happy having his real father around. But I was wrong. He’s just like the rest of them. He’s a jerk!"

Her voice cracked, and she sank onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. Her shoulders shook as she tried to muffle the sobs clawing their way out. Sobs she couldn’t control.

Chloe sat beside her instantly, wrapping an arm around her. "Hey, no. No, don’t cry over that jerk. If he did that to you, he’s not worth a single tear."

Bella’s words came muffled through her fingers. "And to think... I almost told him tonight that I was ready. That maybe—just maybe—I wanted to try love with him. For Timothy’s sake. For our sake."

Chloe’s hold tightened. "Bella..."

She lifted her head, eyes blazing now through her tears. "There’s no way I’m letting that kind of man become my child’s father. No way. Timothy deserves better. I deserve better."

Before Chloe could reply, footsteps sounded in the hallway. Rachel emerged, her hair slightly disheveled.

She blinked at the scene before here, Bella crying, Chloe tense beside her, and immediately she frowned in worry. "What’s going on here?"

Chloe looked up grimly. "Jake happened."

*********

Hello, there beautiful and sweet reader! How are you? Are you enjoying the story? How about you leave a comment for me? Also, please vote with your golden tickets and power Stones. I really do need it.

I see your votes but I still want more because the more, the better(winks).

Thank you all in advance and I do love you all.