Crushed Affections

Lia was referring to Dominic when she mentioned Bella's nemesis. Bella shook her head, feeling dejected, and confided everything she had discovered to Lia.

Lia was like a startled squirrel, suddenly handed a juicy, unexpected piece of gossip. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Lia did her best to show her support to her best friend. "I think... the one who deserves all the blame here is your father. And even if Dominic's dad had feelings for your mom, it has nothing to do with you. Don't get too caught up in it." Bella felt a deep frustration welling up inside her. She took a big gulp of beer, but it did nothing to wash away the suffocating feeling.

After going through Dorothy's belongings, Bella knew there was something else she needed to do. She had to find her father and deliver the letters Dorothy never had the chance to send. That man needed to know he was a heartless bastard who had ruined a woman's life.

Suddenly, a familiar woman's voice cut through the air.

"Dr. Jones, what a surprise. I never would've thought that someone so serious in a white coat would end up in a place like this after hours."

Mandy had appeared out of nowhere. Bella looked up at the woman dressed in revealing and gaudy clothes. She felt disgusted, probably because she was Dominic's lover.

Seeing that Bella had no intention of responding, Lia stepped in. "Dr. Jones, you seem to run into your patients everywhere, huh? And who says doctors can't come to places like this? Everyone needs to unwind." Mandy sat next to Bella. "Dr. Jones, are you and Dominic close?"

The bluntness of the question made Lia roll her eyes. "What does that have to do with you? Why don't you go back to wherever you came from?"

Mandy smirked. "What I wanted to tell you the other day at the hospital was... I happened to see your picture on his phone."

Bella was taken aback. "What?"

How could Dominic have a photo of her on his phone? Didn't he hate her?

Mandy kept up her mysterious air, her smile tinged with something unspoken.

Bella couldn't figure out what Mandy was getting at. If she had really seen Bella's picture on Dominic's phone, shouldn't she consider Bella a rival? But there was no trace of hostility in her demeanor.

She didn't ask more about the photo, but she tried to probe gently, "You just had surgery not too long ago, and you're out here. Isn't Dominic worried about you?"

Mandy burst into laughter. "Why would he care about me? You don't actually think the baby I aborted was his, do you?"

Bella was stunned again. "It... wasn't?"

Mandy shrugged. "Of course not. I wish it had been! If it were, maybe I'd have a shot at getting into the big leagues. But no, the father is just some notorious playboy who never takes responsibility. Just my luck." Bella didn't care about who the child's father was. Her mind was racing with the thought that Mandy wasn't involved with Dominic and that Dominic had a photo of her on his phone.

Could this mean Dominic didn't despise her as much as she thought? Her mood suddenly lifted, but at the same time, her guilt toward him deepened.

After a while, Mandy left with a slick-looking man.

Lia didn't hold back her disdain for Mandy. "That woman is so annoying. She's really good at getting close to everyone, huh? You can easily tell she's some cheap whore." Bella didn't respond. She was too preoccupied with what Mandy had said. Did Dominic really have a photo of her on his phone?