Chapter 55

Amelia was stunned; she had just eaten and was already full, so there was no way she could eat anything else.

"What are you waiting for? Dig in," Isabella said, opening the lunch box and shoving a piece of beef into Amelia's mouth.

Amelia's eyes welled up, almost tearing up. Not because she was touched, but because she was so full she felt like she might puke. She chewed the beef, but swallowing it was a whole other story.

Isabella finally noticed she was putting Amelia in a tough spot. She pulled Amelia into the car, and this time, with no Michael in the way, they drove off easily.

Michael watched the car's taillights fade with a complicated look on his face.

In the car, Amelia finally managed to swallow the beef. She could finally talk. "What's going on? Are you and Michael fighting?" she asked, curious.

Isabella silently recounted what she saw in the office.

"How could they do that? Damn it, I thought Michael was a good guy, but he couldn't resist Pearl's temptation! Men are always unfaithful," Amelia fumed and asked Isabella to stop the car. She wanted to go back and give Michael a piece of her mind.

"Alright, forget it. I was just guessing. Pearl was the only one in the office at the time. Maybe she was messing with me," Isabella tried to calm Amelia down.

"Yeah, maybe. You should've checked it out earlier," Amelia said, tapping the glass regretfully.

Isabella felt bitter, thinking, 'One coincidence might be a fluke, but two or three? The lipstick stain on the shirt last time, and now the ring. Is my marriage with Michael really just a sham?'

After parting ways with Isabella, Michael felt pretty down, so he went to see Benjamin.

"No way, Michael, why are you two fighting again? Didn't my plan with the ring work?" Benjamin asked, confused.

Usually, Benjamin's plans worked, but for some reason, Michael always messed them up.

"I don't know why Isabella's so mad this time. I didn't even get to give her the ring," Michael said gloomily, taking a drink.

Benjamin knew something was off. "Tell me exactly what happened between you and Isabella."

Michael recounted the evening's events to Benjamin.

Benjamin quickly zeroed in on the issue. "Pearl's the key. Maybe she said something that made Isabella misunderstand. Remember, she caused the lipstick stain on your shirt last time."

"Damn Pearl, breaking one of her fingers is too easy," Michael said angrily, slamming his glass down, ready to confront Pearl.

Benjamin quickly stopped him. "Hold on, Michael. You can't go after Pearl now. If it leads to another misunderstanding, you'll be in even deeper trouble."

"So what do I do?" Michael frowned, looking at Benjamin.

"All suspicions, without solid proof, are just guesses. And as long as they're guesses, they don't matter!" Benjamin said with a confident smile.

"Time will eventually clear up Isabella's doubts. As long as she doesn't catch you and Pearl in bed, your relationship will get back on track," Benjamin's words finally calmed Michael down.

"Like I'd ever sleep with someone like Pearl! Just tell me straight, what should I do?" Michael asked.

Benjamin rubbed his chin, thinking. "Does Isabella have a dream or regret she's always wanted to fulfill? If you help her achieve it, she might be really grateful."

Michael suddenly remembered the makeup design competition Isabella was in. "I know what to do now. Thanks, Benjamin," he said, patting Benjamin's shoulder before rushing out of the bar.

Benjamin looked puzzled. "What did you think of? Tell me! How can I help if you don't share? Wait up!"

He quickly caught up, worried Michael might mess things up again.

"Since we can't give these meals to Michael, what are you gonna do?" Amelia asked, holding the lunch box with a wry smile.

Amelia was worried Isabella would force her to eat more. She was already stuffed, and the food wouldn't be as good the next day.

Isabella sighed and shook her head. "It's fine; we'll just feed it to the dogs."

The next morning, John frowned at the meal in his hand. "Are you sure you made this fresh today and it's not leftovers from last night?"

Isabella nodded seriously. "I made it this morning, but the fridge broke down yesterday, so the ingredients might look a bit off."

John frowned at the meal that looked suspiciously like last night's dinner.

"What's with that face? If you don't want it, don't eat it. I don't feel like cooking for you anyway," Isabella snapped, rolling her eyes and leaving the room.

With no stray dogs around, Isabella decided to be lazy and put the food in the fridge, planning to microwave it the next morning to save time on breakfast.

After delivering the meals, Isabella returned home to find her place trashed. Bianca had smashed her computer.

"Why are you trying to steal John from me? You're already married, you bitch!" Bianca yelled, glaring at Isabella.

Isabella looked at her broken computer, seething with anger. "I spent a week on that project, and you ruined it!"

Furious, Isabella kicked Bianca hard, sending her sprawling. She grabbed Bianca's hair and started slapping her face.

Bianca fought back, and their brawl was so intense that the neighbors called the police. Soon, the cops arrived and took both women to the station.

When Isabella came out, she saw a man standing next to Bianca.

"Hello, Ms. Taylor. I'm Terry Perez from the Williams Group's legal department. We're suing you for the harm you caused my client," Terry said proudly.

"Before you sue me, did your client tell you who I am?" Isabella asked, looking at Terry like he was an idiot.