Bella was seated at the dining but she couldn't eat, couldn't concentrate, her mind kept on wondering at her aunt's reaction, so, she decided to go to her aunt and plead with her once more to tell her the truth.
The door was slightly ajar when she got there and she was about to push it open when she heard what they were arguing about and she froze
Then suddenly, it clicked, she remembered, the man who had come earlier to do something to her father's car brake, he was the one who followed them and watched her parents burn, tears streamed down her cheeks but when she raised her hands again to push the door open to confront him, his next words shock her the most, that one of her parents is alive and standing right in the room? She couldn't hold it anymore, she pushed the door open and stood in the doorway
"Which of my parents is alive and who among you is my parent?" She asked as she instinctively stared at her Aunt who was staring at her with tears streaming down her cheeks
"No Bella, you shouldn't have heard that, your uncle is just saying nonsense," Aunt Christy said but Bella shook her head and walked further into the room
"No Aunt, even if you don't tell me, I remember everything, he killed my parents, he was the one who tampered with the brake of my dad's car"
"No Bella..."
"Enough aunt! Stop covering for this bastard, he is a killer and he will pay for it"
"Shut up, shut the hell up, you don't know anything, if you want to blame someone, blame her, she is the cause of everything, she made me do it" Ben yelled pointing at Aunt Christy, he fisted her hair that she cried out in pain.
"Let her go!" Bella yelled and walked towards Ben
"Stay right there or she dies" Ben yelled suddenly bringing out a pistol. He was armed? Bella stood still as Ben put the gun on her aunt's chin
"Why don't you tell her? Tell her you pushed me into committing that crime by cheating on me with your sister's husband"
"What!" Bella's gaze fell on her aunt, "what is he talking about aunt?" She asked
"Yeah, answer" Ben yelled at Aunt Christy who only whimpered "Answer her and tell her that she is the product of your deceit. She is your daughter"
Bella's world tilted as she stared at her aunt, "is he saying the truth?" She asked and her aunt sniffed
"Yes, this slut is your mother and not the one that died, she cheated with your father and gave birth to you,"
"You didn't have to kill Johny and my sister, my sister didn't do anything wrong, age even offered to take care of the child as her own yet you went ahead to kill her" Aunt Christy cried as she tried to twist free from Ben's grasp
She stared at Bella with tears rolling down her cheeks, "Yes Bella, I am your mother, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I cheated with my sister's husband and that's why I am being punished by my husband, I'm so sorry"
Bella could not believe what she was hearing, all along she had been living with her mother. Now, she understands Ben's treatment and hatred towards her, why he always punishes her at any slight mistake, why he always looks at her with scorn, she was the child that his wife begat through infidelity
"Now you see why I had to do what I did, I had to kill that bastard for laying his hand on my wife"
"Then why did you save me? You should have let me die too so that your revenge would be completed"
Ben laughed scornfully, "what good will that do? Your father was rich and he kept a lot of money in your name, with me as your guardian, I can easily access it all"
That was another shock for Bella, she had an inheritance? Surely, Ben wouldn't have been able to take it without her signature or something right?
"I wouldn't have, but your real mother was eligible, it was stated that she would take care of all the wealth until you are of age but she can only do so in the absence of your father's wife, hence, she has to go and since my wife was being repentant of her crime, she has no choice than to give me your inheritance as a means of atonement"
"I regret doing that because you just gambled it all away," aunt Christy said and received a blow from the butt of Ben's gun.
"Shut up" Ben snapped and her aunt fell to the ground as she cried out in pain
Even though Bella was angry with her aunt for what she did, she couldn't stand seeing her being treated in such a horrible manner by Ben
"Stop, don't hit her anymore" she cried as she tried to go to her aunt
"You, come here" Ben snarled and grabbed her, Bella cried out as fiery pain shot through her scalp
"Let me go" she cried out
"I didn't end your life before because of your inheritance, now that the inheritance is gone, you might as well go and join your father in hell" Ben growled
"No Ben, don't hurt her" Aunt Christy cried as she crawled towards them, "you promised me that you won't harm her"
"Promises are meant to be broken" Ben scoffed and pushed Bella so that she was standing right in front of him with his gun pointed at her chest
"No!" Aunt Christy screamed and rushed to stand in front of Bella just as Ben pulled the trigger.
*
*
Daniel had just gotten home, he had been busy digging into how Bella's parents had died, and what he had found out was disturbing, he was suspicious that the killer could be Ben.
He dialed Bella's number in order to tell her to be wary of Ben until he got home but she wasn't picking up, he had called the house but the housekeeper had picked up and informed him that Bella had gone upstairs after having her breakfast and Daniel's mind was calmed a bit. At least she was upstairs in the room and away from Ben, perhaps, she was asleep hence she didn't pick up her call.
If Ben was responsible for her parents death, he would make sure that he paid.
He had just entered the lodge when he heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot and Bella's scream, it had come from the guest room
Without thinking, he ran in that direction and saw Bella's aunt on the floor in a pool of blood and Ben was with a pistol which he aimed at Bella
Daniel dived at the hand holding the gun just as another shot was fired.