Chapter 201: 201

Belle's POV

"Fuck! I can't believe that entering my own house would turn out to be this hard." I muttered to myself as I stood at the entrance of the house, my hand hovering over the door handle.

My stomach churned with unease, a sick feeling that gnawed at me from the inside. Anxiety twisted tightly in my chest, making it hard to breathe. It felt like everything had come to this moment, and I had no idea what awaited me on the other side of the door.

My fingers fidgeted nervously against the cold metal handle, my pulse quickening with every second that I hesitated.

What am I going to find there? I wondered, biting down on my lip as I fought the urge to turn and leave. But I couldn't. I had to face this.

Taking in a deep breath, I steeled myself and finally pushed open the door.

The house was eerily quiet, and that silence immediately unsettled me. My eyes swept the hallway, then the living room beyond. Nothing. No one. I stepped further inside, my footsteps echoing through the stillness.

Where the hell is everyone?

I frowned, my heart pounding harder in my chest. I knew all the cars were outside; the entire family had to be here. But there was no sign of life, no sound of chatter or movement. A cold panic began to rise in me, my mind jumping to the worst possible conclusion. Did Dave take them?

I stumbled back slightly, the thought causing a sharp jolt of fear to shoot through me. It wouldn't be beyond him. Not with everything that had happened. I felt a tremor run through me as I pulled my phone from my pocket, fumbling with the screen as I made to call Zane. I needed him. Now.

Just as I lifted the phone to my ear, the door behind me creaked open. My entire body tensed, my heart racing as I spun around, half expecting to see Dave standing there with a cruel smirk on his face.

But it wasn't him. It was Elijah, my older brother, walking in with Bennie and our parents close behind. I exhaled sharply, relief flooding through me as I realized they were safe. My knees almost buckled from the release of tension, but I managed to steady myself and hurried toward them.

"Thank God, you're okay," I breathed, but before I could say anything else, my mother's voice cut through the air like a whip.

"Is this what you wanted, Belle?" she snapped, her face twisted in fury.

I stopped in my tracks, blinking at her in confusion. Her sharp tone hit me like a slap in the face. "What?"

My mother glared at me, her eyes filled with an anger I hadn't seen in a long time. "Is this what you wanted?" she repeated, her voice trembling with rage. "Do you see what you've done to this family?"

I shook my head, completely thrown off. "I… I don't understand."

"Don't understand?" She let out a harsh laugh, throwing her hands up in frustration. "You've ruined us, Belle! All of us! We've been suspended from work-every single one of us! And now, we've been ordered to pay fifty billion dollars in damages. Fifty billion!"

I stared at her, my mind reeling. "What? That's not my fault!" My voice came out shaky, panic starting to crawl up my spine. How could this be happening?

My father, who had been standing silently beside my mother, finally spoke. His voice was low, filled with disappointment that cut deeper than any words of anger. "Whose fault is it, then?"

I looked at him, my heart sinking. His eyes held a sadness that made my stomach twist. "I didn't-"

"Who chose to run away on her wedding day?" my mother interrupted, her voice rising again. "Who caused the death of her patient?"

"That's not fair!" I shouted, my frustration boiling over. "It wasn't my fault that Kelly died! I'm tired of being blamed for things I didn't do!"

"And who did, Belle?" my mother demanded, stepping toward me. Her face was flushed, her hands trembling with barely controlled fury. "Who is responsible if not you? You were the one in that operating room. You were the one who could not account for the patient in your care!"

I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to keep my temper in check. "I told you already-it wasn't me! I didn't cause her death! And I didn't want to marry Dave because-"

"Because what?" my mother spat. "Because you didn't get your way? Because you wanted to be selfish and chase your own dreams while the rest of us paid for your mistakes?"

I felt a surge of heat rise to my face, my vision blurring with tears of frustration. "Mother! That's not true! I was never selfish! All I wanted was to live my life, to make my own choices! Is that so wrong?"

My father stepped forward, his voice a quiet but firm presence amidst the chaos. "Belle, we are all suffering because of your actions. We've lost everything. This family… it's falling apart."

My brothers, Elijah and Bennie, exchanged worried glances. They looked like they wanted to intervene, to say something, but they stayed quiet, sensing that anything they said would only make things worse.

I opened my mouth to respond, to defend myself, but suddenly, a wave of nausea hit me out of nowhere. My stomach churned violently, and my head spun as the dizziness took over.

"I-" I gasped, clutching my stomach as I doubled over. My vision blurred, and before I could say another word, I turned and bolted toward the nearby restroom.

I barely made it to the sink before the contents of my stomach came rushing up, my body trembling with the force of it. The room spun around me, and I clung to the edge of the counter, trying to keep myself steady as wave after wave of nausea overwhelmed me.

For a moment, everything else faded away-the anger, the accusations, the blame. All I could focus on was the overwhelming sickness that seemed to take over every inch of my body.

After what felt like an eternity, the nausea began to subside. I leaned heavily against the sink, panting for breath, my forehead slick with sweat. My reflection in the mirror looked pale and exhausted.

I heard the bathroom door creak open behind me, and I flinched, expecting another round of harsh words. But when I turned, it was Ben standing there, his face etched with concern.

"Belle," he said softly, stepping into the room. "Are you okay?"

I nodded weakly, though I didn't feel okay at all. "I'll be fine," I muttered, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

He frowned, clearly not convinced, but he didn't push it. Instead, he handed me a glass of water, which I gratefully accepted, taking slow sips as I tried to steady my breathing.

But the moment I saw my mother walk in through the door, the nausea came back and I immediately returned the glass of water to Bennie and helped myself out.

Why was I feeling suddenly sick?