TWISTED PASSION/TAINTED LOVE

Bella tried her best to hold in the tears that threatened to drop from the corner of her eyes, while she lay in bed thinking of everything that had been going on in her life. She was getting older and had began to understand some things happening around her. She knew that her parents were doing the best they could do for her as an only child, they made sure they provided everything she needed. Once she suggested that she should get a job to assist them, they refused saying that, she should leave everything for them to handle and just focus on her studies.

Few days ago, she found out that her dad told his younger brother, Noah, to help him borrow some money from the bank for her college tuition, her uncle was the only sibling her dad had and he trusted him with his life. She overheard their discussion in her Dad's study, but pretended not to know anything about it.

Bella's family was a middle-class family living in the city of San Francisco but her parents made her go to an elite school for the rich, and her dad insisted that she studied business education in college, because he planned to open his own company and was going to hand it over to her once she graduated from college. Her dream was to be an engineer, but her dad discouraged her, saying it was a man's job and not meant for women. She complained to her mom once but she told her that her dad was doing his best for her, so she would have a bright future. She never questioned their decisions anymore because she knew that they had her best interest at heart.

Her dad worked in a small hospital as a manager and her mom owned a bakery just across the street from where they lived. Bella was closer to her mom than her dad because her mom was carefree, and always ready to listen to whatever she had to say. Her dad on the other hand was a bit distant, he was a man of few words and only talked when necessary, like during a meal or when he needed to ask her a question, but he always provided for her, that was his own way of showing that he cared for her.

Bella was in her room, sprawled out on my bed, I couldn't seem to focus on anything. Just then, she heard a soft knock on my door. "Bella?" Her mom called. "Dinner's ready. Come on down." She took a deep breath, trying to push away her worries. She got up and went to the door. As she opened it, she gave her mother a weak smile. "I'll be down in a minute," she said and her mom nodded and walked away, but she could tell that her mom was worried about me.

As she took her seat at the dinner table, she could feel her heart racing and she didn't know why. Her father sat at the head of the table, his expression was unreadable as usual. Her mother looked at her, but she just shrugged, trying to pretend that everything was fine. Her dad cleared his throat and said, "So, Bella, how was your day?" She tried to sound casual as she replied, "It was okay, nothing too exciting." She knew she was being evasive, but she didn't want to give anything away.

As they began to eat, her mother began to talk about her day at the bakery. She was always excited to share her stories about the customers and the cakes she made. Bella could barely focus on what she was saying, but I could tell her mom was happy.

She kept an eye on her father as they ate. He barely spoke, only grunting in response to her mother's stories as usual. His face was unreadable, and she couldn't tell if he was angry or sad.

Her mom had been talking animatedly about her day, but suddenly, she stopped mid-sentence. A deep, hacking cough erupted from her throat, and she reached for her water glass, her face turning red. Bella jumped up from her chair, her heart racing. "Mom, are you okay?" She asked, with a trembling voice. Her mom managed to take a few sips of water, but the coughing continued. "I'm okay, I just swallowed wrong," she said, but her voice sounded strained.

Her mom coughed again, and she saw a small splatter of red on her hand. Bella's blood ran cold, and she began to panic. "Mom, you're bleeding!" She cried. "We need to call a doctor!" Her mom waved her off, still coughing. "I'm sure it's nothing," she said, with a weak voice. But Bella could tell her mom was in pain, and she was terrified.

Her dad helped her mom to her feet, supporting her as she leaned against him. He looked at her eyes full of regret and sadness. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I should have gotten you help sooner." What was he talking about? Bella thought. But her Mom waved him off, her breathing labored. "It's not your fault," she said in a barely audible voice..

"Hannah dear, it's okay, you're going to be fine we're taking you to the hospital okay," her dad said to her mom as he picked her up and carried her in a bridal style to the car.

Hannah, managed to touch Bella's face with difficulty "I love you, my angel, just know that anything we do for you is for the best, Listen to your dad and be a good girl, okay?" She said forcing a smile. "Mom, don't say that, we're almost at the hospital, the doctors are going to take care of you, you'll be fine," Bella said hugging her.

My father was driving as fast as he could without breaking the speed limit. We pulled up to the emergency room entrance, and he threw the car into the parking lot. He raced around to the passenger side, opening the door for my mother. "Come on," he said, his voice tense. "We need to get you inside." He helped her out of the car, supporting her as she took a few wobbly steps toward the entrance.

We sat in the waiting room, the minutes stretching on like hours. My mother was struggling to breathe, and my father kept asking the nurses when the doctor would be there. They kept assuring him that they were doing everything they could, but it didn't feel like enough. I felt like I was in a nightmare, and I just wanted to wake up. Finally, a doctor in scrubs appeared, his face grim. "Is she your mother?" he asked, his voice businesslike.

The doctor's words hit me like a punch to the gut. "I'm so sorry," he said, his eyes filled with compassion. "We did everything we could, but the cancer had already progressed too far." My father's face crumpled, and he let out a sob. I felt like the world was ending like I was never going to be happy again. The doctor gently placed a hand on my father's shoulder. "I'm so sorry for your loss," he said.

I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I couldn't believe that my mother had been sick, and I had no idea. How could they have kept something like this from me? I felt betrayed and confused like the ground had been pulled out from under me. I looked at my father, who was staring at the floor, his eyes red and puffy. I wasn't sure what to say or do. I felt numb like I was in a dream.

"Dad, what does he mean? Mom was okay this whole time, wasn't she? She was always smiling and happy, she can't just leave me like that" He didn't give me a response

I took a deep breath, trying to get a grip on my emotions. I looked at my father again, and I felt my anger boiling over. "Why did you lie to me?" I asked, my voice shaking. "You should have told me. I deserved to know." My father looked up at me, his eyes filled with remorse. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I just didn't want to worry you. I thought I was protecting you." I felt a wave of resentment wash over me. "How could you think that?" I asked, my voice rising.

My father's voice was soft, his words carefully chosen. "Your mother was very private about her illness," he said. "She didn't want you to worry about her. She thought you had enough on your plate already." I felt conflicted. I understood what he was saying, but I still felt betrayed. "I still should have known," I said, my voice breaking. "I'm your daughter. I deserved to know." He reached out and took my hand, his eyes full of sorrow. "You're right," he said. "I'm sorry."

As my father spoke, I felt my resolve break. Tears started to flow down my cheeks, and I felt a sob rising in my chest. I leaned into my father, and he wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his shoulder, and I let myself cry. I felt like I had been holding everything in for so long, and it was finally breaking through. I cried until I had no more tears left, and my father held me the entire time.