Shattered Longings Novel
Shattered Longings 91

Chapter 91 Homeless

Bella stood by the entrance, not sure if she should go inside, until Sylvia noticed her. “Ms. Jones, why are you standing out here?”

Bella, feeling anxious, quickly shook her head. “I just remembered something I needed to handle at the hospital. I’ll be on duty tonight, so I won’t be coming back. Can you tell Dominic for me? I have to leave now.”

Before Sylvia could say anything, Bella had already turned and walked away.

When she got back to the hospital, a nurse looked surprised. “Dr. Jones, didn’t you already clock out? Are you volunteering for extra work? You’re really dedicated!”

Bella couldn’t admit that she had nowhere else to go, so she forced a smile and said, “A patient mentioned they might come in late… I’m just waiting to see if they show up.”

As the night went on, more and more people asked why she was still at the hospital. Even though they were just being friendly, it made her feel even more uncomfortable, like she didn’t belong anywhere.

Bella couldn’t face going home, and hanging around the hospital felt awkward, so she decided to drive to Lia’s place. Having a friend like Lia kept her from feeling completely alone.

Lia’s studio was slammed with a big project, and she was working late. With just a few people on her team, they were all exhausted from the workload.

Seeing how tired Lia was, Bella didn’t want to bother her with her own problems. She just sat quietly, looking at the beautiful wooden carvings around the studio. Lia took a quick break to drink some water and vented to Bella, “I don’t know who ordered this huge project, but they picked the hardest carving style possible. “I’m not even thinking about the money anymore–it’s draining me! If it wasn’t for my studio’s reputation, I’d just use a machine to do it. My hands are a mess!” Bella felt for her. “Didn’t you meet the client when you signed the contract?”

Lia shook her head. “No, I never met them. They sent an assistant who looked like bad news. If I’d met the client, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job. It’s the most expensive and complicated carving we’ve ever done, and it’s taken up all our time for the last three months.”

Bella tried to reassure her friend, “Don’t worry. I’m here to make sure you don’t overwork yourself. You just focus on your work, and I’ll handle everything else.”

Lia chuckled, though she seemed half–annoyed, “Are you guarding me? Or did you just come here because you had another fight with Dominic?”

Lia always seemed to know what was going on with Bella. She stayed quiet, which made Lia’s concern grow. “Did I guess right? What happened this time?”

Bella shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just keep working. I’ll stay over at your place tonight.”

Seeing Bella’s mood, Lia decided not to push further and went back to her tasks.

By 11:00 pm, when the other workers had left and the studio was quiet, Lia wrapped up her work. “Let’s go. If Dominic’s being a pain, you’re welcome to stay with me.” Bella tried to laugh but couldn’t. “Stop joking. I’m so tired–let’s just go home and get some rest.‘

As Lia locked the door, she muttered something under her breath about Dominic, “I’m not joking. You know exactly what kind of person Dominic is. Even if you don’t say it, it’s written all over your face that he’s upset you again. I swear, I just want to…”

Lia’s voice trailed off as she suddenly spotted a black Rolls–Royce parked outside. She froze and pressed herself against the door. “Oh my gosh! When did he get here?” Bella’s heart raced. It was definitely Dominic’s car. Why was he here? She had told Sylvia she wouldn’t be coming home that night.