The Billionaire's Pretend Wife (Isabella)
Chapter 80 Eighty

By the time night fell, Jacob thought he would go crazy. He had thought he would catch up with Isabelle outside the hospital once he left Naomi behind.

But she had been nowhere to be seen, and she had switched off her phone. Hours later, he still had no idea where she was. He had looked everywhere he could think of-the office, their apartment, her parent's house.

Wherever she was, he had to replace her. If he had to search all night, so be it.

He was sitting in his car with her diamond ring in his hand when he received a call from Kevin. He had instructed his assistant to remain outside their apartment building and watch it in case Isabelle came back Meanwhile, Jacob drove around the city, hoping to get a glimpse of her on the streets.

He accepted the call quickly, knowing Kevin wouldn't call unless there was something to report. "Yes?"

"She just went up to the apartment," Kevin told him.

"Stay put," Jacob instructed, starting the car. "I'm on my way. If she leaves before I get there, follow her. Do not lose her. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Got it, Sir."

He hung up and drove into the street, joining the traffic. He was relieved that she was back home, but he had a feeling that she wasn't back to stay. She had given him her ring back, for heavens' sake!

He sped up, manoeuvring past other cars on the road. Traffic was a bit dense, but he had to get to her before she disappeared again. He never should have let her out of his sight earlier on in the hospital. He looked at his watch. If he got away from the heavy traffic, he could make it to their apartment building in five minutes.

He was almost at an intersection when he noticed that the green light was about to change to yellow. There were two cars ahead of him. By the time it was his turn, it had already turned yellow.

He couldn't afford to sit around for a minute and a half when he finally had a chance to see her. He shot forward, wanting to get across before traffic resumed from the other side. But it so happened that he wasn't the only impatient driver, and a pickup truck shot forward from the street on the right side.

The truck rammed into the back of his car, sending it spinning clockwise. He tried to control the car, but it didn't come to a stop until it rammed into a streetlight pole. The sudden movement sent his head flying towards the window.

And then all went blank.

Outside the apartment building, Kevin glanced at his watch and then towards the building's entrance. Isabelle still hadn't left, and that was good news.

But it had been thirty minutes already since he had called Jacob. He had said he would get to the building in five minutes.

What was keeping him so long?

Was the traffic that bad?

He paced outside the car he was using, keeping his eye on the building's exit. Maybe she wasn't going to leave.

His phone rang, and he retrieved it out of his pocket quickly. He expected it to be Jacob, but instead, it was Jason.

The moment he received it, Jason barked into his ear, "Where are you?"

"Running an errand for the boss," he replied, wondering why Jacob's vice president was shouting down his ear.

Jason cursed, and then said, "Jacob was in an accident. He has been taken to the Larson Hospital. Head over right away."

Kevin was jumping into the driver's seat before Jason was done with that statement. "Yes, sir," he replied.

Jason hung up and Kevin started the car. He shot out of his parking space at a speed he was certain wasn't allowed in the community.

In his hurry, he missed the sight of Isabelle making her way out of the apartment building, lagging a huge suitcase behind her.

***

After leaving the apartment, Isabelle went to the nearest bus stop. Her plan was to catch a ride to another part of the city, far away from the place she and Jacob lived in.

She had two reasons-to avoid him, and she had to look for somewhere she could afford with her limited funds. The city centre was not it.

As she stood under the bus shelter, the wind got stronger and it started raining. Due to the wind, most of the rain flew into the shelter, and she had to back away to a corner to stay dry.

As if the day could get any worse, she thought. She rubbed her cold hands together and wished she had worn a hat, or a scarf. Wished she was somewhere warm, in Jacob's comforting embrace.

She shook her head. If she started thinking about that, she would start crying again. And she had already cried enough for the day.

Her stomach twisted as her mind went back to the hospital. She still couldn't believe Ruth was gone. It had happened too fast. She hadn't even said goodbye. She hadn't-

She pressed her face into her hands. She didn't want to start crying in public. But tears seeped through her eyes anyway, and she wiped them with her fingertips.

She had never felt so lost before. Ruth had been the closest person to her. The one person she could trust with her deepest thoughts, worries, and joys. The only person who had never turned their back on her, who loved her unconditionally, who made her feel like she truly belonged.

And now she was gone.

Her adoptive family had turned on her, and Jacob had found out that she had been lying to him all along.

She was all alone. She had no one.

Like back when her relatives abandoned her after her parents died. She felt the same despair she felt back then. That no one wanted her, and she didn't belong anywhere.

Maybe it was her fate to be alone forever.

She needed to start afresh. Once she arranged Ruth's funeral and put her in her resting place, she was going to leave the city. She felt that was the only way she would be able to move on from everything and start over again.

The wind blew stronger, and the cold intensified. She considered getting a taxi after all-which she had planned on avoiding to save money. If she stayed in this weather longer, she might end up with a cold that cost more to treat than a taxi ride would.

She stepped to the front of the shelter, braving the rain as she checked the highway for an oncoming taxi. She stepped back a few seconds later when a private car came to a stop at the curb.

The driver's door opened as she shifted her gaze back to the oncoming traffic.

"Isabelle?"

She jolted and turned back to the driver. It was Seth!

He rushed into the shelter and pulled her away from the rain. "What are you doing here at this time? Where are you going?" he asked, looking her over and noticing the suitcase behind her. "I'm waiting for a bus," she told him.

"You know there is a storm coming, right? You can't be out here for long. Where are you going? I'll take you.”

There was a storm coming? She hadn't known that. She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll catch a bus soon."

Seth frowned. "You haven't gotten the alert, have you? Bus services have been suspended. There's a strong storm coming."

Isabelle's heart thumped in her chest. Oh no. Her phone had been turned off since she left the hospital earlier. No wonder she had missed the alert.

The day had confirmed that yes, it could get worse.