Beauty stood at the same spot after Bruno drove away.
Her hands were trembling, and tears streamed down her face, staining the fabric of her shirt.
His words echoed in her head, making her feel more pathetic and shattered.
How had everything gone so wrong?
Suddenly, her phone rang, she ignored it, and it kept ringing repeatedly.
She wiped her tears and glanced at the screen, noticing it was an unknown number.
She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone let alone an unknown calling, but then she decided to answer anyway.
With a shaky hand, she wiped her eyes and hesitantly picked up the call.
"Hello?" she whispered trying to hide her emotions.
"Beauty Hills right?" a familiar voice.
Beauty's heart skipped a beat at the recognition.
It was Beyoncé!
"Before you hang up, hear me out".
She said immediately as if she read Beauty's mind.
_______________
Bruno continued speeding, gripping the steering wheel with anger and frustration. His mind raced, replaying the moment over and over. He kept telling himself it was for the best, even though there was a hint of regret in his chest.
His words back there had been mean, maybe hurtful, but he had needed to say something to her.
"Damn it," he cursed, pulling over to the side of the road.
He threw his head back against the leather seat in silence, cursing repeatedly to himself. His chest felt heavy, and his mind was racing with a chaotic mix of emotions.
"Why did I let my anger control me?" he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair.
He had every right to be angry, furious at Beauty for not trusting him, for letting her insecurities cloud everything between them.
He clenched his jaw, his mind flashing back to how it all started between them.
He had loved her-he still loved her-and it hurt him to see her so hurt and sad. But at the same time, he couldn't ignore the pain he felt. The fact that she doubted him, that she didn't believe he was being blackmailed and foolishly trusted Tim, was unbelievably humiliating.
"She didn't trust me, so why try so hard to make her see?" he whispered.
Then he remembered what Jessie had once said about Beauty's past-how she had been hurt before, how she struggled with self-esteem. He had also seen how she was constantly bullied, and of course, he had tried to help her. He wasn't the bad guy if he said he gave up.
Bruno let out a long sigh, feeling torn. He wanted to stay angry, to put himself first, but the truth was, he missed her already.
He missed the way she smiled at him, like he was her whole world.
"Fuck," Bruno muttered, his hands tightening on the wheel again. He couldn't leave things like this. No matter how hurt he was, no matter how much his pride told him to stay away, he knew he couldn't just abandon her there.
With a deep breath, he started the car again and made a U-turn, heading back in the direction of Eden Lovers Estate.
He convinced himself he wasn't ready to forgive her yet. He would take her back to the company, but that was it.
He wouldn't let this go further or try hard anymore.
Yet, deep down, part of him wondered if he was lying to himself.
________________
"What do you want?" Beauty snapped angrily, her grip tightening around the phone.
"Bruno made me call. He said... he said the only way he won't upload my video or sue me for assault is if I apologized to you and that I should tell you the truth. About what happened at the reunion."
"And?" Beauty asked, her voice cracking. She already knew, but hearing from Beyoncé sent a cold shiver down her spine.
Beyoncé was surprised.
"You knew about this? You knew that I blackmailed him?" she asked.
Beauty's breath caught in her throat.
All this time, Bruno had been telling her the truth. He had been blackmailed. She felt her chest tighten, regret filled her up.
"Not until a few minutes ago".
She managed to reply.
Tears welled up again, but this time they were tears of guilt.
"He told me to convince you last night, so again I want to apologize for everything I have done Beauty. I was jealous of you...you have it all..., let me make it up to you. I will do a reunion Zoom video call to apolo__"
Beauty hung up.
"Why?"
Beauty whispered to herself, her voice cracking.
"I should've believed him," Beauty muttered.
Her mind replayed all the moments Bruno had tried to explain, the pain in his eyes when she refused to listen.
Then the scene with Tim and Stacy.
"I told him I believed Tim more? The only person who has accepted me the way I am and never hurt me with his words yet.....I am really sorry, Bruno".
She closed her eyes and cried silently.
Just then, she saw a car that looked just like Bruno's driving towards her.
She watched the car intently hoping it was him.
Bruno's car pulled back into the parking lot. Her heart leaped with joy and relief, a flicker of hope sparking inside her.
Maybe he had come back for her. Maybe things could still be fixed. He could give her a chance.
But as the car drew closer and stopped right in front of her.
Bruno stepped out, his face cold and expressionless.
That face told her that he wasn't back for any reason she had hoped.
"I'm sorry for driving off," he said flatly. "I brought you out here, so I'll take you back. You can sit in the back if it works for you."
Beauty swallowed hard, his tone breaking her all over again.
She opened the back door of his car before he could do it for her and got in without a word.
Bruno settled down into the driver's seat, and engaged the gear.
He said nothing after, they drove all the way to the company in silence.
Beauty kept stealing glances at him through the rearview mirror, hoping to catch a trace of the man who once cared for her, looking her way. But his face remained expressionless, his focus entirely on the road ahead, as if she no longer existed to him.
He was done with her.
And now, she knew there was no going back.
She lost him. She foolishly lost him.
She pressed her lips and cried silently, her eyes closed.