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so I’m the one who should be treated with respect, not her!” Bethany scoffed, clutching her bag tightly as if it were a shield.
The crowd, already murmuring with judgment, now grew louder, some people shaking their heads at her behavior.
“That’s enough, Ms.
Salvador,” Bella said calmly, her voice unyielding.
“You’ve already caused enough trouble here.
You may have spent money at this hotel, but that doesn’t give you the right to accuse my staff unjustly.
An apology is the least you can do, and frankly, it’s not even about the money or status.
It’s about treating people with dignity.
”
Bethany’s face flushed with anger.
She was trapped, unable to come up with a rebuttal.
Her friends, still nervous from the situation, took a step back, silently hoping she would just end it.
“You…” Bethany’s voice trembled, but she wasn’t ready to admit defeat.
“I won’t apologize.
You’ll regret this.
”
Bella’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I don’t think so, Ms.
Salvador.
But if you choose not to apologize, I will have to take further action.
We’ll leave it to the authorities to handle your baseless accusations.
”
Bethany, realizing that pushing further would only make her look worse, huffed and turned on her heel, signaling to her friends to follow.
The tension in the lobby slowly began to dissipate as they exited, leaving a trail of whispers behind them.
Once they were gone, Bella turned to the housekeeper, offering a kind and reassuring smile.
“You did well.
Don’t let her words get to you.
Everything will be alright.
”
The housekeeper, still teary-eyed, nodded gratefully, her shoulders relaxing for the first time in what felt like hours.
Justin, who had been silently watching the exchange, couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Bella.
The way she handled the situation with poise and authority was unlike anything he had expected.
He had always seen her as just a housewife, but now, it was clear that she had changed in ways he hadn’t even realized.
As the crowd began to disperse, he walked toward her, a conflicted expression on his face.
“Anna…” he began, his voice hesitant.
Bella looked up at him, her expression cool but not unkind.
“Yes?”
Justin swallowed, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him.
“I didn’t expect that from you.
You’ve changed.
”
Bella’s gaze softened slightly, but she didn’t offer a smile.
“People change, Justin.
Life teaches you a lot of things.
I learned how to stand up for myself.
”
He nodded, but there was a long pause before he spoke again.
“I.
.
.
I never thought I needed to apologize, but seeing everything today.
.
.
maybe I was wrong.
”
Bella’s eyes met his, and for the briefest moment, there was a flicker of the old familiarity between them.
“You should’ve thought about that a long time ago.
”
With that, she turned away, leaving Justin standing there, his mind reeling with a mixture of pride, regret, and something else he couldn’t quite place.
The woman who had once been his wife was no longer the quiet, submissive person he’d known.
She was strong, confident, and self-assured.
And as much as it pained him to admit it, he realized that she was no longer the woman he had once tried to control.
