Aristocracy 101

Chapter 9

“Bella, are you okay?”

Oliver’s voice was filled with concern as he looked at her. His brows furrowed as he scanned her for any injuries, but before he could even ask if she was hurt, Bella broke down.

The tears came all at once.

“Waaaaahhhhh…”

Oliver froze.

“Bella?”

Panic flashed across his face.

He had never known what to do when someone cried like this.

Lilian had always been composed. Even when everything around her was falling apart, she carried herself with a calm strength that made people forget she was human too. He had never seen her completely lose control.

As for his other girlfriends…

Their tears had always come with expectations. Attention. Gifts. Reassurance.

But Bella’s tears were different.

These weren’t tears meant to get something from him.

They were tears from someone who had been hurting for a long time.

“Why are guys so heartless?”

Her voice cracked as she spoke.

“Why do they never see you as a person?”

Oliver’s expression changed.

“They only see what they want to see. They don’t care about your feelings, your dreams, or your pain. They only care about themselves.”

Her hands clenched tightly.

“They want you when you make them feel good, when you make their lives easier. But the moment they’re tired of you, they throw you away like you never mattered.”

Oliver stayed silent.

Was she talking about her ex-boyfriend?

Or was she talking about what had just happened?

He didn’t know.

But hearing the pain in her voice made something inside him ache.

He reached out carefully.

“Bella…”

She immediately pushed his hand away.

“You’re just like them!”

The accusation hit harder than he expected.

“You think girls are easy to win over. You buy gifts, act like you care, pretend to be different.”

Her tears continued falling.

“But what happens when you get bored? When you finally get what you want? You leave.”

“No, Bella…”

Oliver shook his head.

“I swear, I’m not—”

But even he struggled to finish the sentence.

Because deep down, he knew why she doubted him.

His reputation wasn’t exactly innocent.

“How can I trust you?”

Her voice became softer, but somehow that hurt more.

“Maybe this is all just another game to you. Maybe you want to play the hero, make me fall for you, and then become exactly who everyone says you are.”

She wiped her tears.

“I don’t want to get hurt anymore, Oliver.”

Those words silenced him.

“I just want to be happy. I want a life where I don’t have to struggle every day.”

She looked at him.

“So if you’re only here to hurt me… please leave.”

For the first time, Oliver didn’t know what to say.

All his life, he had always thought he was the one trapped.

Trapped by his family.

Trapped by his name.

Trapped by expectations.

He thought he was the one who needed saving.

But standing in front of Bella, he realized something.

She needed saving too.

And unlike him, she had been fighting alone.

“I’m sorry, Bella.”

His voice was quiet.

“I like you.”

He took a breath.

“I really do.”

His eyes softened.

“And I don’t want to be another person who hurts you.”

He gently lifted her chin.

“I want to protect you. Not because I pity you. Not because I think you’re weak.”

A pause.

“Because I want to be with you.”

His voice became more certain.

“I want you to be my girlfriend. No games. No pretending.”

For a moment, Bella simply stared at him.

Then Oliver leaned closer, gently kissing her.

The moment was filled with complicated emotions.

Relief.

Hope.

Fear.

But while Oliver believed he was finally reaching the girl he cared about…

Bella’s thoughts were completely different.

Mission accomplished.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Back to the Present.

“Why do you want to see her?”

Stacy stood in front of the door, blocking Oliver’s entrance.

“Last time I checked, you’re getting married in two weeks.”

Her voice was filled with sarcasm.

She had just been discussing their next move with Bella but she had insisted on seeing Oliver.

Stacy didn’t understand.

Why waste time on someone who had already chosen another woman?

Yes, they had approached Oliver because they discovered his identity.

Yes, their original intentions hadn’t been completely pure.

But they had their reasons.

They had spent their entire lives struggling.

Watching wealthy people receive opportunities they could only dream about.

And now, after everything, Oliver Johnson was about to marry Lilian Chen.

The rich always seemed to win.

No matter how hard people like them fought, they always ended up back where they started.

Was it really wrong for Bella to want more?

Was it wrong to dream of becoming Mrs. Johnson?

To have security?

To have a life where she didn’t have to worry about tomorrow?

Bella Thomas becoming Bella Johnson, living beside the Johnson family and having the respect and power she had always wanted.

Was that truly such an impossible dream?

But dreams were beautiful and Reality was cruel.

“Let him come in, Stacy.”

Bella’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Reluctantly, Stacy stepped aside.

Oliver entered the small two-bedroom apartment.

It was much better than the place they used to live in.

A tiny, worn-out one-bedroom apartment where every day felt like survival.

When Oliver had offered to move them into a luxurious duplex, Bella had refused.

She said she didn’t want to lose herself.

She wanted to prove she could stand on her own.

So Oliver bought them this place instead.

Stacy had never understood Bella’s reasoning.

Men changed.

Feelings changed.

Nothing lasted forever.

She believed a woman should take whatever security she could get while she had the chance.

But Bella always insisted she knew what she was doing.

She didn’t want to simply be a girlfriend.

She didn’t want to be someone replaceable.

She wanted a position no one could take away.

A wife.

The person who held real power.

That was why Oliver had been their target.

And for a while…

It seemed like they had succeeded.

Bella had been confident.

Everything was going according to plan.

Until Vivian stepped in.

Until Lilian Chen appeared.

And suddenly, the future Bella had imagined began slipping away.

💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮

Oliver walked into the house and immediately froze.

Bella was sitting there with tears staining her face. Her once-perfect makeup was smudged, her eyes were red, and she looked as though she had been crying for hours.

Stacy stared at her in disbelief but quickly hid her reaction, not wanting to ruin Bella's performance.

When did she even start crying? she wondered.

But she didn't question it. She simply sat down and watched. She had always trusted Bella when it came to these kinds of things.

Bella was good at putting on a show.

"What do you want?" Bella hissed, her voice filled with disdain.

"Are you here to give me more empty promises? Because it isn't nice or funny to play with my feelings, Oli."

"I'm sorry, Bella." Oliver lowered his head. "It's all Lily's fault."

He immediately placed the blame on her.

"She tricked me into sleeping with her, and now my parents want me to take responsibility."

Deep down, Oliver knew his excuse sounded weak. Even he didn't believe it completely. But it was the only explanation he could offer.

Bella stared at him coldly.

"So why are you here?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be with your new wife?"

Her anger was genuine.

She had finally found a big fish, and everything had been going perfectly. All she had to do was reel him in.

But now she was hearing that the fish already belonged to someone else.

She refused to become a mistress.

Bella was still young. Still beautiful. There were plenty of wealthy men in the world who would fall for her charm.

Maybe it was better to cut her losses and find another target.

She stood up, ready to escort him out.

But she stopped when Oliver suddenly fell to his knees.

"Please, Bel."

His voice was desperate.

"I don't love her. The only person I love is you."

Bella's expression shifted slightly.

"I'm going to divorce her, I promise. It will just take some time."

"When?" she shouted.

She hated men who covered everything with sweet words, only to disappear when things became difficult.

That was exactly how Theodore had fooled her.

She thought they were truly together.

A boyfriend and girlfriend.

Even though Theodore treated her like a toy most of the time, he always became gentle afterward. He listened to her opinions, bought her expensive gifts, and showered her with money.

She wasn't a virgin when she met him, but she had given that relationship everything she had. She had loved him deeply.

And honestly...

Who wouldn't fall for a man who spoiled them with precious gifts?

Until the day she surprised him with a visit and found him with another woman.

A model.

That was when she finally understood.

No matter how much you cared about someone, you could still be replaced.

It didn't matter if you stayed beside him for five years. It didn't matter if you were there during his lowest moments.

The moment he became tired or lost interest, you were disposable.

Men were liars.

Theodore never loved her.

Hell, he probably didn't even like her.

To him, she was nothing more than entertainment. A toy he could pick up whenever he wanted.

That was when Bella realized something.

The only way to have true security was to have power.

And the greatest power a woman could have was becoming the wife.

She didn't want to spend her life as someone's secret.

She wanted luxury. Respect. Admiration.

She wanted people to look at her with envy, not disgust.

She didn't want to walk into stores and feel the judgment of people who saw her as nothing more than a mistress.

So she ended things with Theodore that day.

And if the heartbreak wasn't enough, fate decided to humiliate her further.

A stranger spilled pineapple juice on her.

Pineapple juice.

She hated pineapple.

The man didn't even apologize properly. He simply threw a few dollars at her like she was some beggar on the street.

She was already angry, and now she was being treated like charity.

When had she fallen this low?

So she did the first thing that came to her mind.

She slapped him.

"That felt good," she remembered with satisfaction.

Seeing his shocked expression had been strangely satisfying.

If only she could have slapped Theodore like that.

But she knew better.

As angry as she was, she wasn't foolish.

What if Theodore took back all the gifts he had given her? What if he decided to make her life miserable?

Rich people had the strangest tempers.

She shuddered.

No.

She wasn't returning anything.

Bella had just settled onto her couch when Stacy barged into the house.

They had lived together since childhood. Both were orphans, and both had survived by doing the same thing.

Using their beauty to get what they wanted.

Bella sighed.

"I'm not in the mood."

"Aaaaaah! Baby, love, you need to see this hot guy I saw at the bar!"

Stacy's eyes sparkled.

"He looked absolutely scrumptious!"

Stacy had always loved handsome men.

She flirted with men who could provide for her. Married, single, or complicated didn't matter.

As long as they paid her bills and bought her gifts, she wasn't interested in their background.

She had once even slept with three men who discovered they were all dating her at the same time as compensation.

She was a freaking w***e.

Bella knew she had no right to judge, but there was a difference between them.

Bella had always been more calculated.

When she slept with someone, it was never just for money.

It was for marriage.

A future.

That was also why Stacy had more money and better clothes.

But Stacy never complained.

She was the one who brought food home and paid most of the bills.

The only time they argued was when Stacy felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities.

Despite everything, they were still friends.

Stacy was kind-hearted and sometimes too naive.

Bella was the planner.

That was how they balanced each other.

"If I find a rich man worth marrying, I'll go for him," Bella said.

But so far, none of them had wanted commitment.

"Bel, you have to see him! Nobody can be this handsome without being famous."

Bella rolled her eyes.

She wasn't interested in another one of Stacy's crushes.

Before she could leave, Stacy shoved her phone in front of her.

"Look! His name is Oliver Johnson. The only son of the multi-billion Johnson company."

She smiled.

"Says he's a playboy. Well, I should have expected that. Handsome men always have something wrong with them."

Bella froze.

"What?"

She grabbed the phone.

"It's that asshole."

"You know him?"

"Yeah. He's the one who spilled a drink on me and threw money at me like compensation."

She narrowed her eyes.

"If I had known he was rich, I would have hooked up with him."

"It's not too late."

Stacy walked to the fridge and opened it.

Then she frowned.

"Girl... we're empty."

She looked at Bella.

"Shouldn't your boyfriend have sent money by now?"

Stacy had once liked Theodore because he was attractive.

But after seeing how he treated Bella, she was glad she never got involved.

She was definitely not interested in b**m. Just the thought of it made her shudder.

"Don't even remind me," Bella muttered. "He treated me like a tool for pleasure."

Stacy sighed.

"Girl, you need to stop being so selective. Honestly, men like us don't usually marry women like us."

Bella looked at her.

"We're just meant to be mistresses."

She shrugged.

"It's not like the dreams we had when we were children."

But Bella refused to accept that.

She took her phone and searched for Oliver Johnson.

His favourite places.

His habits.

Everything.

A plan began forming.

"They say if you catch a playboy's heart, he'll become loyal forever."

Her eyes narrowed.

She just needed a different approach.

Men loved challenges.

And that was how she captured the heart of the famous playboy, Oliver Johnson.

She planned the thug incident to secure his trust.

She manipulated every situation.

She did everything possible to keep him tied to her.

But now...

Everything was falling apart.

She wouldn't give up.

She couldn't.

Not after everything she had sacrificed.

Not after everything she had planned.