For This Reason

Isabella slept until dusk. Her compromised body needed that rest. She woke up very hungry.

Her food was two steps away. She slept so hard she wasn't even aware that the helpers had brought her lunch to her room.

She reached for a bottle of water and ate her dinner so fast. She had roasted turkey with potatoes and a large garden salad. Dessert was sugar free yogurt and a small slice of banana bread.

Bella knew her mother was directing these maids what to cook, because most-if not all these dishes were her favorite.

Ooops…. Up goes the food. Isabella dashed into the bathroom and everything that she had eaten came back up.

"You got to be kidding me", she said as she gagged constantly.

She brushed her teeth and went on the patio for some air. Maybe that might make her feel better, she thought.

Massaging the small scar on her chest, Bella laughed and cried at the same time.

"Henry Henry Henry…" she sighed. "I know I should be where you are. I love and miss you so much", she said.

The pain of knowing she will never see Henry again caused her to cry even harder.

The fact that her baby won't know his father. That she would have to raise this child without a father. Bella couldn't even recall taking a photo with Henry.

"How could I have not loved you longer? Held you closer? Kiss you more intensely?", she cried.

"I wish I had a chance to tell you how much I love you Henry. How much you changed my life in such a short space of time. I miss you Henry," she said hanging her head over the patio.

"Tell me again Isabella Blake", she heard a voice behind her. A deep husky voice that sounded like a man in pain.

"Tell me how much you love me", the voice repeated.

Isabella turned around slowwwwlllyyyyy. Her heart was literally falling from her chest. She trembled at the vision she saw behind her.

Talk, dark, handsome. His eyes beamed with love and adoration for Bella.

It was Henry. He was standing there looking at her with pity and tears in his eyes.

"Henry"…she said in a weak voice, as she trembled. Crashing to the floor.

Isabella woke up in a strange room. It was massive. The bed was much bigger than the one in her bedroom. It resembled a suite.

The uniformity of the walls and ceiling gave her conformation that she wasn't at the hospital. She realized she was still at the mansion.

A mini light was flashing her pupils while strange hands were checking her pulse. She tried to raise her body from the bed but the stranger stopped her asking "Mrs. Steven tell me how do you feel?"

"I am fine," she replied softy.

"You fainted on the balcony; do you remember what happened?" he asked.

Bella gazed at him and quickly said one word. "Henry…"

The man looked at her and gave a faint smile.

"I am here honey", Henry said, walking in from the bathroom door, sliding his cellphone into his shirt pocket.

"Leave us", Henry ordered the doctor.

Isabella started to feel dizzy again. Like she was going to pass out. Only this time she wouldn't crash unto the hard floor.

"If this kills me, I'm already in the perfect position she thought", as she gazed in shock at the walking dead who was standing over her.

It was indeed Henry. For almost 90 seconds or maybe even more, no one said a word to each other.

Bella kept looking at him as he bowed his head in shame, knowing he would have to explain this madness to her.

Regret, pain and concern were written all over his handsome face. Isabella placed her hands on her chest. On the scar. And she cried. Her cries were deep and painful as she looked at Henry.

Every tear made him feel weak until he fell to his knees next to her bedside, placing his hands on her stomach.

He tried to speak but his voice cracked. "I…I'm sorry. I…I am so sorry. Please forgive me for being so stupid Isabella".

"But… Henry…You died and …." But he wouldn't let her finish. He got up from his knees and lay on the bed next to her. Holding her. Kissing her face. Her forehead. Comforting her.

Isabella felt frail in his arms. She surely had lost a lot of weight. He felt her weakness even by holding her.

"Henry…." She said. "Don't speak. Lets just hold each other", he replied.

Although Isabella knew Henry was back, she had a million questions. She wanted to know what happened. Why he faked his death. Whose heart was inside her body. Why did he have to hide from her?

So many questions. But for now, she decided to obey Henry; like she always did

"I love you…I'm never leaving you…" he whispered. Kissing her cheek and lips.

Isabella tried without success to fall asleep. She just laid there in Henry's arms. Hardly breathing.

Every sound of her heart beat made her tremble. He was still as loving and caring as he was the last time, they were in bed together.

She kept remembering that dreadful night when she felt a sting in her chest from the gunshot wound and lost sight of light. The memories kept playing over and over in her head, making her twitch and quiver.

"It's ok babe. You are ok now", Henry said as he felt her body shudder in his arms.

His thoughts were all over the place. He didn't realize that this woman loved him so much that living without him would have killed her.

"Why her?" he questioned himself as he gazed at the sealing.

"Start talking Henry", Isabella said trying to release herself from his strong hold.

"Babe lets just sleep on this" Henry replied.

"Start talking Henry" she repeated, this time with more forcefulness in her voice.

Henry knew, he couldn't contend with Bella. He saw that side of her and he wouldn't want to put her under more pressure, especially now that she is with child.

This conversation could not be had laying down all cuddly in each other's arms so Bella got up from the bed.

She sat on the bed, demanding answers to the questions that haunted her.

"Henry whose heart do I have beating in my chest? And why did you fake your death? Why did you write this letter full of lies? Why did you say…".

Isabella couldn't finish the rest of her questions. She cried like a baby. Somehow, she realized knowing the answers won't change the pain she felt in her heart.

"You are a liar. You claim to love me but know absolutely nothing about love. You think love is about all this? she said pointing to her surroundings.

"You think I need money to make me happy? Ummmm hello Bella we do. You don't know anything about love Henry. You and your money can go to hell. I don't want it…. and I don't want you" she cried.

Henry was speechless. He let her have her say. He allowed her to speak.

"Park my stuff and take me back to my old apartment. I'm not living in this house with a fake husband who wasn't man enough to love me for the world to see. You had to pretend you were dead to love me. If I am worth a dead husband then let it be so. Let's just pretend you are dead Henry",

Bella had a lot to say that night. She fumed. She cried. She ranted and raged. She let out all the rage that was bottled up inside her little body.

Henry's eyes watered. His heart shattered.

"Marrying me while I am not even aware? Who does that? If you loved me you would allow me to have a wedding. White dress. Flowers. Family. A wedding every girl dreamed of. But this? Henry please I beg you just leave me alone. Go back to your helicopter. Go back to your other life"….she said trembling.

All the while Henry prayed silently in his mind, that she would stop the insults but they kept coming.

"You came into my life and messed it up. I hate you", reaching out smacking him in the face.

"Henry stay away from me…" she roared

Shut up ISABELLA BLAKE!!" Henry growled "Shut up and don't speak…

"You can't shut me up…you…" she said

Before she could finish Henry held her by her wrist and dragged her into another room not too far from her massive bedroom.

She tugged and pulled but Henry was strong. She couldn't escape him.

"You're hurting me Henry…" she cried.

With these words he let go of his hold saying "Isabella. I will tell you what you need to know but please stop with the insults".

Henry knew he had blundered. He knew he made a mistake but he didn't know what else to do. He had to find a way to keep her from being murdered by Sarah who was destined to finish the job.

"Bella the hospital caught Sarah trying to unplug your life support. She escaped but I knew where she was so I followed her," he said.

Henry sat on a sofa in the bedroom and explained himself further.

"I am a dangerous man Bella. I am not just wealthy but I can make people go away", he admitted, with tears flowing down his face.

"You killed her?" Sarah asked covering her lips with both her hands.

Henry did not replay immediately.

"I promised Sarah that I would not divorce her if she left you alone. I had her admit that she paid someone to kill you. She was being recorded during her confession to me. The FBI handled the matter from then on," he said.

"Because of who I am I made arrangements to ship Sarah to Thailand. I have a property there. I didn't want her to go to jail. I thought about my children"

He explained to Bella that he knew Sarah was diabolical and had enough money and would still try to kill her.

"I had to get rid of Sarah so I went to Thailand and….", he said.

Bella looked at Henry's eyes. They changed from blue to dark. When he uttered those words, it kept on replaying in her mind. "I had to get rid of her…I had to get rid of her…I had to get rid of ger".

"Henry did you kill your wife? She asked

"She won't cause us any problems anymore," he said but that wasn't the answer Bella was looking for.

"Henry yes or no. Did you kill your wife yes or no?".

"I knew once I was out of the picture Sarah would leave you alone. I did it for you," he went on explaining, ignoring the other question.

HENRY!!!! Bella shouted across the room. Her voice rattled the mansion. "ANSWER MEEEE HENRY!!!" she yelled from the top of her lungs.

"Woman you need to be quiet. Don't speak to your husband like that. You are submit to me at all times", he demanded

"You are not my husband. I don't recall our wedding. Please don't ever call me your wife again" Bella screamed.

Henry stood up from the sofa and walked out the door. Slamming it so hard that the glass broke, shattering pieces all over the floor.

Bella sat there in shock. Surly she has never seen that side of Henry.

Isabella made her way carefully through the shattered pieces of glass at the entrance of the door.

She needed to find her man. She walked through the hallways like a lunatic screaming his name.

Her voice echoed through the hallways of the mansion, so much so that it ignited the sensors.

HENNNNRRYYYYYY!!!! She screamed but he was nowhere to be found.

She heard doors opening. She had awakened the maids and probably the doctors too or William's or her mother Janet.

At this point Bella could care less who she was preventing from sleeping. She had to find Henry. He's all she wanted.

She wiped her tears back and forth using different hands at intervals.

Her tears were not and pouring down like rain.

Henry...she cried out...."I'm sorry she whispered.

Bella walked for almost 30 minutes looking for her husband but she failed. Besides she didn't know the house too well.

She wasn't familiar with it yet. When she realized her efforts were in vain, she gave up.

Bella was sweating profusely. She walked miles around this house looking for Henry. He wouldn't answer.

Just as she was heading back to her bedroom, she heard the sound of the helicopter.

Bella ran downstairs and trailed her steps back to where she first saw it. In the back yard where the garden was.

She ran in time to see the door of the cooper closing.

HENRYYYYYYYY...she screamed with a desperate voice.

PLEASE!!!!!PLEASE come back.

Bella fell to the ground and the chopper left the pavement taking off.

She couldn't see who was in the chopper but she suspected it was the very same man who arrived in it. Henry

Bella had no care that she was laying on a cold ground grass in the wee hours of the morning.

She didn't even take into consideration that she was still weak and recovering from a major surgery.

Bella failed to even realize that this kind of pressure isn't conducive for pregnant women.

She stayed on that cold pavement weeping like a woman who just lost her loved one.

"Henry I'm sorry"...she cried.

Moments later Bella felt someone picking her up from the ground.

It was William's. Her mother was standing next to him looking very worried and frightened.

She covered her daughter with a blanket.

No one spoke a word. They realized what was going down.

Bella was extremely cold as the temperature had dropped weeks ago making way for the winter season.

Williams lifted Bella. By now he should be accustomed to her dead weight. He remembered carrying her from the pub.

Now she was a little lighter. Bella hands fell back as William's carried her to her room.

He left her there. Janet never uttered a word only to hug Williams as he stroked her hair.

The scene was bit surprising to Bella as she had never seen a man so close to her mother apart from her dad.

The stood over Isabella's bed just looking down on her.

"William's...mom...he's gone. It's my fault"...she cried.

None of them said a word. She doesn't know why they weren't speaking, just looking at her with concern and pity.

"You should rest"...her mother said, leaving her to be alone in her bedroom.

Bella sensed that her mother and William's were angry at her.

She felt they weren't telling her things that she needed to know.

Bella had no clue whether Henry would return or how long he would stay away for.

She drove him away and now she wants him. Her emotions were all over the place.

Even though Henry loved Isabella he surely wasn't going to have her treat him like some little teenage boy.

He had expectations on how he should be treated by his woman. Let alone one that changed his life forever.

Henry realized his life would never be the same after Isabella.

He was a walking dead. He had to lay low for the rest of his years on earth.

A funeral was held in his name so could never have an official sendoff whenever he departs from this world.

He can no longer enjoy a normal life. Outdoors are totally out of the question. His love for his business died when he died.

Henry decided to end his existence for Isabella. Just so she could have a normal life.

Henry have his life up for this woman and in return all she could do was insult him.

That crushed Henry. Her words stabbed him to the core.

He had flashbacks of all what he had to leave behind for Isabella Blake.

All he longed for was her love. All he wanted was for her to see the depth of love that he had for her.

All he wanted was to spend the rest of his life with her. To make her happy. To wipe her tears away.

Henry isn't easily broken but he felt shattered and incomplete.

He needed some time away from Isabella. She had no idea that it would take months before she saw Henry again.

The days, weeks and months fled by quickly.

Every day was a nightmare living in this house knowing that Henry was alive and he wouldn't contact her.

She kept asking William's who never had any concrete answers.

Janet wasn't given any information either.

She tried her best to comfort her daughter as the months went by.

Bella had a massive belly by the time she was eight months pregnant.

She stayed in bed resting a lot as the doctors informed her that her womb was compromised and she needed to be on complete bed rest.

The maids, William's, Janet, everyone did all they could to help make this pregnancy easier for Bella.

She wasn't handling it well.

Bella never understood why Henry had kept his distance for so long. (You drove me man away remember).

She thought to herself that Henry was really over and done with her.

There were workmen in the building preparing a room for the baby. Bella was having a girl.

Whenever she felt a kick she smiled. She talked to her baby all the time.

Henry had been in constant dialogue with the live-in doctors. They would give him daily reports on her health.

He made demands even while in a strange land. He was working behind the scene.

Even if he was hurt by what Bella said to him, he had a responsibility to take care of his wife and child.

At Henry's command, no one gave Bella information about him.

She would ask in technical ways but no one said anything.

He also insisted that Janet be told nothing because he knows how mother daughter relationships are.

He knew Janet would tell Isabella whatever she wanted to know.

Bella realized she had hurt Henry to the extent that she felt he wasn't coming back.

Part of her had already started to accept the reality.

She drove him away and she had no clue where he was. His old cellphone number wasn't working.

I mean how do you trace down a dead man?

Bella felt helpless. She was angry at Williams. She knew he was keeping things from her.

She decided to waddle her way down his quarters even after being told to be on bed rest.

Bella was always rebellious and the defiant type.

She took her time. The balloon that she carried prevented her from walking straight. She walked with her legs parted.

She struggled until she got to Williams station knocking the door.

He didn't open. Bella thought he wasn't there. She figured it was a good time to snoop around for any clue that would lead her to her man.

She carefully opened the door. The room was so exquisite.

She tiptoed but was stopped in her tracks when she heard movements coming from the living room.

She bit her finger nails. Slowly moving towards the noise that got louder and louder.

Bella froze when she saw Williams pouncing on her mother.

She stood there for almost a minute. They were too engaged in their wild act to realize she was standing there.

The sight disgusted Bella. She felt her stomach-turning upside down.

They moaned and growled like animals. It sickened Bella.

Just as she was leaving her hands knocked a lamp stand on the dresser in the living room.

When it crashed to the floor William and Janet sprung to the bed. Their naked bodies froze.

William tried to cover Janet's nudity but the sheets were on the floor.

The shame that flushed the faces of these senior citizen was priceless.