Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 91 The Child You're Carrying Isn't Mine

Giselle was skinny, but her face was pretty cute, and she had on some really delicate makeup.

She strutted over to Oliver, and you could tell from her eyes and expression that their relationship was anything but simple.

I shot a look at Bella. She just crossed her legs, grabbed a grape, and popped it into her mouth, looking totally unfazed by Giselle.

Giselle pulled a box out of her bag and handed it to Oliver, all careful-like. "Oliver, happy birthday!"

She even remembered his birthday; they definitely had something going on. But Oliver just kept his head down, puffing on his cigarette, not even reaching for the gift, his brows all knitted up.

Everyone was watching, and you could cut the awkwardness with a knife.

I glanced at Ethan. He was lounging on the sofa, smoking too. From his face, it seemed like he knew what was up between Giselle and Oliver, but he kept his mouth shut.

Giselle held out the gift for what felt like forever. Oliver didn't even give her the time of day. She finally pulled her hand back, tears welling up in her eyes, looking all kinds of pitiful. "Oliver, I baked these cookies for you. You used to love them." Yeah, they definitely had history.

Out of nowhere, Bella slammed her beer bottle on the table.

Oliver turned to look at Bella, then suddenly reached out and hugged her. He finally looked up at Giselle and smirked. "Just 'cause I liked you before doesn't mean I like you now. People change. Giselle, I have a girlfriend now. You think you can just waltz in and boss me around?"

Even though Oliver was smiling, you could see the pain behind it. Only someone who's been hurt would get that kind of smile.

I remember that night at the villa when I talked to Oliver.

I still remember what he said. He said he was someone who lacked a sense of security. He wanted real feelings but was scared of them too.

That's the kind of insight only someone who's been burned in love would have.

Giselle blinked a couple of times, and tears started streaming down her face. Suddenly, she lunged forward and hugged Oliver tight. "Oliver, don't do this to me. I'm pregnant with your child. Let's be good together, like before, okay?" Bella's beer bottle slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground. She finally showed some emotion, looking at Oliver in shock.

I was just as stunned.

Oliver shoved Giselle away hard, and she tumbled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately glanced at her stomach.

I thought, 'If she's really pregnant, that fall could be bad news.'

"We broke up two years ago. You think you can pin this on me? Pregnant with my kid? Are you serious?" Oliver was fuming. I thought, 'He sounds pretty sure of himself, so he's probably not lying. If it's a lie that can be busted so easily, why's Giselle saying it? Is she just trying to mess up things between Bella and Oliver?'

"If she really is pregnant with your kid, you gotta step up. I can't stand guys who don't take responsibility," Bella said, staring at Giselle on the floor, her tone super calm.

Oliver let out an angry laugh. "You believe that? I might be good in bed, but I ain't got the power to knock someone up from a distance."

When Oliver got worked up, his words got pretty raw. But Bella seemed to find it funny, and she couldn't help but smile. She laughed and teased, "Are you really that good in bed?"

Seeing Bella laugh, Oliver relaxed and grinned. "I'm not bragging. If you don't believe me, you can find out for yourself."

Giselle stayed on the ground, crying softly at first, but then she started bawling louder and louder, especially when she saw Oliver flirting with Bella.

Oliver got fed up with her crying and snapped, "Stop your damn crying!"

Giselle finally stopped, wiped her tears, and slowly got up. Her makeup was a mess, and she looked like a wreck.

She stared at Oliver for a bit, but when he didn't even glance her way, she turned and walked off, looking totally crushed. Her steps were wobbly, like she'd just taken a major hit.

A few steps in, her high heel twisted, and she sprained her ankle. With a yelp, she steadied herself by grabbing the wall.

I thought, 'Still rocking high heels, is she really pregnant?'

I figured Oliver would at least give her a concerned look, but he didn't. He was colder than ice.

Giselle, not getting any sympathy, seemed defeated and just kicked off her shoes, walked to the bar, and started downing drinks.

"Hey, if she's pregnant, drinking like that isn't cool, right?" Bella said to Oliver.

Oliver grabbed Bella's hand and ran his other hand through his hair. "That kid ain't mine, I swear."

Bella sneered, "Swearing? Really? How many people swear and actually face the music?"

Oliver, looking a bit ticked off, messed up his hair even more. "What do I gotta do to make you believe me?"

I was about to get up and try to calm Bella down when Ethan held me back. Then I saw her smirk and give Oliver a sideways glance. "I never said I didn't believe you." Now it was Oliver's turn to be caught off guard. After a long pause, he finally broke into a grin and pulled Bella into his arms. "Can you just say what you mean all at once?" Bella stopped smiling, pushed Oliver away, and got serious. "She had a thing with you, and now she's pregnant. Are you really gonna let her keep drinking like that?" Oliver glanced over at the bar, looking annoyed. He called a waiter over and pointed at Giselle slumped at the bar. "Tell them, anyone who sells her more booze is fired." The waiter went over, but it seemed Giselle was already out of it. After finishing the bottles in front of her, she was now slumped over the bar.

After a while, a waiter came back to Oliver and said, "Mr. Smith, that lady seems to be drunk."

Oliver, super annoyed, thought for a moment and then told the waiter, "Put her in a private room and let her sleep it off."

Because of this whole mess, Oliver's birthday was pretty much a bust. After hanging around a bit longer, everyone was ready to bounce.

Bella came over, pulled me up, and said to Ethan, "I'm borrowing Emmy tonight. She'll crash with me."

Oliver immediately stood up and said urgently, "Hey, married couples should stick together. You can't do that. If you're lonely, I'll keep you company."

"Get lost. You should keep an eye on your ex-girlfriend," Bella shot back, dragging me out of the bar while Oliver helplessly shouted behind us, "There's nothing between us!" After that, I went back to Bella's place.

Back in the day, we used to crash in the same bed and chat all night, but those times were getting rare.

I knew Giselle showing up today had gotten to Bella a bit.

"Belle, do you really like Oliver?" I asked once we were lying down.

Bella was quiet for a while and then said, "It's not about liking or not liking. I just think he's decent. We can try dating. If it works, great; if not, we'll break up. I'm not gonna be one of those girls who put all their focus on a guy and then act like it's the end of the world when things go south. Nowadays, we can all get by just fine without anyone."

I knew Bella wouldn't easily give her heart away. Even if she was feeling something, she'd mask it with indifference to avoid getting hurt.

Unlike her, I wasn't as chill about these things. "I think Oliver's serious about you. Judging by how he acted with Giselle today, it seems like he's totally over her. Everyone's got a past; you don't need to stress too much."

"I don't have a past," Bella said confidently.

And it was true. Bella had never been in a relationship or met a guy who really swept her off her feet.

Oliver wasn't exactly a showstopper, but from what I could see, they seemed like a good match. But then I suddenly thought of someone else. "What about Zachary? He seems into you and pretty serious. Has he given up? He doesn't seem like the type to back down easily."

After a long silence, Bella finally spoke, her tone calm, "Actually, he's not that bad, but he's not my type."

Judging by Zachary's attitude towards Bella that day, it seemed he really liked her. If he were just an ordinary guy, he could vied with Oliver for Bella's heart. But I always felt he was more complicated than he seemed.

We talked until midnight, both of us wide awake.

My phone suddenly buzzed. I picked it up and saw a text from Ethan. [Sweetheart, are you asleep? I miss you. I can't sleep without you by my side.]

Imagining Ethan tossing and turning alone in bed made me chuckle.

Hearing my laugh, Bella suddenly turned over, looked at my phone, and snorted, "You two can't go one night without each other?"

I had originally typed [I miss you too,] but then I deleted it. After hesitating for a while, I finally replied: [Go to bed early. You have work tomorrow.]

He quickly replied: [Okay, honey. Have a sweet dream, with me in it.]

People are strange creatures. When together, it didn't feel like much, but once apart, the feeling of missing each other grew stronger. Even a few texts could bring the feeling of being in love.

The next morning, when I got back to the villa, Ethan had already left, but Jason was still there.

I had to go to driving school in the morning, and Jason offered to take me.

Halfway there, I got a text from an unknown number, so I asked Jason to change the route and take me to Iceland Cafe.

Walking into the cafe, I looked around and quickly spotted a familiar face by the window.