18 and 48

Bella doesn't realize that Howard has already told Mr. Hollis about the rumors of her "abortion."

She assumes it will take some time before news of her "fall" reaches Mr. Hollis. She doesn't expect that, in the modern world, information travels so quickly—she steps out of the hospital, and Mr. Hollis, across the Atlantic, already knows.

After school on Friday, Bella bids farewell to her group of superficial friends and bounces over to Howard, playfully slapping his hand holding a cigarette. "I can hang out with you this weekend!"

Howard's hand trembles slightly, and a bit of ash falls. He looks up at Bella. Until now, he has avoided scrutinizing her too closely, mindful of her ambiguous relationship with Mr. Hollis.

As Hollis' subordinate, it feels inappropriate. But he never imagines Bella would do something so outrageous—though high school girls having abortions isn't uncommon, it still feels shocking.

After a long and careful look, Howard notices Bella's appearance borders on provocative. Her top is tight and short, her skirt ends above her knees, revealing pink-hued kneecaps. The weather gets warmer, so she ditches socks and sneakers for sandals, her toenails painted red. Usually, toes aren't mesmerizing, but hers stir an inexplicable, guilty tremor in his heart.

Unable to look further, Howard shifts his gaze to Bella's face. Her honey-toned skin, dark, intense eyes, and high nose carry a radiance that is nearly seductive. Her thick eyebrows and lashes exude a vitality that is almost overwhelming, while her lips glow a bright, arresting red—not a mere exaggeration, but genuinely striking.

For the first time, Howard realizes just how beautiful this girl is. It's a beauty that is hard to quantify. If forced to describe it, he might say it is a beauty that feels pure and wonderful while also evoking thoughts both vulgar and indecent.

Howard takes a drag from his cigarette, unsure of what to say, and sighs heavily. "Bella..."

He doesn't scold her—there's nothing to scold. It isn't her fault. He only blames himself for failing to notice her struggles sooner, failing to protect her before she strayed onto this path.

Bella, noticing Howard's fatherly and guilty expression, feels puzzled. Without thinking too much about it, she plops into the car, unwraps a stick of gum, and pops it into her mouth. "I want to see a musical this weekend. Can we go?"

Howard slides into the driver's seat, inserts the key into the ignition, but doesn't respond.

After a moment, Bella adds, "Don't worry, I'll pay. I've saved up a lot recently."

Finally, Howard speaks. "Bella."

"Yeah?"

"Mr. Hollis is back."

Bella freezes, gradually stopping her chewing. Sensitive to matters between men and women, she immediately understands why Mr. Hollis returned.

A small, smug smile creeps onto her face. Of course, Mr. Hollis cares about her—he hears the rumors about her "abortion" and flies straight back from the UK. Isn't that proof of his concern? But after a brief moment of satisfaction, her expression darkens. She angrily chews her gum, feeling resentful. If he cares so much, why can he go a whole month without contacting her?

Annoyed, she rolls her eyes and kicks the back of Howard's seat. "Don't mention him to me!"

Howard: "..."

While Bella acts rough and unruly outwardly, the thought of facing Mr. Hollis fills her with dread. Deep down, she wants to grab the steering wheel and drive herself back to school to avoid him entirely.