The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella)

Chapter 1540

"Given what you know about Serena, what do you think the chances are she actually said those things?" Kenneth and Louisa

peered anxiously at Arabella, as if on tenterhooks for her verdict.

"One hundred percent."

Arabella's unequivocal response floored Kenneth and Louisa.

"Has she been doing things behind our backs, things to hurt you, like disrespecting you, being two-faced, or maybe still carrying a

torch for Romeo?"

"Yes."

The confirmation rocked Kenneth and Louisa to their core, "When did it start?"

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Was it recent weeks? The past couple of months?

"Always."

"You're saying, for the entire six months since you returned home, Serena has been like this? Just putting on a show for us?"

"Yes."

Arabella's final word left Kenneth and Louisa utterly stunned. They exchanged speechless glances, unable to articulate their

disbelief.

"I've got sissues to sort out at the office. | should go," Arabella stood up; she had urgent matters to attend to.

Louisa watched her leave, murmuring after a long silence, "How could this be?"

They had doted on Serena all her life, and she had always been the picture of sweetness and empathy in their eyes. They never

imagined she would do such things behind their backs.

"I thought Serena and Bella would get along," Kenneth had not foreseen that Bella's homecoming would change things.

"Bella must have turned a blind eye to Serena's behavior because of the bond we've formed with Serena over these eighteen

years." Louisa was suddenly overcwith sorrow, "We wanted to make it up to Bella, but instead, we've allowed her to be hurt

under our very noses."

And the hurt was inflicted by the daughter they had cherished for eighteen years.

"Bella is naturally reserved and quiet. If we hadn't brought it up today, if Serena hadn't been this way for six months, | doubt she

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would have ever mentioned it. | bet she's suffered a lot in silence," at the thought of this, Kenneth was wracked with guilt.

"She must have kept quiet about Serena's actions to spare our feelings, to keep us from being upset. She's so considerate, it

breaks my heart."

Louisa felt a lump in her throat, realizing that Bella had faced every slight, every hypocrisy from Serena alone, all the while caring

for her parents’ emotions, never speaking ill of Serena, always the picture of forbearance.

"Serena must have been slandering Bella behind her back this whole time; otherwise, Bella wouldn't be so certain it was her doing.

Serena has beca stranger to us," Kenneth never imagined Serena changing this way.

"I thought all the talks we had with Serena had sunk in. She always called Bella 'sis' and greeted her with such a bright smile. | was

so pleased. To think it was all an act." Louisa felt a chill of disappointment and distress.

"If Serena and Bella truly can't get along, there's no point in forcing them to live under the sroof. Let's have her move out in a

few days." Kenneth said with a heavy sigh.