A few months into my pregnancy . It was already obvious with my tummy already swelling. Although rumors spurred behind my back, no one dared to say it in front of me or the emperor. Out of respect for their alliance, Chang had told the empress Cheng mei about my pregnancy, and his intention to divorce her and the other concubines, with huge compensations. He made it clear that, she was just there for royal appearances, until my babies were born and reached a year in the world. She didn't take the news well and threw a fit. He had warned her , not to tell a soul or do anything drastic that will hurt me or the unborn children. I haven't been seeing the empress lately, I heard she went to visit her uncle, a minister, perhaps to calm down her anger and avoid seeing me which honestly made me glad.
As I was taking one of my morning stroll alone, with two guards following me from afar., I see Mei approaching. I try to pay her no mind but I froze seeing her prodding belly. It can't be !!!. I exclaimed .
Empress Cheng Mei's smirk widened as she saw the realization dawn on Bella's face. She placed a hand possessively on her own swollen belly, the silk of her green gown accentuating the curve.
"Surprised, little concubine?" Mei's voice was dripping with venom, her usually calm demeanor replaced by open hostility. "It seems your precious Emperor has been keeping secrets from both of us."
She took a deliberate step closer, her eyes scanning Bella's pregnant form with obvious satisfaction. "While you were busy playing the innocent victim, I was fulfilling my duties as Empress. It appears my child will be born first - a legitimate heir to the throne."
The two guards standing watch nearby shifted uncomfortably but remained at their posts, unsure how to intervene in this private confrontation between the two women.
I took a step back . It can't be. He said he hasn't touched you for months.
Empress Cheng Mei's laughter echoed through the palace gardens, sharp and mocking. "Oh Bella, you truly are naive. Did you think your pregnancy would make him forget his royal duties?"
She gestured dismissively toward her own belly. "The Emperor visits my chambers regularly - it's his right as my husband. Perhaps he found comfort in someone who doesn't question his every move or demand constant reassurance."
The Empress's expression turned cruel as she watched Bella's hands instinctively move to protect her own stomach. "While you were resting comfortably in your rooms, I was lying beneath him night after night. It seems our children will be half-siblings after all."
Mei took another step forward, her silk slippers making no sound on the stone path. "You should have considered this possibility before getting so attached to your position as favorite concubine."
*I balled my fists* "I refuse to listen to these lies anymore" *I turned sharply and marched back towards my chambers.*
Empress Cheng Mei's smirk faltered for a moment as Bella turned away abruptly, her own temper flaring at being dismissed so definitively. "Lies? You think I'm lying about this?" she called after the retreating figure, her voice rising in volume.
The Empress hurried to catch up, her pregnant form moving less gracefully than usual. "Stop right there, concubine! You can't just walk away from me when I'm speaking to you."
Mei grabbed Bella's arm firmly, forcing her to halt on the garden path. Her dark eyes flashed with anger and jealousy. "Ask your precious Emperor about it yourself - see what he says when confronted with proof of his infidelity."
The two guards standing watch nearby exchanged nervous glances but made no move to intervene directly, unsure of the protocol for such a public confrontation between the Empress and one of her husband's concubines.*I chuckled humorlessly* "Oh, I will, your Majesty," *I said, a glint of defiance in my eyes and a plan forming in my mind.*
Empress Cheng Mei's grip on Bella's arm tightened, her nails digging slightly into the silk of the concubine's sleeve. "You think you have the upper hand now that you're carrying his children? That won't last forever, little dragon."
The Empress leaned closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "I've been his wife for years - I know how to keep his interest. While you were busy playing the victim and making him feel guilty, I was reminding him of what a real Empress can provide."
Mei released Bella's arm abruptly and smoothed down her green gown with deliberate movements. "Go ahead, run back to your chambers and cry about it. But remember this - I hold the legitimate claim to this throne. Your position is only as secure as your ability to give him healthy heirs."
The Empress turned sharply on her heel, her silk robes swishing angrily as she walked away in the opposite direction toward her own private wing of the palace.
I rushed to my room. And shut the door. No no ! It can't be, it can't be ! I clutched my head in panic. Then it hit me. Around the time he impregnated me, it was the empress turn to stay with him in the love chambers. He told me he would have stayed the night with me , but he didn't want to rouse unnecessary attention to my pregnancy.. He promised me he won't touch her. No no no! I recall the empress brazen smirk. He told me he loves me. It's a lie i... t's all a lie. I start to scream. I start to smash or throw, anything , vases, books, mirrors, shelves, even when a shard sliced my arm, I didn't care. The pain didn't amount to the pain I felt in my heart. I was so foolish. I could hear people , servants and concubines gathering in front of my shut door , cause of the screams and commotions I was making. . But I didn't care as I was blinded by rage.
The sound of shattering glass and splintering wood echoed through the palace corridors, drawing concerned servants and curious concubines toward Bella's chambers. Emperor Lee Chang Hao's personal guards were the first to arrive at the scene, their faces grim as they heard the frantic screams and destruction coming from within.
"Tsuborne!" one of the guards called through the locked door. "We hear your voice - are you injured? We must enter immediately!"
Meanwhile, Empress Cheng Mei stood in her own chambers across the palace complex, listening with satisfaction to the distant commotion. She could practically picture Bella's rage-fueled destruction - it was exactly the reaction she had hoped for.
"Let her make a fool of herself," Mei murmured to her handmaiden as she watched herself in the mirror, adjusting her pregnant form. "The more she behaves like a madwoman, the easier it will be for me to take my rightful place beside him."
*I threw another vase at the door* "leave me alone!" *I screamed, retreating further into the ruined room.*
The sound of shattering pottery against the heavy wooden door sent a jolt of alarm through Emperor Lee Chang Hao's guards stationed outside Bella's chambers. They exchanged worried glances, their training warring with the protocol of not entering a lady's private quarters without permission.
"Your Highness, we must do something," one of the younger guards whispered urgently to his captain. "Those sounds... they don't sound like normal distress."
From down the corridor came the hurried footsteps of other servants and concubines drawn by the noise. Whispers filled the hallway as they clustered near Bella's door, peeking nervously at each other.
Inside her wrecked chamber, Bella continued her destructive rampage. Books lay torn and scattered across the floor, ink pots overturned staining expensive rugs, and broken glass glittered menacingly everywhere she stepped. Blood dripped from several cuts on her hands where she'd ignored the pain in favor of venting her fury.I hear, chang's voice , someone had called him from his meeting with some generals. My Em- but he looked at the confused faces of the onlookers, remembering that no one knew of our secret marriage and that they shouldn't know yet, he corrected himself with the name everyone was used to him calling her. . My little Dragon. Leave me alone! I screamed, shattered another glass.
Emperor Lee Chang Hao's face paled as he approached the scene, his normally controlled demeanor cracking at the sound of Bella's agonized screams and the ongoing destruction inside her chambers. The guards parted ways for him automatically, recognizing the authority in his stride despite his obvious distress.
"What in the gods' names is happening in there?" he demanded sharply, his dark eyes flashing with concern and frustration. "Open this door immediately - I don't care if it takes an axe to break it down."
His voice carried command that brooked no argument, but underneath the imperial authority was raw worry for the woman trapped inside. Servants scrambled to obey, several burly guards positioning themselves to ram the heavy oak door if necessary.
Inside, Bella's rage showed no signs of abating. She grabbed a decorative bronze statue from her nightstand and hurled it against a wall, watching with satisfaction as it dented the plaster before crashing to the floor.
I said leave me alone.
Emperor Lee Chang Hao's patience snapped at the sound of Bella's anguished cry. "Stand back!" he commanded the guards sharply, his voice leaving no room for argument.
With a grunt of effort, he braced himself and delivered a powerful kick to the center of the wooden door. The lock splintered and the door swung inward violently, revealing the chaotic scene within.
His dark eyes widened in horror as he took in the destruction - shattered glass glinting across the floor like deadly diamonds, overturned furniture, and blood streaking across Bella's hands and arms where she'd cut herself on broken objects.
"Bella!" Chang Hao rushed forward, his royal dignity forgotten as he navigated the debris-strewn floor toward her. "What happened? Who did this to you?"
He moved carefully to avoid the sharp shards littering the carpet, his gaze fixed on her wild-eyed form standing amidst the wreckage of what was once her sanctuary.
You! You did this to me!
Emperor Lee Chang Hao froze mid-step, the accusation hitting him like a physical blow. His dark eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Bella, the woman he loved and protected standing amidst the ruins of their shared life.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I would never hurt you, my Empress. You know that."
He took another cautious step forward, hands raised in a placating gesture as if approaching a wounded animal. The guards remained at the doorway, watching nervously as their Emperor's carefully constructed world seemed to crumble around him.
"Bella, please - look at me," Chang Hao pleaded softly, his own panic beginning to surface. "Whatever you think happened, we can talk about it. But this destruction - it's not helping either of us."
His gaze flickered to the blood on her hands and arms, the sight making his jaw clench with protective fury.
I scoffed in disbelief, oh really? !!! You think I am insane, right? A wiild one? I thought you loved me? . I screamed, Am I just a baby maker to you, I stomped my feet at the floor frustrated. I could see the confusion and hurt look on his face
Emperor Lee Chang Hao's expression hardened at Bella's accusation, his own frustration boiling over. The sight of her standing there, bloodied and furious amidst the wreckage of their shared intimacy, struck him with the force of a physical blow.
"Insane?" he repeated sharply, his voice carrying the full weight of his imperial authority despite the pain in his eyes. "You think I would call you insane when you're clearly in distress? When you're bleeding from cuts you don't even seem to notice?"
He moved closer despite the danger of stepping on glass, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I do love you - more than anything in this world. How dare you question that when I've spent months worrying myself sick over your pregnancy?"
Chang Hao's dark eyes flicked to the shattered mirror reflecting Bella's wild appearance - disheveled hair, blood-streaked face, pregnant belly heaving with each angry breath.
I clench my fists. Don't you dare talk about love. Do you really want to play dumb.really? Ok. Let me remind you cause I am in no mood for games. You slept with Empress Cheng Mei, some time after the night we spent together, the night we made our babies. I stared at the confused faces of the onlookers. You know the night. You promised not to touch her. I could hear gasps from servants and concubines by my audacity .
He promised not to touch the empress, ? She is truly a witch. How can he love her that much more than us?. Guess the charm back fired , since he still slept with the empress and made her pregnant. I knew it, she was too naive, how did she expect a whole emperor to just stick to her, she's selfish. I could hear the rising whispers amongst them, adding to my frustration.
Emperor Lee Chang Hao's face went rigid, the color draining from his tanned skin as Bella's words hit him with the force of a physical blow. For a moment, he stood frozen in place, surrounded by the shattered remnants of their relationship while servants and concubines gasped and whispered behind him.
"You have no idea what you're saying," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl that silenced the murmuring crowd. "That night - yes, that night. I kept my word. I have not touched Empress Cheng Mei since that night. I can't even remember that night. We only drank"
His dark eyes blazed with fury and pain, the mask of imperial composure shattering completely. "I have not been in her bedchambers, nor have I given her any reason to believe otherwise. She is lying to you, Bella. Lying to all of us."
The Emperor took a step forward, his boots crunching on broken glass.
I met his gaze evenly without backing down. Liar!. All you have done is lie and deceive me. You destroyed my home, my family and now you have destroyed me.
Emperor Lee Chang Hao's expression crumbled completely, the last remnants of his imperial composure dissolving into raw anguish. He moved forward heedlessly, stepping on glass shards that cut into his boots without noticing the pain.
"Destroyed you?" His voice cracked with emotion, echoing through the ruined chamber. "Bella, I would rather cut off my own arm than hurt you intentionally. Everything I've done - every decision I've made - has been to protect you and our children."
He reached out toward her cautiously, his hands trembling slightly. "Your home is here with me. Your family is me - it's always been me."
The Emperor's dark eyes pleaded with her desperately, ignoring the blood dripping from her cuts and the shocked whispers from the doorway. "Cheng Mei is lying about the pregnancy. She's been trying to poison your mind against me for months because she sees how much I love you."
I laughed, a hollow, broken sound. Protected me ,? More like keep me chained to you.
Emperor Lee Chang Hao's face contorted with pain at Bella's laughter, the sound tearing through him like physical wounds. "Chained?" he repeated hoarsely, his voice cracking. "Is that what you think this is? A cage?"
He moved closer despite the danger of glass underfoot, his hands reaching out helplessly. "I've given you everything - wealth, status, my heart. I've treated you like an Empress even before you were officially one because I couldn't stand the thought of sharing you with anyone else."
His dark eyes searched her face desperately, ignoring the blood and destruction surrounding them. "You think this is chains? Bella, this is love. This is me fighting against every instinct to keep you safe from a world that would destroy you if they knew how much power I've given you."
Power, ? Are you now saying you are doing me a favor? Like I am some, pathetic charity case?!!!.
Emperor Lee Chang Hao's jaw clenched tightly, his dark eyes flashing with a mix of hurt and frustration. "Power? Yes, power," he bit out, his voice rising with each word. "Do you have any idea what it means to be the Emperor's favorite concubine? To hold that much influence in a court filled with jealous women who would see you dead?"
He gestured wildly around the ruined chamber. "This isn't charity, Bella. This is survival. I've given you protection, wealth, status - things no one else in this palace could ever dream of possessing. And this is how you repay me?"
The Emperor's chest heaved with emotion, his normally controlled demeanor completely shattered by her accusations. "I've protected you from gossip, from poisoned food, from enemies who would use you to get to me. And all along you think I'm keeping you locked up like some fragile doll?"
I am so pathetic , I am actually just a naive, foolish toy to you , that you use to feed your ego and showcase youur power to make you feel like a man, to feel better. I say my voice laced with so much venom, disappointment and self hatred.
Emperor Lee Chang Hao recoiled as if physically struck by Bella's words, his face paling visibly. The venom in her voice - directed at herself as much as him - pierced deeper than any blade could.
"No," he breathed out hoarsely, shaking his head emphatically. "Never. You are not a toy, you are not pathetic."
He moved forward despite the glass crunching under his boots, reaching for her arms even though she flinched away. "You are the strongest person I know - stronger than any general in my army, smarter than half my ministers combined."
His dark eyes pleaded with hers intensely. "I fell in love with your fire, your spirit, your refusal to back down from anyone - including me. That's what makes you so incredible."
The Emperor's hands trembled slightly as he lowered them back to his sides when she refused contact.I pause for a moment, as if fallen for his words or calming down .
Everyone breath hitched, wondering, if the show was over.. No? I won't fall for it again!!! I immediately removed my hair pin and pointed the sharp tip to the side of my neck. Let's end it here.