Frowning , I whispered something to my mother and slipped into the woodshed to hide . Not long after , Nathaniel's voice thundered across the courtyard , wild and furious . " Bella , get out here . I know you're back ! " Then came Catherine's bitter , angry voice . " Nathaniel , I told yo But he immediately cut her off seriously . " No way ! Bella's not here . Those gifts are from me ! " " Those gifts are only sold in the city . You haven't been to the city alone . How would you have bought them ? me ! " " And there are three sets of cutleries on the table , but only two of you live here . Bella is definitely back . She's just hiding from His reasoning left Catherine completely speechless . I hadn't expected him to be so observant . " Bella , stop thinking you can hide from me ! I'll stay right here until you come out . I want to see how long you'll keep this up ! " Through the crack in the woodshed door , I saw him standing guard right there in the courtyard . Catherine clutched at his sleeve , her face streaked with tears . " Nathaniel , what's that supposed bringing me home for the New Year , and now you're just going to stand here waiting for Bella ! to S S € ་ ན - Instead of answering , he fell into a rare , stony silence . I knew then he wasn't leaving anytime soon , so I slipped out the side door instead . I had barely reached the end of the alley when I heard hurried footsteps behind me . I ducked down by the wall of a nearby yard . His hoarse , desperate voice rang out . " Bella , if you've got guts , come out and face me ! What's the point of hiding like this ? " Whatever's between us , we can talk it out ! " But no matter how loud he shouted or how raw his voice grew , I never showed myself . Catherine's crazed laughter split the night . " You can't find her , can you ? Let me be frank . She did come back . But so what ? " You still can't find her . Nathaniel , I'll make sure you never find Bella as long as you live! " The sound of a slap echoed . Her laughter faltered for a moment . Then , before long , she laughed again , more deranged than before . It was like the last illusion in his eyes finally shattered . Nathaniel's voice was thick with regret as he said , " I can't believe I didn't see you for who you really are . I can't believe I was blind enough to marry you !. " You don't even measure up to a fraction of Bella ! " But she just shrugged it off , laughing in his face . " So what ? I'm your wife , and she's not . " You married me in this life , and there's no getting rid of me! "